Fact Sheet: White House Forum on Modernizing Government

The Obama Administration is changing the way business is done in Washington -- bringing a new sense of responsibility for taxpayer dollars. For too long, those in Washington have relied on the same group of people for the same, outdated ways of thinking about solutions, creating a government that is full of waste and unresponsive to Americans' needs.

It's time that we modernize government, streamlining what works and eliminating what doesn't.

One specific source of ineffective and inefficient government is the huge technology gap between the public and private sectors that results in billions of dollars in waste, slow and inadequate customer service, and a lack of transparency about how dollars are spent.

Information technology has transformed how the private sector operates - and revolutionized the ease, convenience, and effectiveness by which it serves its customers. The government has a lot to learn from the private sector. That's why the President called for this Forum; he wanted to hear from those outside of Washington - who are using technology to save money and improve performance.

The White House Forum on Modernizing Government will kick off with remarks by the President, and then the CEOs, government and labor officials, and industry leaders will split up into the following sessions: (1) Streamlining Government Operations; (2) Transforming Customer Service; (3) Maximizing Return on Investment.

Four key steps coming out of the Forum include:

 The White House will launch a website to solicit feedback from the public about how government can improve its use of technology.

 OMB will issue a report on the findings from the forum with an implementation plan containing a timeline, milestones, key challenges, ownership, and accountability. The report will highlight the greatest challenges and where business leaders can be most helpful.

 CEOs will be asked to match their experience and interests with specific issue areas. This will lead to "informal networks" between the Deputy Secretaries, CEOs, and CIOs.

 Finally, each CEO will be asked to do a debrief call to make sure the lessons learned are shared and more importantly, carried forward in a productive manner.