RE: ANSI/AIIM 21:2009, StratML Part 1

Thanks, Brand.  I certainly hope that agencies will render their open gov plans in StratML format on their Web sites, as per objectives 3.a and 1.b of the directive: http://xml.gov/stratml/crane/OGD.xml If they would like to do so and need assistance, I'll be glad to help.

Those who have MS InfoPath could use the form I have posted at http://xml.gov/stratml/forms/StrategicPlan.xsn and, if they wish, they could start with the model open gov plan available at http://xml.gov/stratml/index.htm#OpenGovDirective or, more specifically, http://xml.gov/stratml/MOGP.xml 

Joe Carmel is working on an XForms form.  Hopefully, it will be usable by anyone with just a browser and various vendors will produce more capable, value-added StratML eForms and related services, along the lines of the prototypes at http://xml.gov/stratml/index.htm#Forms and http://xml.gov/stratml/index.htm#Services

BTW, since it is plain XML, the model open gov plan can be opened in MS Word as well as any other text editor or XML-enabled application.  However, it is unclear whether that will continue to be the case if i4i's patent infringement lawsuit against MS is ultimately upheld.

Owen 

-----Original Message-----
From: public-egov-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:public-egov-ig-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Niemann.Brand@epamail.epa.gov
Sent: Monday, January 04, 2010 11:40 AM
To: Owen Ambur
Cc: board@firmcouncil.org; eGov IG; public-egov-ig-request@w3.org; 'Metagovernment Startup Committee'
Subject: Re: ANSI/AIIM 21:2009, StratML Part 1

Owen, Congratulations!  How about applying this now to the new Open
Government Directive? Happy New Year! Brand


                                                                                                                                  
  From:       "Owen Ambur" <Owen.Ambur@verizon.net>                                                                               
                                                                                                                                  
  To:         "eGov IG" <public-egov-ig@w3.org>, "'Metagovernment Startup Committee'" <start@metagovernment.org>,                 
              <board@firmcouncil.org>                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                  
  Date:       01/01/2010 01:03 PM                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                  
  Subject:    ANSI/AIIM 21:2009, StratML Part 1                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                  





Happy new year, one and all!

Presuming that you haven’t already seen it, I encourage you to check out
AIIM’s announcement of Part 1 of the Strategy Markup Language (StratML)
standard:
http://www.aiim.org/pressrelease/new-industry-standard-StratML.aspx

It doesn’t have any official standing among .gov agencies yet and the
tools/services that have been developed thus far are best characterized
as prototypes:  http://xml.gov/stratml/index.htm#Forms &
http://xml.gov/stratml/index.htm#Services

However, it was referenced in Beth Noveck’s wrap-up to the open gov
brainstorming session on collaboration:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Wrap-Up-of-the-Open-Government-Brainstorming-Collaboration/


Usage of StratML Part 1 has been demonstrated with more than 550 plans,
including those of all of the U.S. federal Cabinet-level agencies, most
of the members of the Small Agency Council (SAC), and more than 250
non-profit, public service organizations.
http://xml.gov/stratml/index.htm#StratPlans
As far as I am aware, it is the only open, standard way in which
agencies can comply with provisions of subsections 202(b)(4) & (5) and
207(d) of the eGov Act, which respectively require agencies to:
      Work together to link their performance goals to key groups,
      including citizens, businesses, and other governments, as well as
      internal Federal Government operations; and
      Adopt open standards enabling the organization and categorization
      of Government information in a way that is searchable
      electronically and interoperably across agencies.
The eGov Act expressly references “extensible markup language” as the
sort of standard technology that should be used.  See the text
highlighted in red at http://xml.gov/documents/completed/eGovXML.htm

OMB Circular A-119 charges agencies with participating in the
development and use of voluntary consensus standards, like StratML.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/rewrite/circulars/a119/a119.html  And the
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) requires them to consult
with their stakeholders in compiling and maintaining their strategic and
performance plans.  http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/mgmt-gpra_gplaw2m/

Publication of StratML Part 1 as an ANSI/AIIM standard is particularly
relevant and timely with respect to OMB M-10-06, which directs agencies
to compile open gov plans and post information in an open format.  See
objectives 3.a and 1.b in the StratML rendition of the memo at
http://xml.gov/stratml/crane/OGD.xml

The guidance provided in the attachment to the memo has been rendered as
a model plan in StratML format at http://xml.gov/stratml/MOGP.xml  Since
I compiled it in InfoPath, MSIE tries to open InfoPath but other
browsers should ignore the InfoPath processing instruction and open the
file as plain XML text.  Since XML and, thus, StratML files are in
“open” format, they can be viewed and edited in any XML-enabled
application or text editor.  (It will be interesting to see how the
patent infringement case may affect the ability of MS Word to open and
edit StratML files.)

A set of StratML FAQ is available at
http://www.aiim.org/standards/article.aspx?ID=37932 and a draft overview
presentation at http://xml.gov/stratml/index.htm#WorkResults or, more
specifically, http://xml.gov/stratml/draft/ANSIAIIM212009.ppt

If you have any questions, I’ll be happy to try to answer them.

Owen Ambur
Co-Chair, AIIM StratML Committee
Co-Chair Emeritus, xml.gov CoP
Communications/Membership Director, FIRM
Former Project Mananger, ET.gov
Invited Expert, W3C eGov IG

Received on Monday, 4 January 2010 19:39:17 UTC