Digital Government Strategy Report for the National Science Foundation
2.1. Engage with customers to identify at least two existing major customer-facing services that contain high-value data or content as first-move candidates to make compliant with new open data, content, and web API policy.
Overall Status: completed
2.1.1. Paragraph on customer engagement approach
Paragraph on customer engagement approach: In seeking input on the prioritization of customer-facing systems, NSF plans to engage with a range of stakeholders within and external to the agency. NSF is revitalizing agency use of IdeaScale, which was previously utilized to collect customer input related to the Open Government Directive. Beginning the week of August 6, we will post candidate services on a dedicated IdeaScale page and request feedback from stakeholders.
We plan to advertise the availability of the IdeaScale page to several categories of customers, including internal NSF staff, the general public, the science and engineering community, and NSF’s advisors. We will use a variety of mechanisms to advertise the availability of the IdeaScale site, including internal announcements, press releases, and social media outlets. We will evaluate feedback received from customers, along with other considerations such as technical feasibility, as we prioritize and downselect our list of candidate systems.
2.1.2. Prioritized list of systems (datasets)
System Name: Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT)
System Description: The Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT) provides longitudinal information on the education and employment of the college-educated U.S. science and engineering workforce, collected through three biennial surveys. These surveys capture trends in employment opportunities and salaries in various degree fields, and help federal researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of equal opportunity efforts.
System Scope: both
Main Customer: Public (including Educators); Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices); Public Information Professionals
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
System Name: NSF Award Information
System Description: Information pertaining to NSF awards from 1959 through the present. Data includes principal investigator, awardee institution, NSF program and associated NSF organizations, award amount, award dates, award abstract, and publications and conference proceedings produced as a result of the research.
System Scope: both
Main Customer: Public (including Educators); Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
System Name: NSF Research Grant Funding Rates
System Description: NSF funding rates for competitive research proposals by organizational unit. (Funding rates constitute the number of awards divided by the number of actions for a given year by organizational unit).
System Scope: both
Main Customer: Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
System Name: Science & Engineering Indicators
System Description: Science and Engineering Indicators (SEI) provide U.S. and international data on the following subjects: 1) Elementary and Secondary Mathematics and Science Education 2) Higher Education in Science and Engineering 3) Science and Engineering Labor Force 4) Research and Development: National Trends and International Comparisons 5) Academic Research and Development 6) Industry, Technology, and the Global Marketplace 7) Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Understanding 8) State Indicators.
System Scope: both
Main Customer: Public (including Educators); Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices); Public Information Professionals
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
System Name: Project Outcome Reports
System Description: Section 7010 of the America COMPETES Act requires that researchers funded in whole or in part by NSF report on the outcomes of the funded research for the general public. Project Outcomes Reports describe the project outcomes or findings, addressing the intellectual merit and broader impacts of the work as defined in NSF merit review criteria.
System Scope: both
Main Customer: Public (including Educators); Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-999991361--Research.gov
System Name: Graduate Research Fellowship Program Awardees and Honorable Mention Recipients
System Description: Demographic information for recipients of NSF GRFP awards. The GRFP provides three years of graduate education support for individuals who have demonstrated the potential for significant achievements in science and engineering research
System Scope: both
Main Customer: Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000001328--Legacy Mission Applications
7.1. Engage with customers to identify at least two existing priority customer-facing services to optimize for mobile use.
Overall Status: completed
7.1.1. Paragraph on customer engagement approach
Paragraph on customer engagement approach: NSF plans to leverage a prior agency survey focused on mobile information usage in support of this requirement. In preparation for enabling some of the services available on the NSF website specifically for use on mobile devices, NSF posted a survey on the homepage of the main agency site (www.nsf.gov) inviting people to indicate their interest in and preferences for an NSF mobile website. Survey questions included whether or not the respondent would use a mobile site if one were available, the type of mobile device they would most likely use to access the site, the type of content they would be interested in accessing, and their role in visiting the NSF website. A place for comments was also provided.
An overwhelming majority of respondents said they would use an NSF mobile site if one were available. The iPhone was identified as the device most likely to be used to access the site. The services respondents were most interested in accessing were, in descending order of popularity: News; Funding; Discoveries; Awards; Staff Directory; Events; Vacancies; and Directions. The largest number of respondents identified themselves as researchers/scientists, followed by interested public and NSF staff.
NSF plans to revisit responses to the agency survey as part of the prioritization process for selecting mobile services, and will review other potential sources of customer input (e.g., website metrics and feedback received via website comments) as we down-select our list of candidates.
7.1.2. Prioritized list of systems (datasets)
System Name: News
System Description: NSF press releases and other agency news products
System Scope: both
Main Customer: Public (including Educators), Public Information Professionals
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
System Name: Funding
System Description: Catalog of NSF’s funding opportunities with links to Grants.gov System
System Scope: external
Main Customer: Catalog of NSF’s funding opportunities with links to Grants.gov System
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
System Name: Discoveries
System Description: Articles describing notable results from NSF funded research
System Scope: external
Main Customer: Public (including Educators)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
System Name: Awards
System Description: Searchable database of NSF awards.
System Scope: both
Main Customer: Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
System Name: Staff Directory
System Description: Senior management list, organization list, browse-able and searchable staff list.
System Scope: both
Main Customer: Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
System Name: Events
System Description: Calendar of NSF events.
System Scope: external
Main Customer: Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
System Name: Vacancies
System Description: Current job vacancies at NSF.
System Scope: both
Main Customer: Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices), Public (including Educators)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
System Name: Directions
System Description: Directions for visiting NSF headquarters in Ballston.
System Scope: external
Main Customer: Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
4.2. Establish an agency-wide governance structure for developing and delivering digital services
Overall Status: completed
Paragraph on Governance: NSF's approach for the development and delivery of digital services and data is to build upon existing agency governance structures, processes, and activities while leveraging opportunities for improvement as appropriate. Key participants in NSF's current IT governance processes include the agency Chief Information Officer, the Executive Information Technology Resources Board, the Capital Planning and Investment Control Board, and the NSF Web Implementation Group (WIG). NSF's governance bodies include senior management representation from across the agency, including the Chief Technology Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Capital Officer, and Chief Acquisition Officer, as well as senior leadership from all of NSF's Science Directorates. Their scope of authority includes all three layers of digital services: information, platform, and presentation. At the information layer, NSF digital services governance focuses on content (e.g., NSF's information products) and on data (e.g., NSF's datasets on Data.gov). At the platform layer, decisions relate to NSF's use of web APIs, data feeds, and web services. At the presentation layer, digital services governance considers agency web sites, mobile sites, and social media tools and channels.
In alignment with the Federal CIO Council's "Digital Services Governance Recommendations" of August 2012, NSF followed the recommended, six-step process to assess existing agency digital services governance and participated in the September 2012 digital services governance workshop, both of which have informed NSF's conclusions and next steps. With our assessment, NSF did not identify significant gaps in existing governance structures as they relate to digital services governance. As such, NSF's processes for review and approval of agency information products and information technology investments will continue to be utilized for digital services governance. As next steps, NSF is further formalizing the governance approach described above, setting specific goals around digital services, and establishing agency-wide policies for digital services and products where needed.
NSF's digital services governance activities will continue to be guided by core principles that include: standardized review, approval, and dissemination of agency digital services and information products; alignment with principles of NSF Strategic Plan; timely approval of NSF policies related to digital services, as appropriate; agile framework for development and implementation of performance measures related to digital services; and compliance with Digital Strategy requirements.
URL to Governance Document:
5.2. Develop an enterprise-wide inventory of mobile devices and wireless service contracts
Overall Status: completed
5.2.1. Develop wireless and mobile inventory
Inventory Status: completed
8.2. Implement performance and customer satisfaction measuring tools on all .gov websites
Overall Status: completed
8.2.1. Implement performance measurement tool
Implemented Digital Analytics Program: yes
If Not, Describe Implementation:
Percent of websites covered: Percent of websites covered: The tool has been implemented on NSF.gov, the agency's primary web presence, which accounts for over 95% of NSF's web traffic across all domains.
URL of performance data: The performance measurement data is not being shared publicly at this time.
8.2.2. Implement customer satisfaction tool
Describe Implementation: NSF adopted the 4 key customer satisfaction metrics recommended by the Digital Analytics Program and received OMB clearance for their delivery in survey form. The survey is available to all NSF.gov site visitors; visitors who choose to participate will complete the customer satisfaction questions via an online survey tool.
URL of performance data: The customer satisfaction data is not being shared publicly at this time.
1.2. Ensure all new IT systems follow the open data, content, and web API policy and operationalize agency.gov/developer pages
Overall Status: completed
1.2.1. Document policy for architecting new IT systems for openness by default
Describe policy: NSF has operationalized the agency's Developer page. NSF is committed to the principles of the new open data policy, and is working to formalize our approach for ensuring new IT systems are in alignment.
1.2.3. Operationalize Enterprise Data Inventory
Number of datasets in the Enterprise Data Inventory:
Number of systems whose datasets are in the Enterprise Data Inventory:
Number of datasets that can be made publicly available:
Number of datasets listed on the /data page:
Number of released datasets listed on the /data page:
2.2. Make high-value data and content in at least two existing, major customer-facing systems available through web APIs, apply metadata tagging and publish a plan to transition additional high-value systems
Overall Status: completed
2.2.1. Publish plan on future activity
Describe policy: NSF is formalizing our plans to make additional high-value data available through web APIs.
2.2.2. Make 2+ systems (datasets) available via web APIs with metadata tags
Name of system: Graduate Research Fellowship Program Awardees and Honorable Mention Recipients
Description of system: Demographic information for recipients of NSF GRFP awards. The GRFP provides three years of graduate education support for individuals who have demonstrated the potential for significant achievements in science and engineering research
Scope of system: both
Main Customers: Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000001328--Legacy Mission Applications
API Link: https://explore.data.gov/developers/docs/nsf-grfp-awardees-and-honorable-mentions-2000-2012-
Name of system: NSF Research Grant Funding Rates
Description of system: NSF funding rates for competitive research proposals by organizational unit. (Funding rates constitute the number of awards divided by the number of actions for a given year by organizational unit).
Scope of system: both
Main Customers: Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
API Link: https://explore.data.gov/developers/docs/nsf-funding-rate-history
5.3. Evaluate the government-wide contract vehicles in the alternatives analysis for all new mobile-related procurements
Overall Status: completed
Describe Implementation: NSF evaluates government-wide vehicles for mobile services, and leverages them as appropriate, in new mobile-related procurements. The agency is following the progress and status of planned federal vehicles in this area.
6.3. Ensure all new digital services follow digital services and customer experience improvement guidelines
Overall Status: completed
Describe Implementation: NSF has adopted mechanisms to evaluate the customer experience on agency digital services. NSF is working to formalize our approach for ensuring new IT systems are in alignment.
7.2. Optimize at least two existing priority customer-facing services for mobile use and publish a plan for improving additional existing services
Overall Status: completed
Describe Implementation: NSF's mobile site is a mobile-friendly version of NSF.gov. It features several subordinate mobile services.
7.2.1. Report on services
Service Name: News
Service Description: NSF press releases and other agency news products
System Scope: both
Primary customers: Public (including Educators), Public Information Professionals
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
URL of service: http://www.nsf.gov/mobile/news/
Service Name: Funding
Service Description: Catalog of NSF’s funding opportunities with links to Grants.gov System
System Scope: external
Primary customers: Catalog of NSF’s funding opportunities with links to Grants.gov System
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
URL of service: http://www.nsf.gov/mobile/funding/
Service Name: Discoveries
Service Description: Articles describing notable results from NSF funded research
System Scope: external
Primary customers: Public (including educators)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
URL of service: http://www.nsf.gov/mobile/discoveries/
Service Name: Staff Directory
Service Description: Senior management list, organization list, browse-able and searchable staff list.
System Scope: both
Primary customers: Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
URL of service: http://www.nsf.gov/mobile/staff/
Service Name: Events
Service Description: Calendar of NSF events.
System Scope: external
Primary customers: Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
URL of service: http://www.nsf.gov/mobile/events/
Service Name: Vacancies
Service Description: Current job vacancies at NSF.
System Scope: both
Primary customers: Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices), Public (including Educators)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
URL of service: http://www.nsf.gov/mobile/career/
Service Name: Directions
Service Description: Directions for visiting NSF headquarters in Ballston.
System Scope: external
Primary customers: Research and Education Community (including University Sponsored Research Offices)
Unique Investment Identifier: 422-000000003--Administrative Applications
URL of service: http://www.nsf.gov/mobile/visit/
Last updated May 5, 2013 at 10:07 am