EMPHASIS NEEDED ON GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO STANDARDIZE DATA ELEMENTS AND CODES FOR COMPUTER SYSTEMS

• NCJ Number: 16561
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 72 pages
• Corporate Author: US Comptroller General; US Government Accountability Office
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

ASSESSMENT OF THE PROGRESS BEING MADE IN STANDARDIZATION EFFORTS, WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT FEDERAL STANDARDIZATION PROGRAM UNDER THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE.

Abstract

IT IS STATED THAT THE STANDARDIZATION OF CODES AND DATA ELEMENTS COULD HELP REDUCE HIGH COSTS OF FEDERAL COMPUTER OPERATIONS BY ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY DUPLICATION AND INCOMPATABILITIES IN COLLECTING, PROCESSING, AND DISSEMINATING DATA. PAST FEDERAL EFFORTS TO STANDARDIZE DATA ELEMENTS AND CODES ARE DESCRIBED. IT WAS FOUND THAT THESE EFFORTS HAVE BEEN SLOW AND LARGELY UNSUCCESSFUL. RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROGRAM WAS TRANSFERRED FROM THE BUREAU OF THE BUDGET TO THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE IN MAY 1973. SIGNIFICANT POLICIES ESTABLISHED BY A COMMERCE POLICY DIRECTIVE INCLUDE CLARIFICATION OF TERMS AND NEW TERMS TO DESCRIBE DATA STANDARDS, TWO ADDITIONAL TYPES OF STANDARDS, PRIORITIES FOR RANKING TYPES OF STANDARDS, AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES. PROBLEMS BEING ENCOUNTERED IN THE FEDERAL DATA STANDARDIZATION PROGRAM, POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF DATA STANDARDIZATION, AND CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND AGENCY ACTIONS ARE DISCUSSED AS WELL. THE APPENDIXES INCLUDE A NOVEMBER 1973 REGULATION ON STANDARDIZATION OF DATA ELEMENTS AND REPRESENTATIONS, AND A RELATED DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE LETTER. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)