OMB Names Unisys Executive as New E-Gov Leader

Unisys Corp. executive Mark Forman has been tapped to serve in a newly created position within the Office of Management and Budget that will make him the leading federal e-government executive.


As associate director for information technology and e-government, Forman will oversee implementation of IT throughout the federal government and lead development and implementation of federal IT policy, according to OMB.

Forman, who joins OMB June 25, will report to the deputy director for management, who will be the federal CIO.


Forman is vice president of e-business for the global public-sector unit of Unisys, Blue Bell, Pa., where he is responsible for developing and implementing e-government strategy for U.S. government and global public-sector clients.


OMB Director Mitchell Daniels Jr. announced Forman's appointment June 14.


Many IT industry officials have called for greater attention to IT and e-government at the federal level, and advocated creating an office for a federal CIO, saying the deputy director for management's other responsibilities prevent adequate attention to IT.

While the administration did not establish a CIO czar, the Information Technology Association of America supports the creation of this new position, said Olga Grkavac, a vice president with the Arlington, Va., trade group.


"We are delighted about this new position," Grkavac said. "Mark will focus on transforming government, working with the CIOs and other people in government. Mark's background is a perfect fit for getting real results in this [e-government] area."


Forman will have responsibility for the e-government fund established in the president's budget to generate interagency e-government innovation. He will direct the activities of the CIO Council, which consists of federal agency chief information officers; advise on the appointments of agency CIOs; and monitor and consult on agency technology efforts.

Working with the deputy director for management, Forman will be responsible for a variety of oversight functions statutorily assigned to OMB.


"This must be the year in which we begin to transform the way the federal government communicates and interacts with the public by applying the tools of e-commerce. The technical skills and thorough knowledge of government Mark has gained through his private and public sector experiences make him the ideal person for this new position," Daniels said.


Before joining Unisys, Forman directed an IBM Corp. global team responsible for delivery of e-business and IT consulting services in the public sector, building on IBM's North American e-government consulting practice that he created in 1999.


Previously, Forman was the senior professional staff member on the majority staff of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, where he had key roles in the drafting and enactment of major legislation, including the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act, the Information Technology Management Reform Act and the Paperwork Reduction Act. He was also the senior adviser to the Senate on information technology issues.