The Science Subcommittee began its oversight of the implementation of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 by focusing on the establishment of the National Research and Education Network (NREN), which will evolve out of the current internet, the National Science Foundation's (NSF) NSFNET. The policy issues under discussion were: providing a level playing field for network services providers; ensuring that the network is responsive to user needs; providing for effective network management; determining the level of consultation that has occurred between the NSF, the network user, and provider communities during the course of developing the policies for governance and operation of the NSFNET backbone; and moving toward the long-term vision for the NREN, including the appropriate roles of the public and private sectors. Included in the hearing report are statements from Bob Traxler and Jerry F. Costello of the House Subcommittee on Science and testimony from the following witnesses: Eric Hood, Federation of American Research Networks and Northwestnet, Inc.; Douglas E. Van Houweling, Merit Network, Inc. and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Mitchell Kapor, Commercial Internet Exchange Association and Electronic Frontier Foundation; Michael M. Roberts, Educom; William L. Schrader, Performance Systems International, Inc. Also included are a statement by A. Nico Habermann and Stephen S. Wolff, National Science Foundation; the Subcommittee and Full Committee markups of H.R. 5344, Amendment to the NSF Act of 1950; and an additional statement submitted for the record by E. Michael Staman, CICNet. (ALF)

This report, published in its entirety (OTA-TCT-578) and in a summary form (OTA-TCT-579) containing only the first chapter of the complete report, focuses on key topics and issues that are central to the successful use of electronic delivery by government. The review conducted by the Office of Technology Assessment concludes that the movement toward electronic delivery of government services is accelerating, but that many factors must be considered. The greatest risks of electronic delivery are overlooking the human element and users' needs, which would further widen the gap between the technologically literate and the technologically illiterate, and failing to capitalize on all the opportunities that partnerships among government agencies and the private sector could provide. Changes that will be required in federal management are outlined, and options for successful implementation of electronic delivery are sketched. Many rely on the amplification of existing structures. Five appendixes complement the complete report, including a list of the 11 boxes, 5 figures, and 22 tables that illustrate the discussion; and lists of acronyms and terms, contributors, field study participants, and contractor reports. The summary volume contains four tables and two boxes. (SLD)

Recently, the public sector has given an increasing amount of national and international attention to electronic government systems. Therefore, it is inevitable that the theoretical implications and intersections between information technology and governmental matters are more widely discussed. Public Information Management and E-Government: Policy and Issues offers a fresh, comprehensive dialogue on issues that occur between the public management and information technology domains. With its focus on political issues and their effects on the larger public sector, this book is valuable for administrators, researchers, students, and educators who wish to gain foundational and theoretical knowledge on e-government policies.