Data Call to Identify Divisionwide Information Development and Services Costs Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 15:21:41 -0400 To: "DC - All District Chiefs", "A - Division Chief and Staff", "B - Branch Chiefs and Offices" From: Tina Honesty Subject: Data Call to Identify Divisionwide Information Development and Services Costs Cc: "James S Burton, Program Manager, Reston, VA" , "Gail A Wendt, Chief, Communications Manager, Reston, VA" , "Kristina L Honesty, Secretary (Typing), Reston, VA" , "Dorothy M Woods, Secretary (AO), Reston, VA" In Reply Refer To: August 4, 1998 Mail Stop 440 MEMORANDUM To: District Chiefs, Water Resources Division Senior Staff, Water Resources Division Office Chiefs, Water Resources Division From: Lewis V. Wade /SIGNED/ Acting Assistant Chief Hydrologist for Information Subject: Data Call to Identify Divisionwide Information Development and Services Costs * * * RESPONSE REQUESTED BY COB, FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1998 * * * The purpose of this data call is to assist the Bureau's efforts to promote organizational efficiencies and common Bureau practices. In order to ensure the Bureau's administrative and fixed costs do not grow at the expense of the Bureau's scientific programs, an aggressive effort is being undertaken to identify and take advantage of opportunities to achieve operational efficiencies and better manage costs. Data collected from this call will be analyzed and summarized for use by the districts and offices in communicating the best business practices across divisions. It will provide an opportunity for districts and offices to share information for improving operations and management practices. Using Attachment 1 as a guide, please complete the data in Attachment 2 for use in compiling a final spreadsheet. Assign values for each of the zeros and in the exact order and format as shown in Attachment 2. Attachment 1 provides Information Definitions and Activities for completing this data sheet. When you have completed these entries, please email your response to Tina Honesty (thonesty). In preparing your response, look at the breadth of your activities in these areas, rather than including only those FTE's and costs that may be dedicated, by classification, with information-related activities. For example, if fact sheets or news releases are written by a staff hydrologist, the costs associated with those activities should also be included. If District or headquarters offices provide personnel to staff an exhibit at a conference, or if the office has done an open house, such costs should be captured as well. We realize that this request comes at an awkward time in the year, when so many other tasks, with even more pressing deadlines, are coming to a head. We understand, as well, that costs for information development and services are often soft costs or are buried within other costs. Please provide these costs as firm as you are able, with the understanding that some may need to be "best estimates" of the true costs. It is our hope that this effort will indeed result in efficiencies and better financial management in these areas and we thank you in advance for your efforts. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Jim Burton on telephone number (703) 648-5684 or at e-mail address, jburton@usgs.gov or Gail Wendt at telephone number (703) 648-5604 or at e-mail address, gwendt@usgs.gov. Attachments (2) Copy to: Jim Burton Gail Wendt Tina Honesty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Attachment No. 1 Information Definitions and Activities 1. Information Products and Delivery Information products are formal and informal publications, such as general interest publications, fact sheets, and educational packets, reports, specialization maps, and specialized informational databases. Specialized informational databases include frequently asked questions (FAQ's) and experts lists that are produced specifically for conveying information about scientific program and products of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to one or more audiences. This does not include research and associated research reports or standard map and data production. Costs in this category are divided into Information Product and Information Product Delivery. 1.1 Information Product Development Information product development includes information gathering, writing, editing, design, printing, mastering, reprinting, and Internet World Wide Web (WWW) page development. These information products are used by both the Information Service activities cited in section 2 and Outreach activities in section 3. Costs are to be divided into: 1.1.1 Activities associated with standard printed information products and CD-ROM development. 1.1.2 Activities associated with Internet WWW page development. 1.2 Information Product Delivery Information Product Delivery includes warehousing, inventory management, packing, shipping, mailing, and EarthFAX (fax-on-demand) delivery of free products, priced products, and free distribution of priced products to selected customers. Costs will be divided into: 1.2.1 Activities associated with delivery of priced products. 1.2.2 Activities associated with delivery of free products or free distribution of priced products. 2. Information Services Information services include all activities of information centers, offices, and individuals that provide customer service by supplying information and answering inquiries for both internal and external customers, provide Internet WWW information maintenance, and process customer feedback. It includes responding to inquiries and providing information about any and all USGS products and services, as well as general inquiries. Costs for this activity will be divided into: 2.1 Storefront and in-person information service. 2.2 Telephone, mail, EarthFAX Information service. 2.3 Internet WWW and E-mail information service. 3. Outreach Outreach is effective, proactive communication with many audiences and the providing of information products and services to those audiences. Outreach makes use of many information products for which the costs will be captured under item 1 above. Costs for some specific Outreach information products are captured in this section. Costs for Outreach activities will be divided into: 3.1 Exhibit development. 3.2 Exhibit presentation, shows, and events. 3.3 Audio-visual production. 3.4 Media relations and tools, such as news releases. 3.5 Legislative Relations such as Congressional visits and briefings and district office briefings. 3.6 Bureau opportunities such as Open House and Boy Scout Jamboree. 3.7 Visitor Center activities. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Attachment No. 2 Cost Center/Number ______________ Cost Center/Name ______________ U.S. Geological Survey Information Cost Accumulations (for actual FY 1997 costs) 1.1 Info Product Development 1.1.1 Print/CD Rom FTE Cost 0 FTE Number 0 Supplies, Equipment, Displays 0 Training 0 Travel 0 Reproduction 0 Mailing/Shipping 0 1.1.2 Internet WWW FTE Cost 0 FTE Number 0 Supplies, Equipment, Displays 0 Training 0 Travel 0 Reproduction 0 Mailing/Shipping 0 Subtotal 1.1 0 1.2 Info Product Delivery 1.2.1 Priced Products FTE Cost 0 FTE Number 0 Supplies, Equipment, Displays 0 Training 0 Travel 0 Reproduction 0 Mailing/Shipping 0 1.2.2 Free Products FTE Cost 0 FTE Number 0 Supplies, Equipment, Displays 0 Training 0 Travel 0 Reproduction 0 Mailing/Shipping 0 Subtotal 1.2 0 2. Information Services 2.1 Storefront/in-person FTE Cost 0 FTE Number 0 Supplies, Equipment, Displays 0 Training 0 Travel 0 Reproduction 0 Mailing/Shipping 0 2.2 Phone/mail/Earth-FAX FTE Cost 0 FTE Number 0 Supplies, Equipment, Displays 0 Training 0 Travel 0 Reproduction 0 Mailing/Shipping 0 2.3 Internet WWW/E-Mail FTE Cost 0 FTE Number 0 Supplies, Equipment, Displays 0 Training 0 Travel 0 Reproduction 0 Mailing/Shipping 0 Subtotal 2 0 3. Outreach 3.1 Exhibit Development FTE Cost 0 FTE Number 0 Supplies, Equipment, Displays 0 Training 0 Travel 0 Reproduction 0 Mailing/Shipping 0 3.2 Exhibit presentation/shows FTE Cost 0 FTE Number 0 Supplies, Equipment, Displays 0 Training 0 Travel 0 Reproduction 0 Mailing/Shipping 0 3.3 Audio/visual production FTE Cost 0 FTE Number 0 Supplies, Equipment, Displays 0 Training 0 Travel 0 Reproduction 0 Mailing/Shipping 0 3.4 Media Relations FTE Cost 0 FTE Number 0 Supplies, Equipment, Displays 0 Training 0 Travel 0 Reproduction 0 Mailing/Shipping 0 3.5 Legislative Relations FTE Cost 0 FTE Number 0 Supplies, Equipment, Displays 0 Training 0 Travel 0 Reproduction 0 Mailing/Shipping 0 3.6 Bureau Opportunities FTE Cost 0 FTE Number 0 Supplies, Equipment, Displays 0 Training 0 Travel 0 Reproduction 0 Mailing/Shipping 0 3.7 Visitor's Centers FTE Cost 0 FTE Number 0 Supplies, Equipment, Displays 0 Training 0 Travel 0 Reproduction 0 Mailing/Shipping 0 Subtotal 3 0