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In May of this year, the Government
Accountability Office (GAO) released
a report to the U.S. House
Committee on Government Reform
on how increased telework capability
could improve agencies’ Continuity
of Operations (COOP) planning.
The report’s title itself is a fair
summary of the findings: "Continuity
of Operations: Selected Agencies
Could Improve Planning for Use of
Alternate Facilities and Telework
during Disruptions."
The report, a follow-up to previous
studies conducted by GAO, shows
that of the 23 agencies consistently
surveyed, nine indicated they had
plans to use telework during a COOP
event - this is up from only three in
a previous study. Still, only three had
documentation to show that at least
some of the necessary preparations
had been made to use telework
effectively in such an event. The
GAO says agencies do not have the
specific guidance needed to
incorporate telework into their COOP
plans, and it is this lack of direction
that continues to hinder progress.
Linda Koontz is Director of
Information Management Issues at GAO. She
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recalls a recent hearing
where it was made clear, "The threat
of a pandemic underscores the
importance of agencies having
robust telework programs that can
facilitate the social distancing
needed in such an event. Agencies
must, however, make the necessary
preparations to enable them to use
telework effectively during an
emergency, including testing their
capabilities."
Review COOP plans of the six
agencies included in the report
who have identified alternate work
facilities and address any
shortcomings before interagency
exercises are conducted
Develop a methodology for
individual agency COOP
assessments that survey the
extent to which agencies
1) identify essential functions;
2) identify required staff and
resources necessary in COOP
situations; and 3) plan, conduct,
and evaluate tests and exercises
to ensure ability to execute COOPs
strategies
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Establish a firm timeline with the
Office of Personnel Management
(OPM) by which agencies will
receive additional guidance on
necessary steps to prepare for a
COOP event
To see more information,
download the full report at:
http://www.gao.gov/new.
items/d06713.pdf
The latest Telework Exchange study,
"Federal Contact: Bird Flu in
America," reveals that the Federal
government will grind to a halt in
the event of a pandemic flu
outbreak - only 27 percent of
Federal employees would report to
the office. What will the government
do when its employees just do
not come to work?
Federal government employees
revealed that their agencies are
unprepared for a pandemic-related
business interruption. An alarming
71 percent assert that their agency
is "not prepared to continue
business operations in the wake
of a pandemic."
Equally disappointing is the fact
that 89 percent indicate their agency
has provided no guidance
on how to respond to a pandemic
outbreak. Only 21 percent knew for
sure if their agency had a pandemic
Continuity of Operations (COOP) plan.
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The April issue of The Teleworker
highlighted three organizations
working to promote telework as an
alternative to the traditional five-daysa-
week commuting model. Here,
three more active organizations are
recognized for their efforts toward the
same goal.
If you are thinking this sounds like an
association focused on security, not
teleworking, you would be half right.
An advocacy group dedicated to the
improvement of cyber security, CSIA
members also have a keen interest
in teleworking.
Even today, some cite security as a
barrier to, and risk factor against,
teleworking. With the backing of its
membership, CSIA unequivocally
debunks that argument. In July
2005, the organization released a
report titled "Making Telework a
Federal Priority: Security is Not the
Issue." In this report, CSIA states,
"Most major incidents that
compromise sensitive information
stem from weaknesses in humanbased
systems, not security
technology."
The organization insists that, by
following guidelines set forth by the
National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST), "Federal agencies
can prevent the typical incidents of
accidental exposure of sensitive
information that are reported by
newspapers."
After the release of this report, CSIA
convened a meeting in November
2005 to discuss how to expand
telework in the Federal government.
Participants included Congressional
staff, agency leaders, industry
experts, and telework advocates.
With the support of these visionaries,
CSIA intends to hold further
discussions with the goal to
recommend policy changes to
Chairman Tom Davis (R-VA) of the
U.S. House Committee on
Government Reform.
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(For more information on CSIA
programs to support teleworking,
please see www.csialliance.org)
Of the committees and councils
within ACT, the Telework Council is
the busiest and fastest growing. One
look at that organization’s motives,
and you can see why. ACT works to
create programs, services, and
products that help reduce traffic
congestion, increase mobility, and
improve air quality. Kevin Shannon,
ACT Executive Director, says,
"Telework is one tool in the toolbox.
As technology evolves and people
push for alternatives, telework is a
natural option."
ACT is certainly poised to push
telework across industry and
government. With 13 regional
chapters and 850 members,
including large influential
organizations such as Nike,
Starbucks, Disney, Lockheed Martin,
and Harvard University, the non-profit
surely has appeal and talent. ACT is
active in policy advocacy throughout
the country, especially in Washington,
D.C. ACT includes telework topics in
several sessions at the 2006 Annual
Conference in Boston, MA from
August 27-30.
Shannon views ACT members in
three categories: 1) public sector
members from state and local
governments, 2) non-profit groups
with like-minded objectives, and
3) industry employers. Members are
kept up to date on the latest news
through a monthly journal, an
e-newsletter, and timely updates and
alerts. While the national conference
is the biggest draw, ACT also holds
conferences at the regional and
local level.
(For more information on ACT and its
programs, visit www.actweb.org)
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In early 2005, the stalwart
International Telework Association
& Council (ITAC) was acquired by
WorldAtWork, where its mission
remains steady: to advance the
growth and success of work
independent of location. Both are
not-for-profit organizations, with
members from industry and
government. Amy Jantz is Managing
Strategist of Learning Technologies at
ITAC, and she says, "Our members
range from human resource
managers to telework coordinators.
But they are all advocates dedicated
to promoting telework within their
organizations."
ITAC’s Telework America program
promotes telework and educates
leaders and workers through research
studies, reports, and training. From
an e-Work Guide to business
continuity planning advice, ITAC offers
its members information to help
pursue and enhance telework
programs in their own organizations.
With WorldAtWork as its parent
company, there are other
membership offerings that can help
improve work-life balance. Check out
their Total Rewards model that helps
attract, retain, and motivate
personnel. It’s no surprise that
telework plays a role in there!
(Read more about ITAC and WorldAtWork
at www.workingfromanywhere.org)
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The Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) has implemented an interesting
approach that supports telework: the
agency provides its workforce with
access to a secure, shared virtual
office suite that mimics a typical "real
world" office setup. Think document
management, meeting spaces,
project teams, libraries, and tight
security - all in cyberspace.
It is called the Knowledge Services
Network (KSN), and 22,000
people call it their "office away
from the office." Ron Simmons
is a Scientific & Technical Advisor
at FAA, and he actively uses and
promotes the KSN as a secure,
efficient virtual office. "Our
headquarters building in
Washington, D.C., houses 4,000
people. Once you make it into the
building, you can visit almost any
office. The KSN serves 22,000
people and requires password
validation at every ‘door’ to a new
office space."
Simmons started KSN in 1998 as a
basic experiment to find a way for
far-flung co-workers to virtually
connect. Today, the FAA’s
Pandemic Crisis Response Steering
Committee is looking to the KSN
as a possible solution to help keep
the agency up and running in the
event employees must be socially
isolated to stem a flu pandemic.
"Before this technology, if a senior
executive needed to track avian flu
planning in agency offices worldwide,
he would need to assign a staff
person full time for phone calls and
e-mail correspondence. With KSN,
that executive could be able to easily
view each individual office’s planning
information on the KSN," said
Simmons.
As an example of KSN’s qualifications
as both a telework tool and a virtual
office space, Simmons offers this
scenario. As part of its mission,
FAA writes aviation regulations.
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"We might, for example, write a
regulation for an approach into
Alaska Airport. The outside
community is invited to comment, but
often were not given adequate time
to examine the regulation before it
was finalized. Now, an airline pilot
can sign into the KSN and comment
on a draft regulation from his or her
hotel."
Deborah Polasek is the KSN’s Virtual
Business Services Lead, and she
highlights another success story. "A
widely dispersed engineering team
recently used the KSN to collaborate
on the design of a new Memphis air
traffic control tower. In the past, this
process required three months and
nearly 300 man hours. With KSN, the
work was accomplished in
approximately 50 hours and over a
few weeks’ time." The Atlanta
airport’s control tower is the largest in
North America, and a 50-person
design team recently used the KSN
to streamline processes during a
similar project for the airport.
The core technology behind the KSN
is Microsoft Windows SharePoint
Services, exposed over the Internet
with very secure access protocols. It
allows for document management,
task tracking, whiteboarding, libraries,
calendars, and much more. Simmons
points out, "The technology is only 20
percent of the total solution." He
attributes the KSN’s success to
excellent preparation, change
management, and training. Polasek
adds, "It is important to show
managers and employees how a
solution can alleviate daily ‘points
of pain’ in business processes. It
helps them fix these things, and
they are excited to see what else can
be improved."
It is important to note that not all
22,000 KSN users consider
themselves teleworkers. In fact, while
many of them are working from
home, some are sitting at a desk in
their office. Still, they are working in
a virtual environment, and could just
as well perform the same tasks
remotely. As Polasek puts it, "With
22,000 employees and stakeholders
already competent with collaborative
tools, we are a jump ahead in
preparing for a crisis."
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One might think this all sounds timeconsuming
and expensive. Not so,
according to Simmons. "We absorbed
the costs of developing the KSN in its
first year of operation," he proudly
states. The cost of operating the
KSN, whether for 50 people or
22,000, is $1.2 million annually.
Over the last year, the FAA estimates
roughly $7 million cost avoidance
directly attributable to the KSN.
The agency monitored
virtual meetings,
which meant less
travel expenses.
The KSN supports
approximately 80
such meetings a
week, saving the
agency nearly
$3.4 million
annually. And,
using complex
military analysis models, the FAA
believes the KSN saves around $4
million annually by giving employees
an easier, more efficient way to find
and share information
and avoid duplicating efforts. For
those still dubious, Simmons points
out that he hired an independent
company to conduct a
Business Value
Model (BVM), and
that company
arrived at the
same number -
nearly $7 million
in savings.
Deborah Polasek
Knowledge Services Network
Virtual Business Services Lead,
Federal Aviation Administration
Ron Simmons
Scientific & Technical
Advisor, Federal Aviation
Administration
Technology - Determine how much
you need, and which best meet your
business requirements
Business Processes - Modify
processes to support changing
paradigms
Change Management - Shift
employees’ behaviors to take full
advantage of new business models
Training - Essential to ensure your
workforce has the infrastructure to
support adequate training on new
systems and processes
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Confronted with rising gas prices
once again, Federal employees are
increasingly eyeing telework as an
option. The recently released "Gas
Prices Fuel Telework" study,
conducted by Telework Exchange,
shows the impact of today’s fuel
costs on Federal commuters (using
$3 per gallon as a measure). Looking
to the future, the study also
examines the effects on those
same workers if gas prices reach
$5 per gallon.
At $3 a gallon, Federal employees
can save $55.52 a month by
teleworking two days a week. At $5
a gallon, those two days of
teleworking can save them $92.54
a month. The study offers a few
interesting ideas for spending the
savings. Buy season tickets to the
Washington Nationals games, and
then purchase 23 baseball hats. Put
on your own charity hat and provide
4,995 dinners to needy families. Or,
get smart by taking six credits at a
local university.
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"Telework is the proven gas
alternative for the U.S. servicebased
economy," said
Stephen W.T. O’Keeffe, Executive
Director of Telework Exchange. "We
are approaching a telework perfect
storm with high gas prices, the start
of the 2006 hurricane season, and
Federal agency continuity of
operations and National pandemic
planning. The Federal government
can not afford to miss the bus on
telework."
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"We have seen a marked
acceleration in gas price increases in
the last month, and if gasoline prices
remain at the $3.00 level, the annual
cost of gasoline will become
detrimental for the average Federal
employee and commuter in the metro
region," said John B. Townsend II,
Manager, Public & Government
Relations, AAA Mid-Atlantic.
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If you work for the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC), you are
eligible to telework. Period. SEC
employees can request to telework
up to two days each week. Barring
any reason for denial of that request
(need for specialized equipment,
frequent need for classified data,
etc.), nearly all requests to
participate in the agency telework
program are approved.
"Our SEC Chairman does not want
any roadblock to telework. He does
not want any policy that would
exclude particular job functions or
groups of people. So, unless there is
some reason you can not telework,
you should," says David Fax, an
Organizational Effectiveness Specialist
with SEC. The SEC Chairman is
Christopher Cox, a former
Congressman and fervent telework
advocate. He is credited for the
current success of the organization’s
telework program.
Today, 30 percent of SEC employees
telework in some capacity. To some,
that percentage may seem low when
compared to the other agencies
under Congressmen Frank Wolf’s
watchful eye. In his capacity as
Chairman of the House Science-
State-Justice-Commerce
Subcommittee, Congressman Wolf
has established an accountability
program that can fine the agencies
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under his Subcommittee’s oversight
$5 million if they do not demonstrate
that their agencies are taking steps
to promote telework and ensure
eligible employees can work from
alternate work locations. Carol
Hallowell, SEC Work/Life Program
Officer explains. "We are one of the
few organizations that declares all
employees eligible. Other agencies
declare entire departments ineligible,
so those employees are not included
in the total agency count. Their
percentage may be higher, but they
do not have 100 percent of their
employees designated ‘eligible’."
Both Hallowell and Fax are proud of
SEC’s telework program and its
successes. As with all telework
programs, culture change is a key
element. "We worked closely with our
union, when it was first formed just
three years ago, to include telework
as one of the articles in its charter.
We also administered telework
training for supervisors throughout
the Commission. Managers are much
more accepting of the concept these
days," according to Hallowell.
Just as working culture evolves to
support telework, so does technology.
Upon request, SEC originally provided
laptops programmed to remotely
access the Virtual Private Network
(VPN), along with remote access
"tokens." However, the organization
had a limited number of laptops
available. New technology allows SEC
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teleworkers to access files remotely
via the Internet, from anywhere,
anytime, so the use of employee
personal computers now is an option.
Security is a key concern of SEC
leadership and technology experts.
Fax says, "We take security very
seriously. Most of today’s software
packages have adequate security
built-in, and we’ve added extra layers
on top of that. It is a very secure
solution."
SEC also has a pilot project underway
to see how the organization might
operate even more effectively through
increased telework options. Since
April 2005, 10 employees have been
working full time, or close to it, from
their homes. Five
of those employees are working
remotely five days a week, and five
others are teleworking
four days.
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Each teleworker received a laptop,
docking station, monitor, printer,
router, fax machine, shredder, and
Web camera for virtual conferencing.
For top notch connectivity, SEC
agreed to pay 70 percent of each
employee’s broadband bill for highspeed
Internet access at home.
Fax indicates all project participants
are effectively working from home
and are pleased with the
arrangement. "We are watching the
project closely and learning valuable
lessons," he says. It is clear SEC
leadership is keen on making
telework a feasible option for more
of its employees.
Urban areas take note - the trend
toward teleworking is real, and it is
catching on. Two states with traffic
woes are betting some of their
budgets on increasing telework to
relieve the congestion. Georgia and
Virginia have financial incentive plans
that encourage employers to
implement telework programs.
In Atlanta, a city ranked as the
nation’s fourth worst area for traffic
problems, drivers can expect a 67
minute delay in their commutes
during rush hour, according to the
Texas Transportation Institute.
Reducing the number of cars is key
to alleviating the bottlenecks, so on
April 20 Governor Sonny Perdue
signed a law that can financially
assist businesses that want to offer
employees a telework option.
Effective for tax years 2008 and
2009, the bill gives Georgia
employers a state income tax credit
of up to $20,000 if they conduct a
telework assessment and put
together a business case. Those
employers who actually put a
telework program in place are
rewarded with a tax credit of up to
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$1,200 per employee to cover part of
their telework expenses.
"The state of Georgia is leading by
example to encourage the private
sector to consider teleworking as a
viable alternative to the traditional
workplace," said Governor Sonny
Perdue. "Approximately 3,000 state
government employees are
teleworkers, and 30,000 more work
alternative work schedules to avoid
traffic congestion and reduce
emissions that are harmful to
Georgia’s air quality."
Hundreds of miles north, but on a
parallel footing when it comes to
traffic congestion, Virginia has quite a
commuting predicament as well.
Northern Virginia is adjacent to
Washington, D.C., where the metro
area is ranked even worse than
Atlanta for traffic troubles - number
three nationwide. The
Commonwealth’s leaders are
exploring new ground to free up its
roadways. Through the Telework!Va
program, employers can receive up
to $3,500 per employee (up to 10
employees) to establish and support
a formal telework program.
Chris Arabia is the Marketing Program
Manager for the Northern Virginia
Office of the Virginia Department of
Rail and Public Transportation, the
department that oversees the
Telework!Va program. "The concept
started as a pilot project in 2001,"
he notes. "We’re now rolling it out to
our three most congested areas -
Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads,
and Richmond - and we expect it to
really take off." Interested businesses
must meet certain criteria, complete
the requisite paperwork, survey its
employees, and report regularly on
its telework program’s success
and growth.
Arabia also says the entire
Telework!Va Web site will be
revamped this summer to include
training modules to help organizations
implement effective and sustainable
telework programs. "Any business in
Virginia will be able to find the
resources needed to offer telework to
employees - everything from how to
gain management support to how to
choose the right technology."
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$20,000 tax credit to conduct
a study on implementing a
telework program
$1,200 tax credit per employee
to cover expenses
Up to $35,000
($3,500 per employee, up to 10)
to start/support a telework program
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With gas prices rising, air quality
declining, and commutes
lengthening, these measures have
been applauded across the nation.
Other states are sure to be watching
the progress of these two programs,
and there can be no doubt that many
will follow suit.
For more information on Telework!Va
program, visit www.teleworkva.org.
To read about Georgia’s tax incentives
for telework, go to
www.gms.state.ga.us/emp
loyee/telework.asp
The barriers to implementing a
telework solution are only barriers of
"perception." Many organizations are
hesitant to implement teleworking
programs because they foresee
problems with getting approval,
ensuring security, and finding
examples to follow. The truth is that
all of these barriers have been
removed, and each is addressed
below.
Approval Barrier: Rather than mere
approval of teleworking, there is
actually a mandate for it. The 2001
Federal Telework Mandate (P.L. 106-
346) was even further supported by
the December 8, 2004, Consolidated
Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year
2005 (P.L. 108-447), which
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threatens specific non-complying
agencies with fines up to $5 million
per year for not expanding telework
participation within their ranks.
Security Standards Barrier: A
thorough, and well-accepted, standard
does exist for ensuring secure
teleworking. In 2002, the National
Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) published its Special Publication
800-46, "Security for Telecommuting
and Broadband Communications."
This publication reviews the threats
and vulnerabilities, and recommends
countermeasures. The development
process included a broad group of
experts from government and industry,
and these publications have become
de facto standards in many
communities, particularly within
government agencies.
See these standards at:
http://csrc.nist.gov/public
ations/nistpubs/800-46/sp800-46.pdf.
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Security Solutions Barrier: Over the
past two decades, industry has
developed innovative Internet and
computer security solutions to reduce
the risk of a cyber attack.
Commercial firewalls, encryption,
anti-virus and anti-scam, automated
software updates, and backup
solutions give organizations the tools
they need to deploy secure
teleworking programs.
Check out this July 2005 report from
the Cyber Security Industry Alliance:
https://www.csialliance.org/
resources/pdfs/
CSIA_Telework.pdf
Implementation Barrier: The final
barrier is fear of the unknown. In fact,
many government organizations have
active teleworking programs that can
serve as examples. The Departments
of Justice, Labor, and Transportation,
as well as the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, and the Social Security
Administration are among the
agencies that have made progress to
implement viable telework programs.
These agencies received an "A" or "B"
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grade on their recent Cyber Security
Report Card from the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) and
Congress. A call to these agencies’
security officers will be helpful to
those looking for best practices,
remote-access models, and answers
to questions about how a teleworking
solution fits with the Federal
Information Security Management Act
(FISMA).
So, if the issue of security has been
a hindrance to your teleworking
efforts, rest assured - it’s not only
possible, but already accomplished
across many government
organizations.
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by Jim Litchko, Author of KNOW Cyber Risk and KNOW IT Security
Rules. Understand and comply with agency security policies. These are the rules you must live by to survive cyber attacks
and FISMA audits.
Anti-Virus. Install and update anti-virus software frequently. Anti-virus is the cyber screen door and bug spray that keeps
unwanted bugs from entering your system.
Anti-Spyware. Install and update software frequently. This prevents outsiders from remotely monitoring your activities.
Firewall. Install, configure, and update as your agency instructs. The firewall is your system’s filter and gate guard from
the outside world.
Encryption. Use encryption, secure socket layer (SSL), and virtual private network (VPN) as directed by your agency.
These are secure pipes between your computer and agency system to prevent others from seeing and changing your
information as it moves between the two.
Update. Configure the security and operating system software to automatically check for, retrieve, and install updates
on a daily basis.* New product vulnerabilities and cyber attacks are discovered every minute.
Scan. Scan your system using your anti-virus and anti-spyware software to identify and remove undesirable software
programs at least twice a week.* Look under the hood and check the tires for potential problems occasionally.
Backup. Backup your information locally or to your agency’s system in accordance with your agency’s security policy.
It’s your insurance policy when security measures do not work.
Physical. Ensure proper physical security measures are used to prevent physical and visual access to sensitive information.
Lock your door and turn your computer screen away from the windows and others.
Common Sense. Use strong passwords and don’t write them down, only connect when necessary, turn off the computer
when not in use, never open attachments or accept software from strangers, and stay aware and follow new security
procedures and cautions.
*Updating software and scanning frequencies may seem extreme, but with processing and broadband speeds these operations are fast.
It can be done while you are getting that morning cup of coffee.
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