MMS Press Release-MMS Launches OCS Connect, An E-Government Transformation Program

U.S. Department of the Interior
Minerals Management Service
Office of Public Affairs

FOR RELEASE:

May 27, 2003

CONTACT:

Technical POC:

Nicolette Humphries (202) 208-3118

Gary Lore
(703) 787-1623

The Minerals Management Service has embarked on the first phase of a five-year transformation that will dramatically streamline business operations by Fiscal Year 2008. The MMS OCS Connect project will reform the way the agency operates by moving to on-line services in an effort to stay better connected with their customers: industry, citizens, and other government agencies.

“OCS Connect will maximize customer involvement by delivering essential information and allowing input via the Internet,” said MMS Director Johnnie Burton. “It will streamline delivery by automating major business transactions, resulting in more timely decisions, and will simplify and unify government by minimizing redundant reporting. By using common oil and gas industry standards and proven solutions, we will leverage existing market-based practices.”

MMS has engaged a team led by Booz|Allen|Hamilton as the prime contractor for the effort.

The BAH team will assist the Offshore Energy and Minerals Management program in reengineering their core business processes while developing an enterprise architecture that is robust and secure and designed to replace the antiquated legacy systems currently in place.

“This is an opportunity to reduce time and cost intensive processes and procedures that are inherent in traditional paper-based organizations,” said Tom Readinger, Associate Director, OEMM. “This initiative will result in an improved government that is more streamlined, citizen-centered and ‘connected’ with all of MMS’ stakeholders. Thus the program has been named OCS Connect.”

MMS is the federal agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages the nation's oil, natural gas, and other mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf in federal offshore waters. The agency also collects, accounts for, and disburses mineral revenues from federal and American Indian leases. These revenues totaled over $6 billion in 2002 and nearly $127 billion since the agency was created in 1982. Annually, nearly $1 billion from those revenues go into the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the acquisition and development of state and federal park and recreation lands.