October 13, 1999

M-00-01

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

It is important that we plan and prepare for the end of December and early January to help mitigate any problems that may arise. Day One plans, which describe agency planned activities during the pre-rollover and post-rollover periods, are an essential part of your business continuity and contingency plans (BCCPs). They should address the full scope of agency activity that will be underway during that period. That includes efforts to mitigate the impact of possible failures in internal systems, buildings or other infrastructure. It also includes efforts to assess the impact of the problem on agency partners in delivering Federal programs and agency constituencies, and to provide appropriate assistance to them.

Many of you already have well-developed Day One plans, while others are still in the early stages of planning. To help speed the development of plans, this week the General Accounting Office issued guidance entitled, "Y2K Computing Challenge: Day One Planning and Operations Guide." Please consider this guidance carefully. In particular, please assure that your plans include the following seven elements:

1. Schedule of activity. The schedule should outline the activities that will take place before, during and after the rollover from December 31 to January 1. It should include, for example, when various checks to find problems should be made. There should also be triggers for when contingencies included in your BCCP and Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP) will be invoked.
2. Personnel on call or on duty. You should decide who must be on-duty or on call to support the agency’s activities and when they will need to be available. Examples of the kinds of expertise that may need to be available include building technicians, computer programmers, telecommunications experts, program staff, contracting officers, legal counsel, public affairs staff, and senior management.
3. Contractor availability. Assure that your contractors are prepared to provide you with needed assistance. If your contractor will be serving multiple clients, coordinate with the contractor and other clients to set priorities for assistance.
4. Communications with your workforce. Assure that you will have the ability to communicate within your agency, with your agency’s workforce, with contractors, with partners in program delivery, and with your constituency as appropriate. Also assure that you will be able to communicate externally with the Information Coordination Center (ICC). Communications is of such importance that communications contingency plans should be in place.
5. Facilities and services to support your workforce. Assure that buildings, telecommunications, transportation (including parking), food services, and other infrastructure needed to support your workforce will be available during the roll-over period.
6. Security. Assure that special security measures are taken to address vulnerabilities created by events during the roll-over period. In particular, there is concern about the vulnerability of systems to malicious intrusion during the roll-over period.
7. Communications with the public. Provide a capability, whether internally or through the Information Coordination Center (ICC), to communicate with the public about the impact of the problem on your agency, your agency’s programs, and your agency’s constituencies. The information being presented should be coordinated with other involved agencies and the ICC to ensure its accuracy.

In May, I asked for copies of your headquarters Business Continuity and Contingency Plans (BCCPs). Since then OMB staff have been working with your staff to refine those plans as needed. In addition, many of you have begun testing your plans and as a result, they have been improved. As described in our September 13^th report to the Congress "Progress on Year 2000 Conversion," I ask that agencies listed in the attachment provide a copy of the latest version of your headquarters plan, including your Day One plan, no later than Friday,

October 15, 1999, in order to assess the Federal government’s progress. Please address your letter to me, but send the letter and plan to:

Reports may also be faxed to 202-395-5806. Any questions regarding the procedures of submitting a report may be directed to Ms. Pamela Beverly, telephone 202-395-6881.

Thank you for your continued work and cooperation in this critical effort. Through the CIO Council, OMB has worked closely with your staffs to refine the requirements set forth in this memorandum. As the countdown to the year 2000 continues, I look forward to continuing to work closely with you towards a smooth transition to the year 2000.

Attachment

Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Education
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of the Interior
Department of Justice
Department of Labor
Department of State
Department of Transportation
Department of the Treasury
Department of Veterans Affairs
Environmental Protection Agency
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Social Security Administration
Agency for International Development
Central Intelligence Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
General Services Administration
National Science Foundation
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Office of Personnel Management
Small Business Administration
African Development Foundation
Architectural and Transportation Compliance Board
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Committee for Purchase from People Who are Blind or Severely Disabled
Commodities Futures Trading Commission
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Corporation for National and Community Services
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia
District of Columbia
District of Columbia Courts
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Export/Import Bank of the United States
Federal Communications Commission
Farm Credit Administration
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Federal Election Commission
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Federal Housing Finance Board
Federal Labor Relations Authority
Federal Reserve Board
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
Federal Trade Commission
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Legal Services Corporation
Marine Mammal Commission
National Archives and Records Administration
National Capital Planning Commission
National Credit Union Administration
National Gallery of Art
National Labor Relations Board
National Mediation Board
National Transportation Safety Board
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation
Office of Administration, EOP
Office of the Special Counsel
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, EOP
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
Peace Corps
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Railroad Retirement Board
Securities and Exchange Commission
Selective Service System
Smithsonian Institution
Tennessee Valley Authority
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council
U.S. Information Agency
U.S. International Trade Commission
U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board
U.S. Postal Service