The NIH Directory Steering Committee (DSC) has been meeting on a biweekly basis since March 1999 to discuss issues relating to the implementation of the NIH Electronic Directory (NED). The DSC consists of AOs, representatives from the parking and ID badge office, and members of the Directory Project team. The directory will include the entire NIH workforce, along with others who use NIH services and facilities.

We understand that ORS is planning on replacing the ID badge and card key systems with a single, integrated system and that the new system will rely on the NED to maintain up-to-date locator information. In discussing how the NED will be implemented, the DSC believes that Administrative Officers (AOs) will require a single system for new employee registration, updating information in the directory, and terminating or "de-registering" employees when they leave NIH. This new registration procedure is expected to support both physical and information systems security requirements under which whereby all workers will be assigned a unique "NIH ID," which they will carry for the duration of their affiliation with NIH. For example, if an individual initially registered as contractor leaves and comes back five years later as an FTE, he or she will have the same NIH ID.

We believe that to successfully implement the new system, changes to current business processes are needed. They include:

Collecting additional individual identifying information, such as SSN, date of birth, and place of birth from additional classes of people, such as contractors, guests, and volunteers.

Redefining and expanding the "employee status" types used by the parking and ID badge system (NIH, Contractor, Guest, Volunteer) to categorize six types of NIH worker: NIH FTE, Contractor, Fellow, Volunteer, Guest, and Tenant.

Issuing badges to FDA/CBER personnel who require card keys.

The examples noted above represent a few that have been identified thus far, and it is likely that there will be others. The DSC wants to ensure that the full potential of the new integrated system be realized. To this end, we are extremely interested in your participating in the process of resolving these issues and implementing new business policy and procedure. For example, we think it makes sense to adopt a standard for the types of workers affiliated with NIH and that now is the time to do so before the new system is implemented. We thought a good way to get started with this process would be for you to attend the July 20 DSC meeting so we can discuss these issues. Hopefully, you can attend. We look forward to seeing you on the 20^th and being able to work through these issues in order to maximize the value of the new system.

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