Test shows limits of new federal information service
USA Services, the project unveiled late last month to provide comprehensive information for citizens on government services, is running smoothly, its operators say. But Government Executive encountered a few glitches in a recent tryout of the system.
Teresa Nasif, director of the General Services Administration's Federal Consumer Information Center, said that so far, USA Services has been sticking to its goal of providing answers to questions from citizens within two days, as advertised at a launch event on July 30.
USA Services, one of 24 e-government projects under the president's management agenda, consolidates existing information sources, including FirstGov and GSA's National Contact Center, under one roof. The initiative, which is administered by GSA's Office of Citizen Services, provides the public with quick answers to queries on topics ranging from federal benefits to national campground fees, by calling 800-FED-INFO, or submitting e-mail inquiries at the FirstGov Web site.
Government Executive decided to test USA Service's capabilities shortly after it was launched by submitting six e-mail questions. The questions ranged from inquiries about tax benefits to questions regarding park reservations.
After waiting for about a week, Government Executive had received e-mails confirming the receipt of three out of the six messages, but only one actual answer-to the question, "Can I renew my passport by mail? How much would this service cost?" The response pointed to a helpful page on the State Department Web site.
When asked about the delay in responses to the other questions, Nasif said she was surprised. She noted that use of USA Services did not increase dramatically after the July 30 publicity event, contrary to expectations. "It's not an issue of, 'Gosh, there's so much in the queue and we have a backlog,' " she said.
After apologizing for the delay, Nasif offered to look into the situation. She reported that Warren Snaider, who works for the National Contact Center, was able to track down the e-mails, and found that USA Services had in fact sent responses to all six questions within two days. Most were sent on the second day.
Why GovExec.com never received five of the six messages, and why the messages were not bounced back to USA Services, is a mystery. Snaider said the problem could be on either end, though he noted FirstGov.gov has not reported any server problems.
Users should inform the National Contact Center if they don't receive answers to their questions within two days, Snaider said.
After reviewing a forwarded copy of the five responses sent within the two-day time frame but never received, Government Executive found the answers complete. Some however, would have required follow-up research. For instance, in response to a question about how to reserve playing fields on the National Mall in Washington, USA Services sent a Park Service e-mail address and a phone number for the Mall's visitor information hotline.
In other cases, Government Executive received more than enough information. An answer to a question about how to obtain a permit for the Canyonlands National Park in Utah included links to lists of information on all national parks, as well as Canyonlands.
Nasif noted that users can get more personal responses by calling 800-FED-INFO.