As we go deeper into our research into the impact of the upcoming administration change, we're hearing differing views on the staying power of the Lines of Business and other e-Gov initiatives. Not surprisingly, those close to the planning and implementation believe that their respective LOB will survive the next administration simply because they make sense. Others that are not as close think that making fiscal and operational sense is not enough to ensure transition to the next administration. Most agree that the Information Security and Infrastructure LOBs will likely make the transition as well as some of the more mature initiatives, such as Financial Management, HR, and Case Management. Whether scaled down or reprioritized, these seem to have fairly solid business cases to move forward in some form or another.

I was talking to a recently retired government executive who thinks that the survival of LOBs and other e-Gov initiatives hinge on where in the organization they live. Using Enterprise Architecture as an example, he points to the IT vs. business function conundrum that plagues many technology decisions. "It was presented as an IT thing in the CIO's office, when it is really a business function that should've been in the COO's or Administrator's office," he stated. "Some of these initiatives didn't get off the ground because they weren't driven home at a governance level. Maybe this will change with the new administration."

Some e-Gov initiatives clearly have a better chance at longevity than others. Clay Johnson, Deputy Director for Management at OMB, is extremely confident about the future. Speaking at a recent ITAA event, he said:

"Will e-Gov continue to the next admin? Of course USAjobs, tax e-file, grants.gov, e-rulemaking, e- travel, govbenefits.gov and others won't be shut down! Citizens and employees would scream if the next administration shut them down. e-Gov is here to stay - benefits have been proven."

For some of the less successful initiatives, the retired executive's perspective highlights the concern that may be plaguing program managers as they work to position programs and solidify business cases for the next administration. The intersection of concept and performance will determine whether these initiatives move forward or be sent to the post-presidential graveyard.

The INPUT Executive Program will be releasing its study, "The Federal IT Contractor's Guide to the 2008 Administration Transition" on April 21, 2008.