U.S. Government Makes IRMS the Standard
An interagency Information Technology Working Group (ITWG) was formed in August 2004. It had the mandate to consolidate all U.S. government funded and managed relief and reconstruction project information across all sectors and organizations throughout Iraq into one database. This was for reporting to the U.S. Congress through the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and the Commander, Multi National Force-Iraq. As planned, the U.S. based team, along with Iraqi citizens, implemented the asset management system at various Iraqi ministries. "Working shoulder to shoulder on the same system gives you the basis for a successful turnover" Plockmeyer said.
By leveraging the same IT system already in use by the Project and Contracting Office, other U.S. agencies benefit from the enterprise network with little or no capital investment, according to the ACE. The master database built by the joint American and Iraqi team, the IRMS, was the system chosen by the Iraq Reconstruction Management Office (IRMO).
The IRMO chair of the ITWG and the director of the Primary Control Officer/GRD National Reconstruction Operations Center have championed IRMS as the interagency solution. This was not only for reporting the total U.S. government effort but also for providing multinational forces, integrated field commanders, with situational awareness of relief and reconstruction efforts in their areas of operation, thus allowing for greater synchronization of efforts.
According to the ACE, as of May 2007, IRMS will be turned over to the Iraqi government as an archive of the total U.S. government effort, which will help in its budgeting for operations and maintenance of new facilities and future master planning.
|
Building
a System That Would Work for Iraq
