Key issues affecting the development of federal IRM: A view from the trenches

The policy environment that affects the management of information resources has expanded rapidly between 1993-1996. This article provides a brief description of the current context for federal Information Resources Management (IRM), reviews key policy instruments that prescribe IRM-related activities, presents findings from a focus group session of federal officials with responsibilities for IRM-related activities, and concludes by offering a number of directions for IRM as it moves into the 21st century. The notion of IRM, while still important, appears to be developing and evolving into a range of federal positions beyond those traditionally labeled as IRM.