OASIS announced that an e-Gov Technical Committee has been created, "providing an international forum for governments to voice their needs and requirements with respect to XML-based standards." The TC Chair will be John Borras (Assistant Director Interoperability and Infrastructure, Office of the e-Envoy, Cabinet Office, UK). "Bringing together government representatives from around the world, the OASIS e-Gov Technical Committee will support the modernization of government and assist in the electronic delivery of services to citizens and businesses through the coordination and adoption of XML standards. The OASIS e-Gov Technical Committee will identify and organize plans for the development of new standards. Their recommendations and requirements will be formally submitted to appropriate working groups within OASIS. New technical committees may be formed for needs that are not currently being addressed. Resources created through the TC will serve as a clearinghouse of information related to applicable specs/standards as well as activities and projects being conducted by Governments in the adoption of XML-based systems and standards."

The first meeting of the e-Gov Technical Committee will be held in Room 306, Baltimore Convention Center, on Friday 13-December-2002, commencing at 10.00 EDT. The meeting agenda and a draft/proposed TC Work Programme and Organisation have been posted to the TC mailing list archive.

Overview. From the text of the announcement:

"The creation of this technical committee provides an excellent opportunity for all governments to have a significant say in the development of the standards that support their initiatives," noted John Borras of the UK Office of e-Envoy, chair of the OASIS e-Gov Technical Committee. "OASIS has recognized the importance of the emerging e-government agendas, and the consortium is working hard to produce standards that are appropriate for both the public and private sectors. The formation of this new technical committee will help OASIS deliver open, international standards that will be well supported in the marketplace and meet the needs of e-Government strategies."

The new technical committee will also work to promote the adoption of OASIS Open Standards within governments by creating best practice documents and staging implementation-oriented pilot projects. The group will coordinate input from governments on emerging technologies, such as ebXML and Web services, to ensure that existing specifications are not developed solely for the benefit of the private sector. Special emphasis will be placed on the needs of EU countries working to deliver aspects of the eEurope 2005 plan.

OASIS e-Gov Technical Committee members include representatives from the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ontario Government Canada, United Kingdom Ministry of Defense, United Kingdom Office of e-Envoy, United States General Services Administration, and United States Department of Navy, as well as developers from Baltimore Technologies, BEA Systems, Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Commerce One, Drake Certivo, Entrust, Fujitsu, Logistics Management Institute, Microsoft, Novell, Republica, SAP, Sun Microsystems, TSO, webMethods, and others.

Participation in the OASIS e-Gov Technical Committee remains open to all organizations and individuals. OASIS will host an open mail list for public comment, and completed work will be freely available to the public without licensing or other fees.

OASIS e-Gov Technical Committee Proposed Charter:

The purpose of the e-Government TC is to:

• provide a forum for governments internationally to voice their needs and requirements with respect to XML-based standards which can be handed off to relevant OASIS TCs (if they exist)
• provide a mechanism for the creation of best practice documents relative to the adoption of OASIS specs/standards within Governments internationally
• promote the adoption of OASIS specs/standards within Governments which could include the creation of implementation-oriented pilot projects to involve software vendors and participating government agencies to demonstrate the use of OASIS specs/standards
• work with other OASIS channels (e.g., XML.org for schema registry and/or information portal), act as a clearinghouse of information related to applicable specs/standards as well as activities and projects being conducted by Governments in the adoption of XML-based systems and standards