MAX.gov White Paper
https://max.omb.gov/maxportal/
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 1
2. Proposal 1
A. Who? 1
B. What? 2
C. Where? 2
3. Coordination with Current Site 2
4. Implementation Plan 3
5. Potential Problems 3
6. Additional Information 4
Attachment 1: Potential Structure (under development) 5
1. Introduction
The purpose of this White Paper is to propose the creation and use of a MAX.gov webpage in support of the Procurement Evaluation and Re-Engineering Team (PERT).
Mission
To create a dynamic online presence to facilitate communication and collaboration between the DOE, contractors and between sites.
Vision
The proposed site provides the ability to collectively hold discussion, brainstorming, and information sharing in an informal, secure setting.
2. Proposal
A. Who?
Membership will be limited to DOE Contracting Officers, and Contractor Purchasing Personnel involved in PERT reviews. Member’s position(s) will be verified before they are allowed to gain access to the site.
Users of the Max.gov site both DOE and Contractor comments are not formal determinations/direction but rather “brainstorming” and for formal direction to contact the cognizant Contracting Officer/Contractor decision maker via a separate venue for such matters. Such a disclaimer has been vetted through legal counsel, as required and is posted on the site.
B. What?
A potential structure may be found in Attachment 1.
The anticipated uses of such a site initially include:
· Upload PERT review material for a site’s documents to a secure server
· Membership Listing
· A discussion forum
· Document sharing through the forum
Future options may be added to include the following based on the available resources and adoption:
· Document library
· Online meetings
· Shared calendar
· Search capabilities
· Direct editing (multiple users may edit on the website)
· Useful links
· Attendee/participant register themselves on the site
· Individual User profiles/Social Media to build connections
C. Where?
The MAX Federal Community is used by OMB and Federal agencies to share information and collaborate. It is located at MAX.gov. No funding is required or requested for the selection, creation or maintenance of this avenue.
3. Coordination with Current Site
The current site will not be replaced
The current site at http://www.hanford.gov/tocpert/ is well used, liked and serves well as the public face for the PERT team. MAX.gov is limited to registered government users and cannot fulfill the need for public information sharing for stakeholders and new users. It is the best option for non-secure information retrieval. The MAX.gov site is not intended to replace the marketing and information retrieval functionality for such non-secure data.
The site-specific PERT data function will be transferred
MAX.gov is proposed to replace the site data shared in support of PERT reviews. It is more efficient in this capacity as it allows multiple users to create secure sites (access by individuals the creator selects), and download information as needed.
The membership listing (who gets e-mails) will be transferred
MAX.gov is proposed to replace the membership listing. Individuals can request their addition and remove themselves from the online list which lets you e-mail everyone via one click. This is intended to decrease the membership committee’s work in constantly updating an excel spreadsheet and contact information. Individuals are able to update their own information on an as-needed basis. This also provides security for potentially sensitive information. Members can also update the PERT sites they review and members will have one central location for finding information on the teams for each PERT review.
4. Implementation Plan
Possible Timeframe / ActionDecember 2012 to January 2013 / Prototype Testing
February 2013 / Gain feedback, Go/No Go decision, Make changes, Gain site approval
March 2013 / Go “Live” and invite all
5. Potential Problems
· Registration/Access
The current site does not require registration which is an additional step members must take to access the MAX.gov website. Accessing the site requires a username and password which makes the site harder to access
· Unfamiliarity with the site
The MAX.gov site is not familiar to the PERT team membership and it will require training, exposure and time to gain that ease of use. MAX.gov has free training online (live and on-demand).
· Resistance
No one embraces change without question, and there is certainly a case for this site being redundant, difficult and even unnecessary. While it is the opinion of this team that the benefits well outweigh the costs such pushback is understood, and accepted.
· Site Administration
o Having two sites will mean additional effort – especially at first while the structure is created and members are registering. Fortunately the site allows multiple administrators which means such functions may be shared between many users and decrease required commitment of any one individual.
6. Additional Information
· Provide Comments on this Whitepaper through Max.ogv
1. Go to the PERT homepage and under the green “Highlights” box follow the link “MAX Whitepaper”
2. Scroll down to see the attachments and comments boxes.
3. To view the Whitepaper click the link under attachments.
4. To add a comment click “Add comment”
5. If you are unable/disinclined to provide comments via Max.gov please feel free to send your comments to Karen Ade at or Scott Mason at
· Get Max.gov access
1. Accessing Max.gov: Register for a MAX Account by clicking "Register Here" on the MAX Homepage. All new users must complete the Registration form to gain access to the MAX System. You will then receive an email containing the next steps in completing your registration. Once your registration is complete, you will receive an automated email confirming the creation of your MAX Account and instructions for creating your password. After logging in, you will be able to see the applications and groups that you have access to.
2. Accessing the Max.gov PERT page: E-mail or Scott Mason at to gain access to the PERT page.
· Max.gov Questions/Help
1. Go to the frequently asked questions https://max.omb.gov/maxportal/webPage/home/faq
2. Ask the help desk by e-mailing or calling 202-395-6860.
· Get involved
1. If you want to be involved in this subcommittee please contact
Attachment 1: Potential Structure (under development)