Public Service Innovators -- Bringing E-Government to the Heartland: Anne Reed (MPA '81)

When Anne Reed (MPA '81) took over as the first Chief Information Officer at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1996, she was faced with the bureaucratically daunting task of streamlining the USDA's use of technology. Reed's mission was prompted by accusations that the federal government was wasting billions of dollars in obsolete technology. Her task would not be easy. "We have offices in over 3,000 counties across the United States. It's not a matter of going into a couple of buildings and rolling that [same plan] out across the country. It takes time and it's expensive. And project management becomes critical to protecting investments," says Reed, who has devoted more than 20 years of her life to public service. Additionally, each office was separately financed.

Because of her leadership and vision, the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service now makes critical information about prices, volume and quality of domestic and international farm products available to producers, exporters and commodity markets on the Internet.

Another innovation is the Electronic Bid Entry System, which awards contracts to vendors for some $1.2 billion in farm aid within two hours. Providing vendors with up-to-the-minute market prices, this new system allows for speedier and more cost-efficient bids. And the savings allows more people to be fed for each dollar in aid.

Technology has also helped the USDA streamline its operations. Reed recalls the experience of staffers at a local office who had recently been connected to the Internet. The staffers had searched for a local farmer who was eligible for farm benefits and discovered that he had enlisted in the Navy and was stationed on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. Through what Reed calls "a combination of the 'sneaker net' and Internet," the staffers got the farmer's e-mail address, and the entire application process was completed by fax and e-mail.

Reed's talents in technology were also tapped for several other challenges. She worked with federal agencies during the Y2K crisis to ensure that computers would make the transition to the year 2000. For her efforts, Reed received the Hammer Award, which is given to federal employees who have made significant contributions to reinventing government.

In recognition of her many achievements, Reed recently received an Alumni Achievement Award from the Kennedy School. The award honors alumni whose work in public service has made an exemplary impact on the world.