| NIGMS promotes innovations in management
and administration to streamline work processes, respond to workforce
and technology changes, and reduce paperwork and administrative
burdens. For example, in FY 2005 the Institute took several important
steps toward the goal of a highly secure, integrated electronic
work environment.
In one prong of this effort, NIGMS staff began using an electronic
document management system that enables them to store and organize
documents, share material within and across organizational units,
and implement electronic workflow procedures. By moving to an almost
entirely electronic workflow for its grants processes, the Institute
will virtually eliminate costs associated with creating and maintaining
paper files and with distributing paper copies of grant-related
documents. On another front, the Institute moved its Intranet and
Internet sites to an NIH-operated content management system and
integrated the Intranet site with the NIH portal. This allows any
NIH employee to access the wealth of valuable information on the
site. Sharing Intranet content in this way is expected to reduce
the time and effort required to develop certain types of policies
and procedures across NIH, since staff members can now find and
customize an existing document rather than having to create completely
new material.
In the financial management arena, NIGMS expanded the use of its
highly successful—and emulated—electronic checkbook
system. The system is now helping NIGMS staff track budgets for
the substantial number of activities the Institute is leading within
the NIH Roadmap and other trans-NIH initiatives.
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