Northern Virginia Technology Council Delivers Pro Bono Assessment Report on Arlington National Cemetery to Army Secretary McHugh

Report Addresses Current Process and Technology Challenges, Recommends Solutions to Improve Cemetery Operations

HERNDON, Va., Jan. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) announced today that it had delivered a final report to Army Secretary John McHugh based on its pro bono assessment of the processes and technology challenges at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC). NVTC's assessment, which contains recommendations to improve Cemetery operations, was conducted at the request of Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), who sought a remedy to the major record-keeping deficiencies at ANC. Today's announcement was made during a briefing on Capitol Hill conducted by Senator Warner, Army National Cemeteries Program Executive Director Kathryn Condon, NVTC President & CEO Bobbie Kilberg and NVTC Chair Brad Antle of Salient Federal Solutions.

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The report, which combines a thorough review of best practices with on-site observations of ANC operations and processes, makes recommendations to address immediate challenges, optimize cemetery operations and facilitate long-term excellence at Arlington National Cemetery. The report also includes a detailed analysis of the current state of business processes and technology, proposed structure, business processes and technology for the immediate and long-term future, and a high-level roadmap for implementing these recommendations.

Conducted over a three-month period, the assessment was led by a Core Team of NVTC member companies – Booz Allen Hamilton, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and The MITRE Corporation – with assistance from a working group of 14 additional NVTC member companies/organizations. Specific recommendations outlined in the NVTC Assessment Report include:

• Establish and implement rigorous processes and procedures for maintaining end-to-end chain of custody that ensures standardized, accountable and secure management of remains, including a documented audit trail and implementing proven in-transit-tracking technology
• Institute a holistic case management methodology, including digitized historical data and records, call center capability, workflow management and improved data/records management
• Create and maintain a culture of high-performance and personal accountability for the entire ANC workforce through establishing a clear vision and mission for the organization
• Implement an improved automated scheduling and event planning capability, while leveraging eligibility determination services available from the National Cemetery Administration
• Assign an accountable and empowered project manager who is reinforced by a robust governance structure

The seventeen members of the NVTC Arlington National Cemetery Task Force are: Booz Allen Hamilton, MITRE, SAIC, Blue Canopy, CGI Federal, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Corporation for National Research Initiatives (CNRI), CSC, The George Washington University, HP, Lee Technologies, Northfield Consulting Group, Salient Federal Solutions, SoltecOne, Synaptitude, Unanet and Vistronix. The Task Force was convened by co-chairs Bob Kahn of CNRI and George Newstrom of Lee Technologies.  

"We thank the Core Team and the entire Task Force for their exceptional commitment of time, talent and hard work on this important endeavor," said NVTC President & CEO Bobbie Kilberg. "Our hope is that the recommendations in this report will be helpful in addressing the challenges at ANC and in providing the operational improvements necessary to fully honor the Armed Forces personnel who have faithfully served our country."

"These NVTC partners have stepped-up in a big way to help us map a future course that will correct a variety of challenges and set Arlington National Cemetery on a path to more fully honor our nation's heroes and better serve their families," Senator Warner said. "Some of the best minds from our leading companies generously offered the time and expertise of their most creative people for this project, and I thank the NVTC for its willingness to work with us through this remarkable example of responsible corporate citizenship."  

"As the largest technology association in the nation, NVTC is made up of the country's most well-respected and innovative technology companies," said Antle. "It has been an honor and privilege for our member companies to contribute their incredible capabilities in support of such an important effort."

For a copy of the Executive Summary of the report, visit www.nvtc.org.

The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) is the membership and trade association for the technology community in Northern Virginia. As the largest technology council in the nation, NVTC serves about 1,000 companies from all sectors of the technology industry, as well as service providers, universities, foreign embassies, non-profit organizations and governmental agencies. Through its member companies, NVTC represents about 200,000 employees in the region. NVTC is recognized as the nation's leader in providing its technology community with networking and educational events; specialized services and benefits; public policy advocacy; branding of its region as a major global technology center; initiatives in targeted business sectors and in the international, entrepreneurship, workforce and education arenas; the Equal Footing Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that serves local area youth; and The Entrepreneur Center @NVTC which mentors new technology entrepreneurs. Visit NVTC at www.nvtc.org.

SOURCE Northern Virginia Technology Council

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