V. PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES SUPPORTING ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVES

Many of the Federal, State, and local agencies, and outside groups with which we partner, do not make distinctions about which specific Commerce goals they link to -- their focus is on an overall program. Therefore, we believe that to show a partnership link between one specific goal/objective and a partner organization could be misleading. As a result, we will discuss our partnership relationships at the bureau level in this Plan.

ITA

The importance of international trade to the Nation's economy, the growing number of firms seeking to export goods and services, and the opportunities to collaborate with its partners, has led ITA to a pro-active stance in supporting America's economic infrastructure. ITA works very closely with the U.S. business community, particularly with small and medium-sized firms which are either current or potential exporters. We supply these firms with technical, industry-sector, or country-specific data to promote the export of their goods or services abroad. We counsel U.S. firms on appropriate export strategies so they will be more competitive in the global marketplace; we plan, organize, and recruit participants for trade promotion events overseas; we organize and/or participate in privately organized domestic export conferences to promote industry awareness of foreign market opportunities; and we arrange to provide high-level U.S. government advocacy to help U.S. firms win major foreign procurement contracts.

But we do not work in a vacuum. The Department of Commerce chairs the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC), a 20-member interagency task force charged by the President and the Congress with developing and implementing the National Export Strategy. The TPCC is an excellent example of how agencies with complementary responsibilities can work together to develop common goals and strategies in support of a single but complex national purpose.

The TPCC works to ensure that the entire Federal government is doing all it can to help U.S. firms break into overseas markets and create jobs at home. As part of this Strategy, member agencies work to streamline and strengthen government trade promotion and finance programs. Last year, the National Export Strategy addressed practices that our competitors use to obtain market access in the world's fastest growing economies, set out the first government-wide plan to address critical issues affecting American industry, and provided for new initiatives to help small and medium-sized firms gain better access to trade finance.

In support of the USTR, ITA monitors and reports on foreign developments affecting the formulation of U.S. trade policy, including foreign government legislative, regulatory and procurement activities which affect U.S. trade in the host country, including the protection of intellectual property rights.

ITA establishes productive relationships with trade associations to ensure that industry views are considered in U.S. trade policy development. In an effort to identify U.S. industry's trade policy and promotion needs and concerns, ITA manages public/ private partnership activities, including the Industry Consultations Program and the President's Export Council. To support these efforts, ITA's sector groups work closely with Industry Sector Advisory Committees (ISACs) made up of private-sector authorities which advise on policy issues affecting specific industries.

ITA's U.S. Export Assistance Centers (USEACs) and District Export Assistance Centers (DEACs) provide a network to improve the delivery of integrated trade promotion assistance to local communities. USEACs co-locate federal partners to deliver more complete and streamlined export assistance services to U.S. businesses, particularly information and access to finance sources. DEACs are positioned in high activity areas supporting the USEACs, at sites reflecting current trade patterns, bringing export assistance services closer to exporters. Both centers are electronically linked to facilitate communication among the co-located Federal agencies. The EAC concept also facilitates leveraging available resources through partnerships between local, state, Federal and private partners.

The nationwide network of District Export Counsels (DECs) leverage Federal export promotion resources and serve as ITA's primary partner by conducting export outreach efforts, offering mentor support for exporters, serving as catalysts for trade finance network development, and sponsoring thousands of promotional initiatives, including seminars and trade events in their local communities.

Overseas and domestically, ITA works closely with trade finance agencies -- the Export-Import Bank (EXIM), the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA), and the Small Business Administration (SBA). Historically, access to and information on trade and project finance has been an area which competitor nations and their firms have enjoyed a major advantage over U.S. companies. ITA's export marketing staff and programs operate in tandem with trade finance agencies and the banking community to address the finance dimension of international sales.

BXA

BXA's partnership activities with business leaders and government officials from the U.S. and foreign countries involve export administration, export enforcement and foreign export controls. In the area of Export Administration, representatives from the private sector serve on Technical Advisory Committees and the President's Export Council Subcommittee to provide advice and assistance to BXA on export controls.

As an important part of BXA's partnership activities, BXA works with small and large firms to assure compliance with the law and prevent activities that would damage national security, foreign policy, or public safety.

International cooperation in foreign export controls have focused on pro-active initiatives with the independent states of the FSU, the Baltic states, Central Europe, and other countries. The establishment and strengthening of foreign export controls systems will increase opportunities for trade in high-tech goods and technology with those countries and further deter smuggler and terrorist access to foreign sources for the materials needed to make nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and their delivery systems.

BXA has developed several partnership programs to assist U.S. industry in its efforts to diversify into the commercial market.

The President's Export Council Subcommittee on Encryption will advise the Secretary on the implementation of an encryption policy that will support the growth of commerce while protecting public safety and national security.

BXA works with U.S. industry and other federal agencies to develop a unified strategy to begin consultations with our allies on offsets in defense trade, as mandated by the October 1996 TPCC report. Offsets are industrial compensation practices mandated by many foreign governments when purchasing defense articles.

BXA works actively with other agencies having complementary responsibilities for export control, foreign policy, and national security. Few of BXA's goals and objectives can be met without full cooperation from these agencies, which help in such activities as processing license applications, completing regulatory simplifications, informing the public, and representing BXA's concerns abroad. BXA recognizes that the Nation's crucial export enforcement program can only be achieved through the full cooperation of the U.S. Marshal's Service, the FBI, Treasury, State, and the Customs Service.

Some of these interagency activities grow out of BXA's awareness of the need to cooperate in attaining shared goals, while some are formalized Administration or Congressional policy. For example, the framework established by Executive Order 12981 defines the licensing responsibilities of the Departments of Commerce, State, Defense, Energy, and the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.

BXA participates in the Nonproliferation Export Control Cooperation program, directly supporting both Congressional and Administration goals by implementing informational exchange programs and maintaining constant contact with the Departments of Defense and State.

BXA has taken the lead in presenting interagency law enforcement training with Justice, Treasury, State, Defense, and intelligence agencies. This includes Strategic and Non-Proliferation Training, Fastener Quality Act training, and Counter-terrorism.

ESA

BEA's plan for maintaining and improving its economic accounts was developed in partnership with other Federal agencies (whose assistance is needed to implement some of the improvements) and with leading data users (who made suggestions that were incorporated in the final plan). BEA maintains close working partnerships with other statistical agencies (Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Treasury Department, Federal Reserve System) to obtain the source data it needs to produce its economic accounts estimates. BEA participates with these and other agencies in formal and informal projects to improve the quality, coverage, and timeliness of the source data. Senior BEA officials meet frequently with professional organizations and groups of data users to inform them of BERA's progress and plans for further improvements, as well as to solicit their comments.

The Census 2000 program is highly focused on creating partnerships, in order to both encourage participation in the Census and to disseminate information about it. This is being done through a network of academic institutions, state governors' offices and local and tribal governments, non-profit organizations, schools, foundations, and the entertainment industry.

BEA and the Census Bureau are active in the 14-member Interagency Council on Statistical Policy (ICSP) chaired by OMB. The ICSP represents the principal Federal agencies, and is finding that many of these agencies have identified common themes in their operational and strategic planning: customer focus, quality and efficiency, and partnerships and burden reduction. These common objectives are forming the basis for an expanding collaborate effort to strengthen the Federal statistical system.

EDA

EDA's Technical Assistance program partners with professional associations and organizations including the National Council for Urban Economic Development, National Association of Development Organizations, Public Works and Economic Development Association, and the National Association of Management and Technical Assistance Centers. New partnerships are being established with the National Congress for Community Economic Development and the National Association of Regional Councils.

EDA's Trade Adjustment Assistance program funds a network of business assistance centers to aid firms and industries injured by import competition, by providing technical assistance in diagnosing problems and assessing opportunities when the firm or industry finds it difficult to undertake a recovery or assess its problems. It has partnership activities with industry trade associations, State and local economic and business development officials, and NIST MEP Centers.

EDA grants to University Centers and grants under the Local Technical Assistance Program identify and help implement solutions to economic development problems. EDA's grants often are the only source of funding for analyzing and investigating potential projects and activities.

There are currently 315 Economic Development Districts and Redevelopment Areas being funded on an on-going basis under EDA's Planning Program. There are also 61 Indian tribes or organizations currently funded on an on-going basis under this program.

MBDA

MBDA's major partnership activities for improving opportunities for minority-owned businesses are with governmental entities within and outside of the Department of Commerce and with the Nation's leading lending institutions. These partnerships provide minority businesses with access to critical resources -- management and technical assistance, access to capital, marketing leads, etc. -- that are necessary to survive and compete. Partnership agreements with leading lending institutions included Chemical Bank, Bank of America, Community Bank, Bank One, Nations Bank, and The Money Store.

MBDA-assisted businesses generate over $400 million dollars per year in Federal tax revenue. MBDA efforts to improve opportunities for minority businesses are conducted through cooperative agreements and private-public partnerships which are directed at strengthening and keeping these businesses in the economic mainstream.

All of the TA's programs involve extensive interactions with its customers and stakeholders, including U.S. industry and government, universities, the technical and scientific communities, and foreign counterpart laboratories. These interactions take place through sales of standard reference materials and calibration services, collaborative projects, the publication of competitive assessments and policy analysis, national and international conferences with state and industry leaders, interactions of technical staff with their colleagues, and staff participation in trade and professional associations and on standards committees.

NIST's external programs (MEP, ATP, MBNQP) are partnerships with business and industry. The MEP partners Federal support with state and local organizations in a network of manufacturing extension centers located throughout the country, which work directly with local manufacturers to address their critical needs. ATP research priorities are set with the input of industry: companies conceive, propose, co-fund, and execute ATP projects and programs based on their understanding of the marketplace and research opportunities. The MBNQP works closely with trade, professional, and business groups to extend the benefits of quality management nationwide. The cooperative nature of this joint government/private-sector team is exemplified by the hundreds of quality experts from industry who volunteer their time reviewing applications, conducting site visits, providing feedback reports, and giving presentations in support of the program.

PTO

PTO partners with international organizations in order to enhance customer responsiveness and facilitate better working relationships among the businesses, agencies, and foreign nations and organizations for which PTO's overall success in delivering quality service is interdependent.

PTO's international partnerships include (but are not limited to) the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) of the U.N., the European Patent Office, and the Japanese Patent Office. PTO is playing a lead role in WIPO in the pursuit of global protection for intellectual property, and is engaged in a trilateral agreement with the EPO and the JPO (with WIPO observing) to further international harmonization of patent practice and ultimately patent systems. PTO's Trilateral activities have also resulted in the enhanced exchange of patent information and movement toward policies in the three regions that will improve the dissemination of patent information.

PTO provides international training and technical assistance, such as legal advice on drafting laws to modernize intellectual property systems, on-site lectures and training on patent and trademark matters to intellectual property specialists from developing and emerging market countries. Since 1985, officials from over 30 nations have participated in the annual Visiting Scholars Program.

In carrying out these activities, PTO partners with the Department of State and the United States Trade Representative and the International Trade Administration in the formulation and negotiation of proposals for the protection of intellectual property, both at home and abroad, and collaborates with other agencies in administering the patent and trademark laws.

NTIA

NTIA's responsibilities encompass telecommunications issues including domestic and international policy, spectrum management, research, and grant programs. Within the Federal government, the State Department, the U.S. Trade Representative, and other agencies address telecommunications as a peripheral aspect of their primary missions and rely on NTIA for telecommunications expertise. NTIA coordinates Federal use of the radio spectrum by chairing the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC). The IRAC is made up of all Federal agencies that use spectrum and includes the Federal Communications Commission.

NOAA

Applying advanced technology to promote safe navigation supports major initiatives of the National Science and Technology Council Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (CENR), the President's Council on Sustainable Development, and other parts of the Commerce Department. Significant partnerships are being used by NOAA to provide the Nation with a suite of marine navigation services.

NOAA established a precedent-setting partnership with a private company through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) under the Federal Technology Transfer Act to produce electronic nautical charts. This arrangement has enabled NOAA's private partner to create digital chart products for commercialization and sale, while enabling NOAA more quickly and efficiently to build an electronic chart database for future chart editions. NOAA has used other partnerships for development of technology to conduct nautical charting surveys and to compile nautical charts, and for geodetic and hydrographic survey technology transfer and instrument testing and evaluation. New partnerships are being forged with major ports to provide improved navigation information through technology transfer and cost-sharing.

NOAA is engaged in a Federal/State/local partnership to ensure consistency of spatial reference data, by working with surveyors in all states to develop uniform standards for the National Spatial Reference System that can be used to support modern geographic information systems. NOAA also operates a geodetic advisory program with 24 States on a 50/50 cost sharing basis to enable technology transfer to the States.

NOAA plays a major role in the interagency Federal Geographic Data Committee. Through leadership of the Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee and the Global Positioning System (GPS) Interagency Advisory Committee, NOAA is guiding the Nation's GPS investments to serve military and civilian users. Under a cooperative agreement, NOAA also performs centralized quality control of GPS correction data received from a network of Continuously Operating Reference Stations that operated by other Federal, State, local, academic, and private entities. NOAA also works in close cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration to perform aeronautical charting responsibilities and on the development of a National Spatial Data Infrastructure.

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