Website Update
Data - Posting of the Office of Environmental Health Services (OEHS) Policies on Website

Virginia Department of Health

implemented this best practice in 1996

Qualifying under the Best Practices catalogue:
3 Provide Capabilities
33 Provide administrative support services
332 Provide electronic information systems

Best Practice Summary
(how it works, how you measure it)

Guidance Memoranda Policies, known as "GMPs" are the tools by which the Office of Environmental Health Services (OEHS) provides information to staff and the general public, alike. Information is updated as it becomes available and is immediately posted on the Internet and Intranet of the OEHS website. The 1997 Administrative Process Act, Section 9-6.14:7.2 states that "It shall be the duty of every agency to annually file with the Registrar for publication in the Virginia Register of Regulations, any list of such guidance documents upon which the agency currently relies.Each agency shall also (i) maintain a complete list of all of its currently operative guidance documents and make such list available for public inspection, (ii) upon request, make copies of such lists or guidance documents available without charge, at cost, or on payment of a reasonable fee." OEHS has been providing this information since 1996.

Impact on the Process Organizational Performance (OUTCOMES)

The availability of the GMPs on the Internet and Intranet save staff time by reducing the need for copying and postal costs necessary when sending paper copies to individuals. As information has become more accessible to the public, staff time has been reduced by noting fewer telephone calls requesting information that is easily available electronically. Additionally, staff throughout the state uses the Intranet to research and refer to GMPs rather than keeping large paper files on the identical information

Best Practice Qualification

OEHS began providing this information to the public prior to the 1997 Code of Virginia mandate. Having this procedure already in place made it easy to comply and more than exceed the recommendations of the new requirement.

For Additional Information

Virginia Department of Health
P. O. Box 2448
Richmond, VA 23218

Donald J. Alexander
(804) 225-4030
dalexander@vdh.state.va.us

Robert W. Hicks
Director
Virginia Department of Health
Office of Environmental Health Services
rhicks@vdh.state.va.us

Search the Best Practices Database

While the individual best practices are shown under the Best Practices Repository, you may also query the repository by keying in a word or phrase below. The repository will then be searched for your phrase. If it is not found, you are invited to e-mail the Commonwealth Competition Council with the topic you are interested in, and an attempt will be made to contact one of the Virginia state government agencies responsible for that issue.