(WASHINGTON, DC) What do IBM, Lockheed Martin, and AT&T Wireless have in common? In addition to being part of the Fortune 500, these companies are active partners in the DC government's Adopt an Agency program.

Established by Suzanne Peck, the Chief Technology Officer for the Government of the District of Columbia, the program provides the District's mission-critical agencies with donated services from leading IT and professional service organizations. Qualified firms offer advice and counsel in three strategic areas: broad IT thinking, municipal and state best practice activities, and major operational reengineering evaluations. Program participants generally donate between 1,000 and 4,000 hours to their agency partners.

In one of the most celebrated Adopt an Agency partnerships to date, The Department of Human Services (DHS) has teamed up with MAXIMUS, Inc, a Reston, Virginia-based provider of program management, information technology, and consulting services to government agencies throughout the United States. By the end of September, MAXIMUS plans to donate 1,000 hours during which it will perform an assessment of DHS IT infrastructure needs and recommend potential improvements.