National Software Development

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National Software Development

• NRCS National IT Seminar
• September 2002
• Ken Tootle, Integrated Accountability System
  Coordinator
• Jack Carlson, Director, Information Technology
  Center
• Ken Carpenter, ITC Field Support Team Leader

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Objective of session

• Participants will understand
• The role of the Project Coordination Committee in
  the software development process.
• The software approval process.
• The future vision for agency software.
• The major new software initiatives being
  developed by the agency.

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Project Coordination Committee (PCC)

• Purpose - To develop information technology
  software budget recommendations for the NRCS top
  management
• Sponsored by NRCS Chief Information Officer (Mary
  Thomas) for the Deputy Chief for Management
  (Dwight Holman)

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PCC Membership

• The PCC Core Team contains membership from each
  NRCS Deputy Area
• Ken Tootle, Strategic Planning and Accountability
• Dave McKay, Programs
• Larry Butler and Bill Hughey, Science
  Technology
• Doug Holy, Management
• Tommy Parham and Chris Clarke, Soil Survey and
  Resource Assessment (co-chair)
• Jack Carlson, Information Technology Center
  (co-chair)

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PCC Requirements
Create Agency IT Vision
Understand Information Technology
Understand Agency Business
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PCC Responsibilities

• Be familiar with the IT software development
  proposals for the Deputy Area
• Be the spokesman for the importance and ranking
  of the proposals
• Develop overall agency ranking of software
  proposals
• Develop budget alternatives for Deputy Chiefs
  consideration

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FY02 Ranking Criteria for High Priority

• Congressional/legal mandate
• Chiefs priority
• Supports agency key decisions
• Programmatic/strategic Initiative
• Project conforms to technical IT architecture.
• Significantly enhances Field Office operations
• Lack of funding this fiscal year will result in
  customer demands not being met in the near term.

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FY02 Ranking Criteria for High Priority

• Execution of project is not likely to slip, and
  adequate project staff is available with the
  required experience to execute the project.
• Project affects cross-functional activities.
• Work process improvement results in reduced
  administrative burden.
• Project is clearly defined with a definite
  completion date.
• Total cost estimates are well supported.

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FY02 Alternatives for funding

• Software Initiatives, Maintenance, and
  E-Government Initiatives
• PCC considered 116 budget proposals for a total
  cost of 28.5 million
• Recommended Alternative 17.7 Million
• Minimum Alternative - 14.9 Million
• Core Maintenance 7.4 Million
• Actual - 10 Million

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FY03 Budget Process

• All budget requests were due to be submitted to
  Budget Allocations Division by September 6th,
  2002
• Must use approved form

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FY03 Budget Process

• Must detail the impact of the budget proposal on
  the key agency initiatives
• Farmbill Implementation
• Presidents Management Agenda
• Strategic Management of Human Capital
• Expanded Electronic Government
• Competitive Sourcing,
• Improved Financial Performance
• Budget and Performance Integration
• Increasing diversity and outreach
• Improving technology delivery

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FY03 IT Software Development

• Deputy will consider PCC recommendations and
  develop budget allocation
• Software Sponsor notified
• Software Developed based on agreed deliverables
• Software Tested and released

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(No Transcript)
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Internet
My.NRCS, WebCAAF, WebREG, SCIMS, Easements
Toolkit, LESA Toolkit, eContracts, eFOTG, On-line
Conservation Planner, OMS Run-off Curve Number,
Resource Data Viewer, Resource Data Vegspec, GLA,
NLEAP, PLANTS, ESIS, ITIS, NASIS, PRISM, SNOTEL,
NRI, NPK Tool, Gateway, Resource Data Warehouses,
Conservation Information System, Workload
Analysis, PRMS, Outcomes, Soil Survey Scheduler,
RCD, Watersheds, AMA, FPP, PMT Research Needs,
Workforce Planning, Skills, CAMS, OIP, SCIMS,
WebTCAS, ACRES, On-line Vacancies, Directives,
Agency Web Pages
UUNET
ArcView, Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint
Conservation Toolkit Wetlands Toolkit, Soil Data
Viewer, GLA, Manure Management Planner, OMS
engineering design Conservation Journal, RUSLE2,
WEQ
Applications for NRCS Employees
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NRCS field employees use a browser to digitize
conservation easement boundaries and manage
associated technical determination data,
photographs, and other documentation.
Customer Service Toolkits
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Cost-Share Contracting
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eContracts x SCIMS Integration
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Integrated Accountability System
NRCS employees and partners use a browser to
enter and geo-reference between 5 and 10 thousand
performance records each day, which are processed
nightly in a data warehouse and marts to produce
reports for field, state, and national managers.
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Program Operations Information Tracking
System (POINTS)
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Management Applications
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USDA employees, partners, and the public use a
web-based Geospatial Data Gateway to order and
download Service Center Agency data sets
available for the selected geographic area of
interest.
Gateway / Warehouse
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An estimated 10,000 NRCS employees and third
party vendors will daily access the electronic
Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG) for
information, technical guidance, and tools to
assist in implementing the provisions of the new
Farm Bill.
Smartech / eFOTG
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The NRCS Runoff Curve Number (RCN) tool is built
on the ARS/NRCS Object Modeling System (OMS)
framework. The user digitizes the watershed and
land units to be evaluated, which are intersected
with soil mapunits and the resulting data file
fed to the RCN model in OMS
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User Centric Model/Tool Design
USER
NRCS Lighthouse Web Services
NRCS Data Warehouse
Soil Climate Plant/Crop
Model or Tool
Model or Tool
Model or Tool
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NRCS Integrated Information System Applications
Customer Service Toolkits Conservation, Wetlands,
Easements, LESA Cost-Share Contracting eContracts
Integrated Accountability System PRMS, WLA, WLMA,
Outcomes, Conservation Journal Program Operations
Information Tracking System RCD, Watersheds,
Soil Survey Schedule, FFP, Plant
Materials Management Applications iCAMS, WFP,
Skills, webTCAS, ACRES, FFIS, IAS, OIP
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NRCS Integrated Information System Applications
(contd)
Gateway / Warehouse Gateway, Soil Warehouse,
NASIS, ESIS, PLANTS, PRISM Smartech /
eFOTG eFOTG, eThunderbook, RCN, On-Line Planner,
Engineering Design Tools Web Access and
Portals NRCS web site, My.NRCS

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NRCS Software Approval Process

• Ken Carpenter
• Field Support Team Leader
• ITC Fort Collins

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HISTORY 101

• IT Representatives from RD, NRCS and FSA met in
  Kansas City 1999
• Developed CCE Testing Policy and Procedures
• CORE Software tested at IOL in Beltsville
• NRCS Business Applications tested at ITC

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ITC Test Lab

• Established Test Lab at ITC with one of each CCE
  computer platforms
• Computers ONLY used for testing and are under
  Strict configuration management
• 2 Federal Employees perform majority of work
• Gay Marsh System Admin and Testing
• George Foster Install Packages and Testing
• Currently adding CCE Server to Lab

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Testing Workload

• Approx. 40 to 60 NRCS Apps submitted to ITC each
  year
• Between 1 and 2 Apps week either tested,
  repackaged or both
• Apps sent to ITC from every imaginable location
  (NHQ, States, Centers and Institutes, Field
  Offices)
• Additionally, other agencies, Universities, and
  Private Firms send apps for testing

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Current Testing Strategy

• Halt CCE Certifying for NT 4.0
• Start Testing FUNCTIONALITY of NRCS Business
  Apps in Windows XP
• Some early issues with XP directory, file and
  registry permissions
• NRCS apps now appear to function properly
• Establishing new Test Procedures using new test
  tools for XP

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Near Future

• NRCS Business Apps loaded via CD to Servers
• Maintain CCE Website for Certification List only
  (NO file downloads)
• Utilize Microsofts Logo Requirements as
  guidelines for Development and Testing
• XP Logos
• Compatible with XP
• Designed for XP
• Optimized for XP

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Concerns/Issues

• Workload Burnout for ITC Testers
• Retirements are possible
• No contractor/funding testing support
• Workload is growing (Re-submissions)
• Testing too fast, maintaining App tracking
• XP Impact on Current CCE Certified apps
• New XP Certification Process?
• Re-Certify 160 NT apps into XP
• Grandfather NT apps into XP and Certify only new

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QUESTIONS?/ANSWERS????
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USDA-NRCS Information Technology Center Fort
Collins, Colorado
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Extra Stuff on IAS
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Integrated Accountability System

• Recent accomplishments
• Future Plans

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Major Information Components of the IAS The
whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

• Strategic Plan sets the direction and focus for
  the agency.
• Business and Performance Plans database
• Work Load Analysis(WLA)
• Performance Measurement Results System (PRMS)
• Total Cost Accounting System (TCAS)-
• Foundation Financial Information System (FFIS)
• Combined Administrative Management System (CAMS)
• Workforce Planning (WFP)
• Program databases for WRP, WHIP, CRP, EQIP,
  Watersheds, RCD, etc.

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Goals of the IAS

• A complete system with all data integrated
• Easy access web based user friendly
• Minimized field reporting - Maximized
  information usage
• No side records
• Centralized data links
• Responsive to customers/conservation partners
• Keep the system loosely integrated so that
  applications may be chosen by users as needed

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New Improved Accountability Tools

• Time and Cost Accounting on the WEB (WebTCAS)
• PRMS - State and Local Options
• PRMS - Simplified Data Entry
• PRMS - Map Based Data Entry
• PRMS - Quarterly Goals
• PRMS - Contributions to NRCS programs
• Conservation Information System Key questions

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What is the Conservation Information System?

• Formerly Executive Information System (EIS)
• A tool that provides direct on-line access to
  relevant information in a useful and navigable
  format.
• Timely, accurate, and navigable.
• Allows managers at all levels in the conservation
  partnership to easily access data for management,
  analysis, and planning.

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CIS Implementation Timeline
Milestones Date CIS online and accessible
with PRMS leadership level of security August
6 Announcement by bulletin that CIS is available
for State Leadership August 9 Develop marketing
plan August 30 Rollout to CET - Executive
presentation September 3 NHQ train the trainer
session September 5 Train the trainer
sessions in East and West September 9-13 Begin
evaluation period by state leadership September
16 WEBCAAF- Security System online October
1 CIS report availability decisions for WEBCAAF
implementation October 1 Revise CIS for WEBCAAF
security levels October 21 State leadership and
above review comments due November 1 Revise CIS
based on comments December 2 Revise training
materials provide to state trainers December
16 Open CIS to field level use with
training January 1
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MY.NRCS Home of the CIS
Select the CIS tab
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FY02 Alternatives for funding

• Item Full Funding PCC Recommended Funding
• Customer Service Toolkit
• 275,000
• 275,000
• IAS - Maintenance
  610,000
• 610,000
• 610,000
• NASIS (National Soil Information System)
• 415,000
• 325,000