Analysis Document

1. Analysis Document Task 6 Recommendations for Enhancement and Expansion of Telework April 3, 2006

2. Table Of Contents Introduction Methodology Recommendations for Enhancement and Expansion of Telework Conclusions Appendix A Appendix B

3. This report provides guidance for implementing recommended plans to enhance and expand agencies’ telework infrastructure • This report on Recommendations for Enhancement and Expansion of Telework is the sixth in a series of reports from the Telework Technology Cost Study • The overall study has three primary objectives • Describe the current telework technology environment • Estimate the costs of expanding telework supporting technologies so the infrastructure can support 25% to 50% of the federal workforce teleworking • Provide recommendations on how best to expand the telework supporting infrastructure • This report builds upon the optional plans for enhancing telework readiness presented in the Task 9 report, adding detailed guidance such as critical steps and best practices for implementing each plan • The information in this report will give Federal organizations the understanding needed to identify and prioritize plans for making the technical enhancements required to support an expanded telework program

4. Information was collected from several sources within sixteen agencies that were chosen to be representative of the entire Federal Government • The Booz Allen team conducted interviews, focus groups, and surveys of Chief Information Officer staff, Telework Program Coordinators, Teleworkers, and Managers of Teleworkers, respectively • Ten Departments participated in the study: • Department of Agriculture  Department of Interior • Department of Commerce  Department of Justice • Department of Education  Department of Transportation • Department of Health and Human Services  Department of the Treasury • Department of Housing and Urban Development  Department of Veterans Affairs • Five Independent Agencies and one Departmental Component also participated in the study: • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission  National Science Foundation • General Services Administration  Securities And Exchange Commission • National Aeronautics and Space Administration  U. S. Coast Guard (Department of Homeland Security)

5. This report presents additional guidance for implementing several plans for enhancing telework readiness • The Task 9 report concluded that achieving a successful telework program requires only a few enhancements • Comprehensive planning and coordination • Technical and managerial support • A basic set of equipment and services for teleworkers • In that same report, ten plans were presented to help agencies enhance their telework technology infrastructures and accordingly, expand their telework programs • However, the process of implementing these recommended plans is not a trivial undertaking, and agencies often need more information to appropriately develop and roll out such initiatives • To help address those needs, this report builds upon each plan, providing recommendations about the basic steps for implementation and best practices, including success factors, avoidance of common pitfalls, and other critical issues

6. Table Of Contents Introduction Methodology Recommendations for Enhancement and Expansion of Telework Conclusions Appendix A Appendix B

7. Information from multiple sources was combined to develop a detailed roadmap for implementing the telework technology expansion and enhancement plans Data Sources Analysis & Results Surveys of Teleworkers and Managers of Teleworkers Guidance for Implementing Telework Technology Enhancement Plans Focus Groups with Agency Telework Coordinators Interviews with Agency CIO Staff • Administered surveys to teleworkers and managers of teleworkers in 14 out of the 16 agencies participating in the study • Received valid responses from 6,784 teleworkers and 1,540 managers of teleworkers • Collected information about telework technology availability, usage, and performance • Conducted focus groups with Telework Program Coordinators and other telework management staff in 15 out of the 16 agencies participating in the study • Collected information abouttelework program history and current state, technology issues, policy issues, and plans for expansion • Conducted interviews with CIOs and other IT staff members in 20 organizations (including headquarters offices and/or components of the 16 agencies participating in the study) • Collected information aboutthe current status of the telework infrastructure and plans for enhancement • Reviewed recommended plans from the Task 9 report, making edits and additions as needed to ensure relevance and comprehensiveness • Integrated agency information from the three data sources to identify potential challenges and success factors for plan implementation • Reviewed relevant case studies and reports on telework technology and expansion • Incorporated Booz Allen understanding of best practices for enhancing technical infrastructure and successfully expanding telework programs • Identified key steps, best practices, and other relevant information for each plan

8. Program Management Home Office Services Enterprise Agency information and industry knowledge were used to develop recommendations for implementing telework technology enhancement plans • The Booz Allen team followed a structured process to develop the implementation guidance • Reviewed the optional plans for telework technology expansion and enhancement presented in the Task 9 report, adding or revising plans as necessary • Reviewed the study’s information to consider how agency telework history and current state might contribute to challenges and success factors for implementing the plans • Incorporated Booz Allen expertise and intellectual capital on telework technology and management to determine best practices and other critical factors for implementation • Developed basic steps, best practices, and other information for implementing each plan • Enhanced Telework Program Management was added to emphasize that a large scale implementation of telework requires management considerations and decisions that may not have been made for smaller scale implementation • This report presents an overview of the eleven plans, then provides more detailed guidance about implementing each plan • The plans are organized into four categories, listed at the right • The four categories are designated in the report by using the color coding presented at the right

9. Table Of Contents Introduction Methodology Recommendations for Enhancement and Expansion of Telework Conclusions Appendix A Appendix B

10. Recommended plans to enhance telework fall into four categories: Program Management, Home Office, Services, and Enterprise Program Management Home Office Services Enterprise Additional recommendations and best practices for implementing each plan are presented in the remainder of this section

11. Enterprise Home Office Program Management Services Telework pilots help agencies test changes to, or expansion of, its telework programs before deploying agency wide

12. Enterprise Home Office Program Management Services Incorporating telework requirements into the overall organization budget would ensure more stable funding of the program

13. Enterprise Home Office Program Management Services Effective program management is critical to the appropriate and sustainable expansion and enhancement of telework

14. Enterprise Home Office Program Management Services Providing all employees who potentially could telework a laptop computer will make it easier to expand the telework program and will make the organization better prepared for contingency situations

15. Enterprise Home Office Program Management Services Employees who telework more frequently need greater access to peripheral equipment such as printers, fax machines, and copiers

16. Enterprise Home Office Program Management Services Broadband Internet connection is necessary to support the high volume of data teleworkers need to access to perform their work

17. Enterprise Home Office Program Management Services Technical training will give teleworkers the capability to maintain and operate their telework technology more independently

18. Enterprise Home Office Program Management Services Technical support staff need to be proficient at resolving teleworker technical problems

19. Enterprise Home Office Program Management Services Modern collaboration tools improve and accelerate communications between team members particularly when team members are in different geographic locations *This plan is categorized as “Home Office” in the Task 9 Report; however, technology experts determined that collaboration tools are more accurately described as enterprise capability than end-user tools. Therefore, Enterprise is the correct category for this plan.

20. Enterprise Home Office Program Management Services Greater remote access to the organization’s applications will broaden the job activities that can be performed by teleworkers

21. Enterprise Home Office Program Management Services Providing effective mechanisms for protecting agency data expands the range of job activities that teleworkers can perform

22. Table Of Contents Introduction Methodology Recommendations for Enhancement and Expansion of Telework Conclusions Appendix A Appendix B

23. High Broadband Purchase Budget Allocation Improved Security Solutions Peripheral Purchase Improved Remote Access Laptop Purchase Cost Telework Program Management Telework Pilot Enhanced Technical Training Enhanced Technical Support Collaboration/Communication Tools Low Low High Benefit Legend Program Management Home Office Services Enterprise Faced with the prospect of many complex options, it is useful to prioritize plans and evaluate their fit with organizational needs • Potential cost and benefit are the primary criteria that can inform the prioritization process • Costs of technical components and other organizational support requirements were considered when estimating potential cost • Potential benefit was estimated by considering the extent to which each plan could enhance the overall quality or size of the telework program

24. Plans in each category are also associated with critical outcomes and factors that decision-makers should consider

25. In order to assist with prioritization and implementation, agencies should consider developing a Program Management Office dedicated to telework technology initiatives • A Program Management Office (PMO) dedicated to telework technology initiatives would be responsible for driving implementation • Develop agency-specific criteria for prioritization • Prioritize and select initiatives to pursue for implementation • Oversee the design, implementation, and evaluation of initiatives • The PMO should have the authority to revise existing initiatives and develop new ones based on changing organization/business needs, legislative attention, or advancing technologies • Representatives from multiple disciplines should be included in the PMO • Information Technology • Human Resources • Budget/Finance • Telework • With effective program management, agencies can implement tailored, integrated telework expansion plans with the appropriate controls in place to ensure maximum value and benefit to the telework program and the organization as a whole

26. Table Of Contents Introduction Methodology Recommendations for Enhancement and Expansion of Telework Conclusions Appendix A Appendix B

27. Appendix A – Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) process for developing a telework line item in the agency budget • Step 1: Identify the Baseline – Use other available data to baseline the current telework posture. • Step 2: Identify Prioritization Requirements – Evaluate telework posture against legislative and Chief Information Officer (CIO)-articulated requirements and agency mission. • Step 3: Conduct Enterprise-Level Prioritization – Prioritize potential enterprise-level IT investments against mission and financial impact of implementing appropriate telework. • Step 4: Conduct System-Level Prioritization – Prioritize potential system level corrective actions against system category and corrective action impact. • Step 5: Develop Supporting Materials – For enterprise-level investments, develop concept paper, business case analysis, and Exhibit 300. For system-level investments, adjust Exhibit 300 to request additional funding to mitigate prioritized weaknesses. • Step 6: Implement Investment Review Board (IRB) and Portfolio Management – Prioritize agency-wide business cases against requirements and CIO priorities and determine investment portfolio. • Step 7: Submit Exhibit 300s, Exhibit 53, and Conduct Program Management – Ensure approved 300s become part of the agency’s Exhibit 53; ensure investments are managed through their life cycle and through the GAO’s Information Technology Investment Management (ITIM) maturity framework. *Adapted from the January 2005 edition of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) ITL Bulletin. Please note ITL stands for The Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), a major research component of NIST.

28. Table Of Contents Introduction Methodology Recommendations for Enhancement and Expansion of Telework Conclusions Appendix A Appendix B

29. Appendix B – General best practices for implementing telework enhancement initiatives