Grants Online

1. Department of Commerce / National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationGrants OnlineCase Study for“Teaming to Manage a Successful Program Grants Online 2004 Excellence.gov “Top 25” Award Recognition

2. To be successful, a Project must be tied to Agency’s Mission Grants Online directly supports the following NOAA performance objectives: • Use of formal tools and measures for accountability & performance based management • Establish agency-wide requirements-based management process • NOAA’s Grants Council charged with responsibilities to streamline, implement and oversee the Agency’s grants process and products. • Facilitate Grantee submission of complete and accurate applications by use of automation, training, post award oversight functions • Improve acknowledgment and recognition of agency grant support • Improve use & management of Information Technology, including: • Improve Efficiency and Connectivity of IT Use, • Automatic, transparent failover of critical systems, • Technology Refreshment, and • Consolidate web services whenever possible.

3. Grants Online’s Goals • NOAA Single Unified Grant Processing and Administration, using an electronic solution, that will reduce processing time. • A scalable solution for high volume usage and robust, available operation. • A NOAA interface with the Grants.gov initiative to provide “one-stop” shopping for Federal grants-related activities • Standardized business processes that will contribute to a more efficient and effective use of resources. • A direct interface to other systems such as the CAMS/ASAP, FinLitLog

4. Grants Online Blends Different Subject Matter Expertise • Earned Value Project Management • Grants Management Government Wide Initiatives • PL 106 - 107 • Interagency Reports Committee • Interagency Electronic Grants Committee • Interagency Audit Committee • Grants.gov • DoC Interim Grants Manual Subject Matter Expert • Software Development Methodologies • Rational Unified Process, Use Case Modeling • Software Skills • Workflow, J2EE, High-end Relational Database • Program Office Steering Committee (representing 46 Different CFDA Numbers)

5. Grants Online’s Conceptual System Model Applicants External Reviewers Grantees External User Groups SF424 & Attachments Grants.gov (eFind & eApply) Progress Reports Award Notification Application Reviews RFP/RFA/NOFA Complete Application Grants Online Internal User Groups Pre-Award Award Grant Execution Grant Closeout Internal Reviewers Close OutAward RecordsRetention/DocumentManagement Create Request for Proposal Review Request for Proposal Publish Request for Proposal Receive Application Application Review Create Review Team Review ApplicationPackage – Pre-Award Modify/WithdrawalApplication RecommendApplication forAward Prepare AwardPackage CongressionalNotification Approve Award Certify Progress Reports Certify Financial Reports Impose/RemoveSpecial Award Conditions Amend/Suspend/Reactivate/Transfer/Terminate Award Manage Site Visit Reports Receive SignificantProduct Notice CreateandPublish EvaluateandRecommend ReviewandAward Award Monitoring and Management NFA & GMD Staff ProgramOffices Request Information Certify Program Officer Manage Reviewer Information Manage Users Notification of Pending Activity Status Updates Activity Requests FAMS/FAADS FinLit Log CAMS ASAP

6. Various Methods Created Grants Online’s Integrated Performance Measurement Baseline • Work Breakdown Structure threads together every Phase of Project • Earned Value Management System (EVMS) • Payments based on completion of milestones • Use Cases, Unified Modeling Language, and Rational Unified Process • Close Teamwork between Federal and Contracting Program Offices

7. Earned Value: A Definition • Earned Value focuses on the critical relationship between the actual costs against the physical work accomplished. • Base Contract required Performance Measurement Plan (“Planned Value”) • Planned Value defined from a Resource Loaded Schedule • “Earned Value” is measured against the “Planned Value” • Earned Value gives early warning signals for correction

8. Use Cases …. A Definition • Use Cases are a very powerful requirements-modeling technique. Provide a standard “customer-centric” way of exploring, capturing and documenting what a system should do. • Roles, Actors, and Use Cases are placed in diagrams to enhance picture of System • System Use Case functionality are packaged in Iterations. • Discrete iterative steps lets us define a little, code a little, test a little … • REPEAT! define a little, code a little, test a little. • REPEAT! define a little, code a little, test a little. • Iterations avoid surprises and missed interpretations expectations. • Iterations significantly reduce risk

9. Grants Online Merges Project Management and Software Methodology Best Practices • Project Management Resources Used: • Work Breakdown Structure, MIL-HNDK-881 • Earned Value Management Systems, ANSI/EIA-748 • Cost/Schedule Status Reports (C/SSR), DI-MGMT-81467 • Software Development Methodology Used: • Use Cases • Unified Modeling Language (UML) • Rational Unified Process (RUP) • Iterations

10. Tools Support Grants Online but do not dominate it! • Low Priority on what Tools to use • High Priority on Tool’s Expected Outputs • Contractor’s Primavera TeamPlay passes data to NOAA’s Winsight • Government Earned Value analysis helps Contractor • Grants Online does not dictate the Business Process, it helps facilitate it

11. Test “integrity” of potential Vendor’s view of Performance Measurement • Is it a burdensome “We have to” reporting requirement? or … • Is it a valuable Project Management Tool? “We would have done it anyway”

12. In search of a Lighter Earned Value Process? • Incorrect perception that EVM processes are more appropriate for large, complex DoD acquisitions • Grants Online uses an EVMS equivalent system approach • Core set of 15 of the 32 criteria taken from ANSI/EIA Standard 748. • Not just a random selection of criteria. • Waiver requests are allowed. However, 10 specific EVM criteria are essential or implementation is disqualified.

13. Summary . . . • Grants Online is a great example of “Teaming to Manage a Successful Program” • Single unified Grants Processing and Administration • Program Management Office has excellent Technical /Project Management Track Record • Will increase the quality of Grant Awards while decreasing clerical efforts • Delivering a “Model Electronic Solution” for grants management • Can easily transfer best practices to other Investments • A final thought: Safety Improvements. “… all NOAA staff … remain alert, aware … and follow procedures related to handling mail, and especially under the current heightened national alert status. On Thursday this week the NOAA Fisheries SE Regional Office opened an envelope that contained a white powder …” Carl Staton, “Mail handling remind and incident,” e-mail, dated February 14, 2003

14. BACKUP SLIDESSUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

15. Iterative Development Schedule

16. Task 2 – Migrate Legacy Data Grants Management Division (Oracle) National Ocean Service Coastal Zone Management (Oracle) National Marine Fisheries Services (Oracle) Establish Test Plans to Validate Post Migration DataIntegrity Implement Data Migration Plans Validate Legacy Data Integrity Create Migration Plan for each Legacy System or Data Source Consolidated Grants Online Database (Oracle) Oceans & Atmospheric Research/Office of Global Programs (FileMaker) National Ocean Service Coastal Ocean Program (FileMaker) Oceans and Atmospheric Research Sea Grant (Access) OAR NOAA Undersea Research Program (NURP) (Access) NWS (No System) NESDIS (No System) • Approach Features • Migration Plan address unique features of legacy data source • Robust tools available to support conversion (ERWin, TOAD, Oracle Migration Workbench, BMC Patrol/Smart DBA) • Focus on preserving data quality • Benefits • All Legacy data consolidated into Grants Online • Robust data quality testing and verification

17. Task 3 – Build and Deploy Training Program • Focus Groups with Users • Evaluate: • Competency Survey • Course Evaluations • Orientation Sessions • Deployment via WebEx • Identify Learning Objectives • Detail Competencies • Build Course Materials • Outline Training Mgmt Plan • Approach Features • Needs Assessment with complete user community for system and process training • Web Based Deployment with “Classroom” orientation and expectation setting for change management • Competency Survey administered via the Web • Benefits • Training will support successful implementation of Grants Online • Needs of each segment of user community will be addressed • Competency with system and new process assessed in non-threatening way • Industry standard methodology and used successfully on other grants management training projects

18. Task 3 – Build and Deploy Help Desk Proposed Inquiry Resolution Protocol Log Inquiry Respond to Inquiry Close Inquiry and Trigger Survey Grants Online Generalist Follow Up Develop Response and Provide to User Grants Online Specialist Program or GMD Subject Matter Expert Review Help Desk Performance Perform Q/A on Responses Help Desk Manager with Grants Online PMO ClearQuest WebCIMS SCRs • Approach Features • Help Desk to address system and program/process issues • ConOps documents universe of issue types • Proactive identification of workflow to resolve non-system issues • WebCIMS proven customer base provides solid issues management without high cost of CRM package like Remedy or HEAT • WebCIMS will link to ClearQuest for tracking and approval of SCRs • Benefits • “Right Sized” Help Desk to support user community • Electronic SCR tracking system through WebCIMS and ClearQuest • Program/GMD experts brought in up front to outline participation in issue resolution

19. Task 4– Maintain Grants Online • Provide On-Going Training • Performance Standards • All users achieve basic competency level • New users receive required training within 30 days • Maintain Grants Online • Performance Standards • System Availability – 24/7*(except for scheduled maintenance) • Critical Fixes within 48 hrs. New FAQs Analysis of High Frequency Issues • Operate Help Desk • Performance Standards • 80% of calls answered in 30 sec; 100% in 45 sec • 100% emails replied to in 30 minutes • 100% Inquiry Logging • Issue Response in 2-4 hours when research required • M-F; 8am-8pm SCRs for CCB Review • Approach Features • Grants Online kept up-to-date with federal assistance policies and mandates • System maintenance is given priority • System documentation kept up-to-date • Electronic Log of SCRs generated by Help Desk • Ongoing training addresses both new users and • refresher training • All Performance Standards for each activity are tracked and matrix available • * Increase in availability from 18/7 quoted in proposal • Benefits • Structured process to deliver specific performance outcomes • “Plug and Play” staffing for Help Desk and Training • Systems and tools in place to capture and track performance metrics achieved