vvEPA Vol. 2 January/February No. 1 IA C Interagency Agreement IHU Policies and Procedures Jim Obenschain More and more federal, state and local government agencies will need access to EPA computer facilities as more EPA pro- jects are computerized. The Inter- governmental Cooperation Act of 1968 (P.L. 90-577, Stat 1102) provides for such access. Chapters 1 and 6 of EPA's ADP Manual and EPA Order 1610.1A outline EPA's policies regarding access to EPA computer centers by other government agencies. Before any non-EPA government agency can use the EPA computer centers, these steps must be followed to establish and imple- ment an Interagency Agreement (IAG): • The requesting agency should forward to MIDSD a proposed statement of work and a memorandum requesting an IAG, showing the appropriate manage- ment approval and commitment of funds by the user organization. If the requesting agency wishes, MIDSD will help in the preparation of this statement of work. If an overhead charge is applicable under EPA Order 1610.1A, Paragraph 9.b.4, this overhead rate should be incorporated into the statement of work for the proposed IAG. The proposed IAG will then be given to Betty Mingo at MIDSD. MIDSD will review the statement of work to en- sure that it does not duplicate other projects or conflict with other plans, that it is in line with policies stated in the ADP Manual, and that it is in all respects tech- nically sound. The proposed IAG will be sent to the DAA of the Office of Administration for signing. The IAG will then, be returned to MIDSD. (The DAA of the Office of Administration is the only person authorized to sign lAG's for use of the EPA data centers.) MIDSD will next send the IAG to the IAG Office (Vince Jay) in the Con- tract Managements Division. The IAG Office will coordinate the IAG with the Office of Federal Activities and the Program Analysis Division and forward fully executed copies to the requesting agency, to the EPA office responsible for performing the work (MIDSD), to the Budget Operations Division, and to the appropriate EPA accounting office. The Budget Operations Division will increase suballowance holder 17 (Office of Administration) to the maximum amount of expected usage. The new customer will be given an account number for which the sub- allowance holder has been increased by the maximum amount of expected usage. For billing, a summary of charges will be sent quarterly to the Finan- cial Management Division, unless the amount is not large enough to make billing worthwhile. If the charges are too small, they will be accumu- lated until the amount is large enough to bill. The Financial Management Division will prepare a Standard Form 1080, which is used to transfer funds from one federal agency to another. When this form is sent to the IAG user, the Financial Management Division will authorize MIDSD to spend the amount of money that has been billed. ------- • Assistant Administrators, Heads of Staff Offices, and Regional Admin- istrators are authorized to execute Interagency Agreements subject to the limitations and procedures pro- vided in Paragraph 8 of EPA Order 1610.1A. These guidelines should be used when talking to non-EPA agencies about Inter- agency Agreements for use of EPA computer centers. All IAG requests containing detailed information about statements of work that will be with the data centers should be addressed to: Donald U. Fulford Chief, Data Center NCC, U.S. EPA MD-34 Research Triangle Park, N.C. 27711 The proposed IAG will be reviewed before being sent to Betty Mingo at M1DSD in Washington, D.C. The Director of the NCC has deter- mined that an IAG with the National Computer Center will have an over- head charge of 15 percent on com- puter runs only. For IAG information, call Bill Allen at the NCC (FTS 629-2123) t or Jean Wilkinson at the WCC (FTS 755-0800). Any non-EPA government agency must obtain an IAG to acquire access to the EPA computer facilities. Fed- eral agencies should contact the appropriate data center directly to obtain an IAG and access to that facility. State and local agencies must contact the Regional Adminis- trator or the Laboratory Director. A new account number and user-ID/- password(s) will be established for the non-EPA user. Funds to cover computer usage for these new ac- counts will be added to the appro- priate suballowance fund for ac- counting and billing. Monthly, each EPA office will moni- tor the IAG computer usage and charges for each of its non-EPA users and be responsible for any overruns created by these users. This monitoring is done so the non- EPA user can be advised when funds are almost exhausted. Changes in Telecommunications Support Fred Kastner Elimination of 2000 boa RJE Support at MCC Effective March 1, 1979, NCC will dis- continue support of 2000 bps RJE access. In the place of 2000 bps (201-A modems), NCC will only support 4800 bps for dial- up RJE access. If you are now using a 201-A modem to access NCC at 2000 bps, you need to get a 201 -B modem before March 1, 1979 to access NCC at 4800 bps. The NCC provides 4800 bps WATS lines (800-334-9761) and 4800 bps commercial lines (919-541-2094). Questions or problems with this should be directed to Fred Kastner at the NCC (919- 541-2932 or FTS 629-2932). Conversion to Full-Duplex 1200 bos Support Due to the popularity, availability, and enhanced operating characteristics of 1200 bps full-duplex telecommunications access, NCC will not support 1200 bps half-duplex access after March 1, 1979. This means that the 202-type modems at NCC currently accessible via 549-8691 and FTS 629-2473 will be removed after March 1. If you are currently dialing either of these numbers to access NCC, you need to make arrangements to replace your 1200 bps half-duplex modem or acoustic coupler (e.g., Anderson-Jacobson ADAC 1200) with a full-duplex type. Information regard- ing available procedures may be obtained from Fred Kastner at the NCC (919- 541-2932 or FTS 629-2932). ------- Life Cycle Training Vic Cohen The December EPA Data Talk introduced life cycle training as a new EPA training approach for NADP1. Here 1 want to ex- pose EPA data processing users/management to the life cycle training model and its principles, show how it works, demon- strate its potential effectiveness in EPA, and urge its actual application for subsequent analysis. The life cycle training model directs a variety of information systems and man- agement training toward people with dif- ferent backgrounds and capabilities. The model must be redeveloped for each new set of conditions. This development procedure consists of six steps. The first three steps define and link the variables of audience (trainee) categories, courses (modules or mini-courses), and the phases (or events) of any given life cycle. For example, the audience categories could be project officer, contractor, user, and senior manager. The courses might be project management, security, data bases, and executive seminar. And the phases of a system life cycle could be called project initiation, feasibility study, system design, test and implementation, and maintenance and audit. These variables are used here because they are reasonably self-explanatory. The fourth step is to determine where audiences and courses converge. For ex- ample, project officers will benefit from a course on project management. And all audiences, save senior managers, should review security considerations. (Senior Managers should have a security discus- sion during the Executive Seminar, but it need not comprise a separate course.) Step five ties the audience-course link- age to a phase in the life cycle. The project officer will benefit most from a project management course taken during the feasibility study, in time to prepare for contractor management duties during system design. Likewise, project offi- cers and contractors need a security briefing during the feasibility phase, and users need security appreciation just prior to system acceptance. The final step is to summarize the matrix content. These data are invaluable in designing programs of instruction, bal- ancing attendee profiles, scheduling sessions, etc. The matrix below portrays a five-phase system life cycle, but this can be easily expanded, as can the number of audience categories and courses. This matrix con- forms to the life cycle we are now using. However, we are not limited to a system life cycle, but could overlay the matrix with a ZBB development schedule, program planning calendar, or whatever. The life cycle training model has several advantages over traditional training ap- proaches. The model gives structure and direction to a customized mix of training sessions that meet the specific needs of a single program office. It also guaran- tees the assessment of user/management (continued on page 5, column 2) LIFE CYCLE TRAINING MODEL AUDIENCE COURSES CATEGORY PER AUD COURSES OR SESSIONS Proj Data Secur- Exec Mat Base itv Sem Project Officer Contractor User 3 3 2 FS FS FS FS TI D D MA Senior Manager FS, MA Audience per Course 2 3 3 1, 1 SYSTEM LIFE CYCLE PHASES: PI - Project Initiation FS - Feasibility Study D - System Design TI - Test and Implementation MA - Maintenance and Audit ------- NCC Highlights. V Tom Rogers The overall stability at NCC con- tinues to be excellent - almost unbeliev- able. For November, the NCC had only 14 failures, an all-time record. During this period, the NCC installed several system tapes as well as several hardware modifications. As of December 20, there have been only five failures for the month. In mid-December, a new disk sub- system was implemented on the floor sys- tem. This subsystem will be brought to full utilization over the next few weeks. A second system is planned for implemen- tation during January and February. \ Recently, an outside computer secur- ity consulting firm reviewed the NCC. The results were generally favorable with some areas needing attention. The User Orientation Seminar has been quite successfully presented in Kansas City and Boston. It is presented monthly at RTF and Headquarters and will be presented at a user site if sufficient interest is shown. Network Update Fred Kastaer Significant progress has been made in providing 1001 RJE access to NCC through the network facilities. The four test sites will undergo a test and acceptance period beginning January 2. Several sites, including New York, Seattle, and Minneapolis, are receiving priority at- tention to resolve repeated problems. For 1200 bps (Bell 212 only) users in the RTF area, six Bell 212 modems have been installed at NCC for accessing either NCC (NCCMSPD) or WCC. That number is 541- 2071. NADPI pr°J'ct ™vr* Management NeWS NADPI's ADP Project Management course will be offered again this winter in RTF and Washington. This course, presented by Robert Gilbertson of Data Architects and formerly of the Harvard Business School, is a prerequisite for Applied ADP Project Management. Applied Project Management, a new course, will commence at RTF in March and then proceed to Washington. This course is designed as a sequel to the Gilbertson course. Schedules of the project manage- ment curriculum will be distributed at a later time, probably in Nolan Study Seminar and Workshop Planned Ed Franklin M1DSD has scheduled a Nolan study seminar and workshop for February 9, 1979 at EPA Headquarters. The Nolan study is an assessment of the substantive content and effectiveness of EPA information systems, so this seminar and workshop should be of special interest to the EPA data process- ing community. During the morning, a seminar is sched- uled to present Nolan, Norton and Com- pany's preliminary analysis, the status of this study, and some emerging issues. Workshop sessions following the seminar will allow EPA representatives to review and comment on Nolan's analysis of their organizational applications portfolio, and to relate each organization to Nolan's stage hypothesis. For more information about the meeting and registration, contact Morris Yaguda or Ed Franklin at FTS 755-0811. ------- DM&O Dei&piut, Haotuaue, ati Opgitioas Coatiatt Anne Parkis EPA's use of the DM&O contract Increased tremendously during the fall of 1978. Two hundred Computer Science Corporation (CSC) employees are now providing ser- vices to about 80 EPA project officers on 115 tasks. The EPA contract value now exceeds five million dollars. To support this rapid increase in growth, CSC augmented and restructured the DM&O project organization to emphasize quality assurance and software management. CSC recently opened a new office in Ann Arbor to support the Motor Vehicle Emissions Laboratory. Other CSC offices supporting the DM&O contract are in Falls Church, Virginia and RTP. Through computer cen- ter facilities management tasks, CSC per- sonnel also provide services on-site at laboratories in Athens, Gulf Breeze, Las Vegas, Corvallis, Grosse lie and Narragansett, at Regional Headquarters in New York and San Francisco, and at EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The popularity of the DM&O contract results from its extensive technical scope and its short procurement cycle. Tasks-to-date cover a wide range of ADP services; however, the support is gen- erally classified as research and analy- sis, system design and development, soft- ware conversion, software maintenance, documentation, or data entry/operations. Several DM&O tasks directly support EPA's emphasis on ADP standards and the sharing or exchange of data and software. Morris Yaguda from MI DSD, and Jack Sweeney and Dr. Richard Baker from Region 2 are the project officers for the common codes pilot study. This study will provide ex- perimental data for analyzing the prob- lems, costs, and benefits of a common naming and coding scheme for EPA informa- tion systems. In the pilot study, an automated cross- reference file is being created for two facilities in New Jersey by extracting data, such as facility name, identifica- tion code and location, from multiple EPA data files. Records of the guidelines, control procedures, and hours spent will be maintained throughout the task. From this information, a comprehensive assess- ment will be made of the effort and money required to identify and maintain common data elements. The pilot study parallels a feasibility study in progress for the Interagency Regulatory Liaison Group (IRLG), consis- ting of EPA and other agencies concerned with regulating chemicals. The feasibil- ity study, scheduled for completion in the spring of 1979, requires the defini- tion, introduction, and maintenance of standard names and codes for data ele- ments common to information systems in all of the IRLG agencies. The experi- mental data provided by the DM&O pilot study will help in EPA's review and analysis of IRLG'3 feasibility study. RPA Data Talk is published 00011117 by the National Computer Center, Manage- ment Information and Data Syatema Division, for EPA personnel and con- tractor a interested in general ADP topics. Comments and suggestions are soli- cited and should be addressed to: William G. Allen Editor, EPA Data Talk National Computer Center Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711 To ensure that our distribution list is up-to-date, please indicate any required changes on the mailing label attached to this issue and mail It to the above address. (Continued from page 3, column 2) awareness of information management and acknowledges that certain features of the project are more important than others and need repeating. In essence, the model focuses attention on the "human resource development" of the project team and on those considerations which become important at different times throughout the life of the project. Certainly the model variables need expan- sion and refinement, and we need to vali- date and tune the approach by applying it to a program office. The life cycle training model could be a very effective training tool. But without an examina- tion of it in practice, its use and ac- ceptance will be minimal. ------- Highlights from the WCC V Curt Lackey MIDSD is now reviewing a draft ver- sion of the WCC Policies and Procedures Handbook provided by COMNET. Selected users have been asked to comment. When complete, this document will provide a single reference source and guide for WCC operation and management. If COMNET has been improving its man- agement reporting to EPA. Suballowance holders are now receiving a Monthly Analysis Report and a comprehensive FY79 budget has been provided to MIDSD. A Computer Performance Evaluation Report has been received and will be the vehicle for pointing out system constraints. And a comprehensive equipment inventory has been received and is being reviewed. V Version 3.1 of ALPHA was made avail. able to the user community on December 6, 1978. The conversion to 3.1 proceeded smoothly with little adverse effect on the user community. Many people were in- UNITID STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY National Computer Center Research Triangle Park North Carolina 27711 OFFICIAL BUSINESS PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE S3OO AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYE* strumental in this effort, but special thanks should go to Lee Manning of the STORET group for assisting with ALPHA testing. V The new 45-day DASD archiving policy was implemented at the end of November with noticeable results. The inconven- ience to users caught by this change must be weighed against the increase in user and work space. Weighing the pros and cons has proven this new policy to be worthwhile. The deadline for the March/April issue of EPA J2a£a. Talk is February 28, 1979. Contributions received after that date will be published at the discretion of the editor. POSTAGE AND FEES PAID U S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY EPA-339 THIRD CLASS BLK. RT. ------- |