> **Minutes**
>
> **eTravel Implementation Workgroup**

## Weekly Meeting

> **Thursday, May 5, 2005**

# HCHB 6029, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

**The following Bureaus were in attendance:**

BIS ITA OS/TMD

CENSUS NIST PTO

EDA OIG

EDS OS/OAS

ESA OS/OFM

GSA/PMO OS/OSY

**Chair:**

Jim Woods

**Introduction:**

Mr. Woods invited introductions of team members

**NSF Presentation:**

Neville Withington briefed workgroup members on lessons learned during
NSF's implementation. She was concerned that the FedTraveler system is
too rigid in some areas, specifically regarding enhancements. Six areas
she suggested DoC should pay close attention to prior to moving into the
EDS system are:

1.  Transfer of data files from Agency to EDS

2.  Reconciliation processes

3.  Defining Business Rules

4.  International Travel

5.  Training

6.  Hidden Charges (charges that were not clearly discussed up front)

NSF advised the Department to carefully review and discuss the above
items prior to going live with the system. Ms. Withington did provide
positive feedback regarding the systems user friendliness and the
quality of service from EDS.

One of the key problems NSF encountered was with the data templates and
data uploads - ensuring accuracy of the data. Another issue is the
"Dynamic Approvers" process is hardwired in the system and does not
allow for flexible routing of split authorizations for the travel order
and voucher. Under the normal approval chains there can be different
approvers for either document: under "Dynamic Approvers" the travel
order and voucher must go to the same approver.

Her recommendations included:

-   maintain on-site user support service as long as possible

-   financial interface in place prior to implementation

-   business rules should be clearly defined, and include foreign flag
    carriers

**Outstanding Action Items:**

Contract Status: A meeting between DoC and EDS will be held on May 6,
2005 to discuss the contract terms, deployment and implementation
support. Jim Woods advised that, once the contract meeting with EDS is
complete, if there is an increase in cost, it must be approved at the
senior executive level.

### Data Security: All electronic documents and data templates containing personal information must be password protected; and, data in hard copy, on CDs and/or floppy disks should be locked up. When data is "handed off," a written confirmation of transfer should be received.

### End-to-End Sandbox: The standard sandbox provides accessibility for 30 calendar days for 25 users/member ID's, with one systems administrator and one organization. There will be a standard set of business rules governing the sandbox. For an additional cost, EDS can configure the sandbox specific to DoC/Bureau requirements. 

### 

### Jim proposed that a separate workgroup meeting be held to discuss further the key elements of the sandbox.

### Policy Update

The policy workgroup is reviewing approximately eighteen (18) items and
several drafts have been completed.

### Training

EDS supplied DoC with a tentative training class matrix, showing an
estimate of the number of classes needed by bureau.

**Open Discussion:**

The group showed an interest in hearing lessons learned from USDA. Jim
will invite USDA for a presentation at one of the upcoming meetings.

# 

The next meeting will be held Thursday, May 12, 2005 in room 6059.