March 23, 1999

DR 3300-1

APPENDIX G

SHARING, OPTIMIZING, AND CONSOLIDATING OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESOURCES

 1 PURPOSE

This appendix establishes policies and assigns responsibility for the sharing, optimizing, and consolidating of telecommunications resources within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

 

2 BACKGROUND

USDA must take advantage of every opportunity to aggregate and optimize the acquisition of new telecommunications resources through the coordination of business processes and telecommunications planning among all USDA agencies. The Clinger-Cohen Act has mandated that agencies refocus information technology management to support directly their strategic missions, implement an investment review process that drives budget formulation and execution for information systems, and rethink and restructure the way they perform their functions before investing in information technology to support that work. Additionally the Chief Information Officer (CIO) has instituted an Information Technology (IT) moratorium on all IT purchases. In response to these actions the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) implemented the Telecommunications Network Stabilization and Migration Program (TNSMP) to establish the controls and processes for stabilizing and managing the current USDA agency networks and migrate towards an Enterprise Network (EN).

 

3 REFERENCES

Source Publication Title/Subject

Congress PL 103-354, Title II, Federal Crop Insurance 108 Stat. 3209 (1994) Reform and Dept. of Agriculture

Reorganization Act Congress PL 104-106, Title LI, Information Technology Division E (1996)

Management Reform Act of 1996 (Clinger-Cohen Act)

USDA Plan Version 1.0 (1997) Telecommunications Network Stabilization and Migration Program (TNSMP)

USDA DR 3040-2 Call Detail Records

 

4 ABBREVIATIONS

CDR - Call Detail Record

CIO - Chief Information Officer

EN - Enterprise Network

FIR - Forecast Inventory Reporting

IRM - Information Resource Management

OCIO - Office of the Chief Information Officer

SDP - Service Delivery Point

TMACO - Telecommunications Mission Area Control Officer

TNSMP - Telecommunication Network Stabilization and Migration Program

TOBI - Telecommunications Ordering, Billing, and Inventory System

TSO - Telecommunications Services and Operations

USDA - United States Department of Agriculture

 

5 POLICY

Opportunities within USDA for sharing, optimizing, and consolidating telecommunications resources shall be explored and implemented, as appropriate, to:

a Make efficient, cost-effective use of telecommunications resources and serve the public in the best possible manner.

b Make maximum use of all Government provided telecommunications resources to achieve optimum configuration of services at each service delivery point.

c Ensure Government telecommunications resources are shared, optimized and consolidated where determined to be technically and economically feasible.

d Procure and use telecommunications resources in a manner that promotes information sharing among agencies and assures that telecommunications resources and the data transported using these resources are adequately protected.

 

6 RESPONSIBILITIES

a Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) will:

(1) Assess current and future telecommunications needs;

(2) Participate in requirements analyses of current and future telecommunications needs;

(3) Provide Departmental leadership and identify cost reduction opportunities for sharing, optimizing, and consolidating of telecommunications resources throughout USDA;

(4) Provide consultation and analytical support to agencies and staff offices in developing and implementing plans of action for sharing, optimizing, and consolidating of telecommunications services with particular emphasis on:

(a) Collocated USDA offices;

(b) Offices undergoing reorganization;

(c) Utilization of the standard Departmental Telecommunications Ordering, Billing, and Inventory System (TOBI) for all telecommunications ordering, billing and inventory activities in support of the agency. Procedures will be established to:

1 Ensure that information in the TOBI system is current and accurate; and

2 Ensure that vendor billing for telecommunications services are accurate.

(d) Utilization of the standard Departmental Telecommunications Ordering, Billing, and Inventory (TOBI) database of telecommunications equipment, facilities, access, and services to enable effective telecommunications management. This database will provide information necessary to drive optimization and consolidation models and tools. This database will maintain at a minimum:

1 Telecommunications access and services information, which includes usage and cost data; and

2 Telecommunications equipment and software information, which includes capacity and cost data.

(e) Conducting of vulnerability assessments and implementation of risk migration strategies.

(5) Assist and educate agencies and staff offices, as requested, in using the network analysis model or other tools to analyze current costs and potential savings from sharing, optimizing, and consolidating of telecommunications services;

(6) Make available FTS2000/2001 and Forecast Inventory Reporting (FIR) database information on long distance telecommunications services, costs and billing information for agencies and staff offices upon request;

(7) Provide guidance and direction on consolidation of telecommunications services with non-USDA Federal agencies;

(8) Review and approve agency action plans for implementing changes in telecommunications services within Group One cities. Group One cities must be optimized for network concentration nodes for an EN;

(9) Monitor progress of agency optimization and consolidation improvements using the "USDA Network Analysis Model" and monthly USDA FTS2000/2001 billing data;

(10) Coordinate the designation of lead agencies, as required, prior to the implementation of a EN;

(11) Include the sharing, optimization and consolidation of telecommunications resources in the Capital Planning and Investment Control process;

(12) Ensure that sharing, optimization and consolidation are a part of the Performance and Results-Based management process to establish goals for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of agency operations and, as appropriate, the delivery of services to the public through effective use of Information Technology; and

(13) Review and approve all agency transition plans from FTS2000 to FTS2001 in order to ensure that all new data communications services and circuits are consistent with progress towards an EN.

b Lead Agencies will:

(1) Assume leadership role and assure that all participating agencies= requirements are met to the greatest extent possible, as quickly as possible, and with adequate security of resources considered and implemented during each phase of the consolidation;

(2) Implement and manage shared telecommunications resources in accordance with Departmental guidelines until implementation of the Enterprise Network;

(3) Coordinate with the TSO to include:

(a) Acquiring and maintaining consolidated telecommunications resources and equipment, ordering services, and handling system changes;

(b) Receiving and distributing consolidated billing, including Call Detail Reports as defined in DR-3040-2, "Call Detail Records" as available;

(c) Providing for local problem resolutions; and

(d) Providing local government contract support as required.

c Agencies and Staff Offices will:

(1) Consider and sufficiently address sharing, optimizing, and consolidating of current FTS2000 services with other agencies as appropriate;

(2) Seek and actively pursue opportunities for sharing, optimizing, and consolidating of telecommunications resources;

(3) Eliminate redundant or uneconomical services, especially in office closures, relocations or consolidations to ensure:

(a) All unneeded telecommunications services are terminated promptly and accounts are closed; and

(b) Telecommunications equipment is properly accounted for and used where it is practical and cost-beneficial.

(4) Establish and maintain the TOBI system for telecommunications equipment and services, which contain at a minimum:

(a) circuit information, (address, city, state, and zip code);

(b) equipment and service types;

(c) network usage levels; and

(d) network usage and equipment cost.

(5) Designate a senior management official or a single point-of-contact to serve as the Telecommunications Mission Area Control Officer (TMACO) to coordinate optimization and consolidation of telecommunications services internally, with OCIO, and with other agencies;

(6) Notify OCIO, through the telecommunications planning process, of all initiatives to share telecommunications resources;

(7) Develop and implement an action plan for improving the management of telecommunications resources and services, reducing costs, and assuring security requirements are met. This action plan for each calendar year will be due to OCIO by October 15 of the preceding year;

(8) Participate with lead agency in requirements analysis, cost analysis, and configuration design;

(9) Utilize the "USDA Network Analysis Model," or an equivalent quantitative analysis method to analyze current cost and potential savings from consolidation and aggregation of telecommunications services;

(10) Obtain a waiver from OCIO/TSO to decline sharing, optimizing, and consolidating opportunities within a Group One city. Written justification, in a quantitative fashion (see (4)c), (8) above), must be submitted with the waiver request; and

(11) Prepare an FTS2001 transition plan.

 

7 DEFINITIONS

Consolidation (FTS2000/FTS2001 Service Delivery Point). Determining the most cost-effective combination of circuit arrangements based upon the existing or predicted traffic pattern at a SDP.

Lead Agency. The agency at a consolidated location designated by OCIO to be in charge of coordinating and implementing all telecommunications services at that site.

Optimization (FTS2000/2001 Service Access). Determining the most cost-effective FTS2000/2001 access arrangement based upon the existing or predicted traffic pattern at a SDP.

Service Delivery Point. The point at which FTS2000/2001 network service terminates.

Sharing. Federal offices located in the same building or campus using a single integrated telephone system, the same video teleconferencing facilities or other telecommunicationsresources.

USDA Network Analysis Model (for FTS2000/FTS2001 only). An automated tool, developed and maintained by OCIO, which assists the telecommunications analyst in determining the most cost-effective selection of FTS2000 services to meet organizational requirements.

USDA Group 1 Cities. Those 21 cities that must be optimized and will likely become network concentration nodes for an Enterprise Network. The lead agency in each of the Group One 21 cities will be required to submit (if not already submitted) a Multi-Agency Site plan before any other agency located within the boundaries of the specific city can install dedicated services or equipment.

 

City/State Lead Agency

Washington, DC OCIO

San Francisco, CA FS

Albany, CA ARS

Fort Collins, CO OCIO

Denver, CO FS

Kansas City, MO RD

Sacramento/Davis, CA FS

Atlanta, GA FS

Dallas/Fort Worth, TX FNS

Raleigh/Durham, NC NRCS

Des Moines/Ames, IA NRCS

Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN APHIS

Phoenix, AZ FS

Ogden, UT FS

Albuquerque, NM FS

Portland, OR FS

Austin, TX NASS

Boise, ID FS

Orlando, FL NASS

Jackson, MS NRCS

New Orleans, LA OCFO

Chicago, IL FNS

St. Louis, MO RD