TCC-00-16, Draft MSC and ENF Sections of the CSENet 2000 Transaction Functional Matrix (TFM), CSENET 99-0190-V2.0

Giving Hope and Support to America's Children

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children & Families
Office of Child Support Enforcement

TCC-00-16 NOV 3, 2000

TO: ALL CSENet 2000 TECHNICAL CONTACTS

RE: Draft MSC and ENF Sections of the CSENet 2000 Transaction Functional Matrix (TFM), CSENet 99-0190-V2.0

Dear Colleague:

We ask your assistance in reviewing and commenting on the draft MSC & ENF Sections of the Transaction Functional Matrix (TFM).

The Phase II Implementation Work Group convened in August 2000 and conducted teleconferences to determine how and when the Phase II Implementation of the four functional areas, Paternity (PAT), Establishment (EST), Enforcement (ENF) and Miscellaneous or Managing State Cases (MSC) will be accomplished. The goal of the Work Group was to arrive at a consensus for Phase II Implementation during the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Fall 2000 State Systems Users146 Group Meeting held in San Diego, October 18 - 20, 2000.

Work Group members and State representatives attended the Phase II Implementation Consensus Plan development sessions hosted by the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE). During this session States reached consensus that the MSC and ENF functions must be implemented by October 1, 2001. Also, States suggested that standardized usage of transactions would facilitate the automated exchange of data between all States. The TFM was discussed as a means of providing guidance on uniform usage of transactions as well as a programming tool for States working towards system certification. The TFM is a technical reference guide and supplement to other documents including the CSENet 2000 Data Block Record Layout V2.5 and the CSENet 2000 Valid Transactions document. It identifies standard combinations of Action, Function and Reason codes and provides a detailed description of their business usage. To ensure accuracy, the draft sections of the TFM are being updated to the current version of the CSENet 2000 Data Block Record Layout.

It was agreed that the ENF and MSC sections of the TFM would be shared with all States in order for States who are fully functional to assess the level of effort needed to modify their existing programming to conform to the guidance provided in the documents. We would like to hear from States regarding this assessment so that we can determine if consensus can be reached on adopting the TFM as our operational standard for using CSENet 2000. Regardless of the outcome of this assessment, the TFM sections may still be used as a programming tool for those States beginning their CSENet programming. Copies of the draft MSC and ENF sections from the TFM are being forwarded to all CSENet 2000 Points of Contact and Technical Points of Contact for review. The LO1 and CSI sections will be forwarded within the next two weeks. Comments concerning usage of the TFM sections as a guide for standardization should be directed to Terri Nickel, facilitator for the Phase II Implementation Work Group at TJNickel@aol.com.

Comments concerning the content of the TFM sections should be forwarded to your CSENet 2000 Technical Representative, Help Desk Support at 1-800-258-2736, or e-mailed to CSENet.2000@lmco.com within 15 days of the date of this letter.

Thank you for your recommendations and participating in the Phase II implementation planning and consensus process. We hope that you find the TFM useful as you move forward to develop your CSENet 2000 transactions.

Sincerely,

Donna J. Bonar
Associate Commissioner
For Office of Automation and Program Operations
Office of Child Support Enforcement

cc:    State IV-D Directors (w/o attachments)
        Regional Program Managers (w/o attachments)
        ACF Regional Administrators (w/o attachments)
        CSENET 2000 Contacts (w/o attachments)

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