Product roadmap
This is a high-level overview. A more detailed roadmap can be found here. As with any agile project, the plan may change as we learn more and iterate.
18F had been working with Forest Service to prepare this project to be ready for a vendor to begin product development. We focused on user research, experimentation and prototyping to de-risk core functionality. Future product development work should start with a minimum viable implementation of Module 1, drawing on what we learned about user needs and technical architecture.
We are pausing this work to get alignment across Forest Service on:
- The vision for the product
- The roles and responsibilities for product development.
The present prototyping team is being re-assigned and a reconfigured team will work on these alignment issues. It is possible that that work could lead to revisions of this roadmap to match the new perspectives on product vision and decision making.
Based on an iterative, modular approach to building a new G&A system, we have broken out the work into three modules of work.
- Develop and launch a pilot of a new grants and agreements management interface for FS staff that will support creating, approving, managing, and closing out grants and agreements.
- Reduce the dependency on the legacy system by leveraging the existing database and incrementally replacing the frontend application for the epics contained in this module.
- Pilot system will leverage existing eAuth and FMMI integrations.
- Skynet (AWS) will be available and ready for hosting, and is already ATO’d for modernizing the current G&A application.
By the end of module 1, G&A staff will be able to administer pre-award and post-award management activities in the new application. G&A staff will transition to a new, unified experience that will guide them between the new application and legacy system as needed so that they will not have to work in the two systems simultaneously.
- G&A users can search for an agreement.
- Grants Management Specialists can create an agreement electronically and agreement data will be available for aggregate reporting.
- G&A users can track the funding status of an agreement and create, review, and approve funding modifications.
- G&A users can view agreements that are nearing a milestone.
- G&A users can digitally approve agreements and invoices in a few clicks.
- Help users electronically create, complete, and submit accurate agreements with valid data
- Help users focus and act on information that is relevant to them
- Ensure that G&A users reporting needs can be met
- User role configuration
- Authentication for USFS staff
- Provide users with timely, clear, actionable notifications/alerts that are relevant to them
- Additional user experience improvements
Electronic agreement creation, provisions library, electronic approval workflow, personalized dashboards, in-context guidance (helpful instructions, clearer error messages, and help/glossary), notifications
- SAM.gov (for cooperator data)
- USDA http server (for email notifications)
- Leverage existing integrations:
- Role configuration service
- Certificate-based signature integration (for approvals and submissions)
- USDA eAuth integration
- FMMI
- Workplan
- RACA
In an effort to launch a minimal viable product (MVP) in module 1, some current processes will not change and will continue to be done manually or in the legacy system. The goal is to iteratively migrate and add new functionality to the new system in each module. In M1, we will continue to use the legacy system for the following:
- Aggregate reports - Module 1 will include a search interface for querying agreement data, but legacy NRM G&A will continue to be used for aggregate reporting until module 2, including user view reports:
- Upwards data compliance (e.g. Data Act file generation)
- Reports generated from the Reports tab in NRM (canned reports)
- User role configuration (creating new logins, giving new privileges to users)
- There will be a dependency on the legacy NRM G&A database.
Original diagram link
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1ZE0Vo2HcuC_9p9avfGu2f5XZ_o7IjWZuyNlKBatR3vU- Skynet has an ATO for modernizing the existing NRM G&A application. We will need to consult with the FS Privacy office to potentially update the existing ATO documentation, and timelines to make these updates are unclear at this time.
- There’s a dependency on the USFS CIO managing the AWS cloud hosting environment, which is still nascent within USFS. If there are access or cyber security issues or if CIO does not have adequate resources to partner with the G&A modernization team, it could slow progress.
- Expand G&A pilot by refining the user experience built in module 1.
- Enhance support for aggregate reporting, modifications, and closeouts.
- Further remove the dependency on the legacy system by integrating with and building new services (new FMMI integration, new role configuration service, electronic signature tool)
By the end of module 2, there will be less reliance on the legacy system on the back end. G&A users will be able to:
- Electronically sign documents.
- Take actions (e.g. run reports, approve invoices) based on financial data (ideally, in real-time).
- Understand what is blocking an agreement from closing out. Once all tasks have been completed, the agreement will close out automatically.
- Program managers can approve an invoice based on the remaining funds left on the agreement, in real-time.
- Faster closeout process due to enhanced reporting based on real-time financial data.
Refined M1 user experience, draft proposal collaboration, improved reporting with real-time financial data, admin interface, search optimization, SMS notifications, automatic closeouts
- FMMI
- RACA
- Electronic signature service
- Electronic file system
- Continued dependency on the legacy NRM G&A database
Original diagram link
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1I65tII_WK1OivazQA4l9zdbdQ5UpruI27WJKImBVvV0- We will need to consult with the FS Privacy Office to potentially update existing ATO documentation, and timelines to make these updates are unclear at this time.
- A System of Record Notice (SORN) may be required for the new application. In M2, the team should identify if and at what point a SORT is necessary, as well as the process and timeline.
- In module 2, we expect to make some data structure changes to shift away from the new database. At this time, it’s unclear who will own this new database: NRM or a new vendor.
- Fully reduce the dependency on the legacy system and sunset the legacy system entirely. The new G&A application will guide G&A staff and cooperators through the grants and agreements lifecycle, from conception to closeout.
- Develop a new cooperator portal interface that will guide cooperators through submitting proposals as well as managing what’s required by them (reporting, checking on invoice approvals, etc).
By the end of module 3, G&A staff and cooperators should be able to manage all aspects of their work in the new G&A application. There will be no more dependencies on the legacy G&A NRM system, and it will be sunset/deprecated.
- Cooperators can fill out forms electronically and paper forms will be necessary only for those without ready internet access.
- Cooperators and G&A staff can collaborate on draft proposals digitally, including co-editing and version control.
- Cooperators can search for an agreement and view agreements that are nearing a milestone.
- Cooperators can produce accurate, appropriately formatted financial and technical reports.
M2 refinements, cooperator portal, legacy system will be sunset
- Login.gov (or similar) integration for cooperator authentication
- Migration to a new NRM database
By the end of module 3, nothing! The goal of module 3 is to sunset the legacy NRM G&A application.
Original diagram link
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1B8_gDRueLcOcth3T_eWPhzQdrKcbxoljB9d1GojM7rU- Skynet has an ATO for modernizing the existing application, but it’s possible the cooperator portal will need a new ATO. If a new ATO is necessary, it’s unclear at this time how long this process will take.
- A System of Record Notice (SORN) may be required for the new application. It’s unclear at this time how long this process will take.
- In order to sunset the legacy NRM G&A system, we will need to migrate to a new database, and it’s unclear who will own this: NRM or a new vendor.