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Administrative and Financial
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ITD Customer Survey Action Plan

Background

The Information Technology Division (ITD) conducted a survey of its customers in Fall 2000. Customers had an opportunity to rate and provide comments on the delivery of ITD services. The rating factors were Strongly Agree, Agree, Neither Agree nor Disagree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree, and Don't Know. The customers surveyed included ARS Headquarters, Area Administrative Officers (AAO's) and Location Administrative Officers (LAO's), and REE Agency Contacts, a total of approximately 558 employees. Functions surveyed included: Informs, ARS-designed administrative software, Help Desk and network support, REE Issuances web page, telephone and voice mail support, and user training.

Out of the 558 people surveyed at Headquarters, we received 79 responses (14% response rate). We sent the questionnaire via e-mail to AFM (395 employees) and the Office of the Administrator (163 employees).

Of the 79 Headquarters employees who responded, we received an 82.5% positive response rate (either Strongly Agreed or Agreed that service in various IT functional areas was adequate). Based on these survey responses, ITD developed the attached action plan.

ITD Customer Survey Action Plan

ISSUE	ACTION	COMPLETION DATE
1. Increase Help Desk service	Implementation of newly re-written (11/00) HD performance standards and establishment of performance metrics to enable us to identify areas where we need to improve service.	On-going.
	CSB is now routinely using Zenworks to automate the installation and upgrading of software on desktop PCs. We are also using it to update the Inoculan anti-virus software. The new PCs purchased during the last HPRL were configured, had software installed, and are being maintained using Zenworks. The plan for upgrading the older PCs is delayed due to the requirements of the FFIS project.	The project plan for upgrading the rest of the PCs will be completed in August, 2001.
	Use HEAT Help Desk software reporting tool to identify problem trends and track HD performance against standards.	Begin regular reporting in August, 2001.
	Assignment of GWCC HD techs to support specific groups of customers. The DC portion of the Help Desk has used this method for some years. It increases technician knowledge of needs and interaction with customers. We have been piloting this in GWCC since 9/99. It has gone well; we are preparing to send a message to customers to explain how the new system will work.	Message to customers released in March 2001.
	The AFM New Employee Orientation Team is finalizing its report to Wiz. Recommendations will include specifying what information a new employee needs, and when. One key part of this report is the training provided to new employees by ITD.	Dependent upon completion of recommendations from AFM team to Wiz Horner and actions assigned, based on recommendations.
	Help Desk technicians performing network administration duties for their customer groups. We are completing the training and documentation to allow HD techs to perform simple network admin duties, such as creating new users. This should increase the speed with which the Help Desk can accomplish these types of tasks.	HD techs began these duties in March 2001.
2. Increase training	CSB chartered a team to accomplish the following: Evaluate and recommend instructor led training Define and recommend user needs /competencies Establish on-line training: ElementK Propose methods and programs to improve delivery of IT training to customers Communicate with customers (on-going) Established Training Team Mailbox Establish procedures for customers to request IT training Clarify customer base Items (c) and (g) have been completed. The team must finalize and present its recommendations to management.	Final report to be submitted to ITD management in August 2001.
3. Implement remote access	Investigate technology and poll the ACS's on what they use and find out what the user community requires (e.g., FWP employees and frequent travelers). From this data, a draft User Requirements document will be developed and shared with the Divisions for final critique. TDB will create a formal project plan, coordinated with CSB, to evaluate and select a product.	Contingent of filling a technology assessment vacancy.
4. Increase information dissemination to the field	Develop a quarterly email to our customers with links to a website that would highlight events such as telecomm issues/plans and systems development plans/activities (e.g., FFIS implementation).	TBD.
5. REE Directory	ITD is in the process of bringing the new REE Directory into production.	Released in May 2001.
Improve P&P search capability	Improved search capability is needed on the AFM site as part of the overall AFM web site redesign. As it pertains to document searches, the P&P home page being a good example, we need to design an interface that does a good search, lists appropriate documents, and provides a short synopsis of the document so the user will be able to select the correct document.	Project plan for the AFM re-design with specific milestones (including the P&P's) for each task. Contingent on filling a web development vacancy.
Informs	Currently in the process of exporting all Informs forms into PDF format (that can be read with Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free and basically the "de facto" standard for web based forms). The InForms designer software can still be use to design forms; however, the end-product, a PDF format form, will be much easier to read/access/transmit.	Project plan for the conversion of forms to adobe. Contingent of filling a web development vacancy.