Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05STATE13048
2005-01-24 16:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Secretary of State
Cable title:
Status Report on SMART
how-toUNCLASSIFIED STATE 00013048 VZCZCXRO7659 RR RUEHKSO RUEHMOS RUEHNZ RUEHRBA DE RUEHC #3048/01 0241655 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 241642Z JAN 05 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO ALL DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR POSTS SPECIAL EMBASSY PROGRAM RUEHAB/AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN 3101 RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 5240 RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 3036 RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 7961 RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 6909 RUEHTRO/USLO TRIPOLI 1100 RUEHRBA/REO BASRAH 0357 RUEHIHL/REO HILLAH 0358 RUEHKUK/REO KIRKUK 0354 RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 0015 RUEHMOS/REO MOSUL 0365
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 013048
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT AINF AADP ACOA ASEC KRIM
SUBJECT: Status Report on SMART
REF: A) 03 STATE 284912
B) 02 STATE 195704
STATE 00013048 001.2 OF 002
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 013048
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT AINF AADP ACOA ASEC KRIM
SUBJECT: Status Report on SMART
REF: A) 03 STATE 284912
B) 02 STATE 195704
STATE 00013048 001.2 OF 002
1. Please provide wide dissemination of the information
in this telegram.
2. Reftels describe the Department's progress toward a
new integrated messaging system. SMART (State Messaging
and Archive Retrieval Toolset) remains the Department's
highest priority information technology initiative.
Designed to be simple, secure, and user-driven, it will
consolidate existing messaging systems (e-mail, cables,
memos) into a single e-mail based messaging and archival
system.
3. The Department awarded a fixed price, performance
based contract to Northrop Grumman in November 2003 to
transform the SMART vision, which was developed by a
department-wide, Assistant Secretary/DAS-level steering
committee based on user input, to a modern messaging
solution. Following successful demonstration of the
solution, the contract provides for a pilot phase, a
deployment phase and an operations and maintenance phase.
4. Because of hardware and software stability issues that
were identified in late November, Northrop Grumman
requested a three-month extension in the current phase to
deliver a beta solution for Department evaluation at no
price increase to the government. The terms and
conditions of that extension are currently under
negotiation. In the meantime, Northrop Grumman reported
to the SMART Steering Committee that the hardware has been
stabilized and bug fixes have been successfully applied to
the software integration.
TESTING SMART
5. The first phase of Systems Integration Testing is
underway. The second phase will commence on February 1.
Qualification testing is scheduled for the last two weeks
of February, during which time usability tests will be
conducted by the State Department, and technical tests
will be observed and analyzed by Gartner, Inc. Gartner
will verify that the test plan, which maps to SMART's
functional and technical requirements, is faithfully
executed. Gartner will describe the root causes of any
test failures, in terms of system configuration,
stability, or design, and assess their importance to the
overall system solution.
6. Acceptance Testing for Northrop Grumman's SMART Beta
solution will follow in March. A group of representative
State Department users will test the various elements of
the system for usability, and Gartner will observe and
analyze the results of scores of technical tests. The
results well be analyzed by a State Department Technical
Evaluation Team and presented to the SMART Steering
Committee for decision.
7. This rigor in testing is necessary to ensure that
SMART serves the business needs of the Department and its
employees.
SMART PILOT
8. Assuming that the system meets State Department
standards, pilot testing will begin in late spring and
continue through the summer and into the fall. The pilot
will be run with approximately 3,000 American and LES
employees in 15 Northern and Central European posts, along
with Washington elements of EUR and DS. If all goes as
scheduled, worldwide deployment will begin late this year.
STATE 00013048 002.2 OF 002
SMART IS HEALTHY
9. The Department is aware that delays in the Northrop
Grumman contract timetable could raise questions.
However, what is at stake is the contract schedule, not
the credibility of the SMART project. Indeed, it is
because of the Department's clear standards of usability
and technical excellence contained in the contract that
the project has been delayed.
10. Minimize considered.
POWELL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT AINF AADP ACOA ASEC KRIM
SUBJECT: Status Report on SMART
REF: A) 03 STATE 284912
B) 02 STATE 195704
STATE 00013048 001.2 OF 002
1. Please provide wide dissemination of the information
in this telegram.
2. Reftels describe the Department's progress toward a
new integrated messaging system. SMART (State Messaging
and Archive Retrieval Toolset) remains the Department's
highest priority information technology initiative.
Designed to be simple, secure, and user-driven, it will
consolidate existing messaging systems (e-mail, cables,
memos) into a single e-mail based messaging and archival
system.
3. The Department awarded a fixed price, performance
based contract to Northrop Grumman in November 2003 to
transform the SMART vision, which was developed by a
department-wide, Assistant Secretary/DAS-level steering
committee based on user input, to a modern messaging
solution. Following successful demonstration of the
solution, the contract provides for a pilot phase, a
deployment phase and an operations and maintenance phase.
4. Because of hardware and software stability issues that
were identified in late November, Northrop Grumman
requested a three-month extension in the current phase to
deliver a beta solution for Department evaluation at no
price increase to the government. The terms and
conditions of that extension are currently under
negotiation. In the meantime, Northrop Grumman reported
to the SMART Steering Committee that the hardware has been
stabilized and bug fixes have been successfully applied to
the software integration.
TESTING SMART
5. The first phase of Systems Integration Testing is
underway. The second phase will commence on February 1.
Qualification testing is scheduled for the last two weeks
of February, during which time usability tests will be
conducted by the State Department, and technical tests
will be observed and analyzed by Gartner, Inc. Gartner
will verify that the test plan, which maps to SMART's
functional and technical requirements, is faithfully
executed. Gartner will describe the root causes of any
test failures, in terms of system configuration,
stability, or design, and assess their importance to the
overall system solution.
6. Acceptance Testing for Northrop Grumman's SMART Beta
solution will follow in March. A group of representative
State Department users will test the various elements of
the system for usability, and Gartner will observe and
analyze the results of scores of technical tests. The
results well be analyzed by a State Department Technical
Evaluation Team and presented to the SMART Steering
Committee for decision.
7. This rigor in testing is necessary to ensure that
SMART serves the business needs of the Department and its
employees.
SMART PILOT
8. Assuming that the system meets State Department
standards, pilot testing will begin in late spring and
continue through the summer and into the fall. The pilot
will be run with approximately 3,000 American and LES
employees in 15 Northern and Central European posts, along
with Washington elements of EUR and DS. If all goes as
scheduled, worldwide deployment will begin late this year.
STATE 00013048 002.2 OF 002
SMART IS HEALTHY
9. The Department is aware that delays in the Northrop
Grumman contract timetable could raise questions.
However, what is at stake is the contract schedule, not
the credibility of the SMART project. Indeed, it is
because of the Department's clear standards of usability
and technical excellence contained in the contract that
the project has been delayed.
10. Minimize considered.
POWELL