Evaluations
US Border Patrol Academy (USBPA), DHS
- Project Title
- ACMS
- Contact No.
- GS-35F-0058N
- Contract Type
- GSA
- Period of Performance
- From October 1st, 2004 - September 30th, 2005 (Current Statement of Work, Option Years through 2008)
- Contact
- Chief of Administrative Systems Section (Formerly OIRM Representative for USBPA)
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of the CIO Department of Homeland Security
Project Description
ENVISAGE provides management consulting, systems development, implementation, and operations and maintenance support to the US Border Patrol Academy for the Academy Class Management System (ACMS). This relationship has been in existence since 1997, when Border Patrol was part of the Department of Justice.
ACMS was originally developed for the U.S. Border Patrol Academy (BPA) in 1998, as an initiative to upgrade an in-house developed electronic grade-book system. Prior to contracting with ENVISAGE, the BPA had expended considerable money and resources with no return on investment. ENVISAGE was tasked to do an independent validation and verification (IV&V) of the requirements analysis, system design document, and the delivered "system."
Upon completion of the IV&V, ENVISAGE provided its report to the BPA leadership. The screen designs delivered by the original contractor were not linked to a database, no code had been written to perform functionality, thus no functioning system existed.
ENVISAGE was awarded a follow-on contract to provide the management, development and implementation of a workable solution for the BPA. Under this contract, ENVISAGE evaluated business processes and current systems, then designed and delivered to BPA a web-based Oracle database application, dubbed the ACMS. The ACMS provided BPA with an automated and modern training management system, with the ability to streamline information collection and dissemination of people (students/instructors), curriculum, and resources (classrooms/special use facilities) data. Management reporting allowed BPA to immediately reduce attrition, which resulted in immediate and substantial cost savings in terms of recruitment practices and "loss-of-agent" (attrition) costs.
ENVISAGE completed the project on budget and on schedule and also provided data migration services to the BPA consisting of a data migration plan, collecting, analyzing, scrubbing, and importing 17 years of historical academy training data into ACMS. This data proved critical in supporting the academy, planning budgets, measuring training performance, and providing a centralized repository of training records and individual competencies for all their agents.
ENVISAGE has successfully expanded ACMS to meet the growing client requirements over the past eight (8) years. During this time, ENVISAGE has been responsible for strategic consulting, annual requirements analysis, system design documentation, cost estimates, project management, development, quality assurance, implementation of user-accepted code, training, and help desk support. It is this comprehensive, methodical approach that has made ACMS the successful enterprise-class solution now widely in use throughout the DHS.
Since the original tasking, ENVISAGE has expanded ACMS to be accessed securely from any location with an appropriate internet connection and security access: mission critical information is now available to the training facilities in Glynco, GA, Artesia, NM, Charleston, SC and headquarters in Washington, DC. Authorized users of the system are able to access the same information in real time, securely over the network. All student information is digitized and the system manages overall academy process standardization.
Under the requirements directive of BPA, ENVISAGE evolved ACMS into the consolidated student records, academy workflow automation, training management, and information tracking system of choice for BPA. As a result of the ground-breaking work on ACMS, four (4) additional DHS law enforcement academies have since been integrated on the ACMS platform and use it to run their critical training operations.
Most recently, ENVISAGE has added a powerful Automated Scheduling module into ACMS. The tool was completed and approved by BPA prior to their move to Artesia, NM. Automated Scheduling provides the BPA with a fully rules-based enterprise scheduling engine that optimizes resource utilization and significantly improves academy throughput and operational workflow.
- Quality of product or service, including consistency in meeting goals and targets, and cooperation and effectiveness of the Prime in fixing problems.
Comments
ENVISAGE should be awarded for their outstanding service. The quality of work is beyond excellent and is proven in the by-product. Assignments are completed in view of the overall objectives. Software changes are accomplished quickly and are usually error free and, if not, corrections are rapidly implemented.
- Cost control, including forecasting costs as well as accuracy in financial reporting.
Comments
ENVISAGE demonstrates excellent cost reporting which allows for better managing the project/task. All proposals and cost related documents are prompt, accurate, concise and in compliance with the contract provisions.
- Timeliness of performance, including adherence to contract schedules and other time-sensitive project conditions, and effectiveness of home and field office management to make prompt decisions and ensure efficient operation of tasks.
Comments
As mentioned in item 1, assignments are completed timely and usually before the plan date. ENVISAGE is extremely conscientious to contract/customers schedule, making every effort (spending much of their own time) to meet deadlines. Requirements are thoroughly understood and accepted without question. The personnel are extremely competent and well qualified. We depend on ENVISAGE to offer good suggestions for improvement.
- Customer satisfaction, including satisfactory business relationship to clients, initiation and management of several complex activities simultaneously, coordination among subcontractors and developing country partners, prompt and satisfactory correction of problems, and cooperative attitude in fixing problems.
Comments
Customer satisfaction, without question, is continually “Outstanding”. The contractor is flexible, responsive to user requirements, changes and priorities. The business relationship could not be better. The personnel are well versed in partnership and business rules. Communications are excellent. Responses to issues and problems are responded to immediately and effectively. ENVISAGE is remarkable in all facets of project planning and information technology. All efforts are coordinated and in conjunction with specified rules/policy and procedures. Requirements are thoroughly understood; talking with customer first (as a group discussion) before undertaking any action.
- Effectiveness of key personnel including: effectiveness and appropriateness of personnel for the job; and prompt and satisfactory changes in personnel when problems with clients where identified.
Comments
ENVISAGE is staffed with highly skilled professionals that are competent, well qualified and sufficient to accomplish the work. Effectiveness in resources adjustments are handled promptly if the need arises. ENVISAGE values their reputation and are highly respected by the user community. With that said, I am honored to be a part of this team.