CDI SSF Category 1: Management, Policy, and Standards CDI Mobile Framework Implementation: Application Development, Documentation, Approval, Publication, Distribution, and Assessment Support Applicants/Principal Investigator(s): Lorna Schmid, USGS Enterprise Information, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192 Ph (703) 648-6834 Email lorna@usgs.gov Scott Horvath, USGS Office of Communications, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192 Ph (703) 648-4011 Email shorvath@usgs.gov Abstract: In FY12, the Community for Data Integration sponsored the development of a Mobile Framework, a starting point for software developers, product managers, and project proponents. This project generated a draft workflow based on a phased approach to life-cycle management of application products, a set of development resources, best practices documentation, and set the stage for Department of the Interior approval of USGS-sponsored mobile development projects. This proposal seeks to implement the draft workflow, taking a number of pending mobile applications and project ideas through the process. The work will provide a support network for applications developers, coordinate integrating application product deployment to the USGS publication process, and tools for management to monitor and gauge support for mobile efforts. By exercising the various steps with actual projects, the draft workflow can be adapted to conform to the reality of mobile applications development, documentation, approval, publication, distribution, and assessment. Total funding amount requested: $51,800 Total in-kind funding: $127,995 Specific Datasets Exposed: The datasets exposed will be a function of the applications published and not specifically due to the workflow and publication process Geographic/geologic/ecosystem/habitat/taxonomic/other context: All geographic and mission areas; other contexts (keywords and categories) are software-related Type of Product(s) Generated: Open File Report, Integrated Web Catalog/Portal, Best Practice Documentation and Support Software Deployment, Mobile products (Mobile Web and Mobile Application) 1
Summary Introduction and Background: The FY12 CDI Mobile Framework project generated a draft workflow based on a phased approach to life-cycle management of application products, a set of development resources, best practices documentation, and set the stage for Department of the Interior approval of USGS-sponsored mobile development projects. In FY13, we will build on the work completed in FY12 by coordinating with a group of pending application owners to complete and help refine the draft framework to ensure an efficient and optimal set of processes are put in place to manage ideation, development, review and approval, and the monitoring and change management lifecycle phases for USGS mobile and Web application products. The framework is based on industry best practices for development and will allow for a formalized, but distributed, application development environment. The lifecycle processes cover, but are not limited to, policies, best practices, science review, security, user testing and communication and marketing while accounting for differences in audience and scope. We will finalize an internal inventory of applications with POCs, metadata and mobile device features that are exploited and feed pieces of that content to a USGS Application Store that provides information, and points to, available public mobile applications. Additionally, we will work with the Administration and Enterprise Information program staff to integrate the hardware/device management and mobile related information and content into the Mobile Community one-stop-shop, as well as partner with other projects supporting mobile apps to move their app through the budding new framework processes. CDI SSF Category: Management, Policy, and Standards (SSF Category 1) Project Title: CDI Mobile Framework Implementation: Application Development, Documentation, Approval, Publication, Distribution, and Assessment Support Contacts: Lorna Schmid, USGS Enterprise Information, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192 Ph (703) 648-6834 Email lorna@usgs.gov Scott Horvath, USGS Office of Communications, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192 Ph (703) 648-4011 Email shorvath@usgs.gov Collaborating Organizations: Mobile Framework Working Group o Robert Swanson, Director USGS Nebraska Water Science Center, 5231 South 19 th, Lincoln, NE, 68512-1271. (402) 328-4110. rswanson@usgs.gov o Ken Dreyer, AEI, West 6th Ave. & Kipling St., DFC Bldg. 95, Entr. E-3, 807, Lakewood, CO, 80225-0585. (202) 503-8086. kdreyer@usgs.gov o Derek Masaki, Contractor for Core Science Systems, 310 W. Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului, HI, 96732. (808) 984-3721. dmasaki@usgs.gov o Megan Hines, USGS Affiliate w/ National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Road, Madison, WI, 53711. (608) 270-2400 x2333, mhines@usgs.gov o Tim Kern, USGS Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80526 Ph (970) 226-9366 Email kernt@usgs.gov o Travis Lawall, USGS Fort Collins Science Center, 2150C Centre Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80526. (970) 226-9341. lawallt@usgs.gov o Burl Goree, LA Water Science Center, 3095 West California, Ruston, LA, 71270. (319) 251-9360 x12. bbgoree@usgs.gov o Gary Fisher, Office of Water Information, 5522 Research Park Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21228. 2
o Robert Thieler, 384 Woods Hole Road, Crawford Building, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598. (508) 922-7108. rthieler@usgs.gov o Additionally Lorna Schmid and Scott Horvath (see contacts) and other experts as needed. DOI Coordination o Tim Fullerton, Department of the Interior o Larry Gillick, Department of the Interior o Ken Handwerger, National Park Service o Trevor Cole, National Park Service o John Tobiason, National Park Service o Chaeny Emanavin, BIA GSA Mobile Gov Coordination o Jacob Parcell, GSA Manager for Mobile Programs, Jacob.parcell@gsa.gov o Participation with the GSA Mobile Gov Community of Practice, the Making Mobile Gov Project, MobileGov Wiki, and sharing of Best Practices including vetting the Mobile Framework to very positive response. GSA is working on a Use Case describing USGS approach which will include broader community input. USGS Applications identified to date: o Pam Fuller, Matthew Cannister, and Craig Conzelmann; Aquatic Invasives Citizen Science location collection effort o Gail Montgomery, Haylee Schweizer, and Chris Emmerich; Mobile Field Disturbance/Reclamation Tracking for Resource Professionals o David Wald; Did You Feel It mobile version o Derek Masaki; BISON mobile, biological observation network o Robert Thieler; iplover to characterize Piping Plover nest locations o Gail Montgomery, Megan Eberhardt-Frank, and Thom Miller; mobile web content management toolkit development Detailed description of geographic/geologic/ecosystem/habitat/taxonomic/other context of the project and its importance or value if applicable: This project applies to all mobile efforts, regardless of geographic reach. Scope The draft Mobile Framework developed in FY12 (Appendix A) will be exercised and adapted to conform to real life mobile application development efforts. This includes native mobile applications, hybrid efforts, and mobile web content delivery systems. To ensure the Framework s utility, we will engage staff currently involved in mobile application and web development. We will also cast a broad net to discover groups considering mobile-centric projects. Framework assessment will be addressed both by actually performing the steps of the model with active projects, and via conference calls and discussions with groups in the project scoping phase. Groups that are in active development will receive considerable assistance with project documentation, application development best practices, enterprise resources, visual identity/policy aspects, and product publication and delivery. Concurrent with the on-the-ground effort, this project team will work through licensing, policy, and administrative details with Department and agency management. This includes how to handle USGS-only applications, applications that could be of use to Department partners, and mobile applications intended to reach the public. This work will also consider how to assess 3
released applications, to ensure USGS and Department efforts are well-received by the intended audience. Much of this part of the project will be contributed as in-kind labor. This effort will Deliver an immediate benefit to solve an existing data integration challenge (how to deliver USGS content and resources to the public via mobile devices); Create an infrastructure that can be scaled across disciplines (from source code repositories to analytics capture and assessment); Demonstrate a methodology and/or solutions architecture that can be repeated/replicated for other data or research projects (via best practices, mobile inventories, and architectural support components); Create an environment that allows future innovative applications to access USGS data (by providing a roadmap to develop and publish mobile applications); Contribute to interdisciplinary scientific decision making (through the maintenance of a mobile inventory and source code repository, allowing all USGS and Department project managers a view into on-going and successful efforts); Provide a benefit to scientists (providing a new vehicle for data collection and distribution); Promote standards and best practices for data management; and Complement other SSF categories, elements, and CDI projects. The staff involved in this project succeeded in developing the draft mobile framework, and are all involved in multiple mobile and mobile-support efforts. This is the correct group to address this critical issue. Technical Approach Thanks to the FY12 CDI Mobile Framework project, this effort can build on the existing documentation, the SharePoint mobile portal, and a number of additional support components. Enterprise Information (AEI) staff has provided collaborative code repositories -- GitHub for projects shared with the public and Gitorious for USGS internal projects. A number of other code development tools have been provided by Core Science Systems, including the JIRA Software Project Tracking and Green Hopper Agile Project Management systems. The IPDS system, sponsored by the Office of Science Quality and Integrity, is the only outlet for USGS product publication. The SharePoint system provided by AEI was used to create a preliminary inventory of applications and their metadata and will be used in FY13 to evaluate the use of workflows to automate the tracking of processes within the Framework. The above tools will be coupled with a considerable human element to support projects that want to enter the mobile arena. This project dedicates time to rekindle the Mobile Applications Development (MAD) Working Group as a resource for mobile developers. This project envisions MAD as an active sounding board and technical review panel for projects, providing necessary focus for the group to be successful. Project Experience The principle investigators led the CDI Mobile Framework Team, and were instrumental in developing the draft workflow, writing support documentation, and establishing the current SharePoint portal. Additionally, they provide leadership and coordination with regard to Web, social media and mobile technologies representing USGS concerns to the Department, 4
serving on the GSA Mobile Gov Community of Practice and other means to identify and influence decisions that can further the interests of the mobile framework and science. Team members represent perspectives from all levels of USGS and bring a plethora of experience in management and leadership, policy, application development, software and hardware infrastructure support at the enterprise and science center levels. The FY12 Framework documents a phased approach with identified checklists and artifact document templates that will allow programs and developers to move from ideation through to product delivery, monitoring and change management in the most efficient way while providing the documentation artifacts that Bureau Approving Officials, or designated approvers, can use to approve and deploy in a timely manner. The team will use team members experience, contract support and input from developers to complete the tasks associated with this proposal. Commitment to Effort USGS Enterprise Information, Core Science Systems and the Office of Science Quality and Integrity have invested heavily in the support tools necessary to maintain momentum on this effort. SharePoint, Gitorius, and JIRA all have long-term support plans in place, and IPDS is the only publication outlet for USGS products. Also, this project team has been involved in most of the active USGS mobile development, communications, best practices, and research efforts. Funding for these mobile activities has come from a variety of sources thanks to the efforts of this project team, and this team is responsible for at least a half dozen new proposals to potential partners on major mobile efforts. While the project team independently addresses the science needs and mission-specific aspects of mobile applications development, it is critical for the USGS to show its commitment to the coordination aspects of the development cycle. Independent efforts are essential to explore new frontiers of science and technology, but without agency-wide coordination these independent efforts run the risk of never seeing the light of day. This project will let us support the individual commitment of the project team, addressing some critical global issues: the Department requires that bureaus to have a formalized process for managing their mobile and Web applications in order to support and approve use of Terms of Service for the technologies to support mobile applications; any framework development, or mobile effort, must be communicated with DOI, GSA and the USGS Web Re-Engineering team to minimize redundancies and ensure crossagency cooperation; streamlined coordination of a mobile application inventory, integration with IPDS, having an integrated Mobile Application Community and a formalized life-cycle based process will be critical to ensuring application quality, an absolute must for the USGS to maintain its position as a world class science and technology organization; and, sharing ideas and technologies to further USGS science mission ensures a streamlined and formalized approach to sound life-cycle management. Budget Budget Category Federal Funding Requested Matching Funds Proposed 1. SALARIES (inc. number of hours and hourly rate): 5
Federal Personnel Lorna Schmid (40% time over the full year) $47, 695 Tim Kern (10% time over the full year) $14,000 Student (80% time, GS-5) $27,260 Ken Dreyer (80 hrs) $4,500 Gary Fisher (80 hrs) $6,000 Burl Goree (80 hrs) $5,400 Scott Horvath (80 hrs) $6,000 Bob Swanson (80 hrs) $6,500 Robert Thieler (80 hrs) $5,600 Matthew Cannister (80 hrs) $5,000 Contract Personnel $ SCAS IDIQ Development $13,000 $ Support (100 hrs) Travis Lawall (development $12,000 support, 160 hrs) $ Derek Masaki (BISON App and team participant) (80 hrs) $6,000 $ Total Salaries: $31,000 $127,995 2. FRINGE BENEFITS: Personnel Contract Personnel Total Fringe Benefits: 3. TRAVEL EXPENSES*: Per Diem $ 2000 $ Airfare $ 8000 $ Lodging Cost $8600 (includes per diem @ NCTC) $ 6
Vehicle Cost Mileage $200 $ Other travel expense(s) Total Travel Expenses: $18,800 $ 4. OTHER DIRECT COSTS: (itemize) Equipment (inc. software, hardware, etc.) Supplies Training Publications Office supplies Communications Cost (OFR $2,000 $ Publication through SPN) Total Other Direct Costs $2,000 $ Total Direct Costs: $ 45,800 $ 127,995 Indirect Cost (%) GRAND TOTAL: $51,800 $127,995 Timeline Deliverable Enhanced SharePoint Portal Reestablishment of the Mobile Applications Development Working Group Establish Training Schedule for Issue Tracking, Project Management, Source Code Capture, and other development support components Best Practices Document Completion First Application Through Workflow, refined documentation, checklists and templates Open-File Report Estimated Delivery Date 4 weeks from time of award 4 weeks from time of award 8 weeks from time of award 8 weeks from time of award 16 weeks from time of award 24 weeks from time of award Appendices Appendix A The Four Phases of Mobile Product Workflow 7
Appendix A: Mobile Framework: DRAFT Product Workflow 8
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