US embassy cable - 02STATE195704

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Identifier:	02STATE195704
Wikileaks:	View 02STATE195704 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Secretary of State
Created:	2002-10-05 08:25:00
Classification:	UNCLASSIFIED
Tags:	AMGT
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

UNCLAS STATE 195704 
 
 
FOR AMBASSADOR OR DCM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMGT 
SUBJECT: SMART - A NEW MESSAGING SYSTEM FOR STATE 
 
REF:   A.  STATE 028800  B. STATE 070240 
 
FROM UNDER SECRETARY FOR MANAGEMENT GREEN 
 
1.  PLEASE PROVIDE WIDE DISSEMINATION OF THE INFORMATION 
IN THIS TELEGRAM. 
 
2.  ON FEBRUARY 14, 2002, (REFTEL A) I ANNOUNCED A PLAN 
FOR CONSIDERING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW INTEGRATED 
MESSAGING SYSTEM BY 2004 AND INVITED YOUR COMMENTS THROUGH 
A WEBSITE ON OPENNET AND CLASSNET.  USER COMMENTS WERE 
STUDIED AND CAREFULLY CONSIDERED BY A TASK FORCE FROM IRM, 
S/ES, AND A IN DEVELOPING A RECOMMENDATION FOR MY 
CONSIDERATION. 
 
3. ON APRIL 12, 2002 (REFTEL B), WE ANNOUNCED THE 
COMPLETION OF THE WORK OF THE TASK FORCE AND COMMUNICATED 
THE WEB ADDRESS FOR YOUR EXAMINATION OF ITS VISION AND 
OPTIONS.  AGAIN YOUR COMMENTS WERE SOLICITED AND REVIEWED 
ON RECEIPT. 
 
4.  SINCE THEN I HAVE FORMED A STEERING COMMITTEE OF 
SENIOR LEVEL SUBSTANTIVE, MANAGEMENT AND TECHNICAL 
REPRESENTATIVES UNDER THE CHAIR OF AMBASSADOR JOE LAKE. 
THE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN MEETING BIWEEKLY TO OVERSEE OPTIONS 
AS WE MOVE FORWARD.  FOUR WORKING GROUPS ARE REPORTING TO 
THE STEERING COMMITTEE.  ONE HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH 
DEVELOPING A PROTOTYPE AS A PROOF OF CONCEPT. THE SECOND 
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVES IN GOVERNMENT 
AND PRIVATE INDUSTRY.  THE THIRD IS EXAMINING SECURITY 
ISSUES.  AND THE FOURTH, RECENTLY CONVENED, HAS BEGUN TO 
CONSIDER CHANGE MANAGEMENT ISSUES INCLUDING TRAINING. 
AFSA AND AFGE ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE CHANGE MANAGEMENT 
WORKING GROUP. (WE ARE FORMING A FIFTH WORKING GROUP TO 
OVERSEE THE CONVERGENCE OF THE FASI PROJECT ON KNOWLEDGE 
MANAGEMENT AND INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION WITH THE 
MESSAGING SYSTEM.) 
 
5.  WE HAVE NAMED THE MESSAGING SYSTEM THE STATE MESSAGING 
AND ARCHIVE RETRIEVAL TOOLSET  TO DESCRIBE ITS BREADTH AND 
TO GIVE IT A MEMORABLE ACRONYM: SMART.  (WE RECOGNIZE THE 
POTENTIAL FOR IRONY IF USERS BELIEVE IT TO BE ANYTHING 
LESS.) 
 
6.  THE PROTOTYPE HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND IS SCHEDULED TO 
BE DEMONSTRATED TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE ON OCTOBER 9. 
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT NO DECISIONS HAVE YET BEEN MADE. 
FOR THAT WE AGAIN NEED YOUR INPUT.  PLEASE LOOK AT THE 
DESCRIPTION OF SMART ON THE OPENNET WEBSITE AT 
MESSAGING.IRM.STATE.GOV OR THE CLASS NET WEBSITE AT 
MESSAGING.IRM.STATE.SGOV.GOV AND GIVE US YOUR REACTIONS, 
COMMENTS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS.  WE WOULD WELCOME ANY 
FEEDBACK YOU CAN PROVIDE BEFORE OCTOBER 31. IN THE 
MEANTIME,  THE PROTOTYPE WILL BE EVALUATED BY 500 SELECTED 
USERS FROM OVERSEAS AND WASHINGTON.  THE EVALUATION IS 
BEING CONDUCTED BY  THE E DIPLOMACY TASK FORCE OVERSEEING 
THE WORK OF AN INDEPENDENT FIRM,  THE GARTNER GROUP, TO 
ENSURE OBJECTIVITY. 
 
7.  IMPLEMENTING SMART BY 2004 WILL BE A CONSIDERABLE 
CHALLENGE.  AS IT WILL INCORPORATE AND CONSOLIDATE 
EXISTING MESSAGING SYSTEMS - INCLUDING CABLES, E-MAILS, 
AND MEMORANDA - IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE GET IT RIGHT SO 
THAT IT GIVES YOU BETTER TOOLS WITH WHICH TO DO YOUR WORK. 
INPUT FROM THOSE WHO DO THE WORK WILL BE A KEY FACTOR IN 
OUR DECISION-MAKING. 
 
8.  MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
POWELL 
 
 
NNNN 
 
   STATE   00195704