THE WELCH COMPANY
440 Davis Court #1602
San Francisco, CA 94111-2496
415 781 5700


S U M M A R Y


DIARY: February 4, 1999 03:38 PM Thursday; Rod Welch

Meeting at USACE with DDE Major Blenchinger.

1...Summary/Objective
2...Communication Metrics Objectives, and How SDS Technology Works
3...Evaluation by San Francisco District and HQUSACE....
4...Application in District
5...Questions on Implementation
6...District Counsel Asked about Accuracy and Relevant Information
7...Communication Metrics Staff for District


..............
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CONTACTS 
0201 - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers         415 977 8501 fax 8483
020101 - San Francisco District
020102 - Mr. Thompson F. Keesling, Architect; Assistant Chief
020103 - Construction Operations Division

SUBJECTS
COE Evaluation Communication Metrics
District Support
Reduced Paper handling
Orientation for DDE, Major Blenchinger
Institutionalize Communication Metrics
Humbolt
Virtual District
Paperless Office

1710 -    ..
1711 - Summary/Objective
1712 -
171201 - Follow up ref SDS 20 0000, ref SDS 19 0000.
171202 -
171203 - Used Internet for agenda explaining Communication Metrics ideas to
171204 - support the District.  Reviewed meetings with Merry on 990202, and
171205 - with Tom, Max and Roger earlier this afternoon.
171206 -
171207 - Major Blenchinger will coordinate with Tom Keesling on follow up.
171208 -
171209 - Submitted ref DIT 1 0000 with link to this record.  Sent copies to
171210 - Tom, Max and Roger.
171211 -
171212 -     [On 990211 Tom met with Major Blechinger. ref SDS 22 0000]
171213 -
171214 -     [On 990224 met with Major Blechinger. ref SDS 23 0000]
171215 -
171216 -
171217 -
171218 -
171219 -  ..
1713 -
1714 -
1715 - Discussion
1716 -
171601 - I stopped at the District office on the way back from delivering a CD
171602 - to Kwan Henmi.  I asked Sharon if I could see the Major to re-schedule
171603 - our meeting planned for this afternoon. ref SDS 20 5250
171604 - ..
171605 - Major Blenchinger asked if we could do the meeting now?
171606 -
171607 - I had not brought the notebook computer, so we used the agenda on the
171608 - Communication Metrics web site.  This meeting follows up planning
171609 - beginning on 981110. ref SDS 10 4329
171610 -
171611 - We reviewed briefly the discussion with Tom and Max when I was here at
171612 - 1300, ref SDS 20 0000, and a number of other sources.
171613 -
171614 -
171615 -  ..
171616 - Communication Metrics Objectives, and How SDS Technology Works
171617 -
171618 - We used the diary to show how the system works...
171619 -
171620 -    1.  State of Calif, DOT on 940901. ref SDS 1 2929
171621 -
171622 -        Reviewed definition of "intelligence", ref OF 1 0582,
171623 -
171624 -        Note that at the earlier meeting today, Max cited IBM's service
171625 -        called "business intelligence." ref SDS 20 4719,
171626 -
171627 -    2.  CESPN Contracting Officer on 960926. ref SDS 2 8788
171628 -
171629 -    3.  Schematic of technology. ref OF 2 3385
171630 -
171631 -        Management Cycle. ref OF 1 6649
171632 -
171633 -    4.  Doc Log provides on-line access. ref OF 3 0000
171634 -
171635 -
171636 -  ..
171637 -
171638 - Evaluation by San Francisco District and HQUSACE....
171639 -
171640 -    1.  District Counsel on 961015. ref SDS 3 6118
171641 -
171642 -    2.  USACE report on 970328. ref DRP 1 6172
171643 -
171644 -    3.  USACE cost savings report on 971007. ref DRP 2 0129
171645 -
171646 -    4.  District Counsel report on 981022. ref SDS 8 7315
171647 -        ..
171648 -    5.  Tom White's report on 981104. ref SDS 9 0207
171649 -
171650 -        The Major indicated having reviewed Tom's memo, per telecon
171651 -        with Tom Keesling on 981119. ref SDS 11 8374
171652 -
171653 -    6.  HQUSACE report on 990126. ref SDS 12 7001
171654 -
171655 -
171656 -  ..
171657 - Application in District
171658 -
171659 - We reviewed the scope of potential support from the meeting with Max
171660 - Blodgett on 980520. ref SDS 7 0829
171661 -
171662 - Immediate applications are...
171663 -
171664 -    1.  Humbolt,
171665 -
171666 -        Construction Launch planning, discussed with Tom, Max and Roger
171667 -        this afternoon. ref SDS 20 8399
171668 -
171669 -        -50' Deepening Project, cited by District Counsel Merry
171670 -        Goodenough, on Tuesday. ref SDS 17 4158
171671 -  ..
171672 -    2.  Weekly staff meetings
171673 -
171674 -        Reducing management levels in the Op Plan poses risks and needs
171675 -        for support to maintain productivity, as discussed with Tom
171676 -        earlier today. ref SDS 20 6448
171677 -
171678 -    3.  Construction Services Branch
171679 -
171680 -        Scope of services developed by Leonard SooHoo and Tom Keesling
171681 -        in the District's report on Communication Metircs. ref DRP 1
171682 -        6499
171683 -
171684 - "Paperless office" is a component of "Virtual Office" and "Virtual
171685 - District."  It saves money and can be supported by Communication
171686 - Metrics, per telecon with Tom Keesling on 990201. ref SDS 16 6925
171687 -
171688 -
171689 -  ..
171690 - Questions on Implementation
171691 -
171692 - Major Blenchinger asked about the cost of the web site server.
171693 -
171694 -    The total cost for the past year was $500. see the work on 980309,
171695 -    ref SDS 6 6819
171696 -
171697 -    We considered that some increase would be expected to expand
171698 -    capacity for the activity in the District.  The system should have
171699 -    redundancy for reliable service; and, security is another issue.
171700 -    Existing District capacilities may accomplish some of these
171701 -    requirements.
171702 -
171703 - Other issues that require consideration are shown in Draft #2 of
171704 - HQUSACE's report on Communication Metrics. ref DRP 17 7500 These
171705 - questions require experience to fully address. ref DIP 6 7300  For
171706 - example server redundancy.  The Major mentioned security.
171707 -
171708 -
171709 -  ..
171710 - District Counsel Asked about Accuracy and Relevant Information
171711 -
171712 - Major Blenchinger asked about the meeting with Merry on 990202.....,
171713 - ref SDS 17 0000
171714 -
171715 - I explained that Merry asked how Communication Metrics uses WBS
171716 - methods and technology to organize information that is relevant and
171717 - accurate. ref SDS 17 5325
171718 -
171719 - Merry indicated support for using Communication Metrics in the
171720 - District. ref SDS 17 4080
171721 -
171722 -
171723 -  ..
171724 - Communication Metrics Staff for District
171725 -
171726 - DDE asked how many people would be required to support the entire
171727 - District?
171728 -
171729 - He also noted that a lot of ancillary communication occurs before and
171730 - after official events.  He asked how Communication Metrics helps
171731 - managers meet this challenge of information overload?
171732 -
171733 - On 971202 this was addressed at HQUSACE. ref SDS 5 0838
171734 -
171735 - The Communication Metrics process entails briefing managers before
171736 - meetings, and briefing affected managers and commanders following such
171737 - events, then providing timely "intelligence" that ties everything
171738 - together, showing alignment or gaps with requirements, so that
171739 - everyone is working off the same "page."
171740 -
171741 - See District report on 970328. ref DRP 1 0411
171742 -
171743 - See also Herb Cheong's memo on 970406. ref DRP 1 6307
171744 -
171745 - On 970225 Tom and Leonard developed initial staffing plans for
171746 - Communication Metrics. ref SDS 4 8421 The prototype scope of services
171747 - included with the District's Communication Metrics report on 970328.
171748 - reflects staffing requirements. ref DRP 1 4704
171749 -
171750 - The current aim is to support the Commander's weekly staff meetings,
171751 - if that is approved.
171752 -
171753 - This might then eventually entail a staff as follows...
171754 -
171755 -    1.  Communication Manager at HQ, possibly in a Communications
171756 -        Office that includes Public Affairs, as proposed in the
171757 -        District's report on 971007. ref DRP 2 4173
171758 -
171759 -        If environmental and regulatory support is provided additional
171760 -        staff may be needed.
171761 -
171762 -        Training of USACE staff may eventually require staff.
171763 -
171764 -    2.  Communication Manager at CSB for office and Construction
171765 -        Management Support.
171766 -
171767 -    3.  For large projects, e.g., possibly Humbolt, and the -50'
171768 -        Dredging project for Oakland, a dedicated Communication Manager
171769 -        might be needed, or possibly a lessor skilled Communication
171770 -        Agent might work.
171771 -
171772 -   [On 990207 advised Bill Benkevitch on this point. ref Sds 21 3946]
171773 -
171774 -
171775 -
1718 -
Distribution. . . . See "CONTACTS"