FSI Training Management Solutions
Investment ID: 014-000000522
Overview
Program Title
FSI Training Management Solutions
Agency
Description
This Investment includes those IT services and technologies required by the Foreign Service Institute to efficiently manage its training engagements with federal foreign and civil service learning communities. The Training Management Solutions Division provides technical support and services for applications, communications, technologies for the academic and administrative environment including Student Training Management System, Communication and Collaboration and Training Support Web tools.
Type of Program
Non-major IT Investments
Multi-Agency Category
Other
Associated Websites
https://fsitraining.state.gov/
Investment Detail
The Campus and Student Information System known as the Student Training Management System (STMS) has successfully supported the Institute for over 20 years. STMS is a heavily customized, Modified Off-The Shelf software application that was initially purchased and deployed in 1998. STMS is currently operational and undergoing significant development and customization for security compliance, modernization, and extensibility purposes. This effort has led to some major improvements that have brought efficiencies to core FSI services such as Budget Planning Management component, Student registration interfaces and a substantial upgrade to the central PowerBuilder framework.
FSI does recognize that the rate of progress made in the commercial sector vis- -vis student information systems (SIS) on standard, non-DOS specific functionality has greatly outstripped FSI's ability to keep up using a custom development approach and providing the Institute with the latest innovations available.
With this investment in FY 2020, FSI intends to transition away from its current, custom-built solution in favor of a COTS solution and, if possible, deploy the solution in a cloud environment with proper security controls established.
FSI will seek opportunities to collaborate with A, IRM and others who have existing platforms capable of supporting the new SIS. This partnership will empower FSI to more efficiently accommodate, process and manage a broader training audience, allow FSI's training services to scale more effectively and will reduce barriers to Departmental system integration and data exchange with FSI's stakeholders.
During this transition process, FSI will continue to need funding to maintain its existing STMS system and related satellite systems (e.g. visitor request, parking, room reservation, etc.) that serve our students, faculty and staff on a daily basis until the transition and restoration of services are completed.
By transitioning to a COTS solution hosted in the cloud and consolidating and integrating STMS' various satellite systems, FSI expects to reap significant cost savings over the lifecycle of the new solution both in maintaining operational capabilities and adapting to new mandates and requirements. The benefits accrued by the suite of needed capabilities and technology opportunities from a modern SIS are more efficient operations, improved responsiveness to customers, and lower operational costs from increased data integrity and security.
FSI does recognize that the rate of progress made in the commercial sector vis- -vis student information systems (SIS) on standard, non-DOS specific functionality has greatly outstripped FSI's ability to keep up using a custom development approach and providing the Institute with the latest innovations available.
With this investment in FY 2020, FSI intends to transition away from its current, custom-built solution in favor of a COTS solution and, if possible, deploy the solution in a cloud environment with proper security controls established.
FSI will seek opportunities to collaborate with A, IRM and others who have existing platforms capable of supporting the new SIS. This partnership will empower FSI to more efficiently accommodate, process and manage a broader training audience, allow FSI's training services to scale more effectively and will reduce barriers to Departmental system integration and data exchange with FSI's stakeholders.
During this transition process, FSI will continue to need funding to maintain its existing STMS system and related satellite systems (e.g. visitor request, parking, room reservation, etc.) that serve our students, faculty and staff on a daily basis until the transition and restoration of services are completed.
By transitioning to a COTS solution hosted in the cloud and consolidating and integrating STMS' various satellite systems, FSI expects to reap significant cost savings over the lifecycle of the new solution both in maintaining operational capabilities and adapting to new mandates and requirements. The benefits accrued by the suite of needed capabilities and technology opportunities from a modern SIS are more efficient operations, improved responsiveness to customers, and lower operational costs from increased data integrity and security.