It seems that the NARFE-net is here to stay and NARFE Headquarters will continue to move forward using electronic communications.

(Hurrah! --Russ Boor)

National President Jackson appointed this Committee in late May, 1997, to peruse the parameters of a NARFE rapid communication system. This Committee was commissioned to make recommendations for the establishment of the necessary hardware, software and operating procedures, both for NARFE Headquarters and for field activities. It must be remembered that the entire communication system and this report are in a continuously evolving environment and rapid evolutionary changes are inevitable, in fact, desirable. We must not place ourselves in a position of a cast-in- concrete mindset.

This Committee's first order of business was to determine the goals for "short-term", "mid-term" and "long-term" implementation. "Short-term" being those things that can and should be implemented now prior to our moving to a new headquarters building; "mid-term" being those things which could and should be accomplished in conjunction with the move and shortly thereafter; "long-term" being very desirable items which are impractical for immediate implementation but certainly should be considered downstream in the not too distant future, say within five years or the year 2002.

PRESENT STATUS:
The Committee interviewed all ROs, department managers and many staff members to compile a list of just where NARFE stands today. In summary, the results obtained are:

• In just two short years the NARFE-net has grown from nothing to a membership of over 1,000 with members in 47 states. It is conservatively estimated that over 40,000 members (1 percent of total membership) have computers and are on line.
• Fourteen Federations have established NARFE-nets at the state level.
• At least two Federations have published their own NARFE web page on the internet and others have approval.
• At least eight chapters have published their own NARFE web page.
• NARFE headquarters has established eight internet connections with capability for two-way e-mail communication and access to the world wide web.
• NARFE has obtained a registered domain (NARFE.org) with the internet and published a web page that has been visited by almost 45,000 persons since September 30, 1995.
• The use of PCs (personal computers) at headquarters has expanded from 3 or 4 to more than 25.
• Six of the ten National Regional Field Vice-Presidents became registered NARFE-netters.

BY YEAR 2002:

Using their expertise and experience, the Committee members closely examined a crystal ball to develop a set of expectations and goals that can be achieved by the year 2002, using currently existing commercially available technology and software. In a short five years NARFE will see:

• Nine of ten chapters represented by an NARFE-net liaison member.
• Almost every newsletter editor becoming a member of the NARFE-net.
• Three-fourths of all Federations having published NARFE web pages.
• One-fourth of all Chapters having published NARFE web pages.
• Fifty "On-line Chapters" being chartered.
• NARFE-net membership grow to more than 5,000.
• Electronic publishing of Chapter and Federation newsletters will be common practice.
• Expansion of the NARFE-net, a two way communication tree that extends from NARFE headquarters thru Regions, Federations and Chapters to the member.
• A weekly NARFE newsletter published on-line, distributed thru the NARFE-net with inputs from all departments at NARFE headquarters.
• NARFE's web site brought in-house and its capability expanded to:
  • Allow payment of all membership fees on-line
  • Provide downloading, completion and submission of forms on-line
  • Provide controlled access of NARFE membership data base, NARFE publications such as Retirement Life, research of NARFE legislative data bases, etc.
  • Contain hyper-links to Federation and Chapter web sites

To implement and accomplish a plan toward the attainment of the above goals and take advantage of the unique opportunity created by NARFE's pending and almost imminent move to a new headquarters, a plan of action must be quickly developed and approved. There is no time left to put off a decision or this unique cost savings opportunity will be lost.

SHORT TERM ACTION ITEMS

• Recruit and hire a Systems Administrator/Webmaster.
• Immediately bring Legislative and Service Departments on-line to provide training lead time prior to move to new building.
• Establish and prioritize requirements for both intranet and internet operations.
  • Define system requirements including planned expansion to insure future goals and needs can be met without expensive modification of equipment or its replacement. This includes building layout, optimizing equipment location, cabling upgrades, purchase of new equipment, etc.
  • The intranet/internet system needs to be installed, inspected and tested before NARFE personnel occupy the new building. Prior to the move, personnel also need to be trained in the use of new equipment.
  • A Budget must be determined and approved.
• Written procedures need to be developed on how the equipment will be used for electronic communication, both internally and external to headquarters. These procedures should be tested using present equipment and internet connections.

MID-TERM ACTION ITEMS:

• In conjunction with occupation of the new building, all Resident Officers, Office Manager and Department Heads, and others as required, have immediate access to the intranet and internet services such as the worldwide web and e-mail.
• Establish requirements on a need to know basis with associated access codes for those on the intranet when interrogating any other computer on the intranet for required information. It is understood personnel and some fiscal files must be protected and therefore require limited access.
• Give the responsibility and authority to the System Administrator/Webmaster to exercise necessary coordination including configuration control of the intranet, internet, e-mail procedures and NARFE web site. Correspondence e-mail should be sent to individual departments and handled by that department. Each department should be responsible for establishing their own e-mail correspondence log. The field will require a set of simple instructions on the proper protocol to be used when communicating by with NARFE headquarters by e-mail. E-mail correspondence should be treated in a very similar manner as all other types of communication systems. As with postal mail, correspondence e-mail must be prioritized and distributed with urgent items handled in an urgent fashion and routine items handled in like routine manner.

LONG-RANGE RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Establish direct field activity access to the Headquarter's electronic files and data bases on a need-to-know basis. Much information for the field could be available in areas such as Membership, Service and National Legislation, that could be directly accessed and downloaded without the need to employ headquarter's personnel in the process. This obviously would save time, money, postage costs, telephone costs and frustration and would be highly desirable. For example, many of the frequently used forms could be kept updated on a Headquarters computer or on the website and when required by someone in the field, simply be downloaded and copied and/or filled out and even immediately submitted by electronic means back to headquarters. Those forms that come immediately to mind are the F-7, F-7A, F-14, F-18, F-83, F-84 and others.
• Assuming the new building does not have fiber optic cabling installed for intranet connections, and again assuming the building was wired to existing construction codes requiring rigid conduits, consideration should be given to replacing existing intranet cabling in a time phased basis with fiber optics cabling.

Additional comments and more detailed information is included in the attachment to this report.

This report is not meant to be neither inclusive nor complete. It is strongly recommended that the combined knowledge, expertise and ingenuity of NARFE management and staff be sought thru their active participation in the planning and execution of any electronic communication plan including the use of e-mail, the intranet and web site.

The expertise of individual members of the committee will continue to be available as needed to provide advice and answer questions. We are as close as your e-mail connection

_______________________________
Elton "Al" Hippert - Chairman
ihip@inreach.com
_______________________________
Russell Boor - Member
rboor@zianet.com
_______________________________
E. Lee Gross - Member
leenarfe@basec.net

ATTACHMENT TO ECC REPORT dated July 14, 1997

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

GENERAL COMMENT

The members of the committee want to thank all the Officers, Department Managers and the staff that so graciously took time out of their busy schedules to share their ideas and concerns with us. It was very obvious that almost everyone at NARFE headquarters is enthusiastic about the pending move into a new building and the prospect of having access to a modern computer controlled communications system that will also tie them with members in the field.

RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES

Headquarters - web site

• The web site should be under the direct management control of the Systems Administrator/Webmaster.
• The Systems Administrator/Webmaster should be a separate function under the guidance and direction of the Office Manager.
• All departments should have equal access to the web site via the Webmaster. All files submitted for loading on the web site should have the name of the originator attached and approval of at least the department manager.
• Web site updates should be made whenever events warrant. Note: The present web page must be modified as appropriate, i.e. - drop all obsolete segments. The data on the Houston Convention, L.A. Times pick and the Off Budget bill from the last year's Congress are good examples.
• All posted items, such as the "Hotline", should be as short and concise as possible. Redundant statements, required times for downloading, etc will be eliminated. A comment - this practice should also be practiced for the telephone "Hotline" weekly message.
• All website articles should be dated on the index line as to date posted.
• NARFE perks with details could be posted on NARFE's web site for external viewing and downloading. However, NARFE should be careful and not end up subsidizing an essentially free web site for contractors. It would be better for NARFE's web page to contain hyper-links to affinity partners.
• Any controversy that develops over use of the web site should be resolved by the cognizant Resident Officer.

Headquarters - Intranet

• All departments should file germane data in the Intranet server, such as forms, informational data, and other as deemed appropriate. A need to know, encryption and required access codes for access to some data should be established, i.e. fiscal data, membership lists etc.
• All departments and most staff should have the required hardware and software to accommodate intranet operations as well as access to internet web and e-mail operations.
• All departments and most staff should be provided training under the guidance of the Systems Administrator to insure proficiency in use of the intranet, e-mail and use of the web.
• Headquarters should continue to actively support and publicize the NARFE-net and web site.
• Headquarters should continue to use the NARFE-net to transmit information to Federations, Chapters and members on-line.

Headquarters - e-mail

• All headquarters departments should have independent e-mail addresses, publish those addresses on all media and be available for two way communications via e-mail.
• Departments should log e-mail and respond to the originator - either with an answer or an acknowledgement of receipt and an estimated answer date - any delay beyond seven calendar days should be justified.
• E-mail misaddressed and received by one department that requires redirection to another department should be redirected using e-mail.
• E-mail which can be answered immediately when first viewed on the screen should be so done. It should not be necessary to log those messages unless their importance so dictates.
• Messages of a general nature and not identified as a specific department problem should be acknowledged, logged and answered.
• E-mail which involves one or more of the Resident Officers should be logged and placed in a reading file and rotated daily thru the ROs. An action officer should be assigned. The log will list received date and answered date. - Any delay beyond seven calendar days will be justified.
• Receipt of all e-mail without the sender's name and complete snail- mail address will be acknowledged by return e-mail with the request that the missing information be supplied by return e-mail.

Note: E-mail must take its place alongside all other communication methods and be handled in the same manner. If an item is priority - so be it and answer immediately. If routine the answer must of necessity be answered in its proper order along with all other types of communications.

Field - e-mail

• Field activities, Federations, Chapters and Members must also play their part in an orderly e-mail system. When sending e-mail to NARFE headquarters, the field should:
  • Understand that e-mail must take it's place alongside all other types of communications and instant response on routine matters cannot happen - be patient.
  • Be courteous and refrain from using unacceptable language in e- mail.
  • Address inquiries to individual departments whenever possible.
  • Include in every e-mail:

    Name
    Address
    Zipcode
    Phone number
    NARFE member ID number if available
    
    Note: If this information is not included, NARFE headquarters will return your message and request the missing information.

• NARFE headquarters should prepare as soon as possible, a set of e- mail procedures for both internal use and field use. It is recommended that draft field procedures be forwarded by e-mail to the NARFE-net Coordinators for comment. The final field procedures should be published on the NARFE web site and included in the "Welcome to the NARFE-net" e- mail message sent to new NARFE-netters by the NARFE-net Coordinator. The new procedures should also contain a list of all the e-mail addresses at NARFE headquarters with a short description of what kind of e-mail should be directed to them.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON MAJOR STEPS REQUIRED PRIOR TO MOVE TO NEW BUILDING

• The success of the Electronic Communication Plan requires IMMEDIATE decisions concerning core intranet equipment features for short-term goal implementation. These decisions must also facilitate, rather than preclude, development/expansion options in realizing 5-year plan goals.
• These decisions will be the basis for developing system and equipment specifications for purchase and installation prior to the move into the new building.
• Immediate decisions are needed concerning the technical specifications for:
  • The File Server, which will:
    • Operate and control the intranet and intranet system
    • Control the electronic storage and retrieval of data files
    • Provide for electronic backup of files
    • Contain the network manager software using Windows NT operating system software, both of which are commercially available and widely used.
    • Provide uninterruptible system power with conditioning features that protects system from loss of data and operating time.

  • The Gateway, which will manage and control external and internal system communications connected to:
    • The Internet World Wide Web, FTP (file transfer protocol), e-mail, etc.
    • The dedicated phone line to ISI.
    • The Intranet (Internal headquarters interoffice and interpersonal communications.) - formerly known as (THE LAN)

• There is also an immediate and on-going long term need to provide officers and staff with training in system and software use by means of videos, tutorials, in-house classes and vendors. Arrangements and conduct of training should to the responsibility of the Systems Administrator. Training should also include hands-on experience in using the new equipment and software programs to allow familiarization and confidence in their use. It is very important that training begin prior to move into the new building.

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