First, Customs posted the Request for Proposals (RFP) on the Customs Web site. The RFP started the contract bid process to hire a prime contractor to work with the Customs Modernization Office (CMO) to design and build ACE. The deadline for proposals was February 5. Customs plans to announce the winner on April 25.

But, before April 25, the CMO must develop the operational and technical requirements for ACE, which is a fundamental stage of the process. When building a new system such as ACE, the first step is to identify what the system needs to do. This process is commonly referred to as "requirements definition" or "requirements development." The next step is to define the primary users of ACE (which include Customs employees, the trade community, and other government agencies) and their needs. These user needs are then translated into technical requirements for the system.

The requirements development effort for ACE will begin approximately two months after contract award and will take about six months to complete. Customs staff with various functional responsibilities will provide expertise to this effort as subject matter experts (SMEs), offering their knowledge about Customs business operations, culture, and technology.

During the past several months, the Office of Information and Technology's Technology and Architecture Group (TAG), on behalf of the CMO, has documented the architecture of the existing Automated Commercial System (ACS), as well as the architecture for the future trade compliance processes and infrastructure. This project lays the foundation for ACE requirements development process. Why is this important?

As the foundation of a system, information architecture defines the system's components (the way in which components "talk" with each other), the principles that govern its design, and its evolution over time. The ACS architecture work provided vital information on system functions such as the information that flows through the system and the organizations that perform each activity. Customs staff members were valuable contributors to this work, and their continuing participation will be critical as modernization efforts continue to move forward.

Look for an article in a future U.S. Customs Today on how Customs staff can contribute to the modernization of Customs operations and systems.

An Opportunity is Knocking - Loudly The Customs Modernization Office (CMO) needs experienced, seasoned staff members. If you understand Customs culture, mission, and business needs, and have extensive experience with trade programs, consider applying for a position on the team that will develop the user and technical requirements for our new, world-class trade system, the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). "A lot of the knowledge we need to successfully modernize is available from experienced Customs staff. We hope to use that in-house expertise to facilitate the Modernization process," says Charles R. Armstrong, CMO Executive Director. Qualified applicants may be selected as subject matter experts (SMEs), who are essential to creating an ACE system design that delivers needed capability for Customs and the trade community. SMEs will be Integrated Product Team (IPT) members. They will contribute organizational and operational expertise to the team effort to ensure the prime contractor has the information necessary to develop systems that meet mission needs. IPTs will be created over the course of Modernization to complete specific projects. Some IPTs may last for the life of a project and some may exist for a matter of weeks. Each IPT is a group of representatives from different business areas who will be detailed on specific Modernization projects, in this case ACE requirements. Each IPT will be comprised of personnel from the CMO; divisions of the Office of Information and Technology, the Office of Field Operations, other Customs offices; and the prime contractor. Whatever the nature of the work and its time span, these teams require the knowledge of dedicated Customs employees who will make invaluable contributions to modernizing Customs operations and the supporting information systems infrastructure. The following announcements are currently open until July 19, 2001: ACE Specialist (Account Manager), GS-1801-13 ACE Specialist (Field Analysis Specialist), GS-1801-11/12/13 ACE Specialist (Import Specialist), GS-1889-11/12/13 ACE Specialist (Import Specialist), GS-1889-14 ACE Specialist (Customs Inspector), GS-1890-11/12/13 ACE Specialist (Customs Inspector), GS-1890-14 ACE Specialist (Entry Specialist), GS-1894-11/12/13 ACE Specialist (Program Analyst), GS-343-14 ACE Specialist (Program Manager), GS-301-11/12/13 To obtain announcement information, visit the Human Resources' Management Vacancy Announcement Information System in TPX or call Customs Pathfinder at (800) 944-7725. Make your mark on Customs, become a member of the Modernization team! Please note that IPT team members will be selected by application for temporary assignment to the CMO.