FAQs for the C&A Revitalization

GENERAL

What is the aim of C&A Revitalization?

Our goal is to examine all aspects of certification and accreditation in support of our planned revisions to policy, processes, and procedures. We hope the changes improve our efficiency in the development of Government programs, acquisitions, the IC, and the DoD.

Is this just a rewrite of existing policies?

No. C&A Revitalization goes beyond rewriting the existing policies. Of course DCID 6/3, DoDI 8500.2, and NIST Special Publication 800 series are all currently part of the C&A process, but this effort is not merely a "rewrite" of these documents. We intend the C&A Revitalization effort to discover new ways of performing C&A across the board. The Government and industry have been working with multiple C&A processes for a long time, often causing confusion and delays. This effort is aimed at understanding what the community and affected developers and users view as potential solutions and best practices, and then build a fresh approach based on innovative ideas and the incorporating the best solutions and practices.

What is the C&A Revitalization public forum?

The C&A Revitalization public forum is the place where you can discuss and share your thoughts, comments, recommendations, experiences, complaints, and solutions. Some call it a blog or a discussion board, but defining it as threaded discussion groups will suffice. The public forum is unclassified and open to everyone. DNI CIO staff will monitor it for appropriate content fit for publication, e.g., we will not publish derogatory or profane remarks, nor will we publish information that is not related to the C&A Revitalization topic.

How do I contribute to the discussion?

Submit all contributions to the C&A Revitalization public forum. The DNI CIO is using this system to collect issues and concepts to consider, and to foster discussion of the important areas of C&A. We will collect the issues and concepts, and assign them to the Green & Gold teams for further consideration.

If I am unable to participate in the public forum discussions, can I still participate in a Green or Gold team?

Yes. We encourage participation in the public forum discussions, but we also understand that some people cannot participate. Such people need to identify themselves to the DNI CIO's office and express their willingness to participate in the Green and Gold team effort.

What is a venue?

A venue is a topic area. We expect to identify several distinct areas during the public forum discussions.

What are the topics for the venues and how many are there?

The public forum will drive the topics/venues the Green and Gold teams and War Rooms will address. The results of the public forum discussions will determine the specific number of venues we will address. While we do not know the exact number, we anticipate 8 to 12 venues to result.

How will my concerns be addressed?

First, you should make sure to provide your concerns in the public forum, and then volunteer for a Green or Gold team to help develop a solution. Participation is the only way to make sure your concerns are addressed.

GREEN AND GOLD TEAMS

What are the Green and Gold teams?

For each War Room venue identified as a result of the public forum, we will stand up a Green Team and a Gold Team. The two teams will have very different membership compositions, but will have the same action - to compete with the other team to provide the best recommendations and solutions to the venue issue.

How do I join a Green or Gold team?

Just before the end of the public forum discussions, we will provide a registration page for people interested in participating in the Green and Gold teams - and identifying the venue they are most interested in resolving. We will base final selections on achieving maximum diversity in each team (i.e., a mix of industry, academia, government, developers, uses, certifiers, etc.), and between the Green and Gold team for each venue.

How large are the Green and Gold teams?

The size each team will vary depending upon the venue it covers and the number of individuals wishing to participate. But in order to keep the tiger teams manageable, we envision no more than 10-15 members to a team.

Are there clearance or citizenship requirements for participating on a Green or Gold team?

No. We are making every effort to keep the discussions and resulting documentation at the unclassified and releasable level.

How much time am I expected to provide to the Green and Gold teams?

We have planned for 8 weeks for each team to develop a paper and a short briefing describing an approach. The specific time commitment of an individual is dependent on the topic being discussed and the time necessary to document your comments. We anticipate that upwards of 30% to 40% of your time may be necessary.

Will I get paid to work on a Green or Gold team?

The DNI CIO is not reimbursing people for supporting the Green and Gold teams. Your home organization will need to address financial arrangements

Can the members of the Green and Gold teams communicate with each other?

We recognize that various venues may be related and may not be mutually exclusive; therefore we encourage the members of teams assigned to different venues to communicate with each other. However, members of the "competing" teams focused on the same venue may not communicate with each other. We've devised this restriction to ensure that the competing results are as diverse as possible.

How can I keep apprised of this effort if I cannot participate?

Keep watching the web site for updated reports and press releases. The DNI CIO will make every effort to keep the discussions and resulting documentation at the unclassified level. The public forum is open to everyone. We encourage everyone to review the information in the public forum and respond, if possible. We will share the final reports of the Green and Gold teams via the web site, as well as the recommendations chosen by the DNI CIO leadership. The web site will provide all the information you need to track this effort.

What is the difference between the Green and Gold teams for each venue?

We do not believe there is a single solution to the issues facing the C&A community. We decided to use two competing teams to create diverse solutions for each issue and to encourage innovation and fresh ideas.

What are the responsibilities of the "leader" of a Green or Gold team?

A Green or Gold team leader is the task manager for the team. They are responsible for coordinating the team's activities, facilitating the discussions, and generating a solution process and final delivery. Periodically, the Office of the DNI CIO will expect a status report from the team leaders and, of course, the final delivery. Outside of these basic items, how the leaders manage their individual teams is a matter of individual preference.

What infrastructure support (conference calling, discussion boards, etc), will be provided for the Green and Gold teams?

The Office of the DNI CIO would like the team leaders to use familiar and comfortable collaboration technologies as a communications mechanism among the team members. These are usually found within the home corporate structures of the individuals. If necessary, the Office of the DNI CIO may be able to help with specific capabilities, such as a discussion boards or a phone bridge.

Are there geographic requirements for participation in the Green and Gold Teams?

The goal is to obtain as diverse and talented set of personnel possible to be members of the teams; therefore, we hope to avoid any geographic constraints on membership. We believe that the use of various mechanisms for collaboration will maximize the ability for virtual participation.

WAR ROOMS

What is the "War Room" and who are the members?

A War Room is a group of senior Government, industry and academic personnel. We will have one War Room for each venue. The War Room will review the solutions recommended by the competing Green and Gold teams, and will choose the best solution or solutions for that venue. Senior industry and Government leaders wishing to participate in the War Rooms should contact the Office of the DNI CIO