fpOnline Newsletter August 2024
   

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In This Issue

A Letter From Our Sponsor

 
Dear Future Users of fpOnline,
 
Thank you for joining us on the fpOnline journey.
 
I hope that you are enjoying your summer and staying cool and safe, no matter if you are working in the field or in an office.
 
I’m very pleased to share that VisualVault has started work on fpOnline. I’d like to formally welcome the VisualVault team to the fpOnline project team (see below for details about our new team members). I am proud of our team and the work we have accomplished to move us into the development stage. Next summer, Washington State will have a new, modern, streamlined process to submit, review, and approve FPAs and WTMFs. I am excited to celebrate that change with you!
 
Sincerely,
Katie Rose Allen
Executive Sponsor, fpOnline

Welcome New Team Members

 
We are pleased to welcome VisualVault to the fpOnline project team:
  • Kathy Driscoll, Senior Director, Professional Services. Responsible for operational oversight and guidance.
  • Marisor Dorrell, Project Manager. Responsible for managing the implementation and delivery of the fpOnline software solution.
  • Brian Davis, Senior Solution Architect. Responsible for managing developer staff for fpOnline configuring, testing and troubleshooting.
  • Emad Karmot, Business Analyst. Responsible for gathering business requirements and defining the user stories to build out fpOnline.
  • Stephenie Colston, Organizational Change Manager. Supporting technical aspects of the changes created by fpOnline’s implementation.
  • Chanda Davis, Training Manager. Responsible for all VisualVault training deliverables, and for providing training guidance and support 

Accomplishments

  • VisualVault has begun work with Discovery and Configuration.
  • The Small Forest Landowner Advisory Committee met on July 23, 2024.
  • The Change Champion Forum will begin in August.
  • The new Senior DNR software tester started in July.
  • DNR also hired a contracted Software Quality Assurance Testing Lead/Manager in July, who will be dedicated to fpOnline testing. The testing lead manager will guide the testing team, develop the test plan, and test the code as it is being developed.

Project Milestones & Phases

  • The Planning phase involves preparation for RFP, team selection and high-level requirements. This phase started in May 2023.
  • The PROCUREMENT phase involves request for proposals, technology budget, vendor selection, and contract negotiations. This phase started in November 2023 and ended in July 2024.
  • The DISCOVERY phase involves determining detailed requirements and ensuring common understanding. This phase started in July 2024 and ends in September 2024.
  • The CONFIGURATION phase involves configuring software to meet requirements. This phase started in July 2024 and ends in February 2025.
  • The TESTING & TRAINING phase involves testing configuration and comparing it to requirements and training users using multiple formats. This phase starts in February 2024 and ends in April 2025.
  • The software will Go Live in April or May 2025.

Lookahead

 
VisualVault’s Discovery process will be complete in early September.
DNR will share a playback in September; this is an early look at the new tool while it is under development. This public meeting will be recorded for those who cannot attend. Date and time will be announced soon.

August 2024

  • August 1, 2024 - *FP District Manager Meeting, 8:15 – 10:00 a.m.
  • August 6, 2024 - DNR FP Staff Advisory Committee 9–10:30 a.m.
  • August 6, 2024 - Reviewers Advisory Committee, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.
  • August 7, 2024 - Landowner Advisory Committee 8–9:30 a.m. 
  • August 7, 2024 - *FP Program Coordinator Call, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
  • August 14, 2024 - *FP Board Meeting, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • August 20, 2024 - *FP Assistants Monthly Meeting, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
  • August 21, 2024 - *FP Program Statewide Meeting 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
  • August 22, 2024 - *fpOnline Steering Committee, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.
  • August 27, 2024 - *DNR Sponsor Coalition Meeting, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

September 2024

  • September 3, 2024 - DNR FP Staff Advisory Committee 9–10:30 a.m.
  • September 3, 2024 - Reviewers Advisory Committee, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.
  • September 4, 2024 - Landowner Advisory Committee 8–9:30 a.m. 
  • September 4, 2024 - *FP Program Coordinator Call, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
  • September 5, 2024 - *FP District Manager Meeting, 8:15 – 10:00 a.m.
  • September 13, 2024 - *Monthly RAID Log Review, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
  • September 17, 2024 - *FP Assistants Monthly Meeting, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
  • September 18, 2024 - *FP Program Statewide Meeting 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
  • September 25, 2024 - *Quarterly Sponsor Coalition - WaTech IT Projects, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
  • September 26, 2024 - *fpOnline Steering Committee, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.
*DNR Internal Forest Practices program meetings
If you have questions regarding attending informational meetings, please email dnrrefponline@dnr.wa.gov. 

News You Can Use

 
What’s happening? The launch date for fpOnline has moved to April/May 2025.
What this means for you. You will continue to use FPARS until the launch.
What you have to do. Nothing. We will reach out when testing and training begin for fpOnline.

Get Involved

  • Attend a VisualVault playback session
    • These are live demonstrations showing a feature of fpOnline as it is being developed 
    • Playback sessions will be recorded 
  • Attend our next Town Hall event
  • Attend Timber, Fish, and Wildlife (TFW) or Upper Columbia Basin (UCB) meetings
  • Attend professional meetings, such as:
    • Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA)
    • Northwest Indian Fish Commission (NWIFC)
    • Washington Farm Forestry Association (WFFA) 

Question of the Month

 
The workflow of a Forest Practices Application (FPA) and a Water Type Modification Form (WTMF) through the approval process is detailed, and has many tiny steps. How is DNR making sure that we don’t miss a step?
  1. Extensive discovery. Following the extensive requirements gathering effort conducted last summer, project team members continue to work closely with Forest Practices experts during discovery sessions to ensure that staff will be able to capture and track all necessary information and have access to required tracking and monitoring tools. 
  2. End User Testing. During User Acceptance Testing (UAT), end users will have an opportunity to explore the system and provide feedback.
  3. Change Process. A change request process is in place to address any key features that were missed.
  4. Staged Automation. The initial release of fpOnline will have some limited automation (such as auto-populating downstream forms with information from the application), but the processing and approval of FPAs and WTMFs will not be automated in the first release. DNR office staff will continue to review submitted applications to verify accuracy and completeness, enter and maintain information related to the review and approval process, and track applications throughout the process, as they do today. This approach will mitigate risk that would otherwise be associated with automating manual processes.

Nerd Corner

 
What does a Software Tester do?
 
Software testers work closely with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders throughout the software development life-cycle. They play a crucial role in delivering high-quality software products.
Software Testers are responsible for thoroughly evaluating software to ensure it functions properly during the quality assurance stage of software development and deployment. This involves designing and executing test cases, analyzing results, and collaborating with developers to resolve issues. Software Testers use various testing techniques, including manual testing and automated testing, to validate that the software meets specified requirements. They also perform regression testing to ensure that new changes do not negatively impact existing functionalities. 
Software Testers often face tight deadlines with limited time to thoroughly test the software. This can lead to rushed or incomplete testing, increasing the risk of missing critical defects. Software requirements frequently change during the development process, which can render existing test cases obsolete or require the creation of new test cases. Software Testers overcome these challenges by:
  1. Employing various strategies and best practices
  2. Gaining deep understanding of the application’s architecture and functionality
  3. Prioritizing and focusing on testing the most critical functionalities and high-risk areas
  4. Keeping close communication with business analysts, developers, and leadership to keep them informed about the risks and plans to mitigate them 

fpOnline Team Member Spotlight 

 
Marisor Dorrell, VisualVault Project Manager
 
Marisor Dorrell is the VisualVault Project Manager for the fpOnline project, working alongside Clare Olson on the implementation and delivery of the new software solution.  Her team, together with the DNR fpOnline project team and Forest Practices experts have successfully kicked off the Discovery phase.
 
Over the past 25 years, Marisor has managed a number of software implementation projects in both the public and private sectors, most of which are cloud-based solutions like fpOnline.  She is very excited to be part of DNR’s transformation journey and believes this initiative will make a significant and positive impact to the Department and the Forest Practices community.
 
Marisor holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She started her career in IT Consulting, and eventually found her place in Professional Services within software organizations, where she embraces the client-facing role and strives for project success by placing emphasis on collaboration, best practices, and fostering strong customer relationships.
 
On a personal note, Marisor lives in Maryland with her family.  Outside the office, you will find her in the kitchen cooking and baking, especially from old family recipes.  She also enjoys walking her dog and visiting gardens, beaches, and amusement parks. 

Keeping up with fpOnline

Future User Quotes

I’m excited about the end product and how this could simplify the process, especially for me dealing with absentee landowners.
 - Forestry Consultant
Don’t make something that is perfect, make something that is good enough.   
- FP Forester
I don’t see a downside, other than that change is change and we deal with it.  
- Forestry Consultant