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1 General Information

1.1            Purpose

Describe the purpose of the Feasibility Study.

1.2            Scope

Describe the scope of the Feasibility Study as it relates to the project.

1.3            System Overview

Provide a brief system overview description as a point of reference for the remainder of the document.  In addition, include the following:

• Responsible organization
• System name or title
• System code
• System category
• Major application: performs clearly defined functions for which there is a readily identifiable security consideration and need
• General support system: provides general ADP or network support for a variety of users and applications
• Operational status
• Operational
• Under development
• Undergoing a major modification
• System environment or special conditions

1.4            Project References

Provide a list of the references that were used in preparation of this document.  Examples of references are:

• Previously developed documents relating to the project
• Documentation concerning related projects
• Standard procedures documents

1.5            Acronyms and Abbreviations

Provide a list of the acronyms and abbreviations used in this document and the meaning of each.

1.6            Points of Contact

1.6.1         Information

Provide a list of the points of organizational contact (POC) that may be needed by the document user for informational and troubleshooting purposes.  Include type of contact, contact name, department, telephone number, and e-mail address (if applicable).  Points of contact may include but are not limited to helpdesk POC, development/maintenance POC, and operations POC.

1.6.2         Coordination

Provide a list of organizations that require coordination between the project and its specific support function (e.g., installation coordination, security, etc.).  Include a schedule for coordination activities

2 Management Summary

2.1            Environment

2.1.1         Organizations Involved

Identify the project sponsor, developer, user, and computer center or network in which the software will be implemented.

2.1.2         Input/Output

Identify the system input and output requirements.

2.1.3         Processing

Identify the system’s processing requirements.

2.1.4         Security

Identify the system’s security requirements.

2.1.5         System Interaction

Identify the interaction with other systems.

2.1.6         Physical Environment

Identify the physical environment (batch processing environment, interactive online transactions, ad hoc reports, external and local communications).

2.2            Current Functional Procedures

Describe current functional procedures of any existing system, whether automated or manual.  Specifically, document the major processing and data flow of the current system(s), volume of work currently processed, costs incurred in operating the current system, skill categories and number of staff required to operate and maintain the current system, equipment used by the existing system, and any other factors that are unique to the current system.

2.3            Functional Objectives

Analyze the anticipated functions of the system, considering such areas as new services, increased capacity, legislative and policy requirements, privacy and security requirements, audit controls, and target completion date.

2.4            Performance Objectives

Identify major performance objectives, considering such areas as reduced staff and equipment costs, increased processing speed, increased productivity, improved management information services, improved controls over automated decision-making system(s), and compliance with regulations.

2.5            Assumptions and Constraints

Determine the assumptions and constraints, such as operational life of the proposed system; period of time for comparison of system alternatives; input, output, and processing requirements; financial constraints; changing hardware, software, and operating environment; and availability of information and resources.

2.6            Methodology

Describe the method or strategy employed (e.g., survey, weighting, modeling, benchmarking, and simulation) to evaluate the proposed system to arrive at a feasible alternative.

2.7            Evaluation Criteria

Identify the criteria applicable to the development process that will be used to determine the most attractive system option.  Such criteria typically include cost, priority, development time, ease of system use, or any combination.

2.8            Recommendation

State the recommendation for the proposed system, including consequences of not taking action, and what delays and risks can be tolerated.

3 Proposed System

3.1            Description of Proposed System

Present the overall system concept and describe how the requirements will be met.

3.2            Improvements

Describe the improvements of the system in terms of the objectives.

3.3            Time and Resource Costs

Outline the time and resource costs, including the time and funding required for all activities of the lifecycle, from definition through operation and system retirement.  It is imperative to use realistic estimates.  When making the estimates, remember to include such factors as the current workload of personnel, staff absences due to vacation and illness, lead time for procurement of equipment and software, and staff training.

3.4            Impacts

In the following subsections, describe the anticipated impacts of the proposed system, including potential conversion problems.

3.4.1         Equipment Impacts

Describe new equipment requirements and changes to currently available equipment.

3.4.2         Software Impacts

Describe any additions or modifications to existing applications and support software in order to adapt them to the proposed system.

3.4.3         Organizational Impacts

Describe any organizational, personnel, and skill requirement changes.

3.4.4         Operational Impacts

Describe the effects on operations, such as:

• User operating procedures
• Operating center procedures
• Operating center/user relationships
• Source data processing
• Data entry procedures
• Data retention requirements, information storage and retrieval procedures (refer to Handbook 2229.1, Records Disposition Scheduling for Automated Systems)
• Output reporting procedures, media, and schedules
• System failure contingencies and recovery procedures

3.4.5         Developmental Impacts

Describe the developmental impacts, such as:

• Specific activities to be performed by the user in support of development of the system
• Resources required to develop databases
• Computer processing resources required to develop and test the new system
• Privacy and security implications

3.4.6         Site or Facility Impacts

Describe building or office modification requirements.

3.4.7         Security and Privacy Impacts

Describe security and privacy factors that may influence the development, design, and continued operation of the proposed system.

3.5            Rationale for Recommendations

State the reasoning that supports the recommendation of the proposed system over the alternative system.

4 Alternative Systems

This section provides a description of the alternative systems considered in this feasibility study.  Each alternative system should be under a separate section header, 4.1 – 4.x.

4.1            Description of [Alternative System Name]

Describe the alternative system, following the outline described for the proposed system in the previous section.  State the reasons that the alternative system was not selected.

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