6609.12,20
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FOREST SERVICE HANDBOOK
Portland, Oregon
TITLE 6609.12 - ADP TECHNICAL APPROVAL HANDBOOK
R-6/PNW Supplement No. 6609.12-91-2
Effective November 22, 1991
POSTING NOTICE. Supplements to this handbook are numbered consecutively.
Check the last transmittal sheet received for this handbook to see that the above
supplement number is in sequence. If not, obtain intervening supplement(s) at once
from the Information Center. Do not post this supplement until the missing one(s)
is received and posted. After posting, place the transmittal at the front of the title
and retain until the first transmittal of the next calendar year is received.
The last Supplement to this handbook was R-6/PNW 6609.12-91-1.
Document Name
6609.12,20
Superseded New
(Number of Sheets)
3
3
Digest:
This is a Technical Supplement to correct typo errors in sections 22.2 and 22.25.
/s/ John F. Butruille
/s/ Charles W. Philpot
JOHN F. BUTRUILLE
Regional Forester
CHARLES W. PHILPOT
Station Director
R6/PNW SUPPLEMENT 6609.12-91-2
EFFECTIVE 11/22/91
6609.12,20
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FSH 6609.12 - ADP TECHNICAL APPROVAL HANDBOOK
R-6/PNW SUPPLEMENT 6609.12-91-2
EFFECTIVE 11/22/91
CHAPTER 20 - GENERAL/DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS
21 - GENERAL.
As a proposed acquisition is analyzed and documented, the key questions below
should be the basis for analysis and documentation. Using these questions will
keep the analysis and resulting documentation on track.
1. What is the problem to be solved and how will it help meet mission needs?
Points to consider are:
a. What information is needed? Deal with information, not process. For
example, unit budget data and related management decisions are informationoriented; a spreadsheet is a process-oriented tool to manage information such as the
unit budget.
b. How will the proposed action help meet the unit mission and objectives?
What mission will be enhanced?
c. Who else is involved and/or interested in how the problem is solved? Many
ADP acquisitions affect other units and/or functions.
d. What people tasks will the proposed action support, replace, or enhance?
e. How is the job done now? Is the job recurring?
2. What alternatives are in consideration? Describe in general terms what
equipment, software, and/or services are proposed as alternatives. Only feasible
alternatives must be discussed. However, if for some reason a fairly obvious
alternative is considered non-feasible, the reasons for that determination should be
briefly discussed.
3. What are the expected costs of the investment? Costs should be identified
by category: equipment, software, ADP services, maintenance services, and support
services. Maintenance services should be included as part of the system life costs.
4. What benefits will the Government gain from the proposed investment?
Proposals with no apparent benefits to the Government generally should not be
approved.
R6/PNW SUPPLEMENT 6609.12-91-2
EFFECTIVE 11/22/91
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22 - DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS.
1. Documentation should be simple and to the point. Length should be
relative to the issues involved and the amount of discussion needed to adequately
cover the pertinent issues.
2. Cover the proposed action in sufficient detail to adequately convey an
understanding of what is planned and the reasons behind the proposed investment.
3. Cost thresholds are based on the acquisition cost over the system's life.
Costs included are those for ADP equipment, software, ADP services, maintenance
services, and support services.
4. Organize the documentation based upon the cost, complexity, and the
questions in section 21.
22.1 - Requests under $5,000. Requests in this cost range can be adequately
documented in a one page letter. Use the key questions in section 21 as a guide.
22.2 - Requests from $5,000 to $25,000. Several pages will be needed to adequately
document requests in this cost range.
22.25 - Cost/Benefit Analysis. Include a clear discussion of the proposed capital
investment, expected future costs such as maintenance, and the benefits anticipated
for the Government. A spreadsheet is not explicitly required but will be an easier
way to discuss the costs and benefits than in narrative form.
22.3 - Requests from $25,001 to $50,000. Requests in this cost range should include
a cover letter and an enclosure that adequately describes the proposed capital
investment.
22.33 - Cost/Benefit Analysis. Include a clear discussion of the proposed capital
investment, expected future costs such as maintenance, and the benefits anticipated
for the Government. A spreadsheet is suggested to display the costs and benefits
along with a description of how the values were derived.
22.4 - Requests from $50,001 to $100,000.
22.41 - Cost/Benefit Analysis. A cost/benefit spreadsheet is required for each
alternative along with an explanation of how the costs and benefits were derived.