CAPP 227 questions (IT Officer)

[Holding Pattern]

I didn't really see a place for this thread, and I hope this is the best place. I'm on the IT Officer specialty track and have a few questions.

Where can I find templates for a squadron IT plan?

How about finding group, wing, and national plans?

Are these considered to be the same thing as a plan of action? If not, where are these?

Is CyberPatriots coaching/mentoring ever going to be incorporated into this track? Does doing so qualify as Unit IT lessons?

Where do all the IT officers congregate online?

I'm 2 weeks away from starting my second year in CAP as a senior member; I'm now the newly minted IT officer (we never had one before, so no mentor for me) and I want to make sure I do this job well. If you can, please answer my questions, wish me luck, and move this thread if it is in the wrong forum.

[vento]

Partial answer here
http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=18548.msg337516#msg337516

Cap-it.us is an attempt for IT to congregate, not very active though. IT guys are lonely and nerdy.

[JeffDG]

I didn't really see a place for this thread, and I hope this is the best place. I'm on the IT Officer specialty track and have a few questions.

Where can I find templates for a squadron IT plan?

How about finding group, wing, and national plans?

Are these considered to be the same thing as a plan of action? If not, where are these?

Is CyberPatriots coaching/mentoring ever going to be incorporated into this track? Does doing so qualify as Unit IT lessons?

Where do all the IT officers congregate online?

I'm 2 weeks away from starting my second year in CAP as a senior member; I'm now the newly minted IT officer (we never had one before, so no mentor for me) and I want to make sure I do this job well. If you can, please answer my questions, wish me luck, and move this thread if it is in the wrong forum.

Check in with your Group (if you have them) or Wing IT guys...I'm a former squadron ITO, current Group ITO, and Wing Asst ITO.

My first piece of advice is that IT is made up of two components:  Information is first and foremost.  Technology is a tool to achieve the appropriate flow of information.  Don't focus solely on the technology for its own sake, focus on where information either (a) flows or (b) should flow, and then see if you can find solutions (technological or otherwise) to make it flow more smoothly.

[Holding Pattern]

I have an email fired off, and now I just have to wait. Hopefully the activity in cap-it isn't indicative of how long I have to wait.

[JeffDG]

I have an email fired off, and now I just have to wait. Hopefully the activity in cap-it isn't indicative of how long I have to wait.

There are ITOs right from squadrons up to regions hanging out here, so fire any specific questions through here and you'll get plenty of help!

[Holding Pattern]

Here is a question. In Eservices internet operations, there are none listed for our site, but I know we have a website, facebook, etc.

Should these items be listed in there and is there a process document I should follow for making sure everything is properly entered?

[JeffDG]

Here is a question. In Eservices internet operations, there are none listed for our site, but I know we have a website, facebook, etc.

Should these items be listed in there and is there a process document I should follow for making sure everything is properly entered?

It's up to the unit to enter it.

The form is pretty self explanatory.

[Holding Pattern]

Another question. Is there a CAPWATCH data dump with test data in it, and is there a block of CAP member IDs reserved for testing?

[vento]

You can pretty much do whatever you want after you download the CAPWATCH database. You can decide for yourself what IDs to use for testing since you will not mess up the original data. Or you can make up your own test records.

[Tim Medeiros]

Here is a question. In Eservices internet operations, there are none listed for our site, but I know we have a website, facebook, etc.

Should these items be listed in there and is there a process document I should follow for making sure everything is properly entered?

Yes, this information is required IAW CAPR 110-1 para 11.a and 11.c

Another question. Is there a CAPWATCH data dump with test data in it, and is there a block of CAP member IDs reserved for testing?

No, but vento is right on the ball saying that the CAPWATCH DownLoad info is read-only and that it can be used as you develop your programs/reports.

[Holding Pattern]

Next fun question. One of our laptops is old enough to still have a floppy drive. How hard is it to turn this in and get a new one issued?

[Tim Medeiros]

A major computer buy is currently in progress at NHQ.  If the computer is CAP property, I would recommend contacting Wing Logistics to see about cycling the computer out based on its usable life.

[Holding Pattern]

Should I be setting up a techsoup account? I have an upcoming cadet project to build us a dedicated eservices testing/competition lab. I have several PCs but no hard drives or licenses beyond XP. It seems techsoup has been used before by many other squadrons based on my searches of these forums.

[MajorM]

Hmm.. I think the challenge you'll have is that Techsoup accounts are tied to the FEIN of your non-profit.  I have to imagine someone has already set up an account using CAP's FEIN.  I set one up using the FEIN of the non-profit corporation that helps fundraise for our unit, but that's not an option for many units.

[arajca]

The FEIN issue is not an issue. There are MANY MANY units that have TechSoup accounts tied to the same FEIN. As long as you can send the requested information in the form they want, there's no problem.

[Holding Pattern]

Looks like techsoup has everything they need now sans a written letter from the commander approving the account.

Now I'm feeling smart that I cleared this with the commander 

[Holding Pattern]

Ok, so I have some more questions.

Here are my technician activities for this job...

Activities
During the training period, each Information Technology
Technician candidate must complete at least five of the following:
1. Prepare at least one unit IT update each month, for a period
of six months.
2. Conduct at least two unit IT current event discussions.
3. Conduct a unit IT lesson or activity for using necessary
hardware and software to manage unit affairs.
4. Develop one automated information tool for use by unit
leadership for analysis of measurable performance data.
5. Complete the online OPSEC awareness training.
6. Become familiar with and provide updates as needed to the
squadron, group, wing, and national IT plans.
7. Attend a wing or region IT Activity, an online IT Workshop,
or an Annual Conference IT Seminar.

How many IT Officers have done item 4?

On item 7, do those have to be CAP IT workshops, and CAP Annual Conference IT Seminars?

[Eclipse]

On item 7, do those have to be CAP IT workshops, and CAP Annual Conference IT Seminars?

Yes.

[Holding Pattern]

On item 7, do those have to be CAP IT workshops, and CAP Annual Conference IT Seminars?

Yes.

Darn. So Defcon doesn't count. 

So... where are these mystical CAP online IT workshops?

I'm presuming that me holding a teamspeak meeting with cadets for Cyberpatriot training doesn't count...

[Eclipse]

So... where are these mystical CAP online IT workshops?

Like the mythical CAP IT forums, they exist only in someones's mind's eye, and if you look directly at them they disappear.

You probably only have two options - request that the approver of the rating for you waive the requirement based on it not being
possible to complete the participation in a reasonable time, or push for a seminar at your next Wing or Region conference, etc.

One of the reasons I didn't bother with IT, even though I've been doing it for CAP for 15 years and it's my profession, is that
due to the lack of standards, plans, resources, and attention, several of the requirements were all but impossible to complete
without much more effort then they are worth.