Component 4: A communication process and training plan to educate the campus community about Section 508 procurement requirements and the established procedures

Communication Process

Communications is the methodology to explain or educate the campus community about the ATI and how it affects departments and individuals responsible for initiating E&IT purchases. Cal Poly anticipates using a staged approach and a variety of methods to communicate to the campus about ATI in general and to affected individuals about the procurement plan specifically. These include:

1. Expanding the existing campus accessibility website to include links to the procurement plan and related policies, practices and resources.
2. Distributing information via online publications, such as the weekly employee newsletter, Cal Poly Report, and the Campus Announcements channel on the MyCalPoly portal.
3. Distributing broadcast messages via email to all employees to inform them of implementation plans and related policies and practices, and to provide links to websites for more information.
4. Conducting regular open forums and/or other venues (e.g., town hall meetings, focus groups, etc.) to share information and answer questions about related plans, policies and practices. This would include inviting departments who have gone through the Section 508 procurement process to share what they learned and experienced. The primary audience would be managers and administrative support staff. However, technical support staff and faculty may also attend.
5. Distributing targeted mailings and reminder notices to individuals most impacted by each phase of the implementation plan. Such mailings might include links to more information, invitations to attend open forums for sharing information and answering questions, etc.
6. Using frequently-asked-questions to capture and respond to commonly asked questions.
7. Conducting training in the areas of most interest and confusion based on feedback from users.

In March 2007, Cal Poly implemented a new “Policy on Decisions to Acquire or Develop Software Applications and Services” and related standards and practices. The Software Decision Process requires the User/Requestor to complete a checklist for any software acquisition exceeding $5,000. The checklist requires software to be evaluated for ADA compliance and vendors are being asked to submit a completed VPAT to the E&IT Campus Compliance Officer for review and approval before the purchase is made. Prior to announcing the new practice at an open forum, Contracts and Procurement Services and Information Technology Services piloted the checklist with individuals who were in the process of acquiring software. Based on feedback from those users, the process was modified. A similar process will be employed as new elements of the plan are implemented.

Training Plan

Training is the methodology to explain to or educate all individuals involved with the Section 508 procurement process.  This plan assumes the CSU Chancellor’s Office will provide some initial training for the E&IT Campus Compliance Officer and C&PS Buyers to help them better understand Section 508 and how it impacts procurement, their roles and responsibilities, available resources and support sources, interpreting the VPAT and understanding exemptions.

Initially, training related to each implementation will be accomplished primarily through individual consultation on specific procurements.  In addition, ATI in general and the procurement plan specifically will be discussed in a wide variety of constituent group forums, starting with the Executive Management Staff, Academic Deans Council, Instructional Department Heads Council, Academic Senate, College and Division Managers, Local Area Network Coordinators, Campus Computing Advisory Committees, and, via Open Forums, to Administrative Support Staff. This training will focus on the project overview, implementation schedule, campus processes and resources, and the roles and responsibilities of management and offices in the process.

ITS and C&PS will coordinate regular presentations and dissemination of information to faculty and staff who initiate purchases. This training will focus on understanding the roles and responsibilities of the User/Requestor, available resources and support services, forms, checklists and procedures, market research and evaluating vendor checklists, and addressing their specific issues and concerns.  Online documentation and self-service documentation will be used as much as possible so as to minimize the impact on existing staff.  The need to develop a formal training plan will be reviewed.

ITS will work through the LAN Coordinators listserv and meetings to help college and department LAN Coordinators and ITS Technical Consultant(s) understand their roles and responsibilities in the process, market research, evaluating products for conformance with 508 technical standards, etc. Initially, ITS employees will be more heavily involved in the technical evaluation process in order to adequately train the LAN Coordinators on the standards. In addition, Cal Poly is looking to the CSU Chancellor’s Office to provide links to available resources, support for product testing and evaluation as well as a clearinghouse (database) of compliant products.

ITS and C&PS will work with vendors as the need arises to help them understand Section 508 standards, adherence to Cal Poly and CSU requirements, and their roles and responsibilities in the process, including completion of the VPAT.

Detailed training plans and schedules will be developed as needed based on campus timelines.