CONTACTS 
0201 - Corps of Engineers, SFD            415 977 8400 fax 8483
020101 - Mr. Thompson F. Keesling, Architect; Assistant Chief =415 977 8473
020102 - Construction Operations Division =415 977 8480
0202 - Corps of Engineers, SFD            415 977 8400 fax 8483
020201 - Mr. Max R. Blodgett, II, P.E., L.S.
020202 - Chief =415 977 8444; Construction Operations Division =415 977 8480

SUBJECTS
COE Evaluation Communication Metrics
Analysis, Review, Research
Institutionalize Communication Metrics
CE HQ Evaluation, Wider Use Comm Metrics
Change Management, HQ
Intranets, 970516
Partnering, Dispute Resolution
Intranets for Project Infomration

1810 -    ..
1811 - Summary/Objective
1812 -
181201 - Follow up ref SDS 14 0000, ref SDS 13 0000.
181202 -
181203 - Review of initiatives on intranets and Common Administration and
181204 - Concurrent Dispute Resolution (CACDR), loosely called "partnering,"
181205 - are still pending.
181206 -
181207 - Mike plans to call Jim tomorrow on his review of Communication
181208 - Metrics.  Considered support for Mike to produce a written report.
181209 - Tom advised a presentation on Lotus Notes was made by at USACE
181210 - meetings in Burlingame 3 weeks ago, which showed advantages of SDS for
181211 - Communication Metrics.  Max recalled hearing at meetings in Burlingame
181212 - that USACE is developing a system of business metrics, but feels it is
181213 - not yet a high profile intiative.  Discussed with Tom that Mike could
181214 - report to Jim on using Communication Metrics as foundation for
181215 - Business Metrics, since communication is the primary instrument of
181216 - management and leadership.
181217 -
181218 -
181219 -
181220 -  ..
1813 -
1814 -
1815 - Discussion
1816 -
181601 -  ..
181602 - Common Administration Concurrent Dispute Resolution, Intranets
181603 -
181604 - Tom has not read the proposal on Common Administration and Concurrent
181605 - Dispute Resolution (CACDR), ref DIP 4 1213. which enhances USACE
181606 - "partnering" objectives, as developed on 971021. ref SDS 15 0621
181607 -
181608 - It was unclear if he has read the review and ideas on applying
181609 - intranets to support CADCR and RMS, ref DIP 5 1208, discussed
181610 - yesterday. ref SDS 18 8499
181611 -
181612 - Tom feels these opportunities reflect the wide range of opportunities
181613 - for USACE to use Communication Metrics.
181614 -
181615 - In my discussion with Max, below, later in the day, I explained these
181616 - initiatives.
181617 -
181618 -
181619 -
181620 -  ..
181621 - Mike Grebinski Reviewing Communication Metrics
181622 -
181623 - Tom has not yet read the notes, ref DIP 6, of our meeting on 971029,
181624 - ref SDS 18, and my discussion with Jim Jones yesterday. ref SDS 19
181625 -
181626 - Tom called Mike yesterday.  Mike confirmed that he has both reports on
181627 - 970328, ref DRP 1 6172, and on 971007, ref DRP 3, per the discussion
181628 - with Tom on 971029. ref SDS 18 7399
181629 -
181630 -     In my discussion with Max, later in the day, I explained these
181631 -     efforts to support Mike's review. ref SDS 0 5488
181632 -
181633 - Mike indicated to Tom that he is about half-way through the first
181634 - report. ref DRP 1 6172.  He told Tom that the report is very well
181635 - written and asked about the writing.  Tom explained that the writing
181636 - was a collaborative effort using Communication Metrics support and
181637 - input from District staff who interacted with this methodology during
181638 - the Welch contract last year, see appendix A. ref DRP 1 5543
181639 -
181640 -  ..
181641 -
181642 - Tom advised this morning that Mike plans to call Jim Jones tomorrow,
181643 - per our understandings with Mike on 971020, ref SDS 14 8399, and
181644 - discussion with Tom yesterday. ref SDS 18 8399
181645 -
181646 - I explained discussions with Jim yesterday about the importance of
181647 - getting a written report from Mike to provide an opportunity for
181648 - careful thinking, build commitment (buy-in) and to develop a record of
181649 - broad based support, per ref SDS 19 3886, and my letter to Jim. see
181650 - ref DIP 6
181651 -
181652 - Tom noted that if we can get a memo from Mike, this can be used with
181653 - the District's two reports to get further buy-in from others toward
181654 - creating the faith and concensus Jim described in our discussion on
181655 - 971017. ref SDS 12 0941 and ref SDS 12 3897
181656 - ..
181657 - Tom explained having suggested that Mike meet with Welch for a
181658 - demonstration of the technology.
181659 -
181660 - Tom expects to talk to Mike tomorrow after Mike's discussion with Jim
181661 - Jones.
181662 - ..
181663 - We considered suggesting that Mike can ask Tom to prepare a
181664 - draft memo for Mike to edit and submit to Jim, and that I can support
181665 - this effort to accomplish timely reporting, per my letter to Jim, ref
181666 - DIP 6 line 29.
181667 -
181668 -      [On 971104, Jim refused to ask Mike for a written report and
181669 -      instead relied on Mike's explanation of verbal impressions from
181670 -      having read the Communication Metrics report. ref SDS 20 1621]
181671 -
181672 -
181673 -
181674 -
1817 -

SUBJECTS
Lotus Notes & IBM, 910625
SDS Design Unique, Automated Management
Communication Metrics Management Science to Apply Technology
Automated Integration of Management Tasks
Operating System for People & Organizations
Keesling Evaluation, DE Review Comm Metrics Report
Metrics for Business Processes
Belmont Meeting Disagrees with Tom Keesling about Usefulness of SDS C

3211 -
321101 -  ..
321102 - DE Recognizes Com Metrics is Supported by District Management
321103 - Lotus Notes Lacks SDS Capability to Support Communication Metrics
321104 -
321105 - Tom related a question he asked on 971006 during briefings by HQUSACE
321106 - staff held in Burlingame on improving business processes, ref SDS 7
321107 - line 147, ref SDS 8 4820
321108 -
321109 - He asked the General giving a presention on Lotus Notes to demonstrate
321110 - how he can link, track or assemble information in Lotus Notes based on
321111 - context of subjects for contract specifications, FAR requirements,
321112 - project work history, action item, schedule node, policy, procedure,
321113 - or similar control criteria?
321114 -
321115 - The General said Lotus Notes cannot do this, which is consistent with
321116 - comments by IBM marketing representatives who sell LN reported on
321117 - 940519. ref SDS 1 0770
321118 - ..
321119 - The General's explanation of Lotus Notes supports discussions
321120 - with CESPN-DE, LTC Thompson on 970624.  SDS is the only technology
321121 - that provides automated integration of time, information, people,
321122 - documents and subjects (meaning), which is necessary for Communication
321123 - Metrics, ref SDS 5 4887.
321124 -
321125 - Tom recalled that CESPN-DE, LTC Richard Thompson, was sitting next to
321126 - him at this meeting in Burlingame, and after the General's response,
321127 - LTC Thompson wispered to Tom in an aside that he recognized Tom's
321128 - question was based on the District's report explaining cost savings
321129 - using SDS for Communication Metrics.
321130 -
321131 - Tom said this is the only time LTC Thompson has said anything to him
321132 - about the report given to LTC Thompson on 970624, ref SDS 5 8492,
321133 - other than advising on 970911 that he had read it, ref SDS 6 7493.
321134 -
321135 -     [On 980520 Tom advised that LTC Thompson is using LN as an email
321136 -     program to make assignments. ref SDS 23 3948]
321137 - ..
321138 - LTC Thompson never submitted any analysis, authority, published
321139 - study nor evidence of any kind to support failing to to approve using
321140 - Com Metrics to reduce the cost to the government of $20M more than was
321141 - justified by the project record on the Oakland Harbor project.
321142 -
321143 -
321144 -
321145 -
321146 -  ..
3212 -
3213 -
3214 - 1224 called Max
3215 -
321501 - Welcomed Max back from vacation.  He was in Moroco, Portugal and
321502 - Spain, but did not see any bull fights, and did not partcipate in the
321503 - Running of the Bulls.
321504 -
321505 - I explained status of review for Communication Metrics, including
321506 - Tom's discussions with Mike Grebinski, per above.
321507 -
321508 -
321509 -  ..
321510 - Business Metrics for Communication Can Improve District Management
321511 -
321512 - I asked Max if "business metrics" which was discussed at the meetings
321513 - in Burlingame on reengineering USACE business processes, ref SDS 8
321514 - 4820, is a high profile objective within USACE?
321515 -
321516 - In that case it would be worthwhile to show how Communication Metrics
321517 - can be a strong component of a business metrics program. CESPN-DE
321518 - proposed a system of business metrics in the draft Operations Plan,
321519 - ref SDS 4 0944.
321520 -
321521 - Max indicated that "business metrics" was discussed in Burlingame, but
321522 - he feels it is not a familiar term Corps-wide.
321523 -
321524 -
321525 -  ..
3216 -
3217 -
3218 - 1328 called Tom
3219 -
321901 - We considered potential of Tom to discuss with Mike tomorrow a plan to
321902 - submit Communication Metrics to DE as a component of the broader USACE
321903 - objective to apply "business metrics."
321904 -
321905 -      [On 971105 began Interent project to deliver "intelligence" that
321906 -      supports "business metrics". ref SDS 21 1459]
321907 -
321908 -      [Followed up with HQUSACE on 971202. ref SDS 22 2895]
321909 -
321910 - Tom said he generally recalls "Business Metrics" being explained at
321911 - the Burlingame meetings.  He said Mike attended those meetings.
321912 - ..
321913 - Tom will review his notes on how Business Metrics was presented
321914 - and consider discussing this idea with Mike tomorrow.
321915 -
321916 -     Seems like there should have been briefing books and/or official
321917 -     notes of understandings on the results of these meetings in
321918 -     Burlingame, since this was a major initiative by USACE command.
321919 -
321920 -     Cannot these materials be culled for a reference to "Business
321921 -     Metrics"?
321922 -
321923 -         [Tom advised on 971031 there were no briefing materials and no
321924 -         notes were issued on results of the USACE meetings in
321925 -         Burlingame.]
321926 -         ..
321927 -         This presents an opportunity for Communication Metircs
321928 -         to provide support for USACE commanders, executives, managers
321929 -         and engineers on preparing for meetings, and to create and
321930 -         maintain shared meaning, and follow up on results of meetings.
321931 -
321932 -            [Discussed at Communication Metrics presentation to USACE
321933 -            HQ on 971202. ref SDS 22 2606]
321934 -
321935 -     Actually, Business Metrics is similar to business controls, or
321936 -     management controls, which is quite common in systems like
321937 -     accounting, budgeting, cost control, schedule control C/SCSC.
321938 -
321939 -     The orginial impulse to use Communication Metrics arose from the
321940 -     Kerzner lectures on 950202 that discussed cost and schedule
321941 -     control.  The words "control" and "metric" were used at the
321942 -     conference interchangeably. ref SDS 2 6690   I later added
321943 -     "communication" to the list of traditional business processes that
321944 -     can be improved by a system of controls or metrics, ref SDS 3
321945 -     2108.
321946 -
321947 -
321948 -
321949 -
3220 -