DECCS Industry Feedback

Request for Approval Under Generic Survey of Routine Customer Feedback (OMB Control Number: 1405-0193)

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION:

Defense Export Control and Compliance System (DECCS) Industry Feedback – Directorate of Defense Trade Controls IT Modernization Initiative Beta Testing.

PURPOSE:

The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) of the Department of State has both statutory and delegated authority to regulate the export and temporary import of defense-related goods and defense services under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.) and its implementing regulations, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) (22 CFR 120-130).

Because of the unique needs of DDTC to collect very specific data from exporters in the defense industry, and the need to share that data with Federal interagency partners, a multitude of information technology systems have historically been used, each performing a discrete function. As new programmatic requirements have been promulgated, whether in response to new legislation, changing geopolitical events, or interagency requirements, the IT systems which DDTC uses have become outmoded and obsolete. Moreover, as the information security posture of the United States Government has transformed and improved, DDTC’s legacy systems have been unable to keep pace with the changes that are required of Executive agencies. In response to these changing circumstances, in 2016 DDTC began a modernization initiative that will replace its legacy IT systems with a single portal case management system (CMS) which will allow both industry users and DDTC staff to smoothly and securely navigate the registration, licensing, and compliance functions of the Directorate.

This DECCS Industry Feedback information collection will allow industry users to provide feedback on the new IT system (DECCS) as the phased implementation of the CMS begins. Because the focus of the CMS will be on user experience, information security, and usability, it is very important for DDTC staff to receive accurate and timely feedback so that the system can achieve the greatest possible buy-in and be reflexive to the needs of industry.

As DECCS is developed and readied to deploy, DDTC will open a beta-test version of the new software to a small group of volunteer industry users. This testing will occur on a first-come, first-served basis up to a maximum group of 100 users. All traders who import or export defense articles or defense services must be registered with DDTC and have a valid license for each shipment; therefore, the information collected during testing will already be available to users who volunteer to test the CMS. Information collected on the feedback form will be:

• Application type,

• Registration type,

• License type,

• DECCS account category

• Comments

• Overall Experience scale

Not all information will be required of all users in each case. The burden for this feedback form is estimated to be approximately 5 minutes for each user, with a total burden of eight and half hours for providing feedback on user experience with DECCS.