numbers of documents are under review. The systems provide keyword-in-context (kwic) capabilities, location of records using single or multiple coded or free-text data elements, and on-line entry, edit and report production. 6. Legislative history index. For storage, retrieval, and on-line update of voluminous legislative histories. The first legislative history index prepared using this system was of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, prepared at the request of the Congressional Budget Office. The ten volumes of hearings, reports and other documents comprising the history are available on microfilm. ECONOMETRIC MODELING Three econometric modeling services are available on subscription to committees of the Senate: Chase Econometric Associates, Data Resources, Inc., and Wharton Econometric Forecasting Associates. These models provide the capability to test forecasts of U.S. economic conditions, elements of consumptive expenditure, investment, foreign trade, employment, and other items of national interest, and to study the possible economic effects of alternate government policies. The principal users within the Senate are the Committee on the Budget and the Joint Economic Committee. The Committee on Rules and Administration supports this activity through participation in the negotiation of the master (hill-wide) contracts under which services to Senate committees are provided, authorizing the installation of equipment needed to use the services, approval of sub-contracts for payment of computer expenses incurred with the commercial vendors, and providing technical assistance as needed. GEOGRAPHIC REPORTING SYSTEM The Geographic Reporting System (GRS) provides Senators and committees, on request, with special analyses of information regarding the distribution of federal funds, received annually from the Community Services Administration (CSA). The The GRS reports supplement the books published by CSA with special extracts and calculations, and with different arrangements of the information. For example, through GRS, per capita grant amounts for a state can be compared with per capita grant amounts for another state, a group of selected states, or with the entire nation. Also, the distribution of program amounts among all or selected counties could be produced. In response to requests from Senators and committees, 25 different reports for the analysis of single-year files, each with 13 variations, have been developed. In addition, multi-year reports at county level can be prepared. Selected demographic data from the Bureau of the Census or other sources can be included in the analysis of federal fund data. RELATED ACTIVITIES Other related activities included: On-going participation with the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, other committees, and the General Accounting Office in the development of an inventory of federal programs, and the procedures for collection of program level data from agencies. On-going participation with the Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards and other agencies in the development of the Decision Information Display System (DIDS). On-going participation with the Office of Management and Budget and organizations representing state and local governments in the improvement of information on federal assistance awards in response to P.L. 95-220. Quarterly data tapes from the new Federal Awards Assistance Data System (FAADS) will be supplied to the Senate. Use of this data by Senators and committees is now in the planning stage. Regular discussions with staff of the Congressional Budget Office, House Information Systems, and the General Accounting Office to share information and capabilities and to coordinate efforts on ongoing and contemplated projects. Assistance to the Committee on Rules and Administration in the consideration of requests for approval of contracts for commercial timesharing services and monitoring of such services. Assistance to the Committee on Rules and Administration in the preparation of reports required by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Participation in seminars on budgetary and geographic information systems. OFFICE OF THE SERGEANT AT ARMS (SARMAN) Equipment and services as authorized by the Committee on Rules and Administration are provided through the Office of the Sergeant at Arms. The Office consists of the Service, Parking, and Telecommunications Departments; the Capital Police; and the Computer Center. SERVICE DEPARTMENT This department is responsible for supplying non-computer office equipment such as automatic typewriters and mailroom equipment to the Senate offices. The Computer Center has installed an on-line inventory system to assist the department in controlling the authorized equipment. The department also prepares, addresses, and mails newsletters for Senator's offices using labels produced by the Computer Center and enforces the franking rules as they pertain to newsletters. CAPITOL POLICE The Capitol Police are governed by the three man Capitol Police Board, one of whose members is the Senate Sergeant at Arms. The Rules Committee has authorized the Sergeant at Arms to implement the information system support requirements for time and attendance, inventory control, etc., submitted by the Capitol Police and he has directed the Computer Center to prepare an implementation schedule. PARKING DEPARTMENT This department was established to develop a method for efficient use of the available parking space and to administer the allocation of this space. To this end, the on-line Parking System was developed and is operational in the Computer Center. TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT This department is responsible for the supply and management of telecommunications services to the Senate offices. The Computer Center has developed a system which processes the telephone company billing tapes to assist in auditing these voluminous records. SENATE COMPUTER CENTER The Senate Computer Center (SCC) is located in a building separated from the main Senate office buildings but maintains a facility in the Dirksen Building. The facility was moved from G-116 to B-106 and expanded during the past year to make computer services and distribution of reports more accessible and convenient to Senate offices. The SCC is equipped with two IBM 370/158-3 computers with associated processors operating under OS/MVS. Online processing support to Senators' Washington and state offices is provided through a to network of private cable, dial-up, and leased carrier facilities connected either data switching equipment or to the COMTEN 3690 communications processors located at the SCC. The COMTEN units also provide data communications to the Library of Congress and other outside computer services. All Senators and most committees are furnished computer terminals to access and add to various data bases. All data bases are initiated and maintained by responsible user offices via terminals in those offices. There is no data entry facility in the SCC. PLANNING TASK FORCES From time to time, joint studies are conducted by staff of the Sergeant at Arms and the Rules Committee to investigate new activities and consider changes to existing applications and equipment. The Planning Group on Resource Requirements recommended the purchase of two associated processors and the addition of 2 megabytes of core to each computer system. An advertisement of our intention to purchase this equipment was published in the Commerce Business Daily and after evaluating many responses, IBM was selected to supply the equipment. The Planning Group on Resource Requirements also recommended the purchase of the installed IBM 3350 disk sub systems and the procurement of an additional 5.08 billion bytes of 3350 equivalent disk storage. The Rules Committee approved the purchase of the installed IBM equipment and authorized a competitive procurement of additional disk storage. An advertisement was placed in the Commerce Business Daily soliciting bids for the 3350 equivalent equipment using the IBM equipment as trade-in. All responses were evaluated and the Control Data Corporation was chosen to supply the new equipment. The Telecommunications Task Force recommended that the Senate exercise an option provided in the contract agreed to under RFP 75-1 to purchase the installed COMTEN 3690's. This was approved by the Rules Committee. The Telecommunications Task Force developed specifications for replacement ASCII video display and teleprinter terminals. RFP 80-1 was issued on May 1, 1980, and replies were received on June 16, 1980. The CRT portion was subsequently cancelled and the teleprinter award was made to Anderson-Jacobsen, Inc., for their model AJ 833. Installation of these teleprinter terminals began in November and will continue in phased increments over the next year. Senate RFP 79-6, issued on November 19, 1979, for optical character recognition equipment, was awarded to Scan-Optics, Inc., for their System 540. The equipment has undergone acceptance testing and is in operation. The equipment will be used to read 'returned newsletters to automatically delete the name and address records from the Newsletter mail files. OFFICE SYSTEMS Members of the United States Senate must be responsive to inquiries on specific legislative issues and requests for assistance from their constituents. Consequently, Senators must allocate a substantial portion of their staff to drafting and typing letters in response to constituent inquiries, filing correspondence, and in maintaining management control over the entire process. Our objective in this area is to provide services and equipment to Senators in their Washington and state offices in an orderly, controlled, and cost effective manner to assist them in their legislative and constituent duties. CORRESPONDENCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS) The correspondence management system was a new and innovative method of answering correspondence when first installed five years ago. The system has evolved and improved over these years by incorporating new functions identified and requested by offices. For instance, a correspondence tracking function is now being added. Other functions which have been identified and not incorporated because they could not be melded in the design of the present CMS system are being considered for the next generation of the office system. Some features being considered for next generation service are: (1) giving the office a choice of: local or remote processing local or remote storage any combination of the above, (2) communications between state and Washington offices for word processing, facsimile transmission, electronic mail, (3) integration of word processing for drafting letters, speeches, reports, and scheduling. Specifications for this service will be produced in 1981. OFFICE WORK STATION This project remains in pilot state. The Joint Committee on Printing is now evaluating the economies of the system. |