DWA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Below are questions about the DWA in general. (For questions about a particular system, see Student FAQ or HR FAQ or Financials FAQs.)
- What is DWA?
- What does DWA stand for?
- Why do we need the DWA?
- With the current budget crisis, should we continue with the DWA project?
- When will I begin using DWA applications?
- How will DWA affect me?
- Could I lose my job as a result of the DWA?
- Will I be trained?
- Who is working on the DWA?
- What is a SME?
- What is a tiger team?
- What is DWA?
- The DWA is an unprecedented, large-scale project to replace the district's aging and inefficient business systems with an integrated and improved Student Information System, Human Resources System, and Financial System.
- What does DWA stand for?
- District Wide Applications.
It turns out a lot of people in the district didn't know that. So, they made up some creative definitions. Here are a few for your amusement:
- Data With Attitude
- Due When Available
- Drive Way Alarms
- District Women with Attitude
- Desperately Want Access
- Dutch Wrestling Alliance
- Just remember, it's really District Wide Applications
- Why do we need the DWA?
- The district's current office applications are no longer a viable solution
for the business needs of an organization the size and complexity of San
Diego City Schools. For years we have struggled with the reporting capabilities
that are required by federal and local agencies as we go about our daily
business. Our business processes are based on a "paper" system
that is slow and inefficient for our current business needs.
The DWA is the central piece of the strategies outlined by Ronne Froman, Chief of Business Services, to improve efficiency and effectiveness. In these times of budget crisis, the long-needed efficiencies that the DWA will bring are crucial to the operations of the district. Making San Diego City Schools a more effective and efficient organization will result in a substantial return on investment. We are committed to using those savings to support teaching and learning.
- With the current budget crisis, should we continue with the DWA project?
- Yes. The efficiencies that the DWA will bring to the district are an important part of coping with the reduction of funding from the state. In addition, the DWA will improve the district's ability to recover costs and maximize revenue. As Deberie Gomez, the original Executive Sponsor of the Human Resources part of the project said, "Asking whether we should still do the DWA project is like asking whether we should buy textbooks for children. The DWA is that critical to the success of the district."
- When will I begin using DWA applications?
- That depends on your job and which applications you will be using:
- For the deployment schedule of the Zangle student system and 4GL special ed system, see DWA-Student Time Line.
- For the deployment schedule of the PeopleSoft Human Capital Management system, see DWA-HR Time Line. (This system will be used by HR employees initially and eventually by all district employees for self-service.)
- For the deployment schedule of the PeopleSoft Financials and Supply Chain Management systems, see DWA-Financials Time Line.
- How will the DWA affect me?
- The DWA will bring numerous changes to the district. For information on how it will affect employees, parents, and students, see the DWA-How will it affect me? section of this web site.
- Could I lose my job as a result of the DWA?
- The DWA will change the way the district does business to dramatically improve our operations. As a result, some jobs may be eliminated, and others may change. It's also important to keep in mind that some new jobs may be created. It is too soon to know which jobs will be impacted, but the DWA team is committed to communicating process changes and training district personnel to use these state-of-the-art software systems.
- Will I be trained?
- Yes. The district is committed to fully training personnel to use the DWA applications. As training schedules are developed, they will be posted on this web site. Keep checking the Training page.
- Who is working on the DWA?
- It takes a great number of people working together to successfully implement a project of the scale of the DWA. See DWA Team for a complete list.
- What is a SME?
- Subject Matter Expert. These are district employees who have been identified as having expertise in one or more areas affected by the DWA. The DWA tiger teams and vendor support staff will be working closely with SMEs to implement the DWA. Some SMEs are assigned to the DWA project full-time, while others are half-time or less, or are consulted on an as-needed basis. For a list of the SMEs participating in the DWA project, see DWA-Student Team, DWA-HR Team, and DWA-Financial Team.
- What is a tiger team?
- A tiger team is a small group of district employees representing the functional and technical areas of each system. The DWA has three tiger teams: Student, HR, and Financial. The tiger teams are the full-time, core group of the project and have been working on the DWA since its inception.
