Frequently Asked Questions
Production Simulation
Q: Will the Production Simulation environment remain available to counties following Go-Live?
A: No, Production Simulation is a practice environment to help users prepare for CWS-CARES. Once Go-Live occurs, this environment will no longer be available. There will be a training environment to support training on an ongoing basis and that training environment will have interface connectivity, using mock data.
Q: Will Production Simulation include data from the RFA Greenfield Application and the CARES-Live CANS assessment tool?
A: Yes, all state system data will be in Production Simulation. This includes CWS/CMS, CARES-Live, and RFA Greenfield data.
Q: Will Production Simulation testers be able to run all Key Performance Indicators (KPI) reports and test Tableau reports against practice data entered into the simulation environment?
A: Yes, counties will be able to run and test reports against practice data entered in Production Simulation including all Key Performance Indicators (KPI) reports and Tableau reports.
Q: Will staff be able to enter real data into Production Simulation, or will the simulation environment include test data? For example, if a screening worker enters a report/screening in CWS/CMS, will they be able to enter that same screening (with actual data) in CWS-CARES to be able to better compare real-world scenarios between the two systems?
A: Yes, Production Simulation will be loaded with real data and users will be able to enter real data to practice prior to CWS-CARES Go-Live. However, CWS/CMS will continue to be the statewide system of record for child welfare data until CWS-CARES goes live.
Q: What is the benefit of validating External System functionality in Production Simulation for systems already assessed by the CWS-CARES V1 Preliminary Scope Assessment and Gap Analysis process?
A: The CWS-CARES V1 Scope Assessments are preliminary and based on functionality descriptions provided by organizations. Production Simulation provides the opportunity for organizations to validate functionality in CWS-CARES V1 prior to go-live, in order to identify any gaps or issues that were not previously identified or documented by the gap analysis process. Use of the Production Simulation environment also allows organizations an early opportunity to validate and finalize business process changes ahead of go-live. This will minimize the effort for Fully-In-Scope decommissioning planning as validated systems can be made inactive or read-only prior to December 31, 2027.
Q: Which Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST) iteration will counties see Opeeka/IP-Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) in?
A: The Integrated Practice Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (IP-CANS) functionality, delivered through Opeeka, will be available in End User Scenario Testing (EUST) 3.
Q: How are you planning to consolidate Production Simulation feedback with existing Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST) feedback?
A: All feedback from Production Simulation and EUSTs follows the same process and is reviewed by the same team. All feedback is evaluated collectively alongside all other feedback received.
Q: Were users contacted for the Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST) 3 items that were categorized as "can't replicate?"
A: Users were contacted to request the additional information needed to accurately triage and prioritize the issue. If no response was received, the item remained categorized as 'Unable to Replicate' because the project team could not reproduce the issue without further details.
Q: Why were some users invited to provide Extended User Scenario Testing (EUST) 3 feedback and not invited to Production Simulation?
A: Participation in the current phase of Production Simulation was based on whether users participated in EUST 3. Our goal for this phase was to start with users who are already familiar with the system’s navigation and processes, so they can help validate updates and identify any remaining issues efficiently. Additional phases of Production Simulation will expand participation to a wider tester group, allowing more users to provide feedback as we progress.
Q: Will the Production Simulation environment have Foster Care Eligibility and Determination (FCED)/CalSAWS interface capability for testing/viewing?
A: Yes, the Foster Care Eligibility Determination (FCED) interface between CWS-CARES and CalSAWS will be available in the Production Simulation environment for all necessary testing and validation.