A: The project is working to finalize a plan for when both portals will be available for testing in Production Simulation and will share the details of that plan in a formal communication once available.

A: The Project will provide the option of both over-the-shoulder and virtual support to organizations post Go-Live. Implementation Leads will be coordinating with the organizations directly to understand what works best for them.

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.

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.

A: Yes, the EUST 3 feedback items have been compared against the feedback submitted during the first two EUST cycles as the Product Team reviewed each item. As part of our analysis, we reviewed the product backlog all three periods to identify recurring themes, confirm whether previously reported issues had been addressed, and assign appropriate determination type for each feedback item. We understand that some items may still appear during Production Simulation. In many cases, these items are already scheduled for updates in upcoming releases, are in progress, or require further validation to ensure the solution meets user expectations. Production Simulation is intended to provide counties with another opportunity to confirm whether previously reported items have been resolved and to surface anything that still needs attention. Our goal is to ensure counties feel heard and that feedback from all EUST cycles is thoroughly considered as we prepare for rollout.

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.

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.

A: Yes, please reach out to the Training Mailbox if you did not receive email or CARES 104 access.

A: At this time, members who are supposed to have access to the Training environment and participate in on-demand training are members who have been identified as trainers that will be attending the Train-the-Trainer program. If you fall within that category, but do not have access you have two options. First, you can message the Training Mailbox to ensure your access issue is triaged and resolved. Second, there are Train-the-Trainer office hours scheduled multiple times per week that you can join and get real time support to troubleshoot and resolve your access issues.

A: OCMAW memberships are approved through the Regional Chairs (RCs). Please ask your RC to send an email to the CWDS Implementation Mailbox.