EPA and States are cooperating on the planning phase of a new process to replace the Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS). The process is being guided by the ICIS Modernization Board, which includes state and EPA leaders from the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act enforcement programs and enterprise information management.
CHALLENGE
The Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) – EPA’s principal compliance and enforcement data system – is quickly approaching the end of its lifecycle. Co-regulators need a modern system to effectively and efficiently collect, manage, and share the data that underpin compliance and enforcement programs. A modernized system will lower operation, maintenance, and development costs; deploy shared reusable services to reduce the information technology investment of EPA and States; comply with EPA’s electronic reporting requirements; and be adaptable, flexible, and able to match the speed of EPA and state regulatory changes.
BENEFITS
With support from E-Enterprise, EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance has convened a Modernization Board (Board) to guide the planning and development of a new compliance and enforcement information system. The Board provides a venue for EPA, state, tribal, and local agencies with responsibility for Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System or Clean Air Act stationary source authorized programs to discuss ICIS modernization work and ensure that needs of their organizations are considered throughout the project.
The Board developed a Concept of Operations (ConOps) focused primarily on the issues with the current system and is taking the steps necessary to gather information that will help guide subsequent phases of modernization. The Board wants to ensure that it can:
- Identify major business functions (e.g., workload management), business process flows, and inputs/outputs that will be supported by a future system that will replace ICIS and
- Capture business requirements that describe user expectations for a prospective enforcement, compliance, and case management information system.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The Board, established by charter in 2021 under the governance of the E-Enterprise Leadership Council, is comprised of 10 state and local members and seven EPA members representing air and water programs, regions, and enterprise information management offices. The Board held its kickoff meeting in May 2021 and oversaw the development of the ConOps document delivered in March 2022. In 2023, the Board used the ConOps document and state survey responses to further refine the scope of ICIS modernization.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Board will meet regularly to guide the development of high-level requirements, conceptual and functional data models, and a product design roadmap, which will lay the groundwork for future phases.
The Board will perform iterative review of work products as they are developed by the ICIS Modernization Focus Areas and will facilitate joint planning, input, and communication among stakeholders to ensure an inclusive approach that is driven by customer business needs.