Cal-E-Force User Hub

As of July 1, 2021 all legacy actives contracts have been migrated to Cal-E-Force.  Final migration efforts for 5 years of inactive contracts will be complete in June 2022.  

The Salesforce website can provide the most up-to-date information on which browsers should be used on your device. For PC users, ETP has found multiple issues using Internet Explorer (IE) and it is recommended to use the most recent version of Chrome. For Apple users, many of the browsers have reported issues especially when the browser being used is out-of-date. If you are having issues the first step would be to update your browser software. For more detailed information on Salesforce browser compatibility please use the following links:

SalesForce’s Browser Troubleshoot Guide

SalesForce’s New Google Chrome Extension (optional)

ETP is nearing the final stages for completion of Cal-E-Force Implementation. In July 2021 all contract management functions for ETP contracts will be performed in Cal-E-Force.  ETP will complete the new ETP application in early fall 2021 and also implement process to manage ETP grants. As defined in the initial project planning documents, enhancements and new features will continue to be developed and deployed. Decommissioning of the legacy systems is planned for the later fall 2021. The schedule was adjusted to allow for ETP to respond to changing work conditions brought on by the pandemic.

These phases will build on: (1) key features of the Salesforce Government Cloud; (2) inputs and needs of the Stakeholders that will use Cal-E-Force; and (3) automated support for internal ETP management of training application process and contract management. Each phase will include refined ETP business rules that are set by the ETP Policy Committee, ETP Executives and the Panel.

ETP business re-engineering is not part of this automated project. ETP has a procedure established to review and streamline business processes, this done through the ETP Policy Committee. The Cal-E-Force system is updated based on approved business processes.  For example, a new ETP application process is being defined.  Once approved, Cal-E-Force will be modified to meet the new business needs.  More information on those meetings and outputs are posted on the ETP website and part of the Panel Meeting agendas.

Having external stakeholders involved in each phase of Cal-E-Force deployment is part of the ETP commitment to transparency and delivering automation to streamline it processes.  The definition of Cal-E-Force features for stakeholders was done through a series of requirements, demonstration and input sessions. These sessions continued throughout system development and deployment As part of the operational enhancements processes, external stakeholders will continue to be involved when the change involves features they use. These sessions will include: 

• General recommendation sessions on functionality – what is working and not working for external users. These will be schedule following System Roll Out as general recommendations have already been collected for the first major releases 
• As functionality is developed, demonstration sessions of prototypes for contract management features. 
• Guided video tour and prototype review sessions. These will focus on the application management components of Cal-E-Force 
• Modifications of features as needed based on prototype sessions. 
• Availability of updated Cal-E-Force functionality in a sandbox environment so that users can be comfortable with system features. This will be possible as part of the training efforts for the full System Roll Out. 

Cal-E-Force was built so that its use could be phased in. The use of the system for contract management does not require the completion of the application processes as that data can be loaded into Cal-E-Force. This allows for ETP to determine “when” new contracts will start to be managed using Cal-E-Force. All active ETP contracts are now in Cal-E-Force and new contracts will be added each month for contract management.

ETP received more than 750 inputs for the development Cal-E-Force. The vast majority of inputs were about providing: (1) a user-friendly platform, (2) a site with simple navigation, (3) the ability to upload and export employer training data; and (4) more reporting options for external users. We believe the Cal-E-Force solution based on the Salesforce Government Cloud meets these stakeholder requirements. The ETP Online project team has also incorporated specific design items supplied by external stakeholders. During the last month the final features for  MEC contract management functionality were developed and deployed. The team continues to receive and track additional suggestions from customers. Many of these suggestions were incorporated into the system in the summer of 2020. Final inputs for the application management processes will be done by fall 2021. 

Cal-E-Force is based on the Salesforce Government Cloud platform. This platform is specifically designed for use by U.S Federal, State, and local government customers; U.S. government contractors; and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers. Salesforce uses a variety of methods to ensure customer’s data is safe, secure and available only to registered users, including ETP users. When ETP users access Cal-E-Force using a supported web browser, Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology protects your information using both server authentication and data encryption. Salesforce is also approved under the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), one of the highest security ratings.

Cal-E-Force has also ensured that appropriate data access features are part of the system design and that user authentication will meet both state and federal requirements. Lastly, the trainee confidential data (social security number) is masked from the time of input. It is only view-able for auditing and billing purposes.

Please see the 2 provided Salesforce documents for more information on security features:

Salesforce Security Privacy and Architecture

Salesforce Security White Paper for Government Cloud

Reports that you have access to can be filtered to show desired results as needed. For example, subcontractors who manage multiple contracts, the reports will automatically default to show results for all of your contracts at once. However, the report can easily filtered to show results by individual contracts by clicking on the filter button (funnel icon) and selecting the contract number you would like to display. Click here to view directions on how to access and filter reports.

Save your completed upload file as a “CSV (Comma Delimited)” if using a Windows PC, or “Comma Separated Values (.csv)” if using Mac/Apple. Click here to view screenshot examples of which file types should be used. 

Helpful Tips:

• Don’t use commas in your CSV. (For example, use the number “1500”, instead of “1,500”
• Never reuse a CSV. Make all edits while the file is still an Excel spreadsheet and then save as a CSV. If additional edits are needed, open a new Excel spreadsheet and save as a new CSV when done.