New Top Screen User’s Manual

On Monday DHS posted a new CSAT Top Screen User’s Manual to their Chemical Security Web site. As I noted in my Tuesday blog, the Change Log in the new manual provides a brief listing of the changes and none of those changes seem to be major. Today I’ll look at the changes in some detail. Revised Set of CVI Authorizing Statements Before a new facility is allowed to complete a Top Screen the user will be required to read and acknowledge the contents of the “CVI Authorizing Statements” screen. This screen provides an abbreviated explanation of the CVI rules; those rules necessary to protect the Top Screen submission documents. This is done because the vast majority of facilities that complete a Top Screen will be found not to be a high-risk facility and will have no other contact with CSAT. DHS has determined that for the time being there is no need to require full CVI training just to complete the Top Screen. Once the facility is preliminarily identified as a high-risk facility, all CSAT users from that facility will have to complete CVI training before they are allowed access to the SVA tool. The new Top Screen User’s Manual adds the following paragraph to the section explaining this requirement:

“Acceptance of the CVI Authorizing Statements makes the individual a CVI Authorized User, with their access limited to the Top Screen. The individual’s access is limited to CVI created by the preparation and submission of the CSAT Top-Screen. The individual will not be issued a CVI Authorized User Number.”

The important part here is the phrase “a CVI Authorized User, with their access limited to the Top Screen”. This brings the instructions in line with the new CVI manual issued last October. There is an additional paragraph explaining the requirement to complete CVI training before work can begin in the next CSAT tool if the facility remains in the CFATS process. Additionally, the screen-shot of the “CVI Authorizing Statements” screen has been updated to reflect the current screen. New Buttons on Choose Facility Screen The next page that a new facility will see after accepting the ‘CVI Authorizing Statements’ is the “Choose Facility” screen. There are two buttons on that screen that need explanation One of those is the “Update Facility Info” button. The new manual adds a brief description of the purpose of that button in para 1.1.1 and refers the user to the “Update Facility Information section” (2.1.1) later in the manual for further information. The second button is the “Manage User Roles” button which allows an authorizer, submitter or preparer “to add or delete reviewers for the Top Screen Survey”. A new para 1.1.2 provides brief instructions for completing the addition of a Reviewer. It also warns users not to put an authorizer, submitter, or preparer into a Reviewer status because this will remove their rights to enter or change data in CSAT. Save Button Explanation A change has been made to the navigation buttons on each page of the Top Screen. The old controls consisted of “Back” and “Next” buttons to allow the user to change screens. Pushing either button saved the information that had been entered into that page before the new page was displayed. DHS has added a “Save” button between those two buttons. This will allow the user to save the data entered on that page without changing the page that is displayed. This would be important if you were nearing the 20-minute “time-out” limit and wanted to ensure that you saved the data that had been entered on that page.