COVID-19 Update: New tools to help you telework

Effective March 12th, Smithsonian management and employees are allowed broadly expanded telework arrangements subject to supervisory guidance and approval. (Essential or emergency operations staff should continue to report per their normal duty schedule.)

To help those who are teleworking, including those who have never teleworked before, the following tools and instructional guidance are now available.

New Covid-19 Website

The new COVID-19 information website is designed to be mobile-friendly and will be updated with expanded FAQs as our response to COVID-19 evolves over time. Please refer to this website for the latest news on COVID-19.

Teleworking Instructions

Are you new to teleworking? Check out OCIO’s update page on Telework Preparedness for instructions on how to prepare to telework including the following and more:

• Using the latest telework capabilities on telework.si.edu
• Guidance on which telework solution to use for common tasks such as reading & replying to email and completing your timecard
• Forwarding calls from your desk phone
• Installing free anti-virus software on a personal computer
• Setting up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for Office 365
• Installing Office applications and Adobe Creative Cloud on personal computers
• Using Teams, which provides instant messaging/group chat, audio/video conferencing, and a shared file platform for meetings and collaboration. Teams training videos are available, and OCIO can provide instructor-led training upon request. To request instructor led training, contact Kathleen McSweeney at McSweeK@si.edu or 202-633-2730.

Are you unsure how to use OneDrive in Office 365? OneDrive allows you to store and share documents in a repository that you may access from your home computer, laptop, tablet, or other devices.

New Teleworking Capabilities

The new website telework.si.edu provides the primary means to access internal systems that were previously only available through Citrix. The website is available to anyone with an SI Network ID who has set up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for Office 365. It gives you access to the following and more:

• Systems commonly used for everyday work such as Prism, the Staff Directory, WebTA, ERP
• Financials, ERP HRMS, Employee Performance Management System (EPMS), TriRiga/Facility Center, etc.
• Convenient links to guidance for telework preparedness, COVID-19 information, and
  Smithsonian Alerts
• Microsoft Office 365 (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, One Drive, etc.)
• Ability to look up your computer name and connect using Remote Desktop to use your office computer files and applications that are not available on telework.si.edu
• To learn how to access telework.si.edu, and for instructions on how to use many of the tools available on the page, click here or download this guide.

Need Telework Help?

Contact the OCIO Help Desk at OCIOHelpDesk@si.edu or 202-633-4000.

Need help accessing research tools?

Those with a Smithsonian network account (username and password) can access the Smithsonian Libraries’ subscription-based e-journals, e-books, and databases while working off-site without Citrix. To access e-resources from anywhere, go to the Libraries’ Research Tools page for step-by-step instructions. Please contact your branch, library.si.edu/libraries, or AskaLibrarian@si.edu, with any questions.

Many thanks

Our sincere thanks to the staff of the Office of the Chief Information Officer for their massive effort to increase the ease of and capacity for teleworking, to the Smithsonian Facilities communications staff for coordinating with OCIO on the build of the new COVID-19 information website, and to Smithsonian Libraries & Archives for facilitating telework by our researchers.

Related posts:

ICYMI: Highlights from the week that was Feb. 8 – 14, 2020 COVID-19 Update: What does “closed to the public” mean to me? The past, present and FUTURES Collide COVID-19 Update: Smithsonian Facilities Central Services