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VA Technical Reference Model v 20.6

REDCap

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) is a web-based application for building and managing online surveys and databases. This application is used primarily to support clinical and translational research. Also, this software includes a project calendar, scheduling module, ad hoc reporting applications, and advanced features such as: branching logic, file uploading, and calculated fields. The TRM decisions in this entry only apply to technologies and versions owned, operated, managed, patched, and version-controlled by VA. This includes technologies deployed as software on VMs within VA-controlled cloud environments (e.g. VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC)). Cloud services provided by the VAEC and those controlled and managed by an external Cloud Service Provider (i.e. SaaS) are not in the purview of the TRM. For more information on the use of cloud services and cloud-based products within VA, including VA private clouds, please see the Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO) Portal at: https://vaww.portal.va.gov/sites/ECS/SitePages/Home.aspx This entry covers the Desktop Edition of this technology and not any mobile versions. Please note that the implementation of mobile technology applications that operate on Mobile Operating Systems must be reviewed and approved by the Mobile Technology and Endpoint Security Engineering Team: http://vaww.eie.va.gov/SysDesign/CS/MT/default.aspx
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v19.10
Decision Date:	10/11/2019
Aliases:	clinical surveys; research
Introduced By:	TRM Request
Vendor Name:	Vanderbilt University

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
4.x	05/01/2011
5.x	12/28/2012
6.7	07/17/2015
6.8.x	10/09/2015
6.9.x
6.10.x
6.11.x
6.12.x
6.13.x
6.14.x
6.15.x
6.16.x	07/29/2016
7.3.5	04/06/2017
7.4.x	06/01/2017
8.x	11/06/2017
9.x	05/10/2019

Current Decision Matrix (10/09/2019)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a waiver, signed by the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (ADAS), Enterprise Program Management Office (EPMO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the STAT Working Group, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

<Past

CY2019

CY2020

CY2021

Future>

Release

5.x

Unapproved

6.7

Unapproved

6.8.x

Unapproved

6.9.x

Unapproved

6.10.x

Unapproved

6.11.x

Unapproved

6.12.x

Unapproved

6.13.x

Unapproved

6.14.x

Unapproved

6.15.x

Unapproved

6.16.x

Divest
[6, 11, 16, 19, 21, 22]

Unapproved

7.3.5

Divest
[6, 11, 16, 19, 21, 22]

Unapproved

7.4.x

Divest
[6, 11, 16, 19, 21, 22]

Unapproved

8.x

Approved w/Constraints
[6, 11, 16, 19, 21, 22]

Divest
[6, 11, 16, 19, 21, 22]

Divest
[6, 11, 16, 21, 22, 23]

Unapproved

9.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[6, 11, 16, 19, 21, 22]

Approved w/Constraints
[6, 11, 16, 21, 22, 23]

Decision Constraints


[1]	Product must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[2]	When hosted within VA, the system must be configured to use the FIPS 140-2 encryption available in the underlying infrastructure to protect sensitive data at rest. In addition, the information system and its dependencies must go through the VA Assessment and Authorization (A&A) process to evaluate any associated risks and be granted an Authorization to Operate (ATO) as indicated. The use of externally hosted instances of this technology is not permitted without Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review and approval to ensure that confidential organization and/or PII/PHI data are not compromised. Note that the use of public cloud storage requires documented Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) compliance and/or a Memorandum of Understanding / Interconnection Security Agreement (MOU/ISA) between the vendor and VA prior to ESCCB review. Due to several NIST security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the product remains properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities.

[3]	As of April 23, 2015, per the Deputy CIO of Architecture, Strategy and Design (ASD), all technologies in use by the VA require an assessment by the VA Section 508 office. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 is a federal law that sets the guidelines for technology accessibility. A VA Section 508 assessment of this technology has not been completed at the time of publication. Therefore, as of April 23, 2015 only users of this technology who have deployed the technology to the production environment, or have project design and implementation plans approved, may continue to operate this technology. In the case of a project that has implemented, or been approved for a specific site or number of users, and that project needs to expand operations to other sites or to an increased user base, it may do so as long as the project stays on the existing version of the technology that was approved or implemented as of April 22, 2015. Use of this technology in all other cases is prohibited.

[4]	Product may only be used for Intranet applications. Use of this product to store PHI/PII/VA-sensitive information is not permitted due to the product`s dependency on MySQL. See the MySQL TRM entry for more information.

[5]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[6]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISO can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[7]	Per the May 5th, 2015 memorandum from the VA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) FIPS 140-2 Validate Full Disk Encryption (FOE) for Data at Rest in Database Management Systems (DBMS) and in accordance with Federal requirements and VA policy, database management must use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 compliant encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of VA information at rest at the application level. If FIPS 140-2 encryption at the application level is not technically possible, FIPS 140-2 compliant full disk encryption (FOE) must be implemented on the hard drive where the DBMS resides. Appropriate access enforcement and physical security control must also be implemented. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. It is the responsibility of the system owner to work with the local CIO (or designee) and Information Security Officer (ISO) to ensure that a compliant DBMS technology is selected and that if needed, mitigating controls are in place and documented in a System Security Plan (SSP).

[8]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards and an ISO Risk Based Decision (RBD) must be approved by the local ISO/CIO before it can be used in the VA Production Environment. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[9]	Due to potential information security risks, cloud based versions of this product are not permitted without a waiver signed by the Deputy CIO of ASD based upon a recommendation from the Architecture and Engineering Review Board (AERB). In addition, cloud based features of this software may not be used without an Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) approval to ensure that confidential organization and/or PII/PHI data are not compromised (ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513). Use of public cloud storage requires documented Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) compliance and a Memorandum of Understanding / Interconnection Security Agreement (MOU/ISA) between the vendor and VA prior to ESCCB review.

[10]	Enterprise Security Solutions Services (ESSS) conducted a pre-assessment and security requirements verification of Vanderbilt University Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). It is advised that if this product is used within VA that the following constraints must be applied: a. The system must be configured to use the The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 encryption available in the underlying infrastructure to protect sensitive data at rest. b. The information system and all of its dependencies must go through the VA Assessment and Authorization (A&A) process; it requires an official management decision, given by a senior agency official, to authorize operation of an information system and to explicitly accept the risk to agency operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), agency assets, or individuals, based on the implementation of an agreed-upon set of security controls. The result of a successful A&A is an Authorization to Operate (ATO). This is required before the Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) can begin their review. c. The use of externally hosted instances of this technology is not permitted without ESCCB review and approval to ensure that confidential organization and/or PII/PHI data are not compromised. d. Use of public cloud storage requires documented Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) compliance and/or a Memorandum of Understanding/Interconnection Security Agreement (MOU/ISA) between the vendor and VA prior to ESCCB review.

[11]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[12]	Enterprise Security Solutions Services (ESSS) conducted a pre-assessment and security requirements verification of Vanderbilt University Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). It is advised that if this product is used within VA that the following constraints must be applied: A. The system must be configured to use the The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 encryption available in the underlying infrastructure to protect sensitive data at rest. B. The information system and all of its dependencies must go through the VA Assessment and Authorization (A&A) process; it requires an official management decision, given by a senior agency official, to authorize operation of an information system and to explicitly accept the risk to agency operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), agency assets, or individuals, based on the implementation of an agreed-upon set of security controls. The result of a successful A&A is an Authorization to Operate (ATO). This is required before the Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) can begin their review. C. The use of externally hosted instances of this technology is not permitted without ESCCB review and approval to ensure that confidential organization and/or PII/PHI data are not compromised. D. Use of public cloud storage requires documented Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) compliance and/or a Memorandum of Understanding/Interconnection Security Agreement (MOU/ISA) between the vendor and VA prior to ESCCB review.

[13]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[14]	Due to potential information security risks, cloud based technologies may not be used without an Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) approval. This body is in part responsible for ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[15]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[16]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[17]	Due to potential information security risks, cloud based technologies may not be used without the approval of the VA Enterprise Cloud Services (ECS) Group. This body is in part responsible for ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[18]	This technology should only be used when required by a Veterans Affairs (VA) business partner for an approved VA Project. Use of this technology must comply with ESCCB requirements which include: Signed Interconnection Agreements/Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOU/ISA) with each external business partner, compliance with VA Handbook 6500, and must implement appropriate National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) requirements for all devices interacting with this technology. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISO (Information Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. As of January 27th, 2017, Risk-based Decisions (RBD) will be handled per VAIQ # 7769667. In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517 and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process and ensure privacy of information compliance protections are in place.

[19]	Due to potential information security risks, cloud based technologies may not be used without the approval of the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO). This body is in part responsible for ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

[20]	The system must be configured to use the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 encryption available in the underlying infrastructure to protect sensitive data at rest. This product can be configured with a MySQL Database which currently has TRM constraints for intranet use only due to its many known security issues. If MySQL is selected for use with this product, these factors must be considered. See the MySQL Database TRM entry for more details. The information system and all of its dependencies must go through the VA Assessment and Authorization (A&A) process; it requires an official management decision, given by a senior agency official, to authorize operation of an information system and to explicitly accept the risk to agency operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), agency assets, or individuals, based on the implementation of an agreed-upon set of security controls. The result of a successful A&A is an Authorization to Operate (ATO). This is required before the Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) can begin a review. The use of externally hosted instances of this technology is not permitted without Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review and approval to ensure that confidential organization and/or Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Protected Health information (PHI) data are not compromised. Use of public cloud storage requires documented Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) compliance and/or a Memorandum of Understanding/Interconnection Security Agreement (MOU/ISA) between the vendor and VA prior to ESCCB review. If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period.

[21]	In cases where the technology is used for external connections, a full Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review is required in accordance VA Directive 6004 , VA Directive 6517, and VA Directive 6513. The local ISO can advise on the ESCCB review process.

[22]	If free trialware is utilized, the software must be purchased or removed at the end of the trial period. This product can be configured with a MySQL Database which currently has TRM constraints for intranet use only due to its many known security issues. If MySQL is selected for use with this product, these factors must be considered. See the MySQL Database TRM entry for more details The system must be configured to use the FIPS 140-2 encryption available in the underlying infrastructure to protect sensitive data at rest. The information system and all of its dependencies must go through the VA Assessment and Authorization (A&A) process; it requires an official management decision, given by a senior agency official, to authorize operation of an information system and to explicitly accept the risk to agency operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), agency assets, or individuals, based on the implementation of an agreed-upon set of security controls. The result of a successful A&A is an Authorization to Operate (ATO). This is required before the Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) can begin a review. The use of externally hosted instances of this technology is not permitted without Enterprise Security Change Control Board (ESCCB) review and approval to ensure that confidential organization and/or Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Protected Health information (PHI) data are not compromised. Use of public cloud storage requires documented Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) compliance and/or a Memorandum of Understanding/Interconnection Security Agreement (MOU/ISA) between the vendor and VA prior to ESCCB review.

[23]	Due to potential information security risks for cloud-based technologies, users should coordinate closely with their facility ISSO for guidance and assistance on cloud products. If further guidance is needed contact the Enterprise Cloud Solution Office (ECSO), which is the body responsible for new software development in and migration of existing systems to the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and ensuring organizational information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and VA sensitive data are not compromised within the VAEC. For information about Software as a Service (SaaS) products or to submit a SaaS product request with the Project Special Forces (SPF) team, please use their online form. (Ref: VA Directive 6004, VA Directive 6517, VA Directive 6513 and VA Directive 6102).

Note:

At the time of writing, version 9.0.1 is the most current version released on May 10, 2019.

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
Guideline	Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) Technical Overview	Publicly available	This link points to the technical overview for Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap).
*NOTE: Vendor provided information is subject to the accuracy of the manufacturer.

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
No components have been identified for this entry.


Information Management Technologies Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse Platforms	Web Reporting Tools

- The information contained on this page is accurate as of the Decision Date (10/11/2019).

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VA Technical Reference Model v 20.6

General Information

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Decision Constraints

References

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VA Technical Reference Model v 20.6

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (10/09/2019)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

Architectural Risks

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