CalSTRS project update: system integration testing closed; user acceptance behind plan but training and dry runs underway

CalSTRS staff and the independent oversight consultant updated the Teachers Retirement Board on the pension solution implementation, reporting the close of system integration testing and progress and risks for the user acceptance testing and implementation phases.

Ashish Jain, chief technology officer and executive project sponsor, and Anthony Sweeney, pension solution project director, said the program closed 18 months of system integration testing (SIT), validated approximately 3,250 test scripts and resolved more than 9,000 defects during that test period. Staff said SIT allowed design adjustments and prepared the project to focus on user acceptance testing (UAT).

Sweeney reported UAT progress: the team had executed about 381 of 435 planned UAT test scripts and passed about 235, with roughly 47 failed test scripts remaining to be resolved in retest. He said UAT completion is behind the original plan (approximately 20% off target) largely because teams prioritized the recent SIT closeout, but he expressed confidence that added testing environments, increased triage and prioritization, faster deployment cadence and clearer UAT support guidelines will accelerate test resolution and keep the June UAT completion date.

Sweeney described training and transformation readiness: training development materials are complete; train‑the‑trainer activities will run through June and end‑user training is scheduled June–September, including instructor‑led, computer‑based and hands‑on lab formats. The project also plans stakeholder communications—employers, members and reporting agents—with staged messages about benefits, planned downtime and how to get assistance.

Sweeney and independent oversight Chris Gabote of Guidehouse said implementation activities are shifting from technical testing to cutover planning, dry runs and exit‑criteria checks for each work stream. The project has begun dry runs; the first dry run started the week of the meeting. Staff said the operational blackout period for cutover is expected to be approximately 8–10 business days (about two weeks) and will affect transactional processing for staff and members—CalSTRS will continue to capture contact notes for backdating where appropriate. Staff said they will give advance notice to members and employers and seek to minimize downtime.

On governance and budget, staff said they are preparing a transition from project to a program division that would support the new Benefit Connect system long term; preliminary plans propose 39 new positions to be phased in beginning fiscal 2026–27 and functioning as a division in 2027–28. The project also requested the board consider a non‑competitive extension for Guidehouse as independent project oversight through at least one year post go‑live.

Ending: Board members asked for more detail on blackout timing and mitigation; staff said the executive team is cataloging affected areas, alternatives, communication plans and that they will present additional information at the May meeting.