As tribal environmental programs incorporate more IT tools into their work, tribes need to plan to cover longer-term software operations and maintenance costs, including the license renewals and associated fees. This project is working through E-Enterprise to compile, create, and share best practices and resources to help plan for and support these investments and long-term costs.
CHALLENGE
Tribal environmental professionals use tools and technology to perform their work and support the implementation of environmental programs. Software is a necessity and an important component in modernizing and streamlining work. However, buying software is not a one-time purchase. Like most technology, software requires an upfront investment and has long-term expenses, including software license renewals, often referred to as operations and maintenance. Tribes can use federal grant dollars to support both up-front costs and tribal access to continuous resources to maintain software investments however, those longer-term costs need to be incorporated into the grant work planning process.
BENEFITS
- Shared best practices and solutions related to obtaining and supporting software.
- Improved workplans for longer-term programmatic grants workplans.
- Shared many low or no-cost software options.
- Shared information about federal agencies and organizations that provide software technical assistance and training for tribes who need it.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- In October 2023, released a revised version of the Software Licensing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Tribal Environmental Professionals, a resource that addresses common issues or questions that tribes experience when they are purchasing software. This document is intended to provide basic information such as terminology and definitions, information on using grants to support software needs, and approaches for reducing costs and finding training.
- Developed a Software Procurement Roadmap, a resource that crosswalks the steps to procuring software against the steps of the grant life cycle. This document is intended to help tribal environmental professionals who may need basic information about the software procurement process and how it aligns with the EPA grants process.
WHAT’S NEXT?
- Continue to share the two available resources above, as well as other workgroup findings, at tribal meetings, including Regional Tribal Operations Committees, tribal conferences and trainings to educate tribal environmental professionals on how to leverage grants to support software purchases and longer term costs.