SmarTech Electronic Field Office Technical Guide For Farm Bill Implementation

1. SmarTechElectronic Field Office Technical Guide For Farm Bill Implementation March 15, 2002 National FOTG Committee

2. eFOTG and SmarTech will provide: • Technical guide committees the tools to establish and manage official electronic Technical Guides for each state and Field Office; collectively they form the NRCS Technical Guide. • Catalog Function • NRCS field conservationists and third party vendors the means to create electronic “thunderbooks” of technical content and download to laptop and hand-held computers. • Customization Function • Conservation planners interactive tools that process core FOTG information to perform resource analyses, create and compare conservation alternatives • Interactive Function

3. People involved with SmarTech Project • National FOTG Committee • Regional Technology Specialists • State FOTG Committees • SmarTech Core Team • SmarTech Design Team (Field/State Representation) • Center & Institute Contributors • Partner Contributors

4. Section V Section IV Section III Section II Technical Guide Content Section I Information Data • RUSLE2 • WEPS • Nutrient Management • Pesticide Screening • Phosphorus Index • AWM • Forage Balance Interactive Tools Tech Guide Catalog SmarTech Framework NRCS Field Staff & Third Party Vendors access a custom view of eFOTG using My.NRCS State Technical Guide Committees Manage Tech Guide Catalog Field Staff & 3rd Party Vendor Obtain User Accounts User Profile Contributors Provide Content to the Technical Guide

5. SmarTech Development Schedule • May 2002 (Catalog Phase) • Provide states a framework to establish an official certified electronic Technical Guide for agency field staff and third party vendors. Deliverables include: • State Technical Guide (TG) Framework linked to static My.NRCS • State TG Committee Management Accounts for access to Content Manager • Hosting of SmarTech in NRCS Web Farm • November 2002 (Customization Phase) • Provides NRCS field staff and third party vendors the means to create Tech Guide “thunderbooks” of frequently used material, which can be downloaded to laptops and hand-held computing devices. Deliverables include: • My.NRCS Customizable eFOTG Pages (“Thunderbook”) • Thunderbook Download • Resource Data Viewer

6. Support and benefits Farm Bill implementation and program delivery Provides framework for showcasing NRCS technology Provides multiple ways to quickly access and process technology informatioin Reduces paperwork Provides a consistent and easy way for State committees to keep Technical Guides up-to-date and certified Provides Field Offices and third party vendors access to NRCS Technology across states and field offices Benefits of a SmarTech and online electronic Field Office Technical Guide

7. “my.NRCS” Provides Access to eFOTG and SmarTech Users can “ask” SmarTech resource questions

8. “my.NRCS” is User Customized “Tabs” Provide access to other NRCS program information “Pagelets” Allow for organization and customization of content User Profile establishes which Technical Guides appear in my.NRCS

9. eFOTG provides common look to Technical Guides eFOTG provides State/local perception Tree Listing provides navigation to selected topics Provides for Nebraska introduction to eFOTG

10. eFOTG Accommodates all Types of Technical Guide Content from Spreadsheets to Web Applications Word document or spreadsheet .pdf file Web application

11. eFOTG Provides Multiple Means to Easily Locate Information Standard view By Subject Using Search engine (ie “soils”

12. Content Manager allows Tech Guide Committees to Control and Manage “Official/ Certified” eFOTG Login/password security controls who can change“Official/Certified” content “Treeview” displays list of all eFOTG content for state

13. Content Manager allows easy management of eFOTG content Content Manager provides add, move, copy, and delete functions Metadata documents attributes of content like title, subject, version, author, date, version, last modified.

14. Content Manager allows easy uploading and linking eFOTG content Content Manager allows linking of content to any website URL Content Manager allows uploading of local files to central a WebFARM repository

15. NRCS FIELD OFFICE TECHNICAL GUIDE • Technical guides are the primary technical references for NRCS. They contain technical information about the conservation of soil, water, air, and related plant and animal resources.Technical guides used in each field office are localized so that they apply specifically to the geographic area for which they are prepared. These documents are referred to as Field Office Technical Guides (FOTGs).Appropriate parts of the Field Office Technical Guides are automated as data bases, computer programs, and other electronic-based materials such as those included in these web based pages.Section I - General ReferencesIn this section you will find general maps of Nebraska, descriptions of Major Land Resource Areas, watershed information, and links to NRCS reference manuals and handbooks. Section I contains links to researchers, universities, and agencies we work with in Nebraska. Section I also contains conservation practice costs, agricultural laws and regulations, cultural resources, and information about protected plant and animal species.Section II - Soil and Site InformationIn this section you will find detailed information about Nebraska's soil, water, air, plant, and animal resources. NRCS Soil Surveys, Hydric Soils Interpretations, Ecological Site Descriptions, Forage Suitability Groups, Cropland Production Tables, Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Guides, Water Quality Guides, and other related information can be found here as it becomes available.Section III - Conservation Management SystemsIn this section you will find information on NRCS Quality Criteria, which establish standards for resource conditions that help provide sustained use. There are 61 resource concerns identified for Nebraska, and guidance on the conservation practices that may be applied to address each of these resource concerns.Section IV - Practice Standards and SpecificationsIn this section you will find the NRCS Conservation Practices. Practice Standards define the practice and where it applies. Practice specifications are detailed requirements for installing the practice in Nebraska.Section V - Conservation EffectsIn this section you will find background information on how Conservation Practices affect each identified resource concerns in Nebraska. • Technical guides provide: • Soil interpretations and potential productivity within alternative levels of management intensity and conservation treatment; • Technical information for achieving NRCS's and the decisionmaker's objectives; • Information for interdisciplinary planning for the conservation of soil, water, and related resources; • A basis for identifying resource management system (RMS) options and, when needed, acceptable management system (AMS) options and components thereof; • Information on effects of resource management systems, acceptable management systems, and their component practices; • Criteria to evaluate the quality of RMS options, AMS options, and components thereof; • Standards and specifications for conservation practices; • Information for evaluating the economic feasibility of conservation practices and resource management system options; • Information for locating and identifying cultural resources and methods to account for their significance; and • Technical material for training employees. SmarTech Provides a Framework for Interactive Conservation Technology Services Search Engine Resource Data Viewer Interactive Tools

16. Provides Interactive Conservation Technology Services Look for Resource Information Use a Decision Support Tool like VegSpec, Manure Manager Locate Area Online Conservation Planning Answer a Resource Question

17. Resource Data Viewer provides a generalized map tool Online access to national geospatial themes Allows for display of State and Local map data Displays maps associated with Field Office Technical Guide

18. SmarTech Saves Time and Reduces Workload • Maintaining web page links is streamlined • Field offices save time by not having to file updates • National template with available content is provided • States can easily import content from other states • System maintenance is centralized, reducing burden on states • Third party vendors can access technical content without it being specially prepared for them • States can more easily manage and track updates • The framework accommodates and leverages existing state electronic Technical Guide content/sites

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