Accelerating Environmental Reviews with Technology: Tips and Techniques

Description

This training provides participants with a comprehensive understanding of how technology is being used to make the environmental review process more effective and efficient. The training covers a wide range of topics, including managing project workflow, managing environmental analyses, managing documents (writing, filing, responding to Freedom of Information Act requests, reviews, signatures, publication and notifications, administrative records), managing public information (websites, social media, list serves, and comment analyses) and managing accomplishment reporting and accountability. The course will cover examples of standard technology applications already available as well as examples of agency-specific applications. Participants will share technology they are using in their own environmental reviews. The workshop includes exposure to various technologies, but does not include instruction for specific technologies.

Objectives

Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to do the following:

  • Identify business requirements that could be met more effectively and efficiently for their own work through technology

  • Identify technology solutions to explore for their own NEPA-related work

  • Identify technology challenges in implementing solutions.

Content

The interactive course includes the following components:

  • Introduction to managing environmental reviews

  • How to identify appropriate technology for environmental reviews

  • Managing project workflows

  • Managing environmental analyses

  • Managing documents

  • Managing public information

  • Managing accomplishment reporting

Audience

Participants for this training generally include people who manage environmental reviews, including project managers, interdisciplinary team leaders and members, public affairs specialists, document writers, and document reviewers and managers.

Process

This 1-day workshop consists of a carefully designed combination of the following:

  • 30% Lecture

  • 30% Discussion

  • 40% Exercises

Materials

Participants receive the following:

  • Participants receive a workshop manual with presentation slides.