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Technical Assistance (Tiger Teams)

Clean Cities coalitions across the nation have successfully implemented petroleum displacement programs into local fleets and helped their constituents become more aware of Clean Cities' five technology areas. However, many coalitions have experienced problems that have slowed progress in their regions. The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Clean Cities Technical Assistance Project (or "Tiger Teams") was developed to help coalitions face and overcome these obstacles.

A group of experts from each area in the Clean Cities portfolio make up the Tiger Teams. These experts are deployed to solve specific problems in their area of expertise. For an overview of the Technical Assistance Project, download Tiger Teams Assist Coalitions with AFV Challenges (PDF 194 KB). Download Adobe Reader.

Projects Eligible for Assistance

Tiger Team experts help Clean Cities organizations solve problems for which they have not been able to find solutions on their own—especially if the solution will also be useful to other coalitions. The following types of projects are considered for Tiger Team assistance:

  • Technical Problem Solving (Vehicle Operations): Issues can be related to vehicle performance or drivability, safety, maintenance, driver acceptance, lack of training, implementation of alternative fuel vehicles at specific sites, etc.

  • Technical Problem Solving (Infrastructure Operations): Issues with fueling station design/site, interaction with alternative fuel providers and fire safety code officials, fueling station performance and maintenance requirements, user/operator training, etc.

  • Evaluation of Potential Opportunities: Clean Cities coalitions working to develop complex AFV projects (transit, airport, etc.) may request technical assistance if expertise is not available from local or regional resources or stakeholders. When there is demonstrated local interest a Tiger Team expert can help evaluate local market conditions pertinent to the project, conduct a technical assessment of infrastructure and stakeholder capabilities or needs, and determine project feasibility.

In all cases, Tiger Teams work with Clean Cities coordinators, stakeholders, and partners to "help them help themselves." Teams will not be deployed to perform general maintenance/repair services, conduct sales calls, or to gather information and data that the local coalition is capable of gathering. To qualify for technical assistance, applicants must clearly demonstrate that all appropriate efforts have been made at the local or regional levels to solve the problems before asking for help from the Tiger Teams.

For examples of projects that received technical assistance, see the Tiger Team Project Summaries and Results page.

Applying for Assistance

Clean Cities coalitions can request assistance from the Tiger Teams by submitting their contact information and details of the project for which they would like assistance via e-mail. The request will then be forwarded to the appropriate DOE regional representative and the Technical Assistance Review Committee (TARC).

TARC convenes to consider requests and will notify the appropriate Project Management Center (PMC) representative and the primary point of contact of its decision via telephone or e-mail within a week of its meeting. If the request is selected for assistance, an estimated start date and allocated Tiger Team hours will also be provided.

Each request for technical assistance will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Is the problem well described and defined?
  • Are the stakeholders and contacts identified and involved with the attempted resolutions to date?
  • Does this request fall within the scope of the Technical Assistance Project, and is it substantial enough to warrant team deployment at this time?
  • Have local resources and solutions already been applied or exhausted? Does TARC have the expertise to assist with the problem?
  • Is the estimated number of hours of technical assistance adequate to resolve the problem? If not, what is the appropriate number of hours?
  • What is the approximate funding required to address and resolve the problem?
  • Does TARC have adequate funding to resolve this problem?
  • Would the resolution of this problem be applicable to other sites?
  • Would partial resolution be adequate at this time?

Project Structure

Requests selected for assistance will be further defined through discussions with the requestor, the Tiger Team expert, and other knowledgeable people. As a result, the specific requirements of the project will be identified and documented and work will begin.

Work will proceed through teleconferences and on-site meetings between the Tiger Team expert and local stakeholders. At the conclusion of the project, the expert will submit a final report to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, DOE, and the appropriate PMC representative regarding the problem's resolution or recommended actions.