EPA's Environmental Information Symposium 2007

This course will provide managers and IT system owners with an understanding of what disaster recovery is and how it fits into the larger contingency planning context. Learn what goes into a disaster recovery plan, how to obtain disaster recovery services, and how to review roles and responsibilities. This training session qualifies as role-based training for purpose of information security training requirements. Learn:

• Whether your application, IT system, or service needs a disaster recovery plan
• What questions system managers and process owners should be thinking about to help develop plans for their specific systems
• How to analyze the impact on your business if your IT system goes down
• How to identify the roles and responsibility of individuals involved in the plan
• How to identify some tools that can be used to develop a disaster recovery plan, and
• Where additional information can be located for further guidance or assistance.

Daniele Albergottie, EPA/OEI (PDF) (27 pp, 720K)

This course will provide EPA managers with practical strategies for integrating the EPA's Reusable Application Platforms as part of a Solution Architecture: maximize, reuse and leverage. After completing this course, participants should be able to: list the major reusable platforms, provide an overview of platform capabilities and services, and understand what each access platform is best suited to support in a solution architecture. Participants will learn the answers to questions such as:

• What are the EPA Standard Application Platforms?
• What are the costs associated with using the EPA Standard Application Platforms?
• What is the process for getting information about the platforms to those who need it?
• What is the business case value of each platform?

John Sullivan, EPA/OEI
Phil Magrogan, Lockheed Martin (PDF) (61 pp, 6.8MB)

Learn the rationale and basic requirements of Section 508, the federal law about providing accessible electronic and information technology (EIT) to persons with disabilities. Engage in an interactive question and answer session on EIT and what falls (or doesn't fall) under the Section 508 provisions. Participants will learn the 508 process at EPA, receive a fact sheet on 508 resources, be able to identify where to go to get information about Section 508 and EPA, and be able to identify who can help them with their 508 questions.

Amanda Babcock, EPA/OEI (PDF) (31 pp, 290K)

OEI is launching a week-long course on IRM for IT professionals at EPA. The course will be taught at the National Defense University (NDU) in Washington, DC. This short version of the NDU course is designed to provide a brief overview of Clinger-Cohen Act (CCA) core competencies. It will provide EPA managers and staff with the basis for determining whether to enroll in the week-long course.

John Christian, John Saunders, and
Geoffrey W. Seaver, National Defense University (PDF) (73 pp, 2.5MB)

Come learn how implementing ECSS in your office at EPA will enable you to be more responsive to inquiries from the public at a reduced cost. ECSS has enabled participating EPA program offices to improve the citizen experience by creating web sites that answers visitors' questions automatically 80 percent of the time and have reduced e-mail volumes by more than 70 percent. Implementation of ECSS also gives the participating program offices deep insight into the issues of greatest concern to citizens, businesses, non-profit organizations, and other government agencies.

Tom Maloney, EPA/OEI (PDF) (26 pp, 122K)
Samuel Boltik, ASRC

This interactive course will provide an understanding of the collaboration features available through the EPA Portal. The course will include a demonstration of the EPA Portal OCS and will highlight how to create workspaces, share files, create discussion threads, and set up a Web conference.

Terry Grady, EPA/OEI (PDF) (37 pp, 423K)
David Matta, SRA
Richard Pries, SRA

You have probably heard people say "SOA," but what does that really mean? Learn about Service Oriented Architecture with real world examples and question and answer breaks after a review of each key concept. Your questions will be answered:

• What benefits can SOA really deliver?
• How can I use SOA to help me with my agenda?
• Is it hard to get going with SOA?
• Is there more to SOA than just technology?
• How expensive is SOA?
• What do I need to watch out for when I implement SOA?

Connie Dwyer, EPA/OEI (PDF) (33 pp, 574K)
Richard Reba, CSC

Learn about the range of data, tools, and services available at EPA for EPA employees. This course is targeted toward staff and managers who are not specialists in GIS but want to analyze environmental problems by "place" through leveraging Google Earth® or Mapquest. Three training modules will be presented:

• Entering the GIS Gold Mine - OEI maintains millions of dollars in services, applications and expertise that are at your disposal! This review of OEI enterprise services (applications, software, data, training, consultation) and points of contact will include presentations from OEI's senior GIS leadership.
• Powering-Up Decision-Making with Data Visualization - Using Microsoft Virtual Earth®, Google, and ESRI capabilities to enhance our business processes. Learn how to post your data to Google, enhance your Web site with Microsoft Virtual Earth® and power-up your analysis with ESRI tools

This course will provide managers and IT system owners with an understanding of the criticality of good Continuity of Support Planning/IT Contingency Planning and how such planning fits within the larger context of an organization's risk management and emergency preparedness environment. This training will highlight contingency planning principles, processes and Federal requirements. EPA's direct involvement with 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina has served to reinforce the value of good business continuity planning and emergency preparedness. This course qualifies as role-based training for purpose of EPA's information security training requirements.

Marian Cody, EPA/OEI (PDF) (38 pp, 462K)

IT project managers: learn about what constitutes a requirement and some best practices for gathering and managing requirements throughout the system development lifecycle. After completing this course, participants should be able to define a requirement and explain the different types of requirements; explain the difference between a requirement and a design solution; and describe at least two best practices for managing requirement changes and how they intend to implement those practices in their own projects.

Mike Cullen, EPA/OEI (PDF) (23 pp, 770K)
Susan Kearns - Lockheed Martin (PDF) (23 pp, 767K)

This session is for State, Tribal, Territory and EPA executiveleaders who are new to the Exchange Network or need a review of Network components and services, as well as members of the EPA/State Exchange Network Leadership Council (ENLC) and Network Operations Board (NOB).Session topics include: Overview of the Exchange Network, progress todate, governance, strategic objectives, and obtaining executiveparticipation. Briefings will ensure that all new members of theGovernance structures as well as ECOS, States, Tribes, and EPA Program Executives are well grounded in the history, status, and value, as well as their potential role in helping achieve the strategic goals. (by invitation)

Mitch West, Exchange Network (PDF) (4 pp, 60K)
Andrew Battin, EPA/OEI
Tom Lamberson, NE
Mark Luttner, EPA.OEI

• Joining the Club - How the non-GIS community can leverage the GIS community, promote stewardship and engage in shaping the future of GIS. Showcase of the Geospatial Community on the EPA Portal. This will include brief demos of EPA's on-line web services, the GeoData Gateway for managing data, and an overview of the GIS community at EPA by the GIS Steering Committee leadership

Ana Greene, EPA/OEI
Jerry Johnston, EPA/OEI
Matt Leopard, EPA/OEI
Tom Scheitlin, EPA/OEI
Dalroy Ward, EPA/OEI
Catherine Harness, CSC
Torrin Hultgren, CSC

This course will inform customers and potential customers about NCC Application Hosting: describe the technologies employed, explain how to deploy an application, and provide information on steps to take to ensure a smooth deployment. Information will be provided on who to contact at the National Computer Center regarding hosting requirements.

John McQuaid, EPA/OEI (PDF) (40 pp, 3.2MB)

This course will provide managers with practical tools for managing the scope and schedule of their projects throughout the application lifecycle. After completing this course, participants should be able to identify major sources of risk and how to mitigate those risks; explain the importance of managing requirements throughout the development lifecycle; explain at least one schedule or scope problem they currently face and how they will apply a best practice to manage the problem; and demonstrate their ability to manage expectations through communication techniques presented in the class.

Mike Cullen, EPA/OEI
Kim Rappold, Lockheed Martin (PDF) (24 pp, 1.3MB)

Learn about the value of a knowledge management environment for EPA GEO and the current EPA GEO activities for building and accessing a knowledgebase environment. This course will help you establish relationships with other EPA organizations that want to partner on knowledge management tools to eliminate organizational stovepipes. It will also promote knowledge sharing for Earth Observations to assist users in getting at the right data. Learn:

• How knowledge is more than just Earth Observation datasets
• What knowledge management means to EPA GEO
• What knowledge will be shared
• Why knowledge management is important to EPA GEO and Earth Observations
• What the knowledgebase is that EPA GEO is building.

Susan Lundquist, EPA/OEI
Steve Young, EPA/OEI

Track Session 1A:
What Information is the Public Really Asking For?

Learn about OEI's current efforts to identify customers of environmental information and what they want from EPA. Participate in identifying what "customers of tomorrow" are looking for in environmental information. Answers to the following questions will be discussed:

• What effort does EPA have underway for identifying "What Information is the Public Really Asking For?"
• What effort does EPA have underway for identifying "What Information is the Public Really Asking For?"
• What are industry trends in identifying customer information needs?
• How can EPA best provide information to the public to meet their needs?
• Who and how should EPA reach out to answer this question?
• Is EPA going to change the way it delivers or provides information to the public?

Moderator:
Rick Martin, EPA/OEI

Panelists:
John Chelen, Hampshire Research Institute (PDF) (13 pp, 42K)
John Dombrowski, EPA/OEI (PDF) (10 pp, 302K)
Barbara Sheen Todd, Former County Commissioner Pinellas County, FL

Track Session 2A:
Web 2.0 in Action

Explore the challenges facing information providers in the new world of social networking and learn about early solutions to these challenges. Learn how to ensure that the information provided through social networking is credible. Explore ways we can ensure the information accessed meets user needs. Learn what the future looks like in the information access world and examine some ways we can overcome barriers within the organization to implement social networking in the workplace.

Moderator:
Jeffrey Levy, EPA/OPA

Panelists:
Kyle Carothers, NOAA
Eric Johnson, U.S. Dept. of State (PDF) (17 pp, 876K)
Erin Weinman, National Museum of the American Indian

Track Session 3A:
Advances in Data Access: Sharing Among the Federal Community

The Federal government spends more than 2.3 billion dollars on IT systems with environmental information. The EPA investment constitutes less that 14% of that amount. This session will address aligning data sharing approaches with federal agencies, which are environmental information trading partners. This session will target joint mission activities that could be launched under Federal Government's Federal Enterprise Architecture Environmental Line of Business. The audience will learn what information other Agencies maintain in terms of national data assets. The session will focus on how existing business drivers can be leveraged to share data.

Moderator:
Mary McCaffrey, EPA/OEI

Panelists:
Suzanne Acar, DOI
Thomas Dabolt, EPA/OW
Adrian Gardner, NOAA (Invited)
Kevin Kirby, EPA/OEI

Forum Session C:
CDX Lite: Using Service-Oriented Architecture

Learn about an efficient new way to conduct data submissions to EPA via the web. Built in a service-oriented architecture, CDX Lite provides EPA program offices the ability to construct basic data and file reporting processes that meet their business needs at a fraction of the time and cost of building custom data flows. Discover the benefits of using CDX-Lite and how to take advantage of these tools and capabilities. Understand how CDX-Lite can meet regulatory requirements for electronic reporting.

Charles Freeman, EPA/OEI (PDF) (22 pp, 973K)

Track Session 1B:
Breaking Down Stovepipes: the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Experience

In this session, learn how facility data from the TRI Program and other EPA programs can be compared to enhance data quality, data integration, and compliance/enforcement efforts. Explore opportunities for further cross-referencing with other EPA programs or by state agencies. Participants will learn the answers to questions such as:

• What insights/lessons have been learned so far from cross-referencing TRI data against the Agency's media-specific permit data?
• What data integration benefits/lessons have we learned from cross-referencing so far?
• What additional cross-referencing analyses should be undertaken to compare TRI data against the Agency's media specific data, other EPA data, or data not managed by EPA?
• What other cross-referencing projects (e.g., by other EPA programs, states) are being pursued?
• What are the barriers to cross-referencing - "breaking down stovepipes?"

Moderator:
Larry Reisman, EPA/OEI (PDF) (7 pp, 58K)

Panelists:
Edward Cottrill, EPA/OW (PDF) (11 pp, 481K)
Pat Garvey, EPA/OEI (PDF) (10 pp, 213K)
Steve Wurtz, EPA/Region 7 (PDF) (7 pp, 55K)

Track Session 2B:
Getting the Data Right: Future Directives in Quality

It is one thing to access data, it's quite another to know how good that data really is. This session is about what data providers and consumers need to know and do to ensure that the information used to make environmental decision is the best it can be.

Presenters:
Reggie Cheatham, EPA/OEI
Ron Shafer, EPA/OEI (11 pp, 398K)

Track Session 3B:
Technology Advances for Information Delivery: Web 2.0/Wiki

This session will showcase how wikis and other Web 2.0 technologies are being used by a variety of organizations, to include: meeting the internal needs of other federal agencies, and educational/cultural institutions. See demonstrations of these technologies; learn about the rationale for their development within the organization; and discuss present and future use. A panel will explore key questions, such as:

• What are the lessons learned in developing/implementing this technology within your organization?
• Was there resistance to utilizing these newer technologies within your organization? If so, what was the greatest obstacle you faced?
• How has the implementation improved communication and/or information flow in your organization?

Moderator:
Beth Jackson, EPA/OEI

Panelists:
Rudolf Husar, Washington Univ. (PDF) (8 pp, 994K)
Eric Johnson, U.S. Dept. of State (PDF) (17 pp, 878K)
Erin Weinman, National Museum of the American Indian (PDF) (17 pp, 753K)
Kay Golan, CDC (PDF) (23 pp, 1MB)

Track Session 1C:
The Right Information for Managers

This session will give participants an understanding of the performance and programmatic information needs of the Agency. Learn about ways to provide better access to performance and programmatic data via online tools and/or dashboards. EPA is beginning an effort to streamline, unite, and enhance its enterprise performance management information. Efforts to display programmatic data and information in a useful format are happening across the Agency. This session will focus on the performance and programmatic management needs of the Agency from the perspective of panelists from regional, program and support offices. In addition to discussing their needs, the panelists will relate how performance measurement can be or has been addressed via online tools that provide access to programmatic and performance data in a visually intuitive format.

Moderator:
Eric Hubbell, EPA/OEI

Panelists:
Will Anderson, EPA/OCFO (PDF) (15 pp, 219K)
Robert Buettner, EPA/Region 2 (PDF) (13 pp, 1MB)
Shelley Thawley, EPA/OPPTS (PDF) (17 pp, 1.5MB)

Track Session 2C:
Building Blocks for Information Access: Information Architecture, Content Management, and Search

In this session, participants will achieve an understanding of the key components necessary for making environmental information more readily discoverable and accessible. Gain an understanding of new Web site customers and their expectations for quickly accessing relevant and timely information. Some key questions to explore include:

• What is "Information Architecture," and why should I care?
• How does this approach to content management improve the user experience?
• What changes to my business processes are likely to occur?
• What is enterprise search and what are the latest search trends?

Moderator:
Jonda Byrd, EPA/OEI

Panelists:
Jarrod Gingras, CMS Watch (PDF) (49 pp, 2MB)
Lisa Welchman, Welchman Consulting

Track Session 3C:
Respecting Tribal Data

This session will promote an understanding of the information that is sensitive to Tribes and why. Participants will discuss ways to provide better access to data that Tribes need for environmental decision making. Key questions will be addressed:

• What data do Tribes consider sensitive/private?
• Why is this data sensitive?
• How are Tribes protecting this data?
• How are environmental partners protecting this data?
• How do we balance environmental protection with the safeguarding of sensitive tribal data?
• How do we ensure Tribes have access to the best data available for environmental decision making?
• What data gaps exist in supporting tribal decision making?

Moderator:
Doreen Sterling, EPA/OEI

Panelists:
Ella Mulford, EPA/OSWER (PDF) (7 pp, 4.5MB)
Dean Suagee, Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker, LLP (PDF) (8 pp, 604K)
Jack Trope, Assoc. of American Indian Affairs (PDF) (11 pp, 59K)

Track Session 1D:
Librarians Without Borders: The Information You Need Anytime, Anywhere

Hear an overview of the role librarians play as direct providers and/or intermediaries in facilitating access to environmental information and data for each other and for decision-makers of all types (e.g. citizens, researchers, etc.). This session will emphasize that access and availability of information should not be impacted by either time or geography. Learn from a panel of experts:

• How to support, through information delivery, access to information for all decision-making (e.g. emergency response, poison control centers)
• How to identify the correct source of information (person or resource)
• How to develop relationships within the information provider community

Moderator:
Roberta Shaffer, FLICC/FEDLINK

Panelists:
Deborah Balsamo, EPA/OEI (PDF) (15 pp, 50K)
Victor Cid, NIH/NLM (PDF) (17 pp, 2.5MB)
Frederick Stoss, SUNY of Buffalo (PDF) (20 pp, 1.1MB)

Track Session 2D:
Making the Connection Between Health and the Environment

In this interactive discussion, the panel and audience will explore the similarities and differences in the information needs and information policy issues faced by government agencies and local communities in trying to address emerging environmental contaminants. Participants will also learn about the implications for how federal agencies, states, and communities can collaborate to overcome key information needs and policy barriers.

Moderator:
William Sonntag, EPA/OEI

Panelists:
Susannah Fuchs, American Lung Association (PDF) (13 pp, 513K)
Ted Palma, EPA/OAR (PDF) (19 pp, 2.6MB)
Mike Petruska, EPA/OEI
Gwen Yoshimura, EPA/Region 7 (PDF) (13 pp, 717K)

Track Session 3D:
Best Practices in Data Access by States

Learn how the Exchange Network is being used to support specific business needs:

• How Nebraska and its state partners of Region 7 in the Heartland Emergency Response Exchange (HERE) Project use the Exchange Network to proactively share critical environmental information in support of emergency response operations.
• How the state environmental agencies of New Jersey, New York, and Delaware in collaboration with the EPA Office of Air and Radiation developed the Air Quality Data Exchange (AQDE) using the technology of the Exchange Network and how these partners developed a common data exchange mechanism that automates access to ambient air monitoring data and provides for efficient reporting to both EPA air data systems (AQS and AirNow).
• See a demonstration of the Exchange Network Browser and EN Discovery Service (ENDS) that demonstrates the power of the Exchange Network to solve business problems by combining web services with geospatial tools and data.

Panelists:
Dennis Burling, NE
Nancy Imler, Co-Chair NOB-PA
Lawrence Thornton, NJ
Mitch West, Exchange Network (PDF) (7 pp, 425K)

Track Session 1E:
Using Information to Change Attitudes and Protect Human Health

This session will showcase targeted efforts by EPA program and regional offices to inform the public and promote sound environmental behavior. Learn about lessons from successful efforts and how they might be used in future public information efforts. Explore the kinds of environmental information EPA programs and regions are making available to the public. Who are their audiences? What are their goals for providing information access? Explore how voluntary information access complements regulatory program activities. See how program and regional sponsors determine whether their information programs are working and what improvements the panelists are planning to make in the future.

Moderator:
Art Koines, EPA/OEI (PDF) (2 pp, 16K)

Panelists:
Richard (Chet) Wayland, EPA/OAR (PDF) (23 pp, 1.8MB)
Jim Pendergast, EPA/OW (PDF) (19 pp, 348K)

Track Session 2E:
The Future for Community Collaboration on the Web

In this session, participants will learn about how the EPA Portal helps communities with common interests collaborate on the Web. What is the concept of Portal and why is it right for EPA? How is it being used today and into the future? How can the EPA Portal affect information access and sharing? Learn who "Got it Right" by bringing resources to the Portal; how the Portal has affected information access, discovery, and exchange for current users; and how the Portal can be improved to better facilitate collaboration.

Introduction by:
Linda Travers, Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA's Office of Environmental Information

Panelists:
Terry Grady, EPA/OEI (67 pp, 8.9MB)
Jacques Kapuscinski, EPA/ORD
Michael Plastino, EPA/OW (PDF) (115 pp, 6.9MB)

Track Session 3E:
Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate: Hot Topics and Cool Data

Learn how earth observation data help us understand how atmospheric chemistry is changing and how climate is forecasted to change as a result. Examine how information technology is advancing our ability to understand important changes in our earth systems. Hear the answers to important questions:

• What are some of the key data now available regarding how atmospheric chemistry and the climate are changing?
• What exciting new capabilities are on the horizon?
• How is new information technology enabling what we couldn't do before?
• How does it all relate to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)?
• Why should decision-makers care?
• Why should the general public care?

Moderator:
Steve Young, EPA/OEI

Panelists:
Dr. Stefan Falke, Washington University
Lawrence Friedl, NASA (invited)
Dr. Rudolf Husar, Washington University
Pat Dolwick, EPA/OAR (invited)