P2Rx Programs Database White Paper

Drafted 11/1/2001

Background and Need:

P2Rx is an information network with a goal of improving the dissemination of pollution prevention information to the service provider community. An effective network serves the needs of its community in innovative ways. “Innovative” does not necessarily imply “complex” or “new” but it does imply thinking outside of the box. Easier access to contact-type resources is a perceived need in the P2 community. Easy access to this information is better for business and industry and better for agencies as they seek to serve their clients. Various entities (from national to local) are attempting to address this need. P2Rx’s organizational structure puts it in a perfect position to accomplish this task and alleviate some of the burden for others.

P2Rx is currently focused on improving access to P2 resources of two basic types: publications and contacts (people or agencies offering expert professional assistance). Two crucial steps to improving access to any resource are describing it accurately and providing user-friendly search mechanisms. The P2Rx Programs Directory Project was initiated as a national project of the Centers in October 1999 to provide a framework for consistently and systematically describing contact-type resources. Its mission is to provide an on-line tool for locating business assistance and services – maintained locally, available nationally. Local maintenance insures currency and accuracy. National distribution brings the P2 community together helping to avoid duplication of effort.

Initial efforts concentrated on developing tools for Centers to use in developing a regional directory of contacts. Since some Centers had existing contacts directories and others were starting from scratch, Greg Geyer helped with a database and the Region 6 Center created data management and display tools for a web-based application. These were distributed for adoption as Centers chose. Implementing the agreed upon framework, most Centers currently have regional on-line Program Directories. Data collected is also used in the “Where to Go for Help” section of the P2Rx Topic Hubs.

Approach:

P2Rx Centers adopted a standard set of data elements including both basic contact information for programs and individuals (e.g. name, address, phone number, etc.) and organizational descriptive information including program type, geographic service area, areas of expertise, resources offered, audience served and a narrative profile. Data collection tools also accommodate optional unique, detailed descriptions (i.e. sector, material and process descriptions) using vocabulary from the P2 Thesaurus and Library of Congress Subject Headings. Basic data collection and quality control standards were also adopted including:

1. Scope of data collection - As a minimum, centers will identify and describe active technical assistance programs that provide pollution prevention and energy efficiency information (including PPIS grantees, local P2 programs, university-based P2 programs and non-profits). If pollution prevention and/or energy efficiency is a focus for SBDCs, MEPs, SBAPs, etc., those programs will also be listed. Other programs can be added from the list of "Program Types" as dictated by the center's partnerships and P2Rx goals. Program Types currently include: federal, state and local government; educational institutions; non-profits; vendors; consultants; Small Business Assistance Programs (SBAPs); Manufacturing Extension Programs (MEPs); recycling programs; Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs); energy efficiency programs; and materials exchanges.
   
2. Validation - For programs to appear in the National P2Rx Programs Directory, three requirements must be met: a) all "required" fields must be filled; b)"Profile" information, written and/or edited by the organization being described, must be included; c) at least one individual contact name must be listed with appropriate contact information (e.g. title, email address, etc.).
   
3. Keywords Allowance – P2Rx Centers may use as many keywords to describe an organization as needed. When organizations are asked to describe themselves, a 15-word limit is suggested (for sector, material and process descriptions) to encourage organizations to list their most valuable contributions. This is because more focused descriptions aid searchers.

Current and Future Tasks
There is great potential for using the information in national, regional and state services. The most obvious use is a P2Rx National Programs Directory – maintained locally for currency and accuracy, available nationally for improved access. This can be available from P2Rx.org and from any Center.

However, the use and usefulness of a national directory increases as it provides a service to other entities and projects. For instance, the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable has searched for ways to keep its Yellow Pages current and truly reflective of the variety of pollution prevention efforts underway. Through content sharing (sharing data in this case), P2Rx can help NPPR solve this problem and reduce duplication of effort besides. The OECA Compliance Assistance Centers, regional EPA P2 roundtables and other organizations can similarly benefit.

The data collected about programs can be used wherever there is a need for contact-type information. The structure of a database provides flexibility for using the data. With structured data available, Centers can begin “thinking outside the box.” For instance, contact-type information is currently being pulled from the programs database and appears as the Where to Go For Help section of the Topic Hubs. Another example might be using the data to cite project partners and collaborators. As the number of P2Rx projects grows, more ways to use it will become evident.

These issues should be addressed to continue developing this data into a useful collection:

1. Content sharing – As with other P2Rx products, content sharing provides more possibilities for using the data; and this will make collection and maintenance more cost-effective. P2Rx Centers need to address this as a group and seek the necessary resources to accomplish it.
2. Maintenance – This involves realistically defining the boundaries of data collection and the resources required to do so as well as establishing regular schedules for verifying and updating information. Defining boundaries and establishing schedules is a P2Rx group function. Implementation is a Center-based responsibility.
3. Appearance and Function – What users will see and what options they will have when using the P2Rx National Programs Directory. An example is giving users the ability to enter and correct their own data. Ideas for appearance can be taken from Center Regional Directories with the group agreeing to a standard look and function. P2Rx must identify resources for developing functional and appearance capabilities.
4. Quality Control – Some additional standards to insure the integrity of a national product may be required. As with every product, P2Rx must continually review and update standards that best serve our users and allow Centers to maintain collections adequately, and discard standards that become irrelevant.
5. Administrative Tools – There are many possibilities for Centers to use the data internally. For instance, generating mailing lists or producing hard-copy directories can both be easily accomplished by developing templates. In the spirit of P2Rx, Centers that find useful applications may develop tools and share them with other Centers, providing a better service overall both nationally and to the regions.

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