Public Sector – Connections

SunGard Public Sector Launches Training Courses Through Building Officials Association of Florida (BOAF)

Posted: May 10, 2012, 9:50 am

SunGard Public Sector has launched a new series of continuing education web courses exclusively for members of the Building Officials Association of Florida (BOAF) designed to provide instructor-led online training that can help members maintain licenses and update knowledge.

Courses offered include training on the Florida Building Code, common code violations in the state, fair housing guidelines, the Florida Accessibility Code, and much more. The web courses are designed to help building inspectors and other Florida building officials access valuable training and certifications without the added expense of travel costs or time spent away from the office.

The BOAF is committed to offering outstanding training and educational opportunities in order to facilitate the uniform interpretation and application of the codes across the State, including certification programs, an annual educational conference and trade expo, and local seminars.

SunGard Public Sector’s training and development team provides live, instructor-led and prerecorded on-demand instruction serving the public sector audience—local government employees and officials, public safety and justice officers, and non-profit organizations. The BOAF training courses are offered as stand-alone modules and are not covered by any SunGard Public Sector continuing education subscription plan.

For more information or to enroll in a class, contact SunGard Public Sector’s training and development team at tnd@sungardps.com.

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Posted in Public Administration

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Government and Technology: Responding to the Future With Collaboration

Posted: April 23, 2012, 11:12 am

By Erin Randall

In a day and age when answers are available with the click of a button and immediate response is expected, the public’s definition of “quality service delivery” has changed dramatically.  Citizens want convenience, speed, greater accountability, and choice.  These demands aren’t unusual by themselves, but do pose an unusual challenge for government agencies trying to meet these expectations in a cost-effective manner.  Perhaps the most obvious tool to help governments address these challenges is technology.

From increasing workflow efficiency to streamlining service delivery, technology is adaptable enough to provide governments the tools to serve the public better now, while still allowing capacity for growth in the future. A key target for improving service delivery through technology is improved information sharing interdepartmentally.  For many government entities, the fragmentation of information infrastructure has led to additional costs, inefficient operations, and stove piped solutions that limit effectiveness.

Take for instance an individual citizen.  This one citizen may be recorded in individual departmental databases for tax billing, utilities, requests for service, and even criminal records; however, these databases and records have no communication with each other, although they all relate to the same person.  This lack of information sharing hinders both departmental decision-making as well as the service that person receives, requiring them to register, pay for, and/or modify services with each department.

An ERP system such as ONESolution remedies this silo effect by employing a technological framework that unifies databases of information.  This new framework ensures the same information is available to all appropriately authorized parties allowing them to streamline their processes and coordinate interdepartmentally.  In this way, improved information availability enhances both tactical (short term) and strategic (long term) decision making.

Making this even more attractive is the increasing attention and emphasis the federal government is giving to this issue of interdepartmental communication, collaboration, and coordination of information repositories.  While the first leaders in this issue were in the public safety arena post-9/11, the idea of improving service delivery through increased collaboration/coordination is spreading throughout all of government.

But how does this affect the local government enterprise?  Federal grant funding.  From grant programs like the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Sustainable Communities Planning Grant to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) National Justice Information Sharing Initiative, major funding dollars are being directed towards projects that unify individual information repositories and improve decision-making and service delivery.

Interested in ONESolution, eGovernment, and/or tapping into these innovative funding streams?  Contact us today or speak with your SunGard Public Sector account executive to learn more!

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Posted in Collaboration & Info Sharing, Grant Funding

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Reducing Recidivism with Technology

Posted: January 9, 2012, 4:19 pm

Recidivism is an issue that has grown increasingly relevant for the public safety community as state budgets continue to be stagnant and/or decline.   Recidivism is the return to crime, and is most frequently used to describe a person’s return to incarceration.  In one study by the U.S. Department of Justice, it was revealed that over two thirds of released prisoners were rearrested within three years (Reentry Trends, USDOJ).  Current estimates of the number of state housed inmates and prisoners were around 1.4 million as of January 2010 (Prison Count).  The average annual cost for a state to house an inmate and/or prisoner is roughly $26,000 (Schmitt, p.13).  Couple this with an annual 1.8% growth rate of incarcerated individuals over the last decade (Prison) and you get an annual increase of $650 million in prison costs.

This sizeable increase in the cost of operating jails and prisons is particularly difficult during the current economic times, where revenues have significantly declined and budget shortfalls are commonplace.   So how can states address the rising concern of recidivism?  Many have increased the number of incarcerated persons placed on parole and probation.  Nevertheless, supervising the estimated 5 million individuals under some type of parole and/or probation has its own associated costs (Prison).  In order to develop a real solution to stemming the rising tide of incarceration it is necessary to first gain a real understanding of the underlying causes and contributing factors to recidivism.

Grant funding related to jails over time has changed from a “bricks and mortar” focus on solely jail construction to a more proactive approach aimed at  understanding the prison population.  Today, the Department of Justice offers numerous grant programs that support state and regional initiatives aimed at data collection and information sharing across public safety domains.  Police departments, courts, jails, and parole/probation services are encouraged to work together to share information so that the underlying causes of recidivism can be both better understood and addressed. Grant programs such as the Criminal Justice Innovation Grant Program, Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program, and Second Chance Act grants, among others, award millions of dollars annually for projects that utilize technology to better collect and analyze data related to jail populations.

The verdict is clear.  Prison related costs are rising, but so is the number of jail-related grant funding opportunities available to States and regions.  States and regions interested in SunGard’s Jail Management Systems, cross-jurisdictional records management systems, and other information sharing technologies would serve themselves well to become acquainted with the growing number of jail related grant programs offered through the federal government annually. To learn more about these programs, contact Erin Randall, SunGard Grants Specialist, at Erin.Randall@sungardps.com today.

Sources

Schmitt, John, et al.  “The High Budgetary Cost of Incarceration”.  Center for Economic and Policy Research.   June 2010. http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/incarceration-2010-06.pdf.

Portman, Senator Rob (Portland, Oregon).  “Cut Recidivism, Slash Spending”.
Politico.  Online Magazine.  14 December 2011.   http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70370_Page2.html.

“Prison Count 2010: State Population Declines for the First Time in 38 Years”.  Pew
Center on the States, The. Report Released 17 March, 2010. Update 1 April 2010.
http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/report_detail.aspx?id=57653

“Prison and Jail Inmate Population Growth Slows”.  Correctional News. Online Article. 5 January 2010.  http://www.correctionalnews.com/articles/2010/01/5/report-prison-and-jail-inmate-population-growth-slows.

“Reentry Trends in the U.S.”  Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Last Revised 14 December 2011. http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/reentry/recidivism.cfm.

Posted in Grant Funding, Public Safety & Justice

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Attend a Free Learning Event on Government Collaboration & Technology

Posted: November 3, 2011, 12:43 pm

On Tuesday, November 8 at 2 p.m. EST, SunGard Public Sector will once again present a free learning event to showcase the latest developments in leveraging technology to improve communication for local governments.

Steve Ressler (Founder and President of GovLoop) will discuss how GovLoop promotes and supports an online community of goverment innovators of all kinds from the federal, state, and local entities. Dicussion points include social media and government, creating innovation in government, and increasing citizen engagement.

This webinar is absolutely FREE to SunGard Public Sector customers interested in learning more about how to use technology to improve their collaboration in local government agencies. Register today. If you are not currently a SunGard Public Sector customer but would like to attend, please let us know.

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Posted in Collaboration & Info Sharing, Public Administration, Public Safety & Justice, Public Sector

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Funding Trends: Why & How Government Agencies are Starting Their Own Non-Profits

Posted: September 14, 2011, 12:44 pm

What do New York, Daytona Beach, El Paso, and Lynchburg Police Departments have in common?  Other than uniformed officers and marked cruisers, each agency established a non-profit organization to support their respective missions.  These non-profit police foundations are representative of a growing trend for governmental agencies: establishing non-profits to both boost community involvement and open funding opportunities.

The benefits of establishing a nonprofit to benefit a government agency are multifold, although most notably financial.  Over $40 billion is awarded annually by corporate and private foundations throughout the nation.  The main beneficiaries of this funding?  Nonprofit organizations.  Furthermore, the application process for corporate and private funding is oftentimes less complicated, less competitive, and less unpredictable than public funding counterparts found at the federal, state, and local levels.  As the 2012 economic outlook and public funding opportunities become bleaker, local governments would be wise to consider establishing their own nonprofit to better withstand this time of further budget reductions, layoffs, and postponed projects.

Establishing a nonprofit involves certain steps that can seem foreign and complicated. The truth of the matter is that the process does take time, but does not require specialized knowledge, insider information, or significant financial burden.   To date, there are over one million recognized nonprofits in the United States alone (according to National Center for Charitable Statistics) and if they can successfully complete the process so can just about anyone.  The procedure to establish a non-profit involves a series of steps that may vary slightly from organization to organization.  In brief, these steps are as follows:

  1. Develop a mission statement that outlines the organization’s purpose.
  2. Create a name for your nonprofit.
  3. Contact a lawyer to incorporate your organization’s name and file the articles of incorporation.
  4. Establish your bylaws.
  5. Select your board members and define their responsibilities and tasks.
  6. Apply for an Employee Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS.
  7. Hold first meeting with the Board.
  8. Open a bank account in your non-profit organization’s name.

The time it takes to establish a nonprofit ranges from two months to two years, depending on how quickly forms are submitted and the IRS’ backlog.  The cost to establish a non-profit varies, but is on average around $2,000 depending on state’s filing costs and lawyer’s fees.  This fee is relatively nominal considering the new funding sources that will be available once nonprofit status is approved.   In this day and age, a $2,000 investment to access $40 billion in resources should be a no-brainer.  To learn more about establishing a nonprofit and SunGard Grants Services, contact Erin Randall at Erin.Randall@sungardps.com and/or visit the following websites.

Helpful Resources and Links:

NASCO: National Association of State Charity Officials
http://nasconet.org

Foundation Center

http://foundationcenter.org

Posted in Grant Funding, Public Safety & Justice

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Congratulations to SunGard Public Sector clients in Digital Counties 2011 survey

Posted: August 24, 2011, 3:05 pm

For the past nine years, e.Republic’s Center for Digital Government has partnered with the National Association of Counties (NACo) to identify best electronic practices among counties nationwide, regardless of size. This year’s Digital Counties Survey features a number of SunGard Public Sector customers, who are utilizing our software to help connect their communities.

Congratulations to each of them!

250-499,999 population:
2nd Dakota County, Minn.
3rd Chesterfield County, Va.
4th Douglas County, Colo.
9th Guilford County, N.C.

150-249,999 population:
3rd Arlington County, Va.
6th Gaston County, N.C.
9th Boone County, Mo.
10th Hall County, Ga.

Less than 150,000 population:
1st County of Nevada, Calif.
4th Martin County, Fla.
7th Gloucester County, Va.

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Grant Funding: The Big Picture for Small Agencies

Posted: August 15, 2011, 1:20 pm

As a grant writer working with public safety and municipal agencies throughout the country, I frequently encounter skepticism regarding funding opportunities for smaller agencies.  The  viewpoint held by many of these agencies’ representatives is that agencies who serve large populations have an overwhelming advantage over agencies with more modest numbers of residents during the application review process.

This opinion is both true and untrue at the same time.  Who is eligible to apply and/or what types of projects are fundable vary by each and every grant program.  Some grants, like the Department of Homeland Security’s Urban Area Security Initiative, only provide funding to major metropolitan areas in each state.  Other grants, like HUD’s Sustainable Communities Planning Initiative, only  provide funding to projects that affect a set, high number of residents.  For small agencies considering these types of funding opportunities, the eligibility requirements automatically appear to exclude them from award potential.

The reality is that thinking creatively and being flexible can remove most barriers that smaller agencies face.  Take for instance the aforementioned Sustainable Communities Planning Grant.  A small agency can partner with surrounding municipalities and units of governments to achieve a sufficiently large cumulative population served and gain eligibility.  This approach has the added bonus of encouraging higher scoring during the review process because it encompasses a regional, collaborative approach.

In talking about today’s federal funding priorities and review process, most of the 26 federal grant making agencies are looking for projects that are innovative and replicable.  Innovative implies a new approach to an old problem.  Replicable means that the project is general and scalable enough that it can be implemented successfully in other cities and counties throughout the country.  Now consider that most cities and towns in the United States serve an average population of just over 43,000.  It makes sense that an agency serving a similar population would have the advantage of designing and implementing a project that is easily replicable throughout the country – a task that is otherwise challenging for a metropolis serving over 1 million.

So what have we learned about funding opportunities for smaller average-sized agencies?  First, that partnering with surrounding areas can provide a competitive edge over agencies serving large populations.  Secondly, that serving a “smaller” population can actually work in an agency’s favor as more grant programs emphasize replicability.

One final point of note for small agencies is that even those with populations way under the national average have funding opportunities that are designated just for them.  There are at least a dozen federal grant programs that provide funding only to rural agencies serving a population of 20,000 or less.  There is grant funding to build new public safety buildings, to acquire broadband, to secure green spaces, to improve service delivery, implement software, and much more – all only for rural agencies.  Identifying and securing funding, therefore, is truly a game that agencies of all sizes have to learn to play.  Being flexible, thinking strategically, and being aware of opportunities are important tools for any sized player in the search for grant funding.

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Posted in Grant Funding, Public Administration, Public Safety & Justice

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What the Debt-Ceiling Deal Could Mean for Local Governments

Posted: August 2, 2011, 3:16 pm

We have been inundated with breaking news, commentary, and predictions regarding the recent congressional/white house deliberation on raising the debt ceiling.  Whether or not you watched with interest or tuned out the coverage, the results of this debate and the agreement reached will have considerable consequences that will be felt by everyone in due time.  In summary, the bi-partisan package calls for a trillion dollars in spending cuts over the next ten years to balance the trillion dollar debt ceiling rise.  This sounds simple and reasonable enough on face value.  In action, however, determining where these cuts will be made and who they will ultimately affect will be decided by a divided Congress that contrasts over the parties’ separate ideological platforms.

There are certain stalwarts of the annual federal spending that remain somewhat untouchable in our current political climate. These cost centers typically include national defense and security, social security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), benefits for Federal retirees and veterans, and so-called safety net programs.  Together these cost centers comprise 88% of annual federal spending.  The remaining 12% include an array of public services that help maintain our roads, protect our environment, and ensure safety practices.  This 12% equals to roughly $4.2 billion in annual spending and is arguably the most nonessential of the spending categories.  Even if these programs were cut entirely, however, it would amount to only a small fraction of the promised 1 trillion in cuts.  So where will the other $994 billion be cut?

One probable candidate for spending reductions is grant funding, in the form of both federally administered grants and what is commonly referred to as a pass-through.  A pass-through is federal funding that is appropriated to states to either support state-level programs and/or reallocate to smaller units of government.  Federally administered grants and pass-through state funding represent around $400 billion in funding annually and are the primary sources of grant monies for local units of government.  As such, their potential reduction has significant ramifications.

A second viable candidate for spending cuts is the earmark, a monetary amount designated by a Congressional Representative for a particular project and tacked on to appropriations bills for approval.   In fiscal year 2011 alone, over 40,000 earmarks requiring over $131 billion in funding were requested.  In the last two years, earmarks have been given increasing attention as several efforts have been made to eliminate their existence in Congress altogether.    As Washington’s purse strings tighten and the political parties draw their lines in the sand, earmarks will surely come under fire again and reduce significantly.   While the legitimacy of earmarks is sometimes suspect, it is also true that the benefit they provide to communities and jurisdictions throughout the United States is undeniable.  Earmarks are one of the few, and arguably only, major sources of funding available to agencies for high cost projects.  The result of reducing and/or eliminating earmarks in the next several fiscal years is that local units of governments have one less source of funding available to support costly and oftentimes critical projects.

The combined expense of public service programs, pass-through funding, and earmarks is approximate to the trillion dollar in cuts promised.  If these areas are indeed reduced the real victims will be local units of government. Public safety providers and public administrations will feel the sting of the trillion dollars in cuts more than federal agencies and state governments, as ultimately money trickles down.  The less money there is to start with, the less money will reach the bottom rung of the governmental ladder.  In essence, the next decade will be a trying time for local and regional governments as they seek funding to replace aging infrastructure, manage changing needs, and remain responsive to their citizens’ needs.  While these predicted reductions are at this time only speculation, it is now more important than ever for local governments to think outside the box and seek new sources in terms of funding.

 

Posted in Grant Funding, Public Administration, Public Safety & Justice, Public Sector

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Free Learning Event on Government Collaboration and Technology

Posted: June 15, 2011, 2:10 pm

Join SunGard Public Sector on Thursday, June 30 at 2 p.m. EST for a free learning event to showcase how the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) and the government employee social networking site GovLoop foster collaboration among all levels of government.

John Bienko, Deputy Director at the United States Small Business Administration, will discuss how the administration uses eLearning and online communities to provide service to hundreds of thousands of people and businesses they serve for free or for a nominal cost.

Steve Ressler (Founder and President of GovLoop) and Andrew Krzmrazick (Director of Community Engagement at GovLoop.com) will discuss how GovLoop promotes and supports an online community of goverment innovators of all kinds from the federal, state, and local entities. Dicussion points include social media and government, creating innovation in government, and increasing citizen engagement.

This webinar is absolutely FREE to SunGard Public Sector customers interested in learning more about how to use technology to improve their collaboration in local government agencies. Register today. If you are not currently a SunGard Public Sector customer but would like to attend, please let us know.

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Posted in Collaboration & Info Sharing, Public Administration, Public Safety & Justice, Public Sector

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Department of Homeland Security- Grant Funding Now Available!

Posted: May 26, 2011, 1:03 pm

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has at long last released funding for a wide variety of grant programs.  If you’re familiar with DHS grants, then you know the application period typically runs from January to December.  The reason behind the delay this year was the budget battle that played out in Congress, postponing the release of grant funding until formal federal budget approval.  If you are not familiar with DHS grants, rest assured that this does not prevent you from taking advantage of this potential funding source.  There are several details than any interested agency must know, particularly the due date, application requirements, and each grant program’s funding priorities.  Obtaining this information is as easy as reviewing each program’s guidelines.  However, having a true understanding of how to develop your request and ensure it scores well in the review process is insight the guidelines cannot provide.  For this information, I invite you to attend the upcoming Developing Your DHS Grant Request for 2011 Success.  This webinar will cover the application requirements, review past winning projects, and offer tips & tricks for developing a winning request.    Register to attend today!  Click here for more information.

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Posted in Customer News, Grant Funding, Public Safety & Justice

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