BLM OR/WA - Economic Profile System-web (EPS-web)

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Background: Since 1998, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has funded support for the development of the Economic Profile System (EPS). The purpose of the application was to simplify and standardize the task of collecting social and economic data. Since its initial development, this software application has run through Microsoft Excel and has continually evolved and been refined. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) joined BLM in funding a major redevelopment of this application, resulting in the application known as the Economic Profile System-Human Dimensions Toolkit (EPS-HDT). Originally developed by the Sonoran Institute, EPS-HDT is now maintained and distributed by Headwaters Economics, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve community development and land management decisions in the West. The Headwaters Economics staff includes the project team that developed EPS while at the Sonoran Institute. The BLM currently contracts with Headwaters Economics to transition EPS-HDT from a web-enabled software application that uses a Microsoft Excel Add-in, to a web-based application. This transition will be complete around June 2015. Support for the web-based application will continue under the contract through the existing performance period (July 2015). Upon release of the web-based version of the tool, Headwaters Economics would like to refer to the product as "EPS-web" rather than "EPS-HDT." The current version of EPS-HDT is a free, publicly available, web-enabled software application that works within Microsoft Excel (versions 2003, 2007, and 2010), while the EPS-HDT databases reside on a web server hosted by Headwaters Economics. The software consists of an "Add-In," which appears in the Excel menu bar. EPS-HDT can produce up to 14 standardized economic, demographic, and land use reports for a selected State, region, county or metro/non-metro area in any of the 50 States. EPS-HDT simplifies the socio-economic research required for land use planning by gathering and presenting, in a variety of useful formats, data from multiple federal databases. The tool was created to improve planning by efficiently accomplishing the time consuming task of gathering important social and economic data. EPS-HDT is also used throughout the BLM to facilitate public involvement in land use planning. The tool has additionally facilitated a relationship with the BLM's public by fostering discussion on economic conditions, trends, and opportunities on public lands. More information about the software can be found at: http://headwaterseconomics.org/tools/eps-hdt. EPS-HDT is included on BLM's National Configuration Management Baseline, authorizing its use on all BLM desktops (VDD-04s559-03.00-11/22/2011). Both application and data are in the public domain. EPS-HDT contains no BLM or Privacy Act data. Objectives: Support the operation and maintenance of EPS-web and additional enhancements to the product over the life of the agreement which could include, but are not limited to, enhancing a geographic component of the tool, incorporating reports that address environmental justice or other specified socioeconomic topic, or other improvement or addition as determined by changes in agency needs and the public interests. Public Benefit: EPS-web will provide the public with direct access to the tool at no charge. This includes comprehensive information from various federal databases, thereby enhancing opportunities for the public to engage as partners in land use planning and empowering the public to access data. In its web-based format, the tool provides long-term cost savings and increased functionality for all users.

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