Case study

A US state agency

Creation of a document management system

PA is leading a comprehensive evaluation of 23 publicly funded energy efficiency programs administered by a US state agency. As part of the evaluation, PA's database specialists have developed a document management system to store the outputs of each program and made the results available to team members and the client.

PA developed the database in Microsoft Access 2000 © with a Web interface, which can be accessed by authorized users. All documents and files are centrally stored, allowing them to be retrieved from many different locations within the Web site. The custom-programmed interface also makes it possible to manage security on individual programs and files, allowing only authorized project team members to view sensitive file information (all users are allowed to view file descriptions), download and/or upload files.

PA developed a set of file-posting procedures that check on the thoroughness and accuracy of the information provided. The document management system also contains a sophisticated multi-criteria search engine and a contact database. The global information system (GIS) mapping of selected metrics and program activities on the Web site gives users an idea of the reach and focus of the energy efficiency programs.