# Presentation: 086905

## Training on Conservation System Guides and Performance Results System

- April 11, 2006

- This session will last 1.5 hours
- Please mute your phones
- Save your questions until the question and answer period at the end of the conference
- This conference is being recorded and will be available for download for 30 days.
- This PowerPoint will be posted on the CSG and PRS sites
- The session is available to be printed to PDF from your computer

## Training Team Developers

**John Copeland – National Technology Specialist, Portland, OR**
**Phil Smith – Project Manager, Fort Collins, CO**
**Lori Ziehr - Agronomist, Temple, TX**
**Greta Steverson - District Conservationist, New Castle, KY**
**Keith Rogers - Management Analyst, Tolland, CT**
**Dan Mullarkey – Natural Resource Specialist, NHQ**
**Roy Campbell – Resource Conservationist, Des Moines, IA**
**Mary Grande – Business Tools Specialist, Fort Collins, CO**
**Ken Tootle -  Integrated Accountability System Coordinator, Fort Worth, TX**

## Opening remarks by Allen Green 	 

**April 11, 2006  12:30 CT**
**Moderator: Ken Tootle**
**Opening remarks by Allen Green ****	**** **
**Background and states responsibilities (bulletins ****	****450-6-2 and 450-6-4) by John Copeland **
**Review of the training files by the training team **
**How to get help on CSG or PRS by John Copeland**
**Question and answers review – Lori & Team**
**Live Questions from Participants - 15 min – Team **
**Closing remarks - Allen Green**

## National Bulletin 450-6-2 Dec 27, 2005NEW PROCEDURES FOR MAINTAINING CONSERVATION SYSTEM GUIDES (CSGs)

## Background

- Changes to practice identifier codes
- Impacts to CSG database
- Proposed action to reduce workload on state-level offices

## Explanation

- Automatic update of all affected conservation systems in CSG
- Copy each active system
- Change old system to retired
- Replace the discontinued code in new system with new code
- Update each draft system

## Impacts to State-level offices

- Reduce CSG maintenance
- PRS can still obtain performance data from old systems
- Automatic development of new systems
- No impact to data stored in NCPD
- Will not affect number of systems accessible to planners

## State-level responsibilities

- Choose to use new codes before automatic update feature is activated
- Manually create any new systems needed with the new codes
- Choose to wait on automatic update feature
- After automatic update, ensure that impacts are correct.

## National Bulletin 450-6-4 Feb 1, 2006AGENCYWIDE ACTIONS TO IMPROVE USE OF CONSERVATION SYSTEM GUIDES (CSGs) AND PROGRESS REPORTING

## Background

- Methods of obtaining reporting data will be evaluated in FY06
- Linkage of CSG to PRS will continue in FY06
- CSG special team

## Short-term actions – national level

- Development of online training
- Improvement to CSG database management tools
- Global edits
- Automatic changes in CSG based on code changes
- Change in business rule associated with copied systems
- Assignment of CSG to multiple CRA

## Short-term actions – national level

- CSG terms will be clarified and explained
- Point of contact for management and policy issues – Ron Marlow
- Contact for technical questions – Anthony Burns

## Short-term actions – state-level

- Maintain existing CSG – edit only to correct technical errors
- Minimize creation of new CSG and CS
- Promote training materials to field staff

## What training???

- Where to find it.
- How to access it.
- Tips and tricks.

## CSG – PRS Training Links

**Notes:**
To market the training products and make the training materials as accessible as possible, several links have been placed on My.NRCS.
From the Technology tab, select the CSG-PRS training 2006, then view either the powerpoint files or the recommended video files.  Today’s Powerpoint presentation will be posted with training powerpoints and should be available by tomorrow.  This presentation is being recorded and a replay available thought My.Meetings for the next 30 days.  The replay coordinate are included with the my.meeting information for this presentation.

## CSG – PRS Training Links

**Notes:**
The Accountability tab also has the same links to the CSG-PRS training link as well as the Quick Time player instructions. 

 PRS includes the links directly from the homepage.

## CSG – PRS Training Links

**Notes:**
Users can also select the Field Tools tab, and Conservation System Guides icon, then go to Help menu (on the next slide) for another link to the training materials and instructions on viewing the videos.  

## CSG – PRS Training Links

**Notes:**
I should mention that several different players will work to view the videos but the Quick Time offers the best viewing options. 
The CSP Help provides step by step instructions on configuring Quick Time Player.  

## QuickTime Instructions

**Notes:**
Because of the size of the files, it’s highly recommended that you save the video files to your local drive before viewing.  The QuickTime Player is standard on all CCE computer but if you’ve not used it before it will need to be initialized.  The instructions show how to configure QuickTime step by step and only has to be done once.

## Review of Training Modules

**Conservation System Guides – A general overview by John Copeland**
**Understanding and using the new functionality of the Conservation System Guide Application by Phil Smith**
**Understanding and using the Conservation System Guide Application by Lori Ziehr and Greta Steverson**
**CSG role in FY2006 performance measures by Keith Rogers and Dan Mullarkey**
**How to complete a CS physical effects over ride by Greta Steverson and Lori Ziehr.**
**Future enhancements using the CSG-PRS linked data by Ken Tootle. **
**Frequently asked questions and answers – A Text document  by the team members**

## Module 1 -  Conservation System Guides, A General Overview John Copeland

- February 2006

**Notes:**
Module 1 – Conservation System Guides, A General Overview. 

## Objectives

- Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- Explain the uses of Conservation System Guides (CSG) and Conservation Systems (CS)
- Describe Conservation System Guides  and Conservation Systems
- Explain the history behind the guides
- Describe when additional guides/systems are needed for their Field Office work area

**Notes:**
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
Explain the uses of Conservation System Guides and Conservation Systems 
Describe Conservation System Guides and Conservation Systems
Explain the history behind the guides
Describe when additional guides/systems are needed for their Field Office work area

## What’s in Module 1

- Uses of CSG/CS
- Definitions
- History
- How FO staff can see CSG/CS
- Explain when to request additional guides or systems
- Describe impacts of CSG on FO staffs

**Notes:**
Uses such as: improving the efficiency of conservation planning and contracting, serve as excellent training tools for field office employees, partners, and Technical Service Providers, provide typical resource effects and impacts that can be automatically harvested by PRS, serve as a source of information for other State-Level and national databases and efforts.

Definitions: Most of the terms used in CSGs - CRA, CSG, CS, Baseline Description, Baseline Condition, Threshold Value, System Effect, System Impact, Resource Consideration/Concern, Measurable and Non-measurable Resource Concerns.

Explain the history of CSGs and describe how FO staff can see CSG/CS

## Module 2 - Understanding and Using the New Functionality of the Conservation System Guide ApplicationPhil Smith

- February 2006

## Objectives

- Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- Describe what changes occur in Conservation System Guides (CSG) when your State accepts a new replacement conservation practice in the Conservation Practice Standard (CPS)
- Describe the global change process in the CSG database and why caution is needed when making changes
- Explain how these global changes will be helpful to field office staff

**Notes:**
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
Describe what changes occur in Conservation System Guides (CSG) when your State accepts a new replacement conservation practice in the Conservation Practice Standard (CPS)
Describe the global change process in the CSG database and why caution is needed when making changes
Explain how these global changes will be helpful to field office staff

## Highlights

- Some Global Edits are now available
- Add Resource Concern
- Change Threshold or Baseline values
- Copy Active Systems
- Copy CSG to many CRA’s
- Definitions

**Notes:**
Some Global Edits are now available in CSG

1) Add a Resource Concern to Multiple Conservation System Guides
2) Change Threshold or Baseline Values for Multiple Conservation System Guides
These can be accessed by Conservation System Guide editors clicking on the Global Changes button on the Data Entry screen in CSG database. 

3) Copy CSG and their Active Systems can be copied as Active Systems – don’t need to go back and activate each system. 

4) Conservation System Guide and it’s Systems can be copied to many CRA’s at one time.

The slide set describes these changes

In addition the terms Baseline Condition, System Effect and System Impacts are more clearly defined on the screens.

## Highlights

- Additional Global Edits will become available
- Add Practice to multiple Systems
- National Technology Specialists are developing list of priority enhancements
- Better search and filters
- More reports

**Notes:**
Additional global edits will be added 
Add Practice to Multiple Systems will be added, probably April 25
Coincide with automatic updates to CSG when CPS changes. I will discuss in a minute

National Technology Specialists, Anthony Burns, Cheryl Simmons and John Copeland have developed prioritized list of additional features
Better searches and filters
More reports

## Additional Training

- Tentatively planning on National Teleconference on April 19
- Describe what changes occur in Conservation System Guides (CSG) when your State accepts a new replacement conservation practice in the Conservation Practice Standard (CPS)

**Notes:**
Anthony Burns, NTS in Greensboro is tentatively planning on a National Teleconference around 3 PM EDT on April 19 to discuss in detail what will happen to CSG’s when your State accepts new conservation practices in Conservation Practice Standard (CPS)

There are some significant changes that will occur, you need to understand these changes and how they can impact CSG, Toolkit, PRS and other applications.

ITC is in process of testing how these changes will affect all applications. We believe it is important to explain these changes to the States before they happen. We hope to release the changes to CPS and CSG on April 25. We are still testing, so the date could be soft.

## Module 3 - Understanding and Using the Conservation System Guide ApplicationLori Ziehr

- February 2006

**Notes:**
Module 3 - Understanding and Using the Conservation System Guide application

## 
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
Use the Conservation System Guide report to search for guides with specific criteria
Use the Conservation System Report to search for systems with specific criteria
View and utilize the eFOTG RMS report
View and understand the naming conventions nomenclature for Conservation System Guides and Conservation Systems

- Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- Use the Conservation System Guide report to search for guides with specific criteria
- Use the Conservation System Report to search for systems with specific criteria
- View and utilize the eFOTG RMS report
- View and understand the naming conventions nomenclature for Conservation System Guides and Conservation Systems

- Objectives

**Notes:**
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
Use the Conservation System Guide report to search for guides with specific criteria
Use the Conservation System Report to search for systems with specific criteria
View and utilize the eFOTG Resource Management System report
View and understand the naming conventions nomenclature for Conservation System Guides and Conservation Systems

## Slide 32

**Notes:**
Select the Land Use and/or CRA.  Once you click search, a report of all the guides and systems for the criteria appear.  This is the same format as in the eFOTG.

## Slide 33

**Notes:**
If you  have a CRA that crosses state boundaries, the report will have data for each of the states.

Explain report:
Top:  Ave and min/max baselines for each concern by state
Middle:  Ave and min/max impacts and effects for each concern by state
Bottom:  Each state has separate table, list of practices, with percentages of practice effect for each concern.

## Slide 34

**Notes:**
Explain Report:
Each guide code is an active link to systems information and baseline data.
On this screen, baseline for each CSG, status, system code, name and description.

## Slide 35

**Notes:**
Use the checkboxes and dropdown lists to set your selection criteria. Then click Search.  

 For example, here we chose all active systems for Georgia, in CRA 130B.2, on cropland with the conservation pasture and hayland planting.  Or, if we wanted to see all of the active systems in Georgia with pasture and hayland planting on cropland, we could not select CRA 130B.2.  You can toggle any of the selection criteria.  You may be looking for a specific practice or all systems within a CRA.

On this screen, you see the system code, status, name, description, type land use, guide status, and guide code.  The system codes and the guide codes are active links.  If you want to see the specific information such as baseline information, practices with percent impacts, etc., then you can click on the appropriate link.  These screens will be the same as the active links in the other reports.

## Slide 36

**Notes:**
These are the naming conventions for guide names in South Carolina.  

## Module 4 – Conservation System Guides Role in FY2006 Performance MeasurementDan Mullarkey

- February 2006

**Notes:**
Module 4 – Conservation System Guides Role in FY 2006 Performance Measurement

## Objectives 

- Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- List and Define how National Performance Measures utilize Conservation Systems Guides data
- Understand relationships between Reporting Impacts of Conservation System Guides and Progress in PRS

**Notes:**
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
List and Define how National Performance Measures utilize Conservation Systems Guides data
Understand relationships between Reporting Impacts of Conservation System Guides and Progress in Performance Results System

## Four Performance Measures are Dependent on CSG’s:

- Irrigation Efficiency Improved (Ac-Ft)
- Reduction in the Acreage of Cropland Soils Damaged by Erosion (Ac.)
- Soil Erosion Reduced (Tons)
- Non-federal Land Managed for the Protection and Enhancement of Habitat for Species with Declining Populations (Ac.)

**Notes:**
There are currently four National Performance Measures that utilize Conservation System Guide data.
Three of these performance measures depend on the System Impacts and System Effects data, these are –
Irrigation efficiency improved, 
Reduction in the Acreage of Cropland Soils Damaged by Erosion (Ac.) 
And Soil Erosion Reduced, 

The fourth, Non-federal Land Managed for the Protection and Enhancement of Habitat for Species with Declining Populations (Ac.) , is triggered by the Primary Resource Concern designation.

## Module 5 - Editing Conservation Systems  Physical Effects & Adding Resource Concerns in the Performance Results System
Greta Steverson

**Greta Steverson**

- February 2006

**Notes:**
Module 5 - Editing Conservation Systems  Physical Effects & Adding Resource Concerns in the Performance Results System

## Objectives

- Upon completion of this training participants will be able to:
- Edit Conservation System Physical Effects
- Add Non-Listed Practices and Impacts to a Conservation System
- Add Resource Concerns to a Conservation System
- Recognize potential problems associated with doing an Conservation System Guide Override

## Override Issues to Consider

- Global changes do not occur in CSGs that have been saved as an override
- The typical impact data may become skewed
- CSG Override only affects the specific land unit on which is applied

**Notes:**
We have shown how to edit the conservation system physical effects, add resource concerns and non-listed practices and impacts to a conservation system guide.
Some important points should be considered when utilizing the system override feature...
[] For example, if new technology is applied and better data is found that alters the original impacts in the conservation system, a CSG Editor will edit or update the original CSG.  
The changes made in the system guide are globally retroactive for any plan within that current fiscal year.  
However, if the original Conservation System had been over written, the retroactive changes will not occur in that plan. 
[] Conservation system impacts are not intended to accumulate specific on-site details at the field level, they are meant to reflect typical conditions within the entire Common Resource Area.  
Overrides only for the situations where Conservation System impacts are too low will skew reported data for the typical condition and may not adequately address treatment of the resource condition.
[] And CSG Override only affects the specific land unit on which is applied.  These changes will not occur to CSG’s or Conservation Systems with an override. 

## CSG Override Guidance

- Do not routinely use the override process
- CSG’s represent typical effects
- Your actual values are expected to be higher or lower than the values reflected in the CSG
- NRCS is developing SMARTECH applications for site specific physical effect data to be captured during planning.

**Notes:**
CSG Physical effects to reduce overall field office reporting workload. It is recommended that field users limit their use of override feature within PRS.Use the CSG override feature if users find effects in the conservation plan are significantly different from the CSG values.
CSGs should be representative of the typical physical effects within the common resource area for the land use and the conditions that are represented by the CSG.Since the CSG represents the typical condition, it is realized that some values will be higher and some will be lower than actual site specific physical effects.
In situations where CSG data is consistently over-ridden, field users staff should work with their state technical specialists to develop representative CSGs.
NRCS will continue to develop SMARTECH applications so that site specific physical effects can be captured during planning and subsequently used to automatically provide PRS reporting information as necessary.

## Module 6 - Future Enhancements Using the CSG-PRS Linked Data
Ken Tootle

**Ken Tootle**

- February 2006

**Notes:**
Module 5 - Editing Conservation Systems  Physical Effects & Adding Resource Concerns in the Performance Results System

## Objectives

- Provide an understanding on why and how the agency plans on using CSG resource concern and physical effect data that is linked to PRS reported records.
- Show potential reports using resource concern and physical effect data that will be useful by the agency and its partners to support our budget and mission.

**Notes:**
In this module we will briefly cover why we need accountability products, provide an understanding on why and how the agency plans on using CSG resource concern and physical effect data that is linked to PRS reported records, as well as show some potential reports that will be useful by the agency and its partners to support our budget and mission. This module illustrates some of the potential tools that will be available within PRS.

## PRS Tools – Data Checker – View CSG Impacts

**Notes:**
On of the first tools that has just become available is the View CSG Impacts tool, which is located in PRS under the tools tab, by selecting Data Checker for 2006.  This tool allows users to find plans that have practices that have impacts for the performance measures that are based on CSG impacts or resource concerns that Dan Mentioned earlier.  This tool is now available, a newsflash was sent out on April 6 announcing its availability and describing its uses.

## PRS-NCP data viewer

**Notes:**
Another tool that is in testing is the Data Viewer for practices that have been reported as planned and or applied.  This tool will soon be available under the tools tab in PRS, by selecting Data viewer 2006 and then selecting the NCP reports.  It allows users to get data in an xml or excel format file on reported practices and also allows the user to specify the primary resource concern.  It also provides data elements for much of the data associated with a practice from the national conservation planning database (NCP), such as customer and land unit information, FIPS code and geo referencing in the way of a lat long.

## CNMP Practices where water quality is the primary resource concern

**Notes:**
By downloading data using this tool, GIS specialists can develop maps such as this example which illustrates the frequency of key Coordinated Nutrient Management Plan practices that are planned where water quality is the primary resource concern.  Eventually this type of information will be available as a menu selection from PRS through the PRS reports menu.

## Slide 49

**Notes:**
This example shows geo referenced data for CNMP’s practices planned that are impacting the water quality resource concern.  These types of tools can be useful for prioritizing work at the state or local level.

## Slide 50

**Notes:**
Because the data is geo referenced, any standard GIS theme can be overlaid with the data, such as this example of overlaying the streams with the CNMP’s practices planned that have a water quality primary resource concern, we can get the proximity to the stream systems and prioritize our work.

## Module 7- Frequently asked questions and answers for each module
Roy Campbell

**Roy Campbell**

- February 2006

**Notes:**
Module 5 - Editing Conservation Systems  Physical Effects & Adding Resource Concerns in the Performance Results System

## Module 7 Frequently Asked Questions

**Notes:**
Module 7 contains prepared answers to several FAQ’s that have been received.  They have been separated to the specific training modules that relates to the questions.

## How to get help on CSG

- Management or policy
- Ron Marlow, Associate Deputy Chief for S&T
- (202) 205-7704
- _[Ron.Marlow@wdc.usda.gov](mailto:Ron.Marlow@wdc.usda.gov)_

## How to get help on CSG

- Technical questions
- Anthony Burns, NTS, ENTSC
- (336) 370-3358
- _[Anthony.Burns@gnb.usda.gov](mailto:Anthony.Burns@gnb.usda.gov)_

## How to get help on CSG

- Software questions
- 	Click on the “Contact Us” tab on the CSG page.  This will allow you to send an email to the Help Desk.

## How to get help on PRS

- Technical questions
- Bruce Dubee, PRS Coordinator, OMOD, NHQ
- 202-720-8208
- Bruce.Dubee@wdc.usda.gov
- Ken Tootle, Integrated Accountability System Coordinator, Ft. Worth, TX
- (817) 509-3299
- _[Ken.Tootle@ftw.usda.gov](mailto:Ken.Tootle@ftw.usda.gov)_

## How to get help on PRS

- Software questions
- 	Click on the “Contact Us” tab on the PRS page.  This will allow you to send an email to the Help Desk.

## 1.  When conservation practice codes change, will states have to take any action on CSGs, or will updates be made at the national level (including changes from 700 series interim practice codes to new national practice codes)?

- When a conservation practice code changes, including 700 series interim practices, States have a few housecleaning chores to do:
- Prepare all appropriate documentation for the new practice, such as Standards, Specifications, Statements of Work, Job Sheets, etc.
- Orchestrate the appropriate timing for moving from the ‘old’ practice to the new replacement practice.  If this is not done correctly, there can be issues with NRCS applications.  States must understand what happens in CSG, Toolkit, ProTracts, Ranking Tool, CPPE Matrix, Practice Average Cost, ProTracts Cost Lists, and PRS before moving from the old to the new.
- When States select the replacement practice in CPS, the old practice will automatically be removed from State Practice List.  As discussed, this will trigger CSG to create ‘Retired” Conservation Systems with the old practice, and new Active Systems with the new practice.  If the new practice is similar enough to the old practice that it would logically be in the exact same Conservation Systems, and if impacts and impact percentages would be the same, then there would be no special action necessary for the CSG database.
- If impacts or impact percentages should be changed due to differences between the old and new practices, then States would need to make these adjustments in CSG.

## 2.  What is the best way and when should we phase out our old CSG Systems that still have the old practice codes?

- Most states have old CSG Systems with some ‘old’ practice codes.  In some cases, these will be ‘automatically’ handled when you accept a ‘replacement practice’ in CPS.  This is when CSG creates the ‘Retired’ systems with the old code, and the new ‘Active’ system with the new code.  In other cases it is not so straightforward.
- In many cases we have gone past the ‘deleted date for the old’ practice code.  The state has not turned the practice off, but it is not currently an active practice.
- ITC will run a program that will automatically ‘Retire’ these Conservation Systems with the old practices and create new ‘Active’ systems to replace them.  If a current Active system has both the old practice, and the new replacement practice in the System, we will not create a Retired system.  Or change anything with the current system.
- States should generate reports within CSG to check if they have any invalid practices in active systems.

## 3.  What will happen to the existing CSGs and the existing Toolkit plans if we inactivate the guides that these plans were built on?  NOTE:  This could mess up our future progress on Cropland erosion, which depends on 2 to 3 years and 2 to 3 practices applied to accumulate the erosion savings that is needed to meet our cropland erosion goal.  We don’t want to detract from our future cropland erosion progress by inactivating old practice codes which in turn cause other problems in existing CSG Systems.

- There are about 20 states that are in this general situation.  Upcoming changes will soon be made to CPS-CSG that automatically create ‘Retired’ conservation systems.  Your State CPS Data Steward can uncheck the ‘old’ 329A practice in CPS.  Nothing will happen to existing plans in NCPDB, they will still show either 329A or 329, whatever was used and agreed upon at the time the plan was completed.  CSG application will convert all Active Conservation Systems that contain the ‘old’ 329A practice into a Retired Conservation System.  PRS will extract impacts from these Retired Systems when the old practice is applied in the future.  CSG application will also create a new Active Conservation System with the new 329 practice to replace the old system that was retired.  Impacts will not be changed in this new system.  PRS will extract impacts from these Active Systems when these new practices are applied.

## 4.  Likewise – Is it best that we keep the old practice codes (329A and 329B) active for a year or two at the CPS Site?  I am afraid that if we don’t, the Toolkit Planner will not be able to apply these practices when they are ready to report the 329A or 329B as an applied practice on their older plans.  Will Toolkit balk at them when they try to apply an inactivated CPS practice?

- The old practice codes cannot be left on indefinitely.  One year after they are released, they will automatically become inactive in CPS.  At that time, they will not be available for new plans in Toolkit.  The goal is that states will move from the old to the new within the year.  Toolkit will not let a planner develop a new plan with the inactivated practice, but with the Retired Conservation System, Toolkit and PRS will not have a problem with the application of the inactivated practice that was planned in the past.

## 5.  What is the status of being able to make revisions to the State CRA boundaries and have it link to the CSG database?

- Anthony Burns and Sharon Waltman are working on this issue.  Main issue is how will CSG database behave when CRA’s change.  List of scenarios are being developed.  We will then analyze how each situation should be handled.  Probably any change should be stated to be done at the first of the fiscal year.  Probably won’t happen this fiscal year.

## 6. It appears that they have thought of most of the impacts of changing a conservation practice code but they have forgotten about the implications to all the cost lists across the country that also use those practice codes and the contracts that will need to be modified with a change of practice code in the cost lists to make them match the reporting system requirements.  How do they see addressing this issue?  By changing the practice code nationally they start a chain reaction that will exponentially increase the field workload.

- Contracts do not need to be modified when practices are deleted or deactivated. If a state attempts to upload a cost lists with inactive practices, ProTracts rejects the cost list. Only active practices may be uploaded. The business rule that if a practice is active when it is planned or contracted it is a legitimate practice. See item 2 under question 1.

## 7.  There is nothing static about the FOTG, and CSG’s are a part of that process.We must be prepared to add, delete, and at times even change the number (code), and/or name of conservation practice standards.  We are criticized if we do not revise standards in a timely fashion.Thus, we must have a network of business processes (i.e., CPS, CSG, eFOTG, Toolkit, PRS, ProTracts, Program Ranking Tool, etc.) that accommodate the dynamic nature of our technology development and delivery that allows users through our programs and contracts to access former, existing and future developments.

- This is true.  Each application has their own special set of business rules that are needed for that application.  CPS is the application that manages the current list of available practices in each state as well as historical list of practices that were available in the past.
- We must understand all business rules and implement processes that will allow seamless integration when practice codes and names change.  State leaders must also understand these business rules so States can orchestrate when to make changes so all applications will work well.

## 8.  Please give overview/training on how to develop non-standardized reports from CSG/Toolkit/PRS database.  For example, can we currently produce reports on air quality emission reductions achieved from conservation activities to date in any given State or field office?  If not, are there any plans and timeframe to provide this function/capability to States? 

- A new PRS Data Viewer tool has been developed and will be released to production in the next two to three weeks.  It will allows users to access the national conservation planning database for any records that are planned and/or applied and download the results into an excel or xml format or to an online pivot table component that allows analysis or report development.  The download can include attributes such as lat long for GIS report development.

## 9.  What if a plan got linked to the wrong CSG – how is this fixed? 

- Within PRS, click on the land unit number and link the correct Conservation System to the land unit.  This change will feed back to toolkit.

## 10.  Is there any way to make “View Data Errors” part of PRS more visible to the user?  Is the report capturing all errors?  Some acres seem to get lost in the system. 

- Within PRS, it is not possible to create any of these errors.  They occur from user actions within the toolkit application, consequently, we are not able to detect the errors until after the plans are checked back in from toolkit to the National Conservation Practice database.  After checking into the NCP, it is then possible to check to see if the records are missing any of the data necessary to make them reportable through the Data errors report.
- There is no way to make sure the errors are more visible through toolkit, however, the ability to create most of the errors will be eliminated during the next toolkit service pack upgrade.
- There are no known errors that are not being displayed in the view data errors reports.  Any specific situations of “data being lost” should be sent to the help desk.

## 11.  If a planner put in the wrong program code in Toolkit for certain acreage planned and uploaded it into PRS, do they have to delete the entire plan and redo it to fix it?  If not, how is the fix made?

- Open the practice record in toolkit or PRS and change the program to the appropriate program and save the record.  Practice records reported in a previous fiscal year are changeable; however, a snapshot of the data taken at the end of each fiscal year will remain static and cannot be changed.
- Practices reported as applied cannot be changed in toolkit and must be changed in PRS.

## 12.  What is the new CSG Data Checker and how does it work?

- The CSG Data Checker is a new tool that is located within PRS under the tools—Data Checker FY2006—CSG Data Checker.  It allows a user to assist with verification of the impact related performance measures by querying practices that have been reported as applied and are impacting performance measures.  This tool runs a query that includes data from the CSG database related to applied reported practices.  Data returned from the query includes all the data needed for verification of the performance measure C9:  Reduction in the acreage of cropland soils damaged by erosion (erosion to T or below), acres, which is one of the most difficult to verify.  There is also an option to include practices reported as applied in prior fiscal years for this performance measure.  The query should also assist with verifications of the other impact related performance measures.
- These are fairly complex, cross database queries.  Depending upon the filter options selected, the time of day the query is run, and the load on the datamart, you might experience an occasional timeout or a few minutes waiting on the queries.  Tuning your query filter options, trying at a different time, or simple repetition may render success.  If your query is too large, the operation may time out and you will get a message “no records found”.  This message will be refined to indicate that the query timed out.

**Notes:**
The CSG data checker is a new tool in PRS under the Tools menu, select Data Checker for FY2006 and CSG data checker.  It provides users a method to find plans with practices that impact performance measures that depend upon the Conservation system practice impacts and or resource concerns.  The tool was released last week and is being refined in a PRS build that will be released tonight.  

## 13.  When a change to a CSG Baseline Condition, System Effect, or System Impact is made to a current CSG, do the changes apply retroactively to the PRS reports for practices previously reported through that CSG for the fiscal year?  Example, if 10,000 acres of cropland had been reported as applied in 2006, and the CSG had a baseline condition of 3 t/ac/yr and a Threshold of 5t/ac/yr for water erosion, will a change to 6 t/ac/yr baseline condition affect PRS progress that is already reported?  Will that 10,000 acres now show up on the State report as “Reduction in acreage of cropland soils damaged by erosion (erosion to T or below), acres”?

- Yes, changes made to a CSG apply retroactively to the PRS reports for practices previously reported for that fiscal year.
- In the example, if practices had been applied to reduce the erosion by at least 1 t/ac/yr, the 10,000 acres would now show up on the State report as “Reduction in acreage of cropland soils damaged by erosion (erosion to T or below), acres”.  This is due the baseline being retroactively updated to 6 t/ac/yr and by applying practices that reduce the water erosion to at least 5 t/ac/yr, the plan now meets the Threshold of 5t/ac/yr.

## 14.  If a change is made to a CSG (e.g. changing an impact value in a CSG) after performance from a particular CST plan has been uploaded, how is it captured in PRS?

- As mentioned previously, any changes to a CSG are applied retroactively throughout that fiscal year.  There is no difference in how it is captured in PRS, whether the plan has been uploaded through Toolkit or if the data has been entered directly into PRS.

## What changes (if any) in national performance measures will be made in FY07 that will require new CSGs to be developed?  (If unknown, any guesses so we can plan for anticipated workload?) 

- FY07 Performance Measures have not been finalized by agency leadership at this time, but it is under discussion in relation to the soon to be released new Agency Strategic Plan.

- FY07 Performance Measures have not been finalized by agency leadership at this time, but it is under discussion in relation to the soon to be released new Agency Strategic Plan.

**How long will we be using CSGs for reporting performance measures?  We heard that a new system may be under development that doesn’t make use of the CSG database.**

## 17.  For the C7 Performance Element (Non-federal Land Managed for the Protection and Enhancement of Habitat for Species with Declining Populations), if a CSG has a listed Resource Concern of “Declining Species and Species of Concern” and a primary resource concern of “Inadequate Cover/Shelter”, will I get credit for the C7 Performance Measure?

- If a land unit is using the CSG example cited above and a practice was applied/reported this fiscal year, there would be no performance reported under the C7 Performance Element.  The key factor is that the **CSG Primary Resource Concern **needs to be one of the four resource concerns either *“Plant Condition – Threatened or Endangered Plant Species, Plant Condition – T&E Plant Species:  Declining Species, Species of Concern, Fish and Wildlife – Threatened and Endangered Species, or Fish and Wildlife – T&E Species:  Declining Species, Species of Concern.”*

## Audience Questions and Answers

- Now its your turn to ask questions.

**Notes:**
Now, we have time for you participants to ask questions, if you have any.

## Thanks!

**Notes:**
Thanks.
Remember your CPS training next week.
Remember the replay for this presentation is available.
Remember you sources for help.
My appreciation to the training team.
Closing remarks by leadership.