# Presentation: 520820

## Training on Conservation System Guides and Performance Results System

- February, 2006

**Notes:**
This presentation is one in a series of modules that provides training on conservation system guides and the performance results system.

## Training Team Developers

**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**

**Notes:**
This module was designed to be used by field office staff and was developed by Phil Smith, Project Manager, Information Technology Center, Ft Collins Colorado

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

- February 2006

**Notes:**
Module 2 – Understanding and Using the new Functionality of the Conservation System Guide Application. 

## 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

## What is the Conservation Practice Standard application? 

**Conservation Practice Standard**  **(CPS)** is a web-based application that allows National and State Program Managers the ability to create and maintain an authoritative source of national practice standards and corresponding narratives for use by NRCS information systems.

**Notes:**

Conservation Practice Standard  (CPS) is a web-based application that allows National and State Program Managers the ability to create and maintain an authoritative source of national practice standards and corresponding narratives for use by NRCS information systems.

Introduction to Conservation Practice Standards
The Conservation Practice Standards application allows National Program Managers the ability to create and maintain an authoritative source of national practice standards and corresponding narratives for use by NRCS information systems.

Assigned state level personnel have the ability to adapt the national practice standards and narratives for use in their state by adding state specific practices and narratives.

Assigned county level personnel can include local narratives to further describe the local implementation of state practices.

Conservation Practice Standard (CPS) is the application that allows a team of National, State and Local Data Stewards to manage the list of appropriate Conservation Practice Standards and associated data. 
The CPS database will eventually provide all of the basic Conservation Practice data to NRCS applications. eFOTG, CSG, Toolkit, Protracts, PRS, Program Ranking Tool and other programs will eventually obtain practice data from the CPS database. This will ensure consistency between applications. 
National Data Stewards will manage all National Conservation Practice data, including national and interim practices. Data includes practice code, practice name, national narratives, definition, reporting units, lifespan, start and end dates, states and replacement practice code for when a practice has ended. Activity codes and their associated data such as TSP Activity codes, Enhancement Codes and CNMP will also be managed by CPS. 
State Data Stewards will manage state narratives, state practice list and lifespan. State Data Stewards will also set what employees within their state will have State and Local data steward responsibilities. 
Local Data Stewards will manage local narratives and local practice list. 

## Each application uses identical practice list

**Notes:**
Conservation Practice Standard (CPS) allows a team of National, State and Local Data Stewards to manage the list of appropriate Conservation Practice Standards and associated data, within their areas of responsibility.
The CPS database will eventually provide all of the basic Conservation Practice data to all NRCS business tools. 
Obtaining practice data from the CPS database will ensure consistency between NRCS applications and eliminate practice errors between the various applications, thereby reducing workload on the field, while improving data quality. 

## What do I need to know about Conservation Practice Standard?

- CPS manages a master list of all conservation practices, with detailed information about each such as narratives, practice units and definitions that can be used in each state
- NRCS business tools applications will immediately reflect the different available practices, when a state changes their practice list in CPS
- CPS is very powerful but quite unforgiving, care must be used to avoid creating problems if a State turns a practice on or off at the wrong time

**Notes:**
What do I Need to Know About CPS 
CPS manages a master list of all conservation practices, with detailed information about each such as narratives, practice units and definitions that can be used in each state
NRCS business tool applications immediately reflects the different available practices, when a state changes their practice list in CPS 
CPS is very powerful yet quite unforgiving, care must be used to avoid creating problems if a State turns a practice on or off at the wrong time

1) CPS manages the master list of all conservation practices, with detailed information about each such as narratives that can be used in each state.
2) When a state changes their practice list in CPS, other applications like CSG, Toolkit, Program Ranking Tool, Protract, PRS and others instantly have different available practices. 
3) This is very powerful, it can also create problems if a state turns a practice on or off at the wrong time.
4) Conservation Practices available to the field through these applications changes when CPS State Data Steward makes changes in CPS.

## Slide 8

**Notes:**
Lets take a look at the Conservation Practice Standards application.  
CPS is available by logging on through My.NRCS and selecting the Field Tools tab, then clicking the CPS link icon to enter the Home page
CPS utilizes role based permissions, so National, State, and Local Data Steward screens will look somewhat different.  
This screen is a National Data Steward view.
Now lets see how CPS works by selecting the 
“Practices” tab so we can to add a New Practice to the CPS database.

## Slide 9

**Notes:**
Start by clicking[] the ‘New Practice’ button to add a new practice. 
[] The pop up screen shows how the National Data Steward can enter information for a new practice.  In this example we have created practice code 379 – Multi-Story Cropping.  When a complete data set for the practice has been finished, [] it can be saved to the CPS database.

## Slide 10

**Notes:**
Here is another Screen from a National Data Steward view.
[] Within CPS, a replaced Conservation Practice is the old practice that has been superseded by a new similar Conservation Practice. 
The new practice may have a new practice code, or a new practice name or both.
For example, practice code 329A Residue Management, No-Till / Strip Till recently changed to 329 Residue and Tillage Management, No-Till / Strip Till / Direct Seed
National Data Steward highlights the old practice 329A. 
Then clicks [] on “Replace Practice” button. 
[] The pop up screen shows how National Data Steward can enter information for new practice code 329 – Residue and Tillage Management, No-Till/Strip Till/Direct Seed.  
After all data has been entered can be save to the CPS database. 

## Slide 11

**Notes:**
This screen shows a State Data Steward view. 
[] Notice in the display column that this state has turned on the new 329 practice, and 
[] has unchecked, to turned off the old replaced 329A practice.When new practice is turned on in a state, the new practice will be immediately available to other applications such as eFOTG, CSG, Toolkit, Protracts and PRS.
And as you would expect, when a practice is turned off, will no longer available in NRCS Business Tools applications.

## Slide 12

**Notes:**
We have seen how a new conservation practice can be added to CPS. We have also shown how a State can accept use of the new practice, and turn off the old practice in CPS.
Completing this practice change CPS instantly creates changes in Conservation System.
Here an active Conservation System 
[] includes the ‘old’ practice 329A. 
This system is automatically given the new status of ‘retired’. 
A ‘retired’ Conservation System will remain in the database similar to ‘inactive’ systems. It can be used by PRS, but not by Toolkit or CSG.

## Slide 13

**Notes:**
[] After the new conservation practice 329 Residue Management-No-Till/Strip Till/Direct Seed has been turned on in the state CPS, a new, nearly identical Conservation System is created with the new practice instead of the old practice.
Percentage of System Impacts and Impact values remain unchanged.
This is an example of an automatic global change to the CSG database.  It is important for PRS and Toolkit to have CS that include correct practice code. PRS can obtain impacts from retired, inactive and active systems.  And by automatically creating these systems reduces work for state and field staff.

## What are CSG Global Changes?

- The National Information Technology Center is implementing improvements to the CSG database management tool
- Global Changes describe a process where a user can change many CSG’s or CS at one time
- NB 450-6-4 briefly describes the advantages of Global Changes
- Target release date is March 15, 2006

**Notes:**
New CSG software is in final testing that will allow global changes to CSG’s and conservation system. 
The National Information Technology Center is implementing improvements to the CSG database management tool
Global Changes describe a process where a user can change many CSG’s or CS at one time
NB 450-6-4 briefly describes the advantages of Global Changes
Target release date is March 15, 2006

## Who can make Global Changes?

- A State Conservation System Guide Editor will have permissions to make Global Changes in their state
- Conservation System Guide Editor roles are assigned by the State IAS Coordinator

**Notes:**
Any State Conservation System Guide Editor can make Global Edits in their state. 	
Conservation System Guide Editor roles are assigned by IAS State Coordinator.

## CPS Initiated Global Changes in CSG

- Why we have Global changes
- All current active CS with the old replaced practice will be converted to retired status
- A new active CS with the new practice will be created
- Baseline, threshold, effect and % impact values will be unchanged from replaced practice

**Notes:**
The ability to make Global changes in the CSG application was created in order to reduce the workload of maintaining the current and correct practices information due to additions, deletion or substitutions of practices in the CPS application.  
All current active Conservation Systems with the replaced practice will be converted to retired status.
A new active Conservation Systems with the new practice will be created. 
Baseline, threshold, effect and percentage of impact will be unchanged from replaced practice

##   CPS Initiated Global Changes in                        CSG continued

- All current draft CS with the replaced practice will be changed to have the new practice. System will remain draft
- Baseline, threshold, effect and % impact values will be unchanged from replaced practice
- All current inactive and retired CS will be remain unchanged.

**Notes:**
CPS Initiated Global Changes in CSG 
All current draft Conservation Systems with the replaced practice will be changed to have the new practice. And those systems will remain in draft status. 
Again, baseline, threshold, effects, and percentage of system impact will be unchanged from the replaced practice.
All current inactive and retired Conservation Systems will be unchanged.

## Careful with Global Changes!

- The Global Changes feature is powerful, but also dangerous!
**Be Very Careful**
- After you click the button to Add, Remove or Change data, it is done.
- _There is no way to go back after making a global change!_

**Notes:**
Global Changes feature is powerful, but also dangerous!
Be Very Careful
After you click the button to Add, Remove or Change data, there is no UNDO.
And There is no way to go back after making a global change!

## Slide 19

**Notes:**
When implemented the Global Changes button will be added to the main Conservation System Guide Date Entry screen.
This screen is only available to users with Conservation System Guide Editor role permissions.

## Slide 20

**Notes:**
Five types of global changes will be available. Three are currently programmed, they allow the Steward to
Add a Resource Concern to Multiple Guides 
Change Threshold or Baseline Values for Multiple Guides 
Add a Conservation Practice to Multiple Systems 
Two additional global changes functions are under development one willAllow a CSG to be assigned to multiple CRA
The second feature activates copied conservation systems linked to active Conservation System Guides.

## Slide 21

**Notes:**
To illustrate the global change process lets Add a Resource Concern to Multiple Guides
Enter all the appropriate filter data
[] such as
Guide Status
State
CRA
Land Use
Conservation Practice
System Type
[] Select Resource Category then the Resource Concern that you wish to Add
If the Resource Concern is Measurable – also enter Baseline Condition and Threshold value
Click on “Locate Guides”
Screen will refresh with list of all CSG that meet selection criteria, AND do not currently have the Resource Concern that you wish to add.
Click on selection boxes of all CSG that you wish to add the Resource Concern
Use the Check All or Uncheck All buttons if desired.
Be quite certain the this is the action you wish to accomplish because there is NO UNDO function available. 
After clicking the Add Resource Concerns to Selected Guides button the Screen refreshes, Guides that were checked are no longer present because they now include the new Resource Concern.
Please note that there are no % of System Impact associated with any practice for this new measurable resource concern, therefore some additional editing to add percentages may be necessary.
Non-measurable resource concerns do not need percentage of Impact value.

## How do CSG Global Changes impact FO staff?

- Global Changes will make it easier for State CSG Editors to develop and maintain appropriate CSG and CS for field use.
- Field staff will have the appropriate CSG and CS to efficiently work with Toolkit and PRS.

**Notes:**
How do CSG Global Changes  impact FO staff? 
Global Edits will make it easier for State CSG Editors to develop and maintain appropriate CSG and CS for field use.
Field staff need appropriate CSG and CS to efficiently work with Toolkit and PRS.

## Summary

- You should be able to describe how Practice code and name changes in CPS will automatically create CS with new practice code and name for Field Staff use in Toolkit and PRS
- You should be able to describe who can make Global Changes in CSG and how these help Field office staff.

**Notes:**
Summary
1) You should (now) be able to describe how Practice code and name changes in CPS will automatically create CS with new practice code and name for Field Staff use in Toolkit and PRS.
2) You should be able to describe who can make Global Changes in CSG and how these help Field office staff

## You’ve completed Module 2 – Understanding and Using the New Functionality of the Conservation System Guide application

**Notes:**
This completes Module 2 – Understanding and using the new functionality of the Conservation System Guide application.  You may choose any of the other training modules in this series.  However, it is recommended that you view them in the order shown.