1 Oct 2020

Discover ERDC Support Staff User’s Guide

Abstract: Knowledge management plays a vital role for the successful execution of research projects at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). Accumulating and building upon knowledge is the cornerstone of the research and development process. Maintaining knowledge and providing access to it is essential to the successful execution of research programs. An initiative to improve access to knowledge and tools available to researchers was begun by the Office of Research and Technology Transfer (ORRT). The result of that initiative is a knowledge portal called Discover ERDC. This document provides a detailed look into how content on the Discover ERDC site is maintained from a Support Staff viewpoint, and how those assigned to manage user accounts can accomplish their duties.

1 Oct 2020

Discover Employees User’s Guide

Abstract: Historically, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has lacked a comprehensive and intuitive system to locate and discover facts about employees within the organization. Employees have traditionally relied on the global address list (GAL) in Microsoft Outlook to locate contact information for another employee. Looking for contact information using this system is very limited in the amount of information available and is not user friendly. This team was tasked with creating a more comprehensive system that would include not only the employee’s contact information, but also a picture of the employee, their biography, skill sets, published papers, educational level, and much more. This type of information is necessary when searching for employees for collaborations or when forming project teams. The Discover Employees system allows users to locate and learn about talent within ERDC like never before.

1 Sep 2020

PUBLICATION NOTICE: Enhancing Army Energy Culture with Behavioral Approaches

Abstract: Facility energy efficiency efforts too often underperform because of people’s choices and actions in their use of technology. Recognizing this challenge, Army energy guidance calls for establishing an informed energy-conscious culture of stewardship to meet mission resilience requirements. However, the details for implementing that guidance have not been established. This report provides two primary products to address these needs: (1) a Human-Centered Efficiency Process (HCEP), which is a coordinated nine-step process to use best practices in energy behavior, and (2) an outline of a strategy to build a culture of efficiency. The practical HCEP is synthesized from energy management, change management, and Army processes (After Action Report [AAR] and Commander’s Intent), as well as insights from federal personnel. It is built around an organizational framework and a continuous improvement process that systematically enables people to use technology effectively and efficiently. The culture strategy consists of a method of assessing the current status of the Army’s energy culture; a vision of a desired end state; and a path toward change.