Smart Mobile Tools for Field Inspectors (Smart Tools)
Investment ID: 020-000000037
Overview
Program Title
Smart Mobile Tools for Field Inspectors (Smart Tools)
Description
This Investment brings environmental inspections into the 21st century by supporting planning and management, field data collection, and evidence management all within an integrated suite of digital tools to improve the quality and consistency.
The Smart Tools investment is pending receipt of $4M in Inflation Reduction Act funding with an estimated receive date in the 2nd quarter of FY23. The funding will be spent to hire 2 staff to expand the Clean Air Act and other media areas.
Type of Program
Non-major IT Investments
Multi-Agency Category
Not Applicable
Investment Detail
The complete Smart Tools solution, as envisioned, will integrate business process management, field data collection, evidence management, data management, and reporting capabilities to strengthen the Agency's and its co-regulators' compliance monitoring programs. Additionally, it will enable inspectors to electronically conduct, document and report their inspections using a mobile electronic device (e.g., ruggedized laptop or tablet) instead of relying on the traditional green Record Book for note-taking, the current state of practice among EPA inspectors. Currently, Inspectors spend days transcribing inspection reports during the post inspection process. This effort is drastically reduced using Smart Tools. This reduction helps inspectors meet the OECA 60-day inspection timeliness Bowling Chart Measurement. Additionally, Smart Tools addressed elements of the Agency QA Field Activities Processes for pre-inspection, site-inspection and post -inspection by increasing the quality and consistency of inspections.