Project Management: ARC for the USDA
Elizabeth White
Centralizing Knowledge & Automating Annual Reviews
Project Overview
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) needed a unified knowledge base to manage and maintain thousands of critical documents and processes. To meet this challenge, I created ARC—the Automatic Review Cycle—on Microsoft SharePoint, delivering an intuitive, secure, and fully automated system that has scaled from a projected 5,000 users to 20,000+ and counting.
Why This Project Matters
Federal-Level Impact: By eliminating departmental silos, USDA employees and contractors now access vital information in one centralized hub.
Streamlined Collaboration: Automated annual reviews and real-time notifications mean no more outdated processes or neglected documentation.
Proven Scalability: ARC’s user base quadrupled initial expectations, reflecting both the platform’s flexibility and its tangible value.
In-Depth Project Content
Project Scope
Client: United States Department of Agriculture
Timeline: Initial release in 90 days; ongoing refinements
Document Volume: 4,000+ policies, processes, and reference materials
User Base: Grew from an expected 5,000 to 20,000+ active users
Objectives & Challenges
Centralize Knowledge
Convert scattered team documents into a single source of truth within SharePoint.
Establish standardized templates and naming conventions to reduce confusion.
Automate Annual Reviews
Deploy Power Automate (Flow) to alert managers when documents are due for review.
Ensure compliance with federal record-keeping requirements, including version history and secure access.
Empower USDA Staff
Conduct in-depth training sessions to build self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on external consultants.
Provide a maintenance playbook for easy, future updates.
Technical Highlights
SharePoint Architecture:
Implemented a hierarchical site structure with metadata-driven search, ensuring quick and accurate retrieval.
Set up granular permissions to maintain data integrity across various USDA divisions.
Workflow & Automations:
Integrated Power Automate for annual review notifications, approvals, and escalations.
Built a robust version control system for transparent auditing and rollback when needed.
Governance & Security:
Aligned with USDA’s federal standards, including data retention policies and compliance checks.
Configured role-based permissions for both federal and contracted employees, ensuring the right people see the right documents.
Results & Impact
4x User Adoption: The ARC platform now serves 20,000+ employees, up from the planned 5,000.
40% Faster Knowledge Retrieval: A user-friendly SharePoint structure decreased the time spent searching for documents.
Reduced Redundancy: Standardized templates and thorough training cut down on duplicate content and conflicting versions.
Long-Term Sustainability: Even after project handoff, the system remains self-sustaining, with minimal support overhead.
Testimonial:
“ARC radically improved our document maintenance process. We never worry about outdated materials floating around anymore.” — USDA Team Lead
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Posted Apr 16, 2021
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