Purpose: This page highlights some of the features and definitions within the eLINK system.
- Terminology
- Dashboard
Once a user logs into eLINK, they will see a Dashboard displaying actions that they may need to take or important dates, such as a count of Work Plans in Process, or the date the IDP was last updated. Clicking the adjacent "View" button will take the user to location in the system where they can complete the action.
- Navigation within eLINK
In the left menu, the user will see any content areas of system they have access to, such as Grants, Request Funds, Request for Interest (RFI), Contacts, Technical Training, or Support. Users can navigate using these menu items and sub-items.
- Grants
Grants: Under the Grants item, a user can access any grants that they have permission to access. By clicking the Edit action icon adjacent to the grant they wish to access (or View action icon, for closed grants), they will go to the Grant Activities tab. From here, they can also click on Progress Reporting or Manage Grant Activities.
Activities: The Activities page summarizes budgets and expenditures for all activities associated with the user, and can be filtered by specific activities or grants. Activities filtered to a specific grant are accessed by clicking the icon for a specific grant on the home page. The action icons allow the user to change budgets, report expenditures, add details such as BMPs, report indicators and map BMPs. Additional information about the specific action icons associated with activities on this page can be found in the eLINK Guidance Document “Managing Activities.”
Document Library: Consolidates system-generated or user-added attachments of all grants for an organization. Documents for an individual Grant can be found within the Attachment tab of that grant by clicking on the View or Download action icon.
Payment Summary: A summary of all payments on grants the User has access to view. These can be sorted by Grant ID, date, or dollar amount.
Query Builder: Allows user to query and export data at a Grant, Activity, or Activity Detail (BMP) level. Data can be exported in tabular or shapefile format.
- Request Funds
The Request Funds portal is where users go to start a competitive or noncompetitive funding request.
New requests can be initiated through "Funding Opportunities". The user can search by their organization name for any opportunities to see which programs their organization is eligible for.
Requests in progress can be accessed under "Funding Requests." Requests can be saved, edited, withdrawn, and submitted by users up to the given deadline for the specific grant application; after which the application is locked.- Request for Interest (RFI)
Request for Interest. The process that is used to verify interest in participation by an eligible entity and allow them to request an up-to amount.
New requests can be initiated through "RFI Opportunities". The RFI opportunities will display for all organizations assigned to the user.
RFI requests in progress can be accessed under "RFI Response Queue". The RFI requests can be saved, edited, withdrawn, and submitted by users up to the given deadline for the specific request for interest application; after which the application is locked.
- Contacts and Organizations
Contacts: A Contact within eLINK is identified as a user, the staff and boards/councils of the organizations of these users, state and federal agency staff, and potentially staff of organizations partnering with these contacts. Cooperators - the landowners or land occupiers that receive funding for implementation of practices - will have their information recorded and stored directly with Activity information.
User: A User is a Contact who has been assigned login credentials. While all Users are Contacts, not all Contacts are Users. Users are assigned a system role, which defines their permissions within the system.
Primary Organization and Contact Type are assigned by BWSR staff. The system doesn’t restrict entering a contact twice. However, duplicate entries for contacts are not recommended.
Directories: When Contacts and Organizations are created or updated in the system, this information is published to public-facing directories, such as the SWCD Directory or WCA Directory. This data is updated in real-time following changes within eLINK.
Organizations: eLINK will collect basic directory-type organization information such as location information, websites, and meeting dates. Users can access information for only the organizations to which they are associated. The public page can be used to access information for organizations within eLINK.
- Technical Training
The Technical Training content is used by SWCD, TSA, and NRCS staff to track their Training Needs, Training History, and Credentials. Users can use the Search to find peer-to-peer training opportunities.
- Support
Users can submit a support ticket directly from the user interface. This form automatically captures the User's name, email address (and login ID), primary organization, and browser, and asks for information that is critical to efficient troubleshooting.
- Resources
This is a direct link to the eLINK resource page of BWSR's website.