Media and Technology
The Media and Technology unit produces state-of-the-art communication vehicles designed to enhance each HIDTA’s responsibility to communicate with their constituents.
Graphic Design and Technological Support
We provide a variety of graphic design and marketing collateral including logos, maps, posters, brochures, etc.
Video Services: Production and Post Production
We provide the following video production services:
- Concept Development
- Storyboarding
- Scriptwriting/Editing
- Production (On-location filming)
- Post Production (editing to include narration, stock footage and stock music)
We have produced videos for various HIDTAs and for HIDTA Directors to serve as outreach to their respective constituents and Executive Boards. In addition, we have produced videos for the national initiatives including a documentary and marketing video for the Domestic Highway Enforcement (DHE) initiative and several videos explaining the challenges faced by the Marijuana Impact Group (MIG).
Click on the links below to see sample videos from the MIG initiative.
“Can’t See the Forest” – NHAC supported the National Marijuana Initiative (NMI) with the production of this video about….
Web Application Development
Financial Management System
The Financial Management System (FMS.net) is a software tool used by HIDTA participants to track HIDTA award funds. FMS.net stores the initial award amounts, planned and actual expenditures of HIDTA funds, and other administrative transactions such as reprogramming transactions and extensions of a grant’s end date.
For each transaction, the software records the data, handles the required approvals for each transaction, and reports the status of individual transactions and the cumulative effect on the account balances. FMS.net can summarize and report data by initiative, by award recipient, by participating agency (i.e., resource recipient), and account.
PURPOSE AND USE
Financial managers, directors, and others use FMS.net throughout the program year to manage financial data of multiple HIDTA awards. For example, use FMS.net for:
- Budgets – prepare, submit, monitor, and modify budgets
- Disbursements – record and track expenditures of grant funds, submit for external review, and monitor spending
- Reprogramming funds – record revisions to approved budgets and monitor the requests as they progress through the approval process
- Extensions – monitor grant expiration dates, request extensions as needed, and track the progress of extension requests as they progress through the approval process
- Award documents – create and download grant applications (SF-424) and view signed award documents
Additionally, FMS.net provides numerous reports to keep managers informed about the HIDTA’s financial transactions and balances.
HIDTA Survey System
The HIDTA Survey System was built based on a commercial software NOVI Survey. It is secured behind the NHAC firewall.
Every HIDTA conducts a Threat Assessment survey each year to gather input from its region’s participating agencies and entities. Online data collection provides greater efficiency than using paper documents to collect data, and it avoids an extra task of re-keying data the participants submit. Unlike other free software for online surveys, the HIDTA Survey System provides secure data collection.
BENEFITS AND KEY FEATURES
- Design, manage, and distribute surveys online
- Send email invitations and reminders from the system using contacts from Outlook
- Monitor and analyze responses online; you can see the progress as responses are gathered which allows you to take corrective actions if needed
- Export data to Excel and other file formats; import images, videos, and other file types for display on surveys.
- Use libraries to store standard questions for re-use and sharing within your organization
- Create templates that allow you to customize the look and feel of your surveys
- Create surveys in multiple languages
- Print hard copy or generate PDF files for distributing and sharing results
- Collaborate with colleagues; allow colleagues to assist in the administration, design, monitoring, and analysis
To request assistance, contact Rita M. Escobar, the NHAC Audit unit Manager, at 305-715-7752.
HIDTA Online Training Tracker (HOTT)
The HOTT system, hosted at the National HIDTA Assistance Center (NHAC) in Miami, FL, has been identified to serve as the national repository for all training activities where HIDTA dollars and resources are committed and expended. The HOTT system provides a centralized database for the timely storage, retrieval, and dissemination of training information.
The primary objective of the HOTT system is to implement an easily accessible electronic solution to store and disseminate training data, from training schedules to student transcripts. The long-term objective is to provide a centralized storage, sharing and reporting capability for nationwide HIDTA users.
HIDTA training data is sensitive information and only those with appropriate access may view the data. Training in the use of the HOTT system may be arranged by contacting NHAC at 305-715-7600 and request the Training unit.
HIDTA Resource Management System (HRMS)
The HIDTA Resource Management System (HRMS) is a document management system built on Microsoft Office’s SharePoint program. Launched in 2009, HRMS is used HIDTA-wide to facilitate information sharing, the foundation of the HIDTA Program. With HRMS, anyone working within the HIDTA system has access to all the documents that are stored in the records repository. This feature results in efficiencies in terms of time and resources.
Acting as a clearinghouse, HRMS includes a document center, portals to various HIDTA initiatives like the Domestic Highway Enforcement program, HIDTA-wide and HIDTA-specific calendars, announcements, workspaces, discussion boards and various libraries. There is a Central Document Library consisting of the following documents:
- Intelligence Reports
- Threat Assessments
- Annual Reports
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Best Practices
- Policies
- Bulletins and Newsletters
- By-Laws
- Meeting Minutes
- Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs)
- Training Material
- HIDTA Watch Center 311 Lists
- HIDTA Contacts
- Committee & Group workspaces
Because of its built-in expandability, additional categories can be added over time and based on each individual HIDTA’s input. Because it is built on the SharePoint platform, HRMS is scalable. The features and benefits include allowing for a collaborative approach to creating documents and working on projects, providing for ongoing content management capabilities, serving as a records management system providing search capabilities for people, documents, and data, providing easy access to forms-driven business processes, and ultimately simplifying compliance requirements.
HRMS can be accessed at https://thenhac.sharepoint.com. It’s maintained by Daniel Liang at the National HIDTA Assistance Center (NHAC).
The unit provides a level of quality control, assuring you that the transmission of checks or wire transfers for needed operational resources is not delayed by subsequent administrative reviews and rejections. It also assures HIDTA directors that the relationship between HIDTAs and their participating agencies can be focused on operational commitments, rather than on funding emergencies during the budget year by ensuring that expenditures conform with original budgets, that appropriate approvals have been obtained for the reprogramming of funds, and by making corrections that guarantee compliance with appropriate financial guidelines.
Website Design
Like the HIDTA program website itself, websites are designed to share information. Websites can create brand awareness and can add credibility to your HIDTA or iniative. If you’re interested in having the NHAC assist you in creating a website, call 305-715-7743.