The Challenge

The Student Conservation Association, a leading national environmental service organization founded in 1957, had grown into a complex operation serving diverse audiences. Their core mission, to place thousands of students per year in conservation work crews and internships, had become increasingly challenging to manage. An aging desktop database system grew less efficient each year. Meanwhile, the SCA web site had organically grown convoluted and non-intuitive. SCA approached Lucidus not only to help make sense of systems that had developed over the years, but to technologically position them to begin the next 50 years of service.

The Solution

Lucidus began by conducting a systems analysis—not merely of SCA technology, but of the organization and its people, interviewing key internal groups and people to understand organizational needs and protocols. This strategic research and planning allowed us to develop a cohesive and coordinated approach to SCA’s shared technology and Web space. We helped SCA implement a comprehensive, ColdFusion Web-based staffing management system for applications and tracking. The new Joomla-based SCA web site was reconceived, customized for each of the organizations major constituencies, including high school students, college students and resource managers.

"Lucidus serves as a nexus for SCA, making technical sense of the needs of all of our objectives. We trust them and rely on them to give us candid advice."
Mark Bodin, Chief Operating Officer, SCA

The Result

SCA's streamlined Web-based database system has cut application approval time by three weeks, and allows applicants and resource managers alike to log on and see real-time information about the status of pending applications. Information is easier to find on the SCA Web site, and many separate silos of data have been integrated into a comprehensive database. SCA's clearer, more efficient technology reflects a stronger organization.