ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. — An Anchorage-based company, ProjectKEEPERS LLC, has developed and launched a revolutionary new project management software tool designed to provide Tribal agencies and non-profits with an intuitive, effective solution to manage administration and reporting of grants and projects.

The approach is an important ‘real-life, cross-cultural’ concept for project success in rural communities nationwide….

Using an ingenious approach to management, ProjectKEEPERS has developed an online tool that aims to increase project management skills and simplify complex projects for busy Administrators and entry level project managers alike.

ProjectKEEPERS claims that it is different than anything on the market today, they’ve spent the past seven years listening to administrators from Alaska, the lower 48, Canada, and Hawaii talk about what they need and want for a project management tool. The ideas and concepts have been integrated into the new system to help managers learn successful management principles – while they are doing their projects. The approach is an important ‘real-life, cross-cultural’ concept for project success in rural communities nationwide, one that can often be misunderstood by corporate and government agencies who provide funding to rural agencies.

Many Tribal grantees are small organizations with limited access to training, which poses significant challenges for grant management and reporting. Administrators and funders both agree that online reporting and management requirements are often complicated, time consuming and costly. The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) cites data management as a “persistent problem affecting all areas of Indian Country.” Other critical challenges facing grant recipients include lack of compliance with reporting requirements, frequent staffing changes, and staff turnover, which can lead to ineffective record keeping. There are many companies that provide grant management solutions; however, current software products tend to be costly and confusing and none are geared toward Alaskan ways of learning. Furthermore, they are difficult to deploy and use in the context of small Tribal or non-profit organizations.

As grant requirements have become more challenging, new expectations for management have emerged that clash with the allotted time for implementation. Federal and State agencies across Alaska, and the Nation, all agree that some of the biggest challenges to successful grant management are the high level of attrition in rural communities and the need for building capacity to learn how to manage grant programs. The projectKEEPERS’ online service empowers project administrators and organizations with knowledge and capabilities to respond to the rapidly evolving and diverse funding landscape. The cloud-based software system is accessible from desktop computers and mobile devices such as tablets, smart phones, and laptops.

Regardless of the doom and gloom over the past several years about reduced grant funding, Alaska has consistently received more than $3 Billion each year in grants. At the same time, the Federal government is transitioning to electronic-only grant submissions and reporting, putting pressure on grant recipients to find effective tools, train employees, and have systems in place to meet these requirements. Failure to comply with these project management and reporting requirements can jeopardize the ability to compete for future grants.

ProjectKeepers provides users the ability to see the big picture and navigate through the program at the same time, so they have a better understanding of how all of the components of the project work together. The system emphasizes simplicity, and eliminates confusing acronyms and jargon in order to facilitate ease of use and reduce user frustration. ProjectKEEPERS has implemented features that assist with reporting, in an effort to encourage use of technology as a helpful, rather than burdensome, tool.

By providing an effective in-house solution, projectKEEPERS helps grantees reduce costs associated with grants management, including outside consulting fees for reporting, continuation applications and budget revisions. Training and education are key components of the system, enabling grantees to build capacity and sustainability.

ProjectKEEPERS LLC is a grant consulting company that provides grant project management, grant writing, and training services. Joan Herrmann, CEO of projectKEEPERS, says that “this has been a long journey, and we’re so excited to offer this tool to communities who have shared their needs with us!” The company has provided more than 20 years of service to rural Alaska, and developed enduring relationships based on respect and reliability. Their approach of using cross-cultural relevance in training and support services gains positive results to challenges that face grantees and project managers everywhere.

The company and its affiliate Alaska Project Solutions, Inc. have helped numerous organizations, bringing more than $55 million into Alaska’s rural communities since 2005.

In 2008, a National Science Foundation SBIR grant was awarded to Alaska Project Solutions for researching the feasibility of this project management software tool. Additionally, APSI has received more than $40,000 through University of Alaska grants to support their efforts. The entire team is excited to offer access to the only project management system available on the global market to use the exceptionally intuitive and user-friendly cloud-based system that uses a design recommended by rural Alaskan Tribes.

They are also thrilled to be the first ever certified “Made in Alaska” software development company, and to be the first ever approved project management software company for the State of Alaska’s Product Preference Program. The company takes pride in saying that projectKEEPERS was built in Alaska by Alaskans!