This competitive grant program provides awards of up to $200,000 to support “the implementation of innovative and transformative IT projects by funding one-time capital needs such as technology infrastructure, upgrades and/or purchases of equipment or software.” Funds can also be used for “incidental or one-time costs related to the capital purchase such as planning, design, installation, implementation and initial training…”

Examples of past grant awards include implementing:

October 15th is the deadline to apply. Multi-municipality applications are encouraged.

If you have questions or want to discuss ideas for potential projects, the Collins Center is available to help. Please contact Sarah Concannon, Director of Municipal Services, at sarah.concannon@umb.edu.

For more information and to apply:

Software is only as good as your ability to use it. Getting it implemented correctly and in a timely manner is a critical step in making your software work for you.

How did your last software implementation go?

 a) It went perfectly smoothly with no bumps.

 b) There were some challenges.

 c) I am still dealing with the fall-out.

 d) If we ever finish, I'll let you know.

If you're like most municipalities, you probably answered (b), (c), or (d), likely due to lack of staff time to monitor every step of the vendor's work and walk field staff through the processes, as well as lack of experience in managing complicated software implementation projects.

Software implementation is notorious for taking up significant time and resources, as software often supports a wide range of processes and affects staff at every level in many departments. This is where the Collins Center is invaluable. We have expertise in the implementation process itself, and we provide direct, on-the-ground support for both management and staff. We can act as a liaison with vendors to ensure that the software is customized to meet departments' needs. We focus on constant communication, testing, and training to give municipalities a product that will help departments manage more effectively.

If you are interested in discussing a software implementation project with the Center, please reach out to Michael Ward at michael.ward@umb.edu.

Sometimes the best person for a job is not looking for a new job. The Center helps municipalities find and recruit candidates to apply for positions they have not considered. With the labor market being as competitive as it is, we go beyond just posting positions, integrating direct recruitment, networking, and expansive advertising in a coordinated and strategic effort. Please reach out if you know of a candidate who may be well suited for any of the following positions currently being recruited by the Center:

Please contact Mary Aicardi at mary.aicardi@umb.edu with questions or referrals.

It can be hard to find good people. The Center is frequently asked by clients if we know of anyone available or interested in interim work. Because the answer to this question is yes, we connect people we know may be interested. However, we do not know of everyone who is interested and/or available. To broaden the scope of helping municipalities fill short-term vacancies, the Collins Center has created a database for professionals in transition and/or in retirement who are interested in both full-time and part-time interim assignments.

To register with us, please complete this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/interimlistserv. On an annual basis, you will be contacted to update your information and continued interest in remaining in our referral database.

The Center will welcome requests from municipalities and other public entities to reach out to people who may be interested in interim work. We will not share names, emails, or phone numbers with the entity looking for the interim person. Our process is to secure a brief posting from the client and send it to those who register with us.

It should be noted that we do not screen for qualifications or competencies or check references. Our goal is to connect organizations in search of interim help with those who may be interested.

The Center does not charge a fee for the referral service.

If your organization would like to engage the services of the Collins Center to conduct a recruitment for an interim (or permanent) employee, please contact Mary Aicardi at mary.aicardi@umb.edu.