>Some basic questions need to be answered. What is the budget?

Right now, the NGO is trying to find out what the cost will be like. Then we will be looking for grants/assistance from the private sector here. Depending on the expense, I guess international grants will need to be investigated.

>Are you planning on writing the software or having someone write custom software?

I'm looking for something off the shelf that can be implemented quickly and works well, with a proven history.

>And the list of questions goes on and on. I would think someone over there could show you some of their software.

Yes, I am trying to meet with the IT department, but didn't want to go in unprepared. I've seen the system they use for tracking accidents/incidents, it looks like it is running on a VAX, and they use KEATerm to access it to do the data entry from some big yellow forms that get sent in to the head office from around the country. Needless to say they are months behind.

>Most of the stuff I've seen is pretty expensive, with high annual maintenance fees. Many police and sheriff's departments in the US go for grant money to facilitate this. I don't know how your financial situation looks, so that is hard to discuss. I think you might save them some headaches if you hired someone with experience in law enforcement to help you put an RFP together. Then you can also get them to review the proposals when they come in. You MUST, or someone MUST make site visits where the vendors software is running. You MUST talk to the users and the administrators of those departments about the software and the support they receive.

Can you point me to a list of some of the software and vendors that have good reputations and software?

Thanks for all the great advice and help!