A small organization with a limited budget is restricted in its capacity to absorb new technologies. Existing employees must carry the burdens of project management, standards establishment, database administration, and field checking of new data, in addition to their ordinary functions. End users must often learn "in-service" rather than by formal courses. The ability to adjust standards and procedures on the fly is all-important. Success can depend on the capacity of the site expert. Much initial application development is driven by user needs. Examples are given from our Forest Department's GIS project, begun in 1995.