diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a40a0fb7..6a8f7aa6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -32,4 +32,4 @@ mvnw.cmd
 
 # Properties
 src/main/environment/1097_local.properties
-src/main/environment/common_local.properties
\ No newline at end of file
+src/main/environment/common_local.properties
diff --git a/.java-version b/.java-version
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..62593409
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.java-version
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1.8
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 98173c4d..0d4c562f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -26,8 +26,15 @@ This service has been tested on Wildfly as the application server.
 * Redis
 * MySQL Database
 
+## Environment and setup
+
+1. Install dependencies `mvn clean install`
+2. You can copy `common_example.properties` to `common_local.properties` and edit the file accordingly. The file is under `src/main/environment` folder.
+3. Run the spring server with local configuration `mvn spring-boot:run -DENV_VAR=local`
+
 ## Integrations
 * RMNCH (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health)
+
 ## Usage
 All features have been exposed as REST endpoints. Refer to the SWAGGER API specification for details.
 
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 7fe31aa3..4c914458 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 		<org.projectlombok.version>1.16.18</org.projectlombok.version>
 		<environment>${ENV_VAR}</environment>
 		<target-properties>target/classes/application.properties</target-properties>
-		<source-properties>src/main/environment/common_${environment}.properties</source-properties>
+		<source-properties>target/classes/common_${environment}.properties</source-properties>
 		<maven.test.skip>true</maven.test.skip>
 		<sonar.java.binaries>target</sonar.java.binaries>
 	</properties>
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@
 			<properties>
 				<final-name>1097identityapi-v1.0</final-name>
 				<target-properties>target/classes/application.properties</target-properties>
-				<source-properties>src/main/environment/1097_${environment}.properties</source-properties>
+				<source-properties>target/classes/1097_${environment}.properties</source-properties>
 			</properties>
 			<build>
 				<finalName>1097identityapi-v1.0</finalName>
@@ -219,8 +219,6 @@
 		</profile>
 	</profiles>
 
-
-
 	<build>
 		<finalName>identity-0.0.1</finalName>
 		<plugins>
@@ -255,6 +253,32 @@
 					</annotationProcessorPaths>
 				</configuration>
 			</plugin>
+			<plugin>
+				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+				<artifactId>maven-resources-plugin</artifactId>
+				<executions>
+					<execution>
+						<id>filter-resources</id>
+						<phase>process-resources</phase>
+						<goals>
+							<goal>resources</goal>
+						</goals>
+						<configuration>
+							<delimiters>@</delimiters>
+							<useDefaultDelimiters>false</useDefaultDelimiters>
+							<resources>
+								<resource>
+									<directory>src/main/environment</directory>
+									<filtering>true</filtering>
+									<includes>
+										<include>common_${environment}.properties</include>
+									</includes>
+								</resource>
+							</resources>
+						</configuration>
+					</execution>
+				</executions>
+			</plugin>
 			<plugin>
 				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 				<artifactId>maven-antrun-plugin</artifactId>
@@ -265,11 +289,11 @@
 						<goals>
 							<goal>run</goal>
 						</goals>
-						<id>properties-updated</id>
+						<id>merge-properties</id>
 						<configuration>
 							<target>
 								<echo>
-									concatinating properties file ${target-properties} and
+									concatenating properties file ${target-properties} and
 									${source-properties}
 								</echo>
 								<concat destfile="${target-properties}" append="yes"
@@ -280,6 +304,20 @@
 							</target>
 						</configuration>
 					</execution>
+					<execution>
+						<phase>process-resources</phase>
+						<goals>
+							<goal>run</goal>
+						</goals>
+						<id>clean-property-files</id>
+						<configuration>
+							<tasks>
+								<delete>
+									<file file="${source-properties}"/>
+								</delete>
+							</tasks>
+						</configuration>
+					</execution>
 				</executions>
 			</plugin>
 			<plugin>
diff --git a/src/main/environment/1097_ci.properties b/src/main/environment/1097_ci.properties
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..11418e69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/environment/1097_ci.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# DataSource settings: set here your own configurations for the database
+spring.datasource.url=@env.DATABASE_URL@
+spring.datasource.username=@env.DATABASE_USERNAME@
+spring.datasource.password=@env.DATABASE_PASSWORD@
+spring.datasource.driver-class-name=com.mysql.jdbc.Driver
diff --git a/src/main/environment/1097_local.properties b/src/main/environment/1097_example.properties
similarity index 100%
rename from src/main/environment/1097_local.properties
rename to src/main/environment/1097_example.properties
diff --git a/src/main/environment/common_ci.properties b/src/main/environment/common_ci.properties
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..11418e69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/environment/common_ci.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# DataSource settings: set here your own configurations for the database
+spring.datasource.url=@env.DATABASE_URL@
+spring.datasource.username=@env.DATABASE_USERNAME@
+spring.datasource.password=@env.DATABASE_PASSWORD@
+spring.datasource.driver-class-name=com.mysql.jdbc.Driver
diff --git a/src/main/environment/common_local.properties b/src/main/environment/common_example.properties
similarity index 100%
rename from src/main/environment/common_local.properties
rename to src/main/environment/common_example.properties
