An important part of establishing data/information exchange is to plan and document the workflows so smooth data exchange and high-quality information is obtained.
==Collecting Regular Feedback==__NOEDITSECTION__
In any information exchange activity, it is important to have regular sessions or meetings to collect feedback and discuss issues or improvements to the information exchange process. One recommendation is to establish a feedback forum where implementing partners and stakeholders can address data quality issues and make adjustments to the information exchange process. Topics to address in such a forum include:
* frequency of data exchange
* standardisation of reports and searches included in the central dataset
* permissions and role changes
* creation or modification of Auxiliary data
* which data to collect
* changes of templates
By collecting feedback on these issues, information managers can help ensure that information exchange works as expected and set up a quality assurance mechanism to prevent data quality issues from affecting the Mine Action Programme.
==Ensuring Correct Roles and Permissions are Assigned==__NOEDITSECTION__
==Sending Backups to Reset to a Common Dataset==__NOEDITSECTION__
The easiest One way to ensure that each site implementing partner is working from a common dataset is to distribute a full backup of the {{IMSMANG}} dataset to each site on a regular basis. This can occur weekly, monthly or quarterly, but the The key is to distribute an official national dataset to each site regularly to ensure that auxiliary Auxiliary data is up to date and that any changes made to other parts of the dataset are distributed. In this way, organisations implementing partners can maintain a common set of national statistics and the dataset reflects the decisions made by the Central Mine Action Authority to resolve errors or issues in importing and exchanging Data Entry Forms.
It is important to understand, however, that the restoration of a backup file '''overwrites ''' the data at in the regional site implementing partner's database including any Data Entry Forms that have not been sent to the Central Mine Action Authority yet, locally created searches and reports. So, the recipient sites implementing partners should consider the following recommendations:
* Make a complete backup prior to restoring the Central Mine Action Authority’s backup.
* Export all Data Entry Forms that have been entered since the last exchange with the Central Mine Action Authority before restoring a backup.
* Restore only the {{IMSMANG}} database and GIS database. This preserves * Have a local customisations copy of peripheral elements such as Data Entry Form templates and iReport templates, which can Saved searches so they may be reimported into re-published and re-created in {{IMSMANG}}.* Request that any searches customisation or other non-exportable elements that are important for regional site use implementing partners to be created in the Central Mine Action Authority’s dataset national database prior to distribution so they do not need to be recreated regionally each time a new backup is distributed. ==Collecting Regular Feedback==__NOEDITSECTION__In any information exchange activity, it is important to have regular sessions or meetings to collect feedback and discuss issues or improvements to the information exchange process. One recommendation is to establish a feedback forum where organisations can address data quality issues and make adjustments to the information exchange process. Topics to address in such a forum include:
* frequency of data exchange
* standardisation of reports and searches included in the central dataset
* permissions and role changes
* creation or modification of auxiliary data
* form template changes
By collecting feedback on these issues, information managers can help ensure that decentralised information exchange works as expected and set up a quality assurance mechanism to prevent data quality issues from affecting the programme’s information management.
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[[Category:DSA]]