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==Reconciliation Process==
===Location Folder===
A location in IMSMA<sup>NG</sup> is a grouping of information, whether logical, geographical or sociopolitical. Using locations, users can group data that belongs together or is associated with each other and handle it as a group, including facilitating data entry, searching and running reports. To do this, locations must link the mine action data to the country’s political or administrative structure (existing gazetteer), whether at the province, district or town level. This method also provides geographical context to the data. As shown in the figure below, locations in IMSMA<sup>NG</sup> are governed by two simple rules:
*all mine action data must be linked to a location
*all locations must be linked to the country structure
[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Using Locations to Link Mine Action Data to the Country Structure.png|center|''Using Locations to Link Mine Action Data to the Country Structure'']]
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''Using Locations to Link Mine Action Data to the Country Structure''
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Two fundamental decisions to make when customizing IMSMA<sup>NG</sup> is to decide what country structure level locations will be consistently linked to and what concept locations will represent, Typical concepts that a location is used to represent include:
*a work area (where hazards exist and hazard reductions are taking place)
*a community (a group of people affected by the mine/UXO threat)
*the nearest town (the town closest to where the activity is taking place)
<b>Document the following decisions about locations:</b>
* what concept locations will represent
* what country structure level locations will be linked to
===Assigning and Linking===
<b>Assigning</b> refers to the assignment of an item to a location for the purposes of grouping information. All items must be assigned a location.
<b>Linking</b> refers to the association between items for the purposes of analysis. Linking is optional, for example, when linking clearances to minefields.
IMSMA<sup>NG</sup> provides the capability to assign items to locations and create links between items, a function that shows the relationships between items and processes and that enriches the data collected. Assignments and links are defined during the field report approval process. An item is assigned to one location, which ties the item to the country structure and allows for reporting mine action data by area. The same item can then be linked to as many other items as necessary. In this way, IMSMA<sup>NG</sup> supports the idea of linking hazard reductions to hazards, victims to accidents or any item to any other item. When used with item subcategories, linking adds a powerful capacity to implement an information workflow and create rich and useful data for decision makers. To ensure the integrity of this data, system administrators must clearly specify the kinds of links to track in IMSMA<sup>NG</sup>.
The example below shows how users can build a workflow of complex relationships among top-level items and item subcategories to model the information management process for their programmes.
[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Example of How Relationships Among Items are Created.png|center|400px|''Example of How Relationships Among Items are Created'']]
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''Example of How Relationships Among Items are Created''
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The next figure shows how the current view changes with each hazard reduction that is linked to the original hazard. The CHA starts with a status of "Open." When the technical survey is linked to the hazard, it changes the hazard subcategory to "Minefield." Then, linking the clearance updates the hazard’s status to "Worked On." Finally, linking the completion survey changes the hazard’s status to "Closed." The result is one hazard whose information is updated over time by the four hazard reductions linked to the hazard. This way to track information can be used to represent the information management process and status rules accurately for a land release, risk management or other process model.
[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Example of How Current View Statuses Change.png|center|400px|''Example of How Current View Statuses Change'']]
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''Example of How Current View Statuses Change''
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The IMSMA<sup>NG</sup> information model is flexible enough for each programme to customise the system to support its needs. For example, programmes that do not conduct MRE activities do not need to complete information about MREs, and they still retain full utility of the system. Similarly, programmes that conduct victim tracking and MRE activities only can disregard hazards and hazard reductions without any loss of utility. This flexibility, however, requires that programmes define the relevant uses of each item.
Although any item can be linked to any other item, not all relationships necessarily make sense for every programme. The diagrams below describe some of the more common logical relationships among items and can serve as the basis for an information model when implementing IMSMA<sup>NG</sup>.
[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Example Relationships Among Items.png|center|400px|''Example Relationships Among Items'']]
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''Example Relationships Among Items''
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The rationale for each relationship or link should also be documented so the meaning is understood. For example, a hazard reduction may be conducted on a hazard and an accident may be a result of a hazard or produce a victim. These relationships are used when entering data to ensure that the links between items are available for searching and reporting, like when searching for all hazards that have clearances linked to them.
<b>Document the following business rules about assigning and linking:</b>
* which items will have links between them, for example, victims will always be linked to accidents
* rationale or logical meaning of the relationships between items, for example, a link between a clearance and a minefield means that the clearance was conducted on the minefield
* what effects linking has on the items, for example, a link between a clearance and hazard may indicate that the hazard status should change from "Open" to "Worked on"
===The Workbench===
Items, field reports, current views, assigning and linking come together at the Workbench. The Workbench is a holding area where users enter data into field reports and reconcile each item in the field report either as a new item or as an update to an existing item. Users have the ability to assign field report items to locations and to link items to other items (like linking a technical survey to an existing CHA). They then save the reports in the Workbench pending the appropriate quality checks and approvals.
Until a field report is approved, it exists only in the Workbench and does not update any current views. The report can still be modified or deleted. When a field report is approved, however, it becomes part of the current views and cannot be deleted.
[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Adding Field Report Information to the Current View.png|center|''Adding Field Report Information to the Current View'']]
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''Adding Field Report Information to the Current View''
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For data quality purposes, it is important that the data is adequately checked at this stage. IMSMA<sup>NG</sup> allows information managers to control permissions for the Workbench and other areas of IMSMA<sup>NG</sup> through the management of users and roles. With multiple permission levels for the Workbench, different users can be assigned different permissions, allowing programmes to implement a data-entry workflow that distinguishes between data entry and data verification roles. It is recommended to set up a permission structure that reserves approval authority for field reports for the most trusted users.
