Understanding Mine Action Information Management
The practice of information management in mine action is similar to information management in other fields. Information managers collect, process and analyse information to support operational activities, planning and reporting. Information management is not an end in itself; rather, it is an activity that supports the primary goal of mine action: reducing the impact of hazards on civilian populations.
Objects and Processes
In mine action information management, the primary object or focus is a hazard, whether it is a minefield, UXO spot or other ERW contamination, and the activities or processes undertaken to reduce or eliminate the hazard. Other important objects and activities include accidents, victims, quality management and mine risk education activities. In certain programmes, these elements may take a more prominent role, with IMSMANG supporting them equally well. However, the traditional focus of information management in mine action is on hazards and the processes done to eliminate them.
The process of clearing hazards follows an operational workflow that is reflected in information management as a set of business rules. As each step in the clearance process is completed, attributes of the hazard change so that eventually the hazard is cleared. It is the role of information management to collect information about each step and accurately report the status and attributes of each hazard as it makes its way through the workflow to assist in operational activities such as planning, tasking and clearance operations. Whether a programme is implementing a land release model for hazard clearance or a risk reduction model, the concepts are the same. Hazards are reduced and changed over time by various processes. To implement this effectively in IMSMANG, information managers must first fully understand the workflow and business rules in use in their programmes.
Information Management Needs Assessment
Before installing IMSMANG, information managers should have an understanding of the information management needs of their programmes and the workflows that are used. Then they can begin designing the information workflow in IMSMANG to meet those needs. The table below lists the information management concepts to review along with the possible resources that may be available to help assess the needs.
Information Management Needs Assessment
IMSMA Workflows and Business Rules
Rather than establishing one workflow that all programmes must use, IMSMANG allows information managers to establish their own programme-appropriate workflows and business rules to better support their specific needs. To document their programme-specific workflows, information managers describe the processes undertaken on each object in IMSMANG and the outputs or products from the processes. Typically, these workflows relate to the various categories of hazards and hazard reductions, but they can also be applied to other IMSMANG items as appropriate.
During this step, information managers map the process that each hazard goes through as it is cleared or its impact is otherwise reduced. Using a combination of the relevant hazard types, status values and relationships, information managers design an information workflow that will be implemented as standard operating procedures (SOPs) for data entry and analysis. Some programmes may have only one process for all categories of hazards while other programmes may have three or more processes. See Understanding IMSMA Information Model for more information.
Documenting Workflows and Business Rules