Difference between revisions of "Information Exchange"

Revision as of 16:41, 22 March 2015

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IMSMA^NG is designed to support information exchange with many IMSMA users and Mine Action stakeholders at numerous sites. These users can include implementing partners, Regional Mine Action Centers and other authorities (e.g. Ministry of Health).

IMSMA^NG supports nearly any conceivable patterns for exchanging data including

• multilateral exchange
• peer-to-peer exchange
• one-direction exchange
• two-direction exchange.

The most common pattern is two-direction exchange between a Central Mine Action Authority and implementing partners.

IMSMA^NG supports nearly any conceivable patterns for exchanging information including

• producing maps with external GIS software
• producing reports with iReport and Excel
• producting online reports and dashboards with MINT
• publish information to websites via the Staging area.

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.

Plan Data/Information Exchange

It is easy for information managers at national level only to concentrate on how to exchange data that should be imported into the national IMSMA^NG database and forget that it should be a two-directional exchange and that all implementation partners, stakeholders and departments of the own organisation have different data/information needs and all of them have to create reports to several other receivers with different contents at different periodicity.

The following points to be taken in consideration when planning exchange:

• why is the data/information shared?
• what are the consequences if data/information are not shared on time?
• what data/information need/could be shared?
• how is the receiver?
• what will the receiver use the data/information for?
• will the receiver share the data/information in his turn?
• how often?
• in which format?

• paper/pdf
• Excel
• shape files
• maXML
• IMSMA backup
• Staging area database
• MINT

Collecting Regular Feedback

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

Establishing correct roles and permissions is a key factor in managing and maintaining data exchange within IMSMA^NG. Using the permissions structure, the information manager can carefully control access to key functions that affect data exchange including Data Entry Form templates, Custom Defined Fields, Auxiliary data and Data Entry Form approval. When permissions are correctly established and roles and user accounts created, information managers can distribute the IMSMA^NG dataset to implementing partners knowing that key data controls are in place.

These are the recommended role permissions:

• Ensure that the Central Mine Action Authority has exclusive control over user accounts and roles, Data Entry Form templates, the Data Inventory Manager and Auxiliary data.
• Ensure that the implementing partners have Data Entry, Approval and export/import Data Entry Forms permissions.

By establishing a set of limited permissions for the implementing partners, information managers can prevent the accidental or intentional creation of new data elements not available in the national database that will affect the ability of the Central Mine Action Authority to import Data Entry Forms and cause the national dataset to become fractured.

By limiting Auxiliary data permissions to the Central Mine Action Authority, information managers can prevent complications when importing Data Entry Forms. Because Data Entry Forms refers to Auxiliary data, it is important that each country have one common set of Auxiliary data to facilitate exchange. If the Auxiliary data is not properly synchronised, the exchange of Data Entry Forms can result in import issues which must be manually resolved. While IMSMA^NG provides an interface for resolving these kinds of issues, it is recommended to reduce the occurrence of these issues by limiting any creation of Auxiliary data to the Central Mine Action Authority who can then distribute an updated dataset as necessary.

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