Changes

==Data Types=Items=__NOEDITSECTION__===Core Data===__NOEDITSECTION__In the {{IMSMANG}} information model, items are the containers for core data, such as mine action data. An item is an area, activity or event that a programme records information about and stores in {{IMSMANG}}. There are six categories of items, which are described in the table below. Each category can be characterised by a type that reflects whether the item is designed to track process or activity information or the object or product of an activity.

In the IMSMA<sup>NG<{| class="wikitable"! Item! Description! Type|-| Land| Information about an area| Object/sup> information modelProduct|-| Activity| Information about an activity, such as efforts to survey, items are the containers for mine action information. An item is an areaclear, activity or event that reduce the threat of a mine action programme records information hazard| Process/Activity|-| Accident| Information about and stores in IMSMA<sup>NG<an accidental event| Object/sup>. There are six categories of items, which are described in the table below. Each category can be characterized Product|-| Victim| Information about a person injured or affected by an accident| Object/Product|-| Assistance| Information about assistance for a type that reflects whether the item is person injured or affected by an accident| Process/Activity|-| Education activity| Information about an activity designed to track process inform or educate people (e.g. Risk Education or Victim rights)| Process/Activity|-| Quality Management (QM) activity information or | Information about an quality-improvement activity, such as an effort to control and monitor the object clearance and/or product reduction of an activity.land or activities| Process/Activity|-|}

[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model <center>{| class="wikitable"|+ ! Item! Category Examples|-| Land|* SHA* CHA* EOD Spot Task* Ammunition Storage|-| Activity|* Non- Items.pngTechnical survey* Technical survey* Clearance* Completion survey|center-|500pxAccident|''Items'']]<div align="center">* Demining accident* Mine accident''Items''|-|}</divcenter>Part of defining and documenting an information model includes defining the useful information attributes for each {{IMSMANG}} item. {{IMSMANG}} comes with more than 1,000 [[Data Dictionary| data fields already defined]] as well as the capability to create additional custom-defined fields (CDFs). This makes it important to critically assess which data fields are useful to a programme for decision-making, analysis and reporting and to focus on those while ignoring data fields that don’t provide additional value. Limiting information to only that which is useful to the programme provides long-term benefits including reducing the data collection and data entry burden and improving system performance. And, while many data fields may be collected for each {{IMSMANG}} item, some fields may be more important for analysis than others. For example, whether a victim has been injured or killed may be more important for analysis than the victim’s nationality.

Items are entered into IMSMA^NG by means of a field report. Typically, * create separate workflows for each category /type of items has its own field report template for recording information specific to that Land* create and manage separate Data Entry Form templates per category. When entered into IMSMA^NG, all field report items must be assigned to a location, which is tied to type* differentiate between item categories/types on the country’s gazetteer, or political or administrative structure. The items can then be traced back to the country structure so that users can easily report data such as the number and size of hazards within a particular province.map

Part of defining Additionally, information managers can customise the categories so that unused categories can be inactivated and documenting an other categories added. The same is true for all top-level items within {{IMSMANG}}, which lets information managers specify their exact information model includes defining , including the useful information attributes for each IMSMA^NG relationships among item. IMSMA^NG comes with more than 1categories,000 data elements already defined as well and adjust the model as their needs change over time. To accurately map the capability to create additional custom-defined fields (CDFs). This makes it important to critically assess which data elements are useful to information model for a programme for decision-makingMine Action Programme, analysis and reporting it’s helpful to evaluate the available item categories and determine if changes to focus on those while ignoring data elements that don’t provide additional valuethe information model in {{IMSMANG}} are required. Limiting information to only that which is useful to the programme provides long-term benefits including reducing the data collection and data entry burden and improving While these values can be customised after system performance. Andsetup, while many data elements may be collected understanding the types of information for each item is critical to implementing an effective workflow in {{IMSMANG item, some elements may be more important for analysis than others. For example, whether a victim has been injured or killed may be more important for analysis than the victim’s nationality}}.

[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Item SubcategoriesExample of Documented Land.png|center|500px|''Item Subcategories''300px]]

''Item SubcategoriesExample of documentation''

Each of the six categories of items can be divided into subcategories or types so users can collect information for each subcategory. For example, users can specify different types of hazards such as dangerous areas, confirmed hazardous areas (CHAs), minefields and battle areas and manage each kind of hazard differently{{New_6. Using subcategories, information managers can: * create separate workflows for each type of hazard* create and manage separate data entry forms* differentiate between item categories on the map Additionally, information managers can customise the subcategories so that unused subcategories can be removed and other subcategories added. The same is true for all top-level items within IMSMA^NG, which lets information managers specify their exact information model, including the relationships among item categories, and adjust the model as their needs change over time. To accurately map the information model for a programme, it’s helpful to evaluate the available item subcategories and determine if changes to the information model in IMSMA^NG are required. While these values can be customized after system setup, understanding the types of information for each item is critical to implementing an effective workflow in IMSMA^NG. Table 5 shows examples of the possible subcategories of IMSMA^NG items.  [[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Documenting Items.png0 |center|500px|''Documenting Items'']]<div align="center">''Documenting Items''</div>  ===Auxiliary Data=== In addition to defining the required information version 6.0 two classifications used for IMSMA^NG items, it is important to define the relevant information to be collected about auxiliary data. This includes defining Victim; Cause and documenting the country structureNeeds assessment, ordnance, organisations and places, such as military bases, hospitals and cultural sites; any additional CDFs that should be created; and any subcategories Assistance classification used for each of the auxiliary data types.  [[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Documenting Auxiliary DataAssistance have been added.png|center|500px|''Documenting Auxiliary Data'']]<div align="center">''Documenting Auxiliary Data''</div>  ==Field Reports and Current Views== All mine action information is entered into IMSMA^NG via a field report, a data entry form used to collect information about an item. When a field report is completed, it is either reconciled to an existing item (that is, it is determined to be information about an item that already exists in IMSMA^NG) or it is reconciled as new (that is, it is determined to be information about an item that does not already exist in IMSMA^NG).  [[Image:Understanding_IMSMA_Information_Model_-_Field_Reports_and_Current_Views.png|center|300px|''Field Reports, Current Views, and Reconciliation'']]<div align="center">''Field Reports, Current Views, and Reconciliation''</div>  With this approach, users can collect and store multiple field reports about the same item over time so that the entire history of the item is preserved in the system. The approach also provides a complete audit trail of all changes made to any mine action information so that information managers can answer the question, "What did we know and when did we know it?" IMSMA^NG also provides a constantly updated current view of the item which represents the sum of information about the item at any given time. As subsequent information is collected about a specific attribute of an item, IMSMA^NG updates the item’s current view on an attribute-by-attribute basis. For example, Field Report #1 collects some initial information about a hazard. It sets the priority to "Medium" and specifies that the hazard contains AP mines and is 25,000 sqm. Field Report #2 updates information about the hazard after a subsequent assessment. The report sets the priority to "High" and specifies the presence of AP and AT mines, but it does not change the size or the status of the hazard. Field Report #3 updates the hazard’s size and status after clearance operations are complete. The figure below shows how the hazard’s current view is updated after all three reports are entered into the system.  [[Image:Understanding_IMSMA_Information_Model_hierarchy tree-_Updating_CVs.png|center|500px|''Example of Updating Current Views'']]<div align="center">''Example of Updating Current Views''</div>  Current view calculations are based on the date of the field report, so it is possible to enter data into the system out of chronological order (that is, to collect past information about an item) without disrupting the current view. For example, if a fourth field report were collected and dated between Field Report #1 and Field Report #2, it would have no effect on the current view as all information in the example was updated with Field Report #2 or laterstructures using levels.   ===Mapping the Workflows===}}

The first element of mapping {{note|<b>Document the hazard reduction workflow is to build a map of the relationship between the objects and processes involved in the hazard reduction process. Starting with the first representation of the hazard, the workflow map should describe the processes done to the hazard and the output of the process. The workflow map should trace the entire process from hazard identification through clearance and release of the land according to the operational process in use in the programme. In the example below, a confirmed hazardous area (CHA) is linked to a technical survey that was conducted on the hazard. The survey resulted in a minefield on which a clearance was done, and the clearance resulted in a cleared hazard. Finally, a completion survey was logged to close the hazard.following decisions about Auxiliary data:</b>

[[Image:Understanding Mine Action IMSMA Information Management Model - Mapping workflowExample of Documented Auxiliary Data ver2.png|center|''Mapping the Workflow''300px]]

''Mapping the WorkflowExample of Documented Auxiliary Data''

This workflow map identifies the hazard reduction process that is used within the programme and can be mapped in IMSMA^NG to track the clearance of hazardsThe Data Entry Form(s) for a specific object (e. Because IMSMA^NG supports customisable workflows, it can be used to track different workflows for different objectsg. For example, a programme may have a separate abbreviated workflow for spot UXO tasks that involve only the identification of the UXO hazard (objectVictim ''Jane Doe'') are summarised and displayed in a clearance of the hazard (process) without additional surveys or steps. This process should also be mapped for implementing in IMSMA^NG'''Summary'''.

Along Or with other words, when a workflow map that describes the relationship between the various types of objects and processes in a workflow, the status changes or outputs from the Data Entry process are critical in adequately mapping is started the hazard clearance process. IMSMA^NG uses the status value first decision is to choose which of items to track where the object or process is in its workflow. Objects and processes in IMSMA<sup>NG<several different methods/sup> can have different status values. For example, hazards can be defined as "Active", "Worked On," or "Closed," while hazard reduction activities that are more process-oriented can be "Planned," "Ongoing," "Completed," "Suspended," or "Aborted." Defining a set of status values actions for each item provides the capability Data Entry to:use.

* manage workflows according to status* search With this approach, users can collect and report on items based on store multiple Data Entry Forms about the same item over time so that the entire history of the item is preserved in the system. The approach also provides a particular status* display items on complete [[Audit log | audit trail]] of all changes made to any information so that information managers can answer the map with different symbols based on their statusquestion, "What did we know and when did we know it?"

Some IMSMA^NG items may have many status values. For exampleAs subsequent information is collected about a specific attribute of an item, process-oriented items such as hazard reductions and quality management likely have many status values, but hazards and other object{{IMSMANG}} updates the item’s Summary on an attribute- or outputby-oriented items typically have only attribute basis. The calculation of the three status values listed above. Some items like victims Summary is done based on '''Date of Information''' and accidents may not need status values depending on how therefore it is important that Date of information is used. Defining the possible status values for each object in reflecting the workflow as outputs age of the processes conducted on them provides a set of business rules for information management that govern how information should be entered and analysednot the date of entry into {{IMSMANG}}.

====Example Workflows with Status Changes==== The following figures show how each programme can tailor the system to support a specific hazard clearance/reduction workflow process for each type of hazard, from a traditional process for minefield clearance with multiple steps including a technical survey, clearance and completion survey to a simplified process for UXO clearance that includes only a clearance. Each example involves a single hazard on which one or more hazard reduction activities are conducted. At each step, information about the hazard’s status and type is updated as a result of the hazard reduction process. In the figure below, a CHA is created and its status is set to "Active." A technical survey process is then conducted on the hazard which results in changing the subcategory of the hazard from "CHA" to "Minefield" and defining the hazard’s perimeter. Next, a clearance process is conducted on the minefield that results in updating the status of the hazard to "Worked On." Finally, a completion survey is submitted that updates the status of the hazard to "Closed."  [[Image:Understanding Mine Action Information Management Understanding_IMSMA_Information_Model_- Example Workflow_Updating_CVs ver2.png|center|''Example of a Traditional Workflow''400px]]

''Example of a Traditional WorkflowUpdating Summary items''

Simpler processes can be defined for other types of hazardsData Entry Form #2 updates information about the land area after a subsequent assessment. For example, a spot UXO task would likely not go through this complete workflow and instead start with a subcategory of The report sets the priority to "UXOHigh" and a status specifies the presence of "Open." A clearance could then be conducted AP and AT mines, but it does not change the size or the UXO spot status updated to "Closed," without requiring a completion surveyof the land area.

[[Image:Understanding Mine Action {{Warning| A Data Entry Form that is changing existing information must have a Date of information that is later than the Data Entry Form that it is updating the calculation of the Summary item(s) are based on Date of Information Management - Example Workflow 2.png|center|When the date is earlier or the '''same'''Example of a Spot UXO Workflow, the Summary item will '']]<div align="center">'not'Example of a Spot UXO Workflow''</div>be updated.}}

By documenting ===Location ===__NOEDITSECTION__A country's official administrative structure, also known as Gazetteer, should be the entire process conducted on each type of hazard, including base for the changes Country Structure used in status and type that result from {{IMSMANG}}. Sometimes the hazard reduction activitiesofficial administrative structure has not been updated for a long time or it is not detailed enough using it for a geographical placeholder, information managers create a complete map of worksite, for the hazard/hazard reduction workflow Mine Action programme and that informs how linking and reconciliation is why the item Location has been introduced in {{IMSMANG}}. Two fundamental decisions should to make when customising {{IMSMANG}} is to decide what Country Structure level Locations will be made consistently linked to and provide what concept Locations will represent. Typical concepts that a guide Location is used to data entry personnel.represent include:

Once the hazard and hazard reduction relationships and workflow are defined and documented for each type of hazardUsing Locations, the next step is to define how progress users can group data for the hazard clearance processes that belongs together or is collected. Traditionallyassociated with each other and in that way get a better overview, incremental progress data is collected using progress facilitate searching and creating reports. These reports are typically linked to The Locations is the overall clearance operation and are used to collect link between the incremental progress for a reporting period, usuallyCountry Structure, whether at the number of mines/UXO cleared, area cleared and hours worked. In IMSMA^NGprovince, each progress report is stored as a new hazard reduction activity district or town level and linked to the clearanceMine Action data. As a resultshown in the figure below, individual progress reports can be queried to determine how much progress was made during a given reporting period. In addition, aggregate progress information can be queried for each clearance (for example, the total mines that have been reported cleared for a given clearance operation).data in {{IMSMANG}} are governed by two simple rules:

An alternative approach to storing progress information is to collect incremental progress reports and reconcile them as updates to the clearance using the combine option during reconciliation. Using this method, progress reports do not create independent hazard reduction items; rather, their information is combined with, and added to, the clearance information collected *all data must be assigned to that point. This approach simplifies the reconciliation step for progress reports as well as provides a simple summary of clearance data on each hazard in the current view. It may, however, become slightly more complicated Location*all Locations must be linked to determine progress during individual reporting periods. Information managers should assess which approach better meets the needs of their programs when selecting an approach to tracking progress.Country Structure

In the example below, progress reports were collected for three separate reporting periods during a clearance operation. Collecting and linking information in this way makes it easy to determine that in Period 2 (PR-2), 4,500 sqm were cleared and 25 AP mines were found and that, overall, 15,000 sqm were cleared and 61 AP mines were found. A defined, standardized approach to collecting and storing progress information simplifies querying and reporting of statistical information and is a critical element to supporting operational mine action information management needs.  [[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Using Locations to Link Mine Action Information Management - Progress Report WorkflowData to the Country Structure.png|center|''Progress Report Workflow'']]

''Progress Report WorkflowUsing Locations to Link Mine Action Data to the Country Structure''

==Reconciliation Process== Assigning and Linking===__NOEDITSECTION__<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 Folder===.

===Assigning and <b>Linking===</b> refers to the association between items for the purposes of analysis. Linking is optional, for example, when linking Activities to Accidents but linking is very important to do so effective reporting will be possible.

IMSMA^NG {{IMSMANG}} provides the capability to assign items to locations 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 Data Entry Form approval process. An item is assigned to one locationLocation, 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^NG {{IMSMANG}} supports the idea of linking hazard reductions activities to hazardsland, victims to accidents or any item to any other item. When used with item subcategoriescategories, 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^NG. See [[Maintaining IMSMA]] for more on this topic{{IMSMANG}}.

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 programmesMine Action Programmes. The figure shows how the Summary changes with each activity that is linked to the original Land. # The Land starts its life-cycle as ''SHA'' with a status of Open in this example. # When the clearance starts and the first Progress report is linked to the Land, the status should be changed to ''Worked On''. # Finally, after linking the Completion Report the land's status should be updated to ''Closed''.

[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Example of How Relationships Among Items are CreatedCurrent View Statuses Change.png|center|400px|''Example of How Relationships Among Items are Created'']]

''Example of How Relationships Among Items are CreatedSummary Statuses Change''

The next figure shows how the current view changes with each hazard reduction that is Although any item can be linked to the original hazardany other item, not all relationships necessarily make sense for every implementation. The CHA starts with a status diagrams below describe some 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 more common logical relationships among items and can be used to represent serve as the basis for an information management process and status rules accurately for a land release, risk management or other process modelwhen implementing {{IMSMANG}}. 

[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Example of How Current View Statuses ChangeRelationships Among Items.png|center|400px|''Example of How Current View Statuses Change''550px]]

''Example of How Current View Statuses ChangeNote: Connections to Country Structure and Location have been omitted from the example''

The IMSMA{{note|<supb>NGDocument the following business rules about assigning and linking:</supb> information model is flexible enough * which items will have links between them, for each programme to customise the system to support its needs. For example, programmes that do not conduct MRE activities do not need Victims should always be linked to complete information about MREs, and they still retain full utility Accidents* rationale or logical meaning of the system. Similarlyrelationships between items, programmes that conduct victim tracking for example, a link between a Clearance and MRE activities only can disregard hazards and hazard reductions without any loss of utility. This flexibility, however, requires an Accident means that programmes define the relevant uses of each item.Accident happened during the Clearance Although any item can be linked to any other item* what effects linking has on the items, not all relationships necessarily make sense for every programme. The diagrams below describe some of the more common logical relationships among items example, a link between a Clearance and can serve as Land may indicate that the basis for an information model when implementing IMSMA^NG.land status should change from ''Open'' to ''Worked on''}}

===The Workbench===__NOEDITSECTION__[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Example Relationships Among ItemsWB_Status.png|175px|center|400px|''Example Relationships Among Items'']]

''Example Relationships Among ItemsApproval workflow / Data Entry Form Statuses''

Until a Data Entry Form is approved, it exists only in the Workbench and does not update any Summary items. The rationale for each relationship report can still be modified or link should also be documented so the meaning is understooddeleted. For example, a hazard reduction may be conducted on a hazard and The Approval will trigger an accident may be a result update of a hazard an existing item (Summary) or produce creating of a victimnew item depending of chosen Action. These relationships are used when entering If the Summary item has geospatial data to ensure that , it may be visible in the links between items are available for searching and reporting, like when searching for all hazards that have clearances linked to themMap Pane. 

[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Documenting Assigning and Linking.png|center|400px|''Documenting Assigning and Linking'']]<div align="center">''Documenting Assigning and Linking''</div>   ===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 {{NavBox Information to the Current View'']]<div align="center">''Adding Field Report Information to the Current View''</div>  For data quality purposes, it is important that the data is adequately checked at this stage. IMSMA^NG allows information managers to control permissions for the Workbench and other areas of IMSMA^NG 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. ====Roles and Responsibilities==== Management}}[[ImageCategory:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Roles and Responsibilities.png|center|500px|''Roles and Responsibilities''NAA]]<div align="center">''Roles and Responsibilities''</div>