Changes

==Data Types=={{TOC right}} ===Items=== In Understanding the IMSMA^NG {{IMSMANG}} information model, items are is a prerequisite for an information manager to adapt the containers for system to their country specific mine action informationrequirements. An item is an area, activity or event that Some sections will include a mine action programme records information about and stores in IMSMA^NG. There are six categories list of items, which are described in the table below. Each category requirements that can be characterized used by a type that reflects whether information managers to define and document the item is designed to track process or activity information or the object or product of an activitymodel for a programme.

| HazardLand| Information about an area affected by a hazard

| Hazard reduction activityActivity| Information about an activity , such as efforts to survey, clear, or reduce the threat of a hazard

| Information about an accidental event involving a hazard

| Information about a person injured or affected by a hazardan accident

| Mine Risk Assistance| Information about assistance for a person injured or affected by an accident| Process/Activity|-| Education (MRE) activity| Information about an activity designed to inform or educate people about hazards(e.g. Risk Education or Victim rights)| ObjectProcess/ProductActivity

| Information about an quality-improvement activity , such as an effort to control and monitor the clearance and/or reduction of hazards land or hazard reduction activities| ObjectProcess/ProductActivity

Items are entered into IMSMA<supcenter>NG</sup> by means of a field report. Typically, each category of items has its own field report template for recording information specific to that category. When entered into IMSMA^NG, all field report items must be assigned to a location, which is tied to 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. Part of defining and documenting an information model includes defining the useful information attributes for each IMSMA^NG item. IMSMA^NG comes with more than 1,000 data elements already defined as well as the capability to create additional custom-defined fields (CDFs). This makes it important to critically assess which data elements are useful to a programme for decision-making, analysis and reporting and to focus on those while ignoring data elements 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 elements may be collected for each 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.  

|+ Item Subcategories

! Subcategory Category Examples

| HazardLand

* Battle area* Dangerous area* MinefieldSHA

* UXO spotEOD Spot Task* Ammunition Storage

| Hazard reduction activityActivity

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. Using subcategories, information managers can: * create separate workflows for each category/type of hazardLand* create and manage separate data entry formsData Entry Form templates per category/type* differentiate between item categories /types on the map

Additionally, information managers can customise the subcategories categories so that unused subcategories categories can be removed inactivated and other subcategories categories added. The same is true for all top-level items within IMSMA^NG{{IMSMANG}}, 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 programmeMine Action Programme, it’s helpful to evaluate the available item subcategories categories and determine if changes to the information model in IMSMA^NG {{IMSMANG}} are required. While these values can be customized customised 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{{IMSMANG}}.

[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Documenting ItemsExample of Documented Land.png|center|500px|''Documenting Items''300px]]

''Documenting ItemsExample of documentation''

In addition to defining the required information for IMSMA{{note|<supb>NGDocument the following decisions about Auxiliary data:</supb> items, it is important to define the relevant information to be collected about auxiliary data. This includes defining and documenting the country structure, ordnance, organisations and places, such as military bases, hospitals and cultural sites; any additional CDFs that should be created; and any subcategories for each of the auxiliary data types.

[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Documenting Example of Documented Auxiliary Dataver2.png|center|500px|''Documenting Auxiliary Data''300px]]

''Documenting Example of Documented Auxiliary Data''

==Field Reports The Data Entry Form(s) for a specific object (e.g. the Victim ''Jane Doe'') are summarised and Current Views==displayed in a '''Summary'''.

All mine action information '''Reconciliation''' is entered into IMSMA^NG via a field report, a data entry form used to collect the process of deciding if information about an item. When a field report is completed, it is either reconciled to should update an existing item (that is, it is determined to be information about an item that already exists in IMSMA^NG) object or it is reconciled as creating a new (that is, it is determined to be information about an item that does not already exist in IMSMA<sup>NG<object/sup>)Summary.

With this approach, users can collect and 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 complete [[Image:Understanding_IMSMA_Information_Model_-_Field_Reports_and_Current_Views.pngAudit log |center|300px|''Field Reports, Current Views, and Reconciliation''audit trail]]<div align=of all changes made to any information so that information managers can answer the question, "centerWhat did we know and when did we know it?">''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_-_Updating_CVsver2.png|center|500px|''Example of Updating Current Views''400px]]

''Example of Updating Current ViewsSummary items''

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 Data Entry Form #2 updates information about an item) without disrupting the current viewland area after a subsequent assessment. For example, if a fourth field The report were collected sets the priority to "High" and dated between Field Report #1 specifies the presence of AP and Field Report #2AT mines, but it would have no effect on does not change the current view as all information in size or the status of the example was updated with Field Report #2 or laterland area.

===Mapping the WorkflowsLocation ===__NOEDITSECTION__A country's official administrative structure, also known as Gazetteer, should be the base for the Country Structure used in {{IMSMANG}}. Sometimes the official administrative structure has not been updated for a long time or it is not detailed enough using it for a geographical placeholder, worksite, for the Mine Action programme and that is why the item Location has been introduced in {{IMSMANG}}. Two fundamental decisions to make when customising {{IMSMANG}} 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:

The first element of mapping 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 work 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.  [[Image:Understanding Mine Action Information Management - Mapping workflow.png|center|''Mapping the Workflow'']]<div align="center">''Mapping the Workflow''</div>  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 hazards. Because IMSMA^NG supports customisable workflows, it can be used to track different workflows for different objects. For example, a programme may have a separate abbreviated workflow for spot UXO tasks that involve only the identification of the UXO hazard (object) and a clearance of the hazard (process) without additional surveys or steps. This process should also be mapped for implementing in IMSMA^NG. ===Business Rules Updating Structure=======Status Changes==== Along with 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 process are critical in adequately mapping the hazard clearance process. IMSMA^NG uses the status value of items to track where the object or process is in its workflow. Objects and processes in IMSMA^NG 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 for each item provides the capability to:taking place)* manage workflows according to status* search and report on items based on a particular status* display items on the map with different symbols based on their status Some IMSMA^NG items may have many status values. For example, process-oriented items such as hazard reductions and quality management likely have many status values, but hazards and other object- or output-oriented items typically have only the three status values listed above. Some items like victims and accidents may not need status values depending on how information is used. Defining the possible status values for each object in the workflow as outputs of the processes conducted on them provides community (a set group of business rules for information management that govern how information should be entered and analysed. ====Example Workflows with Status Changes==== The following figures show how each programme can tailor people affected by the system to support a specific hazard clearancemine/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 - Example Workflow.png|center|''Example of a Traditional Workflow'']]<div align="center">''Example of a Traditional Workflow''</div>IED threat)  Simpler processes can be defined for other types of hazards. For example, a spot UXO task would likely not go through this complete workflow and instead start with a subcategory of "UXO" and a status of "Open." A clearance could then be conducted and *the UXO spot status updated to "Closed," without requiring a completion survey.  [[Image:Understanding Mine Action Information Management - Example Workflow 2.png|center|''Example of a Spot UXO Workflow'']]<div align="center">''Example of a Spot UXO Workflow''</div>  By documenting nearest town (the entire process conducted on each type of hazard, including the changes in status and type that result from the hazard reduction activities, information managers create a complete map of the hazard/hazard reduction workflow that informs how linking and reconciliation decisions should be made and provide a guide town closest to data entry personnel. ===Progress Reporting Structure=== Once the hazard and hazard reduction relationships and workflow are defined and documented for each type of hazard, the next step is to define how progress data for the hazard clearance processes is collected. Traditionally, incremental progress data is collected using progress reports. These reports are typically linked to the overall clearance operation and are used to collect where the incremental progress for a reporting period, usually, the number of mines/UXO cleared, area cleared and hours worked. In IMSMA^NG, each progress report is stored as a new hazard reduction activity and linked to the clearance. As a result, 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). 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 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 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. 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-2taking place), 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 Mine Action Information Management - Progress Report Workflow.png|center|''Progress Report Workflow'']]<div align="center">''Progress Report Workflow''</div>  ==Reconciliation Process== ===Location Folder=== A location in IMSMA^NG 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^NG are governed by two simple rules:

*all mine action Using Locations, users can group data must be linked to that belongs together or is associated with each other and in that way get a location*all locations must be linked to better overview, facilitate searching and creating reports. The Locations is the country structurelink between the Country Structure, whether at the province, district or town level and the Mine Action data. As shown in the figure below, data in {{IMSMANG}} are governed by two simple rules:

[[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'']]

Two fundamental decisions to make when customizing IMSMA===Assigning and Linking===__NOEDITSECTION__<supb>NGAssigning</supb> is refers to decide what country structure level locations will be consistently linked the assignment of an item 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)*Location for the purposes of grouping information. All items must be assigned 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)  [[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Documenting LocationsLocation.png|center|500px|''Documenting Locations'']]<div align="center">''Documenting Locations''</div>

===Assigning {{IMSMANG}} provides the capability to assign items to Locations and Linking===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 Data Entry Form approval process. An item is assigned to one Location, which ties the item to the country structure and allows for reporting data by area. The same item can then be linked to as many other items as necessary. In this way, {{IMSMANG}} supports the idea of linking activities to land, victims to accidents or any item to any other item. When used with item categories, 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 {{IMSMANG}}.

IMSMA^NG provides the capability to assign items to locations and create links between items, The example below shows how users can build a function that shows the workflow of relationships between among items and processes and that enriches to model the data collectedinformation management process for their Mine Action Programmes. Assignments and links are defined during The figure shows how the field report approval process. An item Summary changes with each activity that is assigned linked to one location, which ties the item to the country structure and allows for reporting mine action data by areaoriginal Land. # The same item can then be linked to Land starts its life-cycle as many other items as necessary''SHA'' with a status of Open in this example. In this way, IMSMA^NG supports # When the clearance starts and the idea of linking hazard reductions first Progress report is linked to hazardsthe Land, victims to accidents or any item the status should be changed to any other item''Worked On''. When used with item subcategories# Finally, after 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 Completion Report the kinds of links land's status should be updated to track in IMSMA^NG. See [[Maintaining IMSMA]] for more on this topic''Closed''.

The example below shows how users result is one Land whose information is updated over time by the three Activities linked to the land. This way to track information can build a workflow of complex relationships among top-level items and item subcategories be used to model represent the information management process and status rules accurately for their programmesa Land Release, Risk management or other process model.

 [[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Example of How Relationships Among Items are Created.png|center|400px|''Example of How Relationships Among Items are Created'']]<div align="center">''Example of How Relationships Among Items are Created''</div>  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'']]

''Example of How Current View Summary Statuses Change''

The IMSMA^NG 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 programmeimplementation. 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^NG{{IMSMANG}}. 

[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Example Relationships Among Items.png|center|400px|''Example Relationships Among Items''550px]]

''Example Relationships Among ItemsNote: Connections to Country Structure and Location have been omitted from the example''

The rationale {{note|<b>Document the following business rules about assigning and linking:</b>* which items will have links between them, for each relationship or link example, Victims should also always be documented so linked to Accidents* rationale or logical meaning of the meaning is understood. For relationships between items, for example, a hazard reduction may be conducted on link between a hazard Clearance and an accident may be a result of a hazard or produce a victim. These relationships are used when entering data to ensure Accident means that the links between Accident happened during the Clearance* what effects linking has on the items are available , for searching example, a link between a Clearance and reporting, like when searching for all hazards Land may indicate that have clearances linked the land status should change from ''Open'' to them.''Worked on''}}

===The Workbench===__NOEDITSECTION__[[Image:Understanding IMSMA Information Model - Documenting Assigning and LinkingWB_Status.png|175px|center|500px|''Documenting Assigning and Linking'']]

''Documenting Assigning and LinkingApproval workflow / Data Entry Form Statuses''

===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 {{NavBox Information to the Current View.png|center|''Adding Field Report 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>