Difference between revisions of "The Making of IMSMA"

Latest revision as of 09:36, 19 May 2021

The making of IMSMA started in 1998. It was however not until 2004, to satisfy recurrent requests from our IMSMA users in the field, that the development of a fully re-engineered version was started. Compilation of all lessons learnt and users’ feedback were submitted to a tender competition process. The software development contract was eventually won by FGM which today is called Novetta. Interoperability, flexibility and user-friendliness were three of the key words that laid down the foundation for the next generation of IMSMA – called IMSMA NG. This entailed moving away from somewhat rigid processes and methods towards a highly flexible and user-friendly information management system that could meet almost all local needs and requirements.

IMSMA NG

IMSMA V4 achieved this goal in 2006. One of the key enhancements was the development and integration of a fully functional GIS component. For this work, the GICHD was honoured by the presentation of the Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI Inc.), Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) award to its IMSMA support team. The award citation reads in part “By embracing GIS technology, these organisations have made extraordinary contributions to our global society and set new precedents throughout the GIS community.” IMSMA V5 released in 2007 provided another major enhancement by including an impact scoring tool and the possibility of recording victims and accidents separately. User feedback and lessons learnt are constantly evaluated and compiled by the GICHD. Furthermore, the GICHD close collaboration with FGM remains crucial to guarantee that we meet our users’ needs and requirements in the field.

IMSMA Legacy

IMSMA Legacy refers to IMSMA versions V1.x to V3.x. Support is still being provided to installations that were performed by the GICHD, and which are currently in use. We strongly encourage all countries using IMSMA Legacy to upgrade to IMSMA^NG due to the technical age of the application. It is not recommended to use IMSMA Legacy on other operating systems then Windows XP.

IMSMA Legacy follows a highly standardised and linear workflow. The workflow is started by the Impact Survey/Level 1 Survey, which can produce mined area reports. Technical Survey/Level 2 Survey follows, which can produce minefield reports. The minefields are by a clearance which may have associated progress reports. The process is concluded with a Completion report. Other items are Accident, Victims and MRE. Task and Auxiliary data are also supported from V3.x.

IMSMA V3

IMSMA V3 was released in February 2003 and until November 2004 it was regularly updated. It presented a complete new software architecture and each update contributed substantially with new added functionalities and greater flexibility. A module for MRE and improvements of the Task tracking tool allowed information managers to account for the work accomplished by each organisation. In addition, in IMSMA V3 the database platform was changed to Microsoft SQL Server. This software improved numerous aspects, from data handling being facilitated through the design of database queries, to client/server configuration, with an increased number of simultaneous users.

IMSMA V2

When IMSMA V2.2 was released in October 2001 the users expressed that it was “significantly better” than V1 as it provided among other new features, included a module for Tasking and more simultaneous users. This was a first attempt to move from the original repository database into a more operational management tool for the mine action programmes. IMSMA V2.2 was adopted by the UN on an international level as the standard for humanitarian demining information.

IMSMA V1

IMSMA V1 was first deployed to the field in Kosovo in 1999. Information management being one focus principle of every mine action programme, the Zurich’s Institute of Technology (ETHZ) had been mandated by the GICHD to develop a standardised software tool to help process and coordinate both data and activities related to mine action. Valuable cooperation from field users resulted in the development of a new version.