FRPA Data Management/Reporting System (Data Collection and Reporting) Building Your New System: Business Requirements Suggestions and Questions RSM Pilot Review Workshop February 2005

Why do we need a system? Data collection : §To assist in the collection of checklist-based data in the field by: l speeding up the data-entry process (possibly through hand-held technology, and pre-populated checklists) l providing online “checklist” tools and completion guidelines l where appropriate and available, provide risk assessment summaries on the checklist(s) for the value being examined

Why do we need a system? Reporting/Analysis/Planning: §To make it easy to transfer data collected in the field to a database accessible by multiple users §To facilitate analysis through the use of both “canned” and custom reports §To facilitate reporting to multiple stakeholders §To facilitate planning of collection activities

Who will use the system? District field staff: §To collect and store field data for Resource Stewardship monitoring, other district monitoring initiatives and effectiveness evaluation purposes §To analyze information collected in the field, specific to a district BA2 initiative (e.g. a specific value in an FSP) §To help plan their workload

Who will use the system? District management: §To analyze information collected in the field, specific to their district BA2 initiatives, or to a particular FSP §To document planning priorities for data collection by field staff §To monitor data collection activities by field staff

Who will use the system? Regional staff: §To analyze information collected in the field, from a regional perspective Branch staff: §To analyze information collected in the field, from a provincial perspective §To determine where more intensive research is required §To collect and store field data §To help plan future research requirements §Work with Regional/District staff to focus stewardship monitoring priorities

Potential System Features §System could have two components: l a hand-held (or tablet) component, where the checklist data is collected and, where appropriate, partially analyzed l a PC-based component to assist in viewing and editing the data, as well as planning and reporting activities §Basic site information could be drawn from existing databases for pre-population of checklists §Hand-helds could store and display supporting information that would assist field officers during collection §Data could be saved as a “layer” in the LRDW for display in a spatial context

General System Requirements §Support the needs of both Effectiveness Evaluation and Resource Stewardship monitoring (including FSPs) §Facilitate planning, collection and reporting activities §Facilitate comparison of data over time §Easy to use tool both in the office and in the field §Facilitate data exchange with other ministry systems, as required

Possible Process Flow Is this too detailed?

PLANCOLLECT REPORT/ ANALYZE §Branch staff l Working with Districts, set EE priorities for province §District Mgmt l Working with Branch and Regions, set district EE/RSM priorities §District staff l Given district priorities, plan work activities §District staff l Routine/ extensive eval. §Branch staff l intensive evaluations §Branch staff l focus on cross- province issues §Regional staff l focus on regional issues §District Mgmt l focus on district issues around EE and RSM l monitor workload §District Staff l district issues/ workload mgmt

Assumptions-Reality check §Check lists for resource values will form the basis of the collection methodology for the Regional/District RSM Program §The new system will support the needs of both Effectiveness Evaluation and Resource Stewardship monitoring §Districts, Regions, Branch, Industry and the Public will require (varying) access to the data collected §Forest Practices Branch will be the data custodian (owner) of the information collected in the new system

Some questions §What is the area that will be examined in a field evaluation? l a cut block l a silviculture opening l a range or pasture l a road l could include all of the above?

More questions §What is the focus of an evaluation: l tenure, licensee l an FSP (strategies, objectives, practices) l a specific resource value l Some other BA2 initiative l could include all of the above?

More questions §Who is responsible for documenting the procedures and process the system needs to support?

Next Steps §Determine who will participate in requirements gathering and testing §Set up district meetings to flesh out requirements §Finalize requirements documentation §Obtain sign off of requirements §Publish Request for Proposals §Begin development cycle

Proposed Timeline