1. Inventory & Monitoring Program How did we get here? In just a few short years, the I&M networks have become known as a key source and supplier of reliable, organized, and retrievable information about parks that was formerly unavailable, misplaced, or lost to managers and others who needed the information for sound decisions or sound science.

2. Inventory & Monitoring Program Data are essential for well-reasoned and defensible decisions affecting park resources Data are perishable: they must be responsibly managed and cared for long-term The value of data increases the more they are used, shared, and integrated with other information Starting premises: Natural resource data are valuable and irreplaceable

3. Inventory & Monitoring Program Old habits are hard to break. Studies have been done, but data not accessible. –stored at universities, different locations –old dBase or Lotus 123 or Excel files, but don’t know what the columns are –data sheets and folders full of papers –big, thick report sitting down on the library shelf. Studies have been done, but current staff doesn’t know about them. Data are in electronic format, but nobody has the time or skill to do analysis. The scientists have the information, but the managers do not.

4. Inventory & Monitoring Program Without good data management planning and practices: Information is lost Data do not survive turnovers of personnel-- institutional knowledge is gone We waste money We reinvent the wheel Information is not available for good decision-making Information is not available to the public to help build constituencies Starting premises:

5. Inventory & Monitoring Program “Data Management Challenge”: How do we ensure that the information we gather is available now, and lasts generations beyond us?

6. Inventory & Monitoring Program Data Management lessons learned so far Commit dollars and staff to data management Planning and documentation are key Keep it top-down and bottom-up Build a community of data managers Herd the cats Listen to users Plan for change

7. Inventory & Monitoring Program Commitment to Data Management at I&M Networks At a minimum, 30% of network resources is allocated to data management and reporting. Every I&M network hires a full-time, permanent Data Manager Recognition that data management and associated reporting are critical components of a successful NR program; they are the bridge between science and management.

8. Inventory & Monitoring Program Planning and Documentation Are Key Every network produces and maintains a formal Data Management Plan; standard operating procedures; metadata

9. Inventory & Monitoring Program Bottom-up plus top-down approach works best time WASO Networks strong weak > guidance 2008

10. Inventory & Monitoring Program Build a “culture of data management” 32+ I&M data managers: varied backgrounds, expertise, perspectives. Great collaboration. Share code, methods, ideas, solutions Listserves; annual meetings; grapevine

11. Inventory & Monitoring Program Herd the Cats Keep divergence within bounds but allow flexibility Vigilance needed to ensure data management programs remain focused and meet established standards

12. Inventory & Monitoring Program Listen to your users, and plan for change Two, five, ten years down the road – what will we be facing? Listen to your users: what are their ideas, needs, gripes, worries, problems, successes? “Memo to self: ‘Feathers?’”

13. Inventory & Monitoring Program IRMA – Integration of Resource Management Applications Major restructuring of natural resource information management at the Natural Resource Program Center in Fort Collins. Position us for growth in the next decade

14. Inventory & Monitoring Program Taxonomy Park Unit Code Vouchers Observations References Data Sets POC Tools Access Control Park Status Data Entry Data Downloads ANCS_ Reports Taxonomy Park Unit Code Vouchers Observations References Data Sets POC Tools Access Control Park Status Data Entry Data Downloads ANCS_ Reports Taxonomy Park Unit Code Vouchers Observations References Data Sets POC Tools Access Control Park Status Data Entry Data Downloads ANCS_ Reports Taxonomy Park Unit Code Vouchers Observations References Data Sets POC Tools Access Control Park Status Data Entry Data Downloads ANCS_ Reports Taxonomy Park Unit Code Vouchers Observations References Data Sets POC Tools Access Control Park Status Data Entry Data Downloads ANCS_ Reports IRMA : silos are deconstructed into reusable, multipurpose “services” user identity park code references user identity park code references data sets access control data entry data downloads reports observations taxonomy vouchers user identity park code references data sets access control data entry data downloads reports observations taxonomy vouchers user identity park code references data sets access control data entry data downloads data uploads reports user identity park code references data sets access control data entry data downloads data uploads reports NPSpecies NatureBib user identity park code references data sets access control data entry data downloads data uploads reports user identity park code references data sets access control data entry data downloads data uploads reports Data Store Silos : stand-alone systems that duplicate data and don’t interact well APCAM RPRSATBI taxonomy NatureBib/ Data Store observations access control Build once, use many times

15. Inventory & Monitoring Program TestingRole-based Teams User Interface Consistency User Requirements Iterative Development ReportingPortalHelpAuditing Error Handling Foundation Processes Frameworks Supporting Services IdentityFeedbackNotificationPark UnitsFile Resource Data SpeciesCitationsObservationsVouchersTaxonomy Building the IRMA Infrastructure: now underway HardwareSoftwareStaffOrganization

16. Inventory & Monitoring Program http://nrinfo

17. Inventory & Monitoring Program

20. http://nrinfo

21. Inventory & Monitoring Program

23. For more information: I&M Data Management: –http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/datamgmt/ –http://www1.nrintra.nps.gov/im/datamgmt Natural Resource Information Portal: –http://nrinfo