1. Standard Data Management Project
USDA-Forest Service
Geospatial ‘09, April 28th, 2009
Jim Keys, WO-EMC, Pete Kilbourne Manti-La Sal NF, Aaron Burk, Wayne NF
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

2. Topics Overview of the Standard Data Management Project – Jim Keys
Demo of project tools being pilot tested – Aaron Burk
Audience discussion/interaction on some issues related to work flows coming out of the interview process – Pete Kilbourne

3. Standard Data Management Project Overview
Jim Keys begins presentation first 15 draft slides of current draft. Aaron Burk then gives Data QE and IQT demo. Pete Kilbourne then leads “SDM” future discussion. Jim Keys then closes with “How you can participate”.
3 Topics Overview
SDM Background
Pilot tools Demo
Get some information from you
Key Terms if neededv
Inventory: To survey an area or entity for determination of such data as contents,
condition, or value, for specific purposes such as planning, evaluation, or management.
An inventory activity may include an information needs assessment; planning and
scheduling; data collection, data entry, storage and maintenance; product development;
evaluation; and reporting phases.
Monitoring: A systematic process of collecting information to evaluate changes in
actions, conditions, and relationships over time and space or progress toward meeting
desired conditions or plan objectives.
Assessment: An analysis and interpretation of the social, economic, or ecological
characteristics of an area using scientific principles to describe existing conditions as they
affect sustainability. Assessments provide the foundation of independent information
upon which to build conservation strategies and management decisions; and against
which alternative approaches can be evaluated and modified.
Evaluation: An appraisal and study of social, economic, and ecological conditions and
trends relevant to a unit. The analysis of monitoring data that produces information
needed to answer specific monitoring questions. Evaluation may include comparing
monitoring results with a predetermined guideline or expected norm that may lead to
recommendations for changes in management, a land management plan, or monitoring
plan (emphasis added). Evaluations provide an updated compilation of information for
use in environmental analysis of future project and activity decisions.
Jim Keys, WO-EMC/Resource Information Group
SDM Project Business Lead and Current Project Manager
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

4. Project History Chartered as 2006 IT effort
Business Lead and Project Manager: Jim Keys
Co-Sponsorship
Director of EMC – Greg Smith (Acting)
CIO - Vaughn Stokes
Core team with proposed additions across deputy area programs
The Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Director of Ecosystem Management Coordination (EMC) chartered this project. The Information Resources Board (IRB) approved the project scope, schedule, and budget. The project manager has convened a small core team and continues to add team members to represent field and program offices across deputy areas and administrative levels.
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

5. Overall project scope
Develop implementation policy and guidance to implement policies in FSM 1940 “Inventory, Monitoring, and Assessment Activities” and provide the field with relevant tools.
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

6. Agency Business Objectives
The objectives for managing inventory, monitoring, and assessment activities are:
Provide the information necessary for achieving the agency’s mission, goals, objectives, and business needs that fulfill information quality guidelines for objectivity, utility, and integrity;
Support an adaptive land management process that includes social, economic, and ecological evaluations; and
Obtain order, consistency, and efficiency across the agency.
By chartering the SDM project the Forest Service seeks to integrate business operations and resource information management and develop and implement good business practices.
Fulfilling these objectives and policies presents the Forest Service with challenges in these key areas:[1]
Defining a clear vision and mission for inventory and monitoring tasks;
Providing leadership continuity and accountability across all levels of the agency;
Funding processes and controls that effectively support the mission of the agency and management of resource information;
Keeping the IM&A policies and objectives aligned with resource management objectives;
Implementing easy-to-use tools that are based on current and evolving business-driven needs that ease the burden on staff and gain efficiencies; and
Integrating, sharing, and reusing services within and across deputy areas to gain efficiencies and improve effectiveness.
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

7. SDM Project Focus
The SDM Project focuses on the following three policies for resource inventory, monitoring and assessment activities:
Be coordinated through a national integrated program planning process that addresses information needs related to all agency business requirements;
Use a standards-based approach and framework for information management and related business operations; and
Foster and realize opportunities for collaboration, cooperation, and coordination across Forest Service deputy area programs and with agency partners, including the public; local, state, and other federal agencies; and non-governmental organizations.
The SDM project team will formulate recommendations for guidance and tools to enable the agency to implement these policies based on findings from a series of interviews with representatives across all deputy and administrative areas of the agency.
Because “what ultimately counts is what happens on the ground,”[1] the Forest Service expects national projects to support field operations by leveraging existing resources (e.g. guidance, teams, and systems) while transparently contributing to efficient program management.
[1] 2007, Dale Bosworth, Chief; in USDA Forest Service Strategic Plan FY ; FS-880
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

8. A work in progress
Published FSM 1940 for resource inventories, monitoring and assessment (IM&A) activities.
Completed a line of business study (LOB) – highlighted specific areas where the prioritization, efficiency, and effectiveness of IM&A tasks might be improved through better technology, standards, and business practices
Currently involved in a process called solution design where we are interviewing stakeholders across the agency for further study those capability areas identified in the line of business study
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

9. LOB Capability Areas
Inventory, monitoring and assessment cataloging and tracking;
Task cost estimation tools;
Standard data access/integration methods;
Assessment tools to help ensure alignment of “plans” with information and inventory, monitoring, and assessment tasks;
National inventory and monitoring guidance;
Information quality standards; and
Processes that enable creation of inventory, monitoring, and assessment metrics, targets, and appraisals.

10. What we are doing
Address each of the seven IM&A Line of Business capability areas with focus on significant aspects and opportunities to improve work flow (processes).
Examine the degree to which current agency business can be served by tools that replace the capabilities of four previous tools: Protocol Database, Standard Data Evaluation Tool (SDET), Inventory and Monitoring Program Planning (IMPP), and the Resource Mapping Evaluation Tool (RMET).
Integrate existing and new processes and systems to minimize duplication of effort and broaden collaboration and ownership across staff and deputy areas.
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

11. What we are doing
Provide guidance and tools that facilitate efficient flow of work. The primary activities within this workflow include identifying information needs, choosing or developing standards applied to information, acquiring information (e.g. work planning and budgeting), managing information, evaluating information, and monitoring how well information meets agency business needs.
Author inventory, monitoring, and assessment directives (handbook and guidance) that apply to all administrative levels and have the support of all deputy areas.
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

12. Operating Principles
Use a phased approach to: (1) identify requirements, (2) propose and pilot test solutions, (3) evaluate impact to the field, (4) obtain approval to proceed with each “deliverable,” and (5) complete approved implementation plans.
Author FSH 1909.xx including descriptions of the standards based approach and framework, coordination and collaboration, and program management and planning processes.
Facilitate the chartering of subordinate teams to develop guidance with implementation plans. Implementation plans will include impact assessment of long-term support and use of guidance and tools.
Favor solutions that improve the efficiency of agency work flows, procedural standards, and budgetary direction, and that hold programs to account for sustaining efficient processes that prevent or minimize long-term costs.
Develop and recommend solutions that have minimal and transparent impact to the field.
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

13. Operating Principles
Emphasize integration and communication of agency business needs and requirements over new IT development.
Rely on a team with members who represent field and program offices across deputy areas.
Solicit input from across agency deputy areas and administrative levels through a series of interviews and studies that identify requirements, assess benefits and costs, and recommend teams to follow through with development of deliverables.
Minimize tool-building. Build only what is necessary for integration of budget, accountability, and policy; or necessary to pull information together from existing data repositories and applications. For example, favor use of Geospatial Interface (GI) to access data through user friendly interface over creation of entirely new IT application separate from existing systems.
Avoid new IT development effort by this project team in favor of having other more experienced agency teams develop IT solutions. Manage SDM as a client of other IT development teams and projects (e.g. NRIS, NIMS, FSVEG, IBE); CIO responsible for implementation and support.
Collaborate with other teams to facilitate any important adjustments to their scope, budget, and schedule based on executive approvals and support from field resource programs and specialists.
Minimize data redundancy, protect data confidentiality, and ensure data integrity.
Encourage and favor solutions that promote efficient management of shared data across agency systems and programs.
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

14. Operating Principles (If you didn’t get it)
Emphasize integration and communication of agency business needs and requirements over new IT development.
Rely on a team with members who represent field and program offices across deputy areas.
Solicit input from across agency deputy areas and administrative levels through a series of interviews and studies that identify requirements, assess benefits and costs, and recommend teams to follow through with development of deliverables.
Minimize tool-building. Build only what is necessary for integration of budget, accountability, and policy; or necessary to pull information together from existing data repositories and applications. For example, favor use of Geospatial Interface (GI) to access data through user friendly interface over creation of entirely new IT application separate from existing systems.
Avoid new IT development effort by this project team in favor of having other more experienced agency teams develop IT solutions. Manage SDM as a client of other IT development teams and projects (e.g. NRIS, NIMS, FSVEG, IBE); CIO responsible for implementation and support.
Collaborate with other teams to facilitate any important adjustments to their scope, budget, and schedule based on executive approvals and support from field resource programs and specialists.
Minimize data redundancy, protect data confidentiality, and ensure data integrity.
Encourage and favor solutions that promote efficient management of shared data across agency systems and programs.
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

15. Project Deliverables
Recommendations for guidance to implement agency resource information policy;
Analysis of requirements for tools and processes to improve effectiveness and efficiency of resource information to support the work of the Forest Service;
Pilot tests of tools, documented user feedback and recommendations for refinements; and
Completed guidance and tools with implementation plans as approved by executive sponsors.
The project deliverables apply to all study areas on next slide (slide 13)
The recommendations and requirements[1] will be identified through a cycle of interviews, proposals, and pilot tests. The project will ensure that the agency evaluates the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of proposed guidance and tools. Each step will be subject to review and approval by executive sponsors. The initial topic areas[2] for interviews are:
[1] The team will use stages of requirements analysis and solution design similar to those used in eGov projects. This process is further described in section titled “Terminology” at the end of this document.
[2] The Line of Business study report uses the term “capability areas” which is synonymous with “topic areas.”
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

16. Project Schedule Numerous decision points for Executive Sponsors
FOR MORE INFO...
Project management plan documents available on FS Teamroom
(Jim Keys - Project Manager at or )
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

17. Project Outcomes
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

18. Demo: Current SDM Project Tools
Aaron Burk - SDM Project Core Team
Wayne National Forest –Resource Information Manager
Jim can intro or give it to Aaron at this point
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

19. Current SDM Project Tools
Pilot Testing
Data QE (Quality Evaluation)
IQT (Information Quality Tool)
Jim can intro or give it to Aaron at this point
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

20. DataQE (Quality Evaluation)
DataQE Background
GIS data quality evaluation tool for ArcMap
Provides users with simple interface for defining and managing “rule set” data.
Provides GIS professionals with quick & easy way to perform customizable QA checks on attribute tables
Coverage,
Shapefile,
Geodatabase layers
PAS drove tool development to meet the Strategic Measure because it had to be done. Due to Chief’s requirement.
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

21. Information Quality Tool
Information Quality Tool (IQT) Background
is an application that generates an evaluation of the data quality of certain aspects of standard GIS layers
Evaluation results will generate performance measure statistics to the Performance Accountability System (PAS)
Makes upward reporting more transparent, less burdensome
IQT is driven by IQT and IQT report Tool describe how the two fit together. Discuss why these tools were developed during the Line of Business and Interview process. Due to strategic measure 5.1 a tool needed to be developed in a timely way generate the information required by the Performance Accountability System. The PAS # for IM&A tasks is a %
This is based on the amount of “data that has been
collected to current standard” for a susbset (see below) of GIS layers in the national Data dictionary.
Layers reviewed in 2007 & 2008
Accomplishment Activity Polys
Fire Planning Polys
Fire History Polys
Allotment Polys
Recreation Sites Points
Recreation Sites Polys
Road Travel Routes
Trail Travel Routes
Wildlife Surveys Points
Wildlife Surveys Polys
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

22. IQT Data QE Demo Check Data Dictionary compliance
Create Rule sets for local data, in the future.
Run your own IQT report
User friendly
Check Data Dictionary compliance
Create Rule sets for local data, in the future.
Different file types.
Run your own IQT report.
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

23. Data dictionary complianace
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

24. Launceh data QE
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

25. Data QE Rule Sets

29. IQT Report Tool

31. Pilot Stage at this point still gaining knowledge before rollout.
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

32. Resource Information Mgr.
Exploring Workflows for Inventory, Monitoring, and Assessment Activities During the SDM Project Solution Definition Process
Geospatial 09
Snowbird, UT
April 2009
Pete Kilbourne,
Resource Information Mgr.
Manti-La Sal NF

33. Purpose of this presentation
SDM team is looking at workflows for inventory, monitoring and assessment activities.
to help identify requirements for the 7 Capability Areas from LOB Study
Subsequently conducting interviews To identify requirements
at different organizational levels throughout the FS
And will be asking for your input on issues surrounding workflows and LOB requirements
Better job of developing user requirements.

34. HELP!!!
WE NEED YOUR INPUT INTO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR STANDARD DATA MANAGEMENT
YOU CAN GIVE US INPUT BY:
Participating in the interview process
Becoming part of a user group for standard data management
Piloting processes and tools
Reviewing and commenting on FSH direction and guidance

35. Topics
What is a workflow for inventory, monitoring and assessment activities?
Why are we looking at workflows?
How will they be used?
Introduce a workflow at the field level for basic inventory data
highlight some issues we might encounter that require (field) feedback relating to that workflow.
Help us identify the requirements related to the 7 capability areas (LOB Study)
Get your ideas about other workflows that are important to your business.
Why – tie to real work and user experience
How – to make sure requirements mesh with the work we do.
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

36. What do we mean by workflow for an activity?
A workflow describes a sequence of logical steps needed to accomplish some activity.
More specifically it includes:
Tasks
procedural steps
organization or people involved
inputs and outputs
Workflows can be described for field, region and national activities.

37. WHY and How we use Workflows
To explain capability areas in a way that is familiar to you
Models the way we work.
And grounds requirements for capability areas to the way we work in the real world.
How
Build requirements around workflows that model important aspects of our work.

38. Possible workflow(s) we might encounter
Planning, preparing and scheduling an inventory
Data collection or acquiring the data
Selection and use of Protocols (data standards and methods)
Quality assurance and control
Publication of data
Project analysis and classifications
Monitoring (guides, plans, schedules, procedures, reporting)
Developing protocols
Linking the costs of basic inventory with funding, accomplishment, and performance accountability reporting systems
6 steps
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

39. The purpose and scope will guide a specific workflow and resulting products
If the purpose is to collect or acquire data for a specific business need?
the product is data to meet that business need
If the purpose is to integrate existing data sets, budget, and performance and accountability systems?
the product or output may be a set of integrated processes, and applications or tools
Workflows are similar ??????????????
inputs and outputs are different.
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

40. Explore as an example work flow for Basic Field Level Inventory
Example, Issues, Discussion, Feedback

41. Review of SDM Topics As we go, look for the underlined SDM topics in workflow
Inventory, monitoring and assessment cataloging and tracking;
Task cost estimation tools;
Standard data access/integration methods;
Assessment tools to help ensure alignment of “plans” with IM&A tasks;
National inventory and monitoring guidance;
Information quality standards; and
Processes that enable creation of IM&A metrics, targets, and appraisals.
Focus on underlined topics which will specifically tie to workflow
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

42. Cycle back through the example workflow Focus issues
Example workflow Base inventory (transportation, wildlife, recreation, vegetation, etc.
PLAN BASE INVENTORY
What, why, how, when, where
Plan
Update/Revise
Revise
Identify continuing needs
What’s left to do
What processes should be changed
Create, publish,
document
and maintain base Do
Check
Use and check (useful, effective,
and efficient)

43. ISSUES Information Needs of Assessments
Measuring status, progress with focus on spatial completeness
Linking Data needs to the budget
We are using Workflows ties to what you are familiar in your work
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

44. Select and fund Projects
PLAN BASE
INVENTORY
Starting with Needs
Enter into Annual Workplan
Refined costs and methods of acquisition
Pick performance measures
INV-DAT_ACQ
set targets
acres
Identify Information
Needs
Catalog and tracking
Alignment with Plans
Information quality
Annual budget Process
Select and fund Projects
Data
Requirements
(Protocols &
Data Stds.
Enter into out-year budget Process
(may just be total costs
by BLI like NFIM
Data
Status
& Evaluation
Extent and Quality
List of feasible data Projects
(budget and personnel)
Identify Data
GAPS
Extent and quality

45. INA For Data Needs – Base Inventory
This example is limited to
Data needs for developing a base of GIS and related inventory data
Primary assumption - build once, use many
With that in mind, the questions are
Which data to meet business needs?
What data requirements?

46. INA – INFORMATION NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Depth and detail of INA
Depends on where we are in the game
Early days, starting from scratch
Analyzed business functions
(planning, project implementation and NEPA)
Identified resource questions
that support those functions.
Still doing some of this
Change management

47. The agency decided “what data” a while ago in one form or another
Reflected in DD and Nat. App. data structures
Subject to change management
Can step back to “what is the resource question and data requirements”
Subject to unique regional or local data needs
Ex. wetlands
when we evaluate the usefulness of our data.
2008 Oct 21 Revised Ver 2 JK

48. Seems like we are mostly picking our data needs from a list?
Not every forest is going to need everything in the Data Dictionary and Nat. Applications.
Nor can they afford it
Must prioritize
considering available funds
most important resource issues

49. Not every forest has a range program

50. Purpose of INA in Base Inventory Workflow – At this Stage
Identify data needs on a particular unit leading toward
identification of data gaps that need to be filled
Prioritization
applicability to the unit
Management priorities
Cost and Available funds
Funding
Accomplishment

51. Discussion Thoughts, comments? What do you do?
Detailed INA process
Or simply pick DD layers ?
What are your requirements for an INA?
Would any INA tools be helpful?

52. Measuring status, progress with focus on spatial completeness

53. Select and fund Projects
PLAN BASE
INVENTORY
Data status, Evaluation, and Gaps
Enter into Annual Workplan
Refined costs and methods of acquisition
Pick performance measures
INV-DAT_ACQ
set targets
acres
Identify Information
Needs
Data
Requirements
(Protocols &
Data Stds.
Annual budget Process
Select and fund Projects
Enter into out-year budget Process
(may just be total costs
by BLI like NFIM
Data
Status
& Evaluation
Extent and Quality
Catalog and tracking
Information quality
List of feasible data Projects
(budget and personnel)
Identify Data
GAPS
Extent and quality
Catalog and tracking
Information quality
metrics

54. Data status, Evaluation, and Gaps Concepts (some unofficial terms)
Status - How do we know how much data we have?
Completeness - How do we know when we have the data we need?
at the quality we need
At the geographic extent we need.
Data Gaps- How do we know what to do next?
What data we need develop next?
what data needs to be fixed or updated?
Progress – How do we measure how far along we are?
Meeting our goals

55. Data status Two components of status Quality? Completeness?
Has it been collected to the needed currency ,accuracy, precision?
Is it consistent with FS standards
Data QE and IQT
Does it meet protocol requirements?
Completeness?
Does the data cover the area where we need data?
Geographic extent
Does it contain the attributes and values needed?

56. Data Gaps, Progress, Spatial Completeness How do we calculate it
Data Gaps, Progress, Spatial Completeness How do we calculate it? Do we care?
Total Area where we need data
Data Gap
(area where data needs to be acquired) - =
Current area inventoried
Current area inventoried
Total Area where we need data =
PROGRESS as a percentage
ISSUES
How do we establish the total area where we need data?
How do we measure the data we have?
How do we identify the data gaps?
What units of measure should we use?
Acres, number of features, miles?

57. Status Graphic Approach
No mapping – needed by priority
In Progress
Completed

58. How do we measure completeness
for point data?
Example - Features do not cover entire inventory area.
Inventory not complete
What is the numerator?
SITES (points) – what we found?
number of sites (487)?
or area represented by sites
Acre conversion (487x 5 acres = 2435 acres)
Or AREA INVENTORIED SO FAR where we looked (pink area)?
42,337 acres
What is the denominator?
SITES we should find?
Unknown upfront
number of sites?
Or area represented by sites
Or AREA WHERE WE NEED DATA (beige)
Can establish this up-front
122,878 acres
Current inventory
PROGRESS as a percentage (X 100) =
Total inventory needed

59. Discussion Thoughts, comments? How do you measure progress?
Do you plan to inventory an area, distance or a certain number of features?
What are your requirements for measuring status and progress?
Would tools assist in measuring status and progress be needed?

60. Linking Data needs to the budget
How do we make the information needs known on the budget side?

61. PLAN BASE INVENTORY Enter into Annual Workplan
Refined costs and methods of acquisition
Pick performance measures
INV-DAT-ACQ
set targets
acres
cost estimation
Metrics, targets
Identify Information
Needs
Annual budget Process
Select and approve Projects
cost estimation
Metrics
Alignment with plans
Data
Requirements
(Protocols &
Data Stds.
Enter into out-year budget Process
(may just be total costs
by BLI like NFIM
cost estimation
Metrics, targets
Alignment with plans
Data
Status
& Evaluation
Extent and Quality
List of feasible data Projects
(budget and personnel)
Identify Data
GAPS
Extent and quality

62. Out- Year budget Example Performance Measure INV-DAT-ACQ - Inventory Data Acquired
Very general numbers
Summary for all inventories planned
total acres and $
Often not tied to specific data needs
Often based on what we did in previous years
Will this lead to the appropriate level of funding?
Could the SDM project help make a better connection between needs and budget?
Total acres

63. Annual Work-plan
Establishes funding annual funding of IM&A projects
If individual work-plans done for specific inventories,
Can be tied directly to meeting specific data needs
Manual process
If single work-plans done for all inventories
No identifiable tie to specific data needs.
Potential area of integration for the SDM project to link needs to budget?
Target and accomplishment
(same area of inventory vrs area of features problem)

64. Discussion Thoughts, comments?
How do you calculate out-year acres of inventory and $?
Area to be inventoried or area of features you might find?
Do you consider specific inventory needs to make out year estimates?
Do you make individual and general workplans?
Advantages?
Disadvantages?
What are your requirements for linking information needs to budget?
Would tools help ?
to feed or at least inform the budget about specific data needs?

65. Closeout - Review Workflows Requirements for capability areas
PLAN
Alignment with Plans
Catalog and tracking
Information quality
cost estimation
Metrics, targets
Plan
Issues (INA, completeness,budget)
Update/Revise Do
Revise
Identify continuing
needs
What’s left to do
What processes
should be changed
Information quality
alignment of “plans”
with IM&A tasks
Catalog and track
Create, publish,
document
and maintain
Information quality
data access/integration
Metrics, targets
Catalog and track
Check
Use and check (useful, effective,
and efficient)
Information quality
alignment of “plans”
with IM&A tasks
metrics, targets, and appraisals

66. HELP!!!
WE NEED YOUR INPUT INTO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR STANDARD DATA MANAGEMENT
YOU CAN GIVE US INPUT BY:
Participating in the interview process
Becoming part of a user group for standard data management
Piloting processes and tools
Reviewing and commenting on FSH direction and guidance
Identifying workflows that are important for your business.
Questions or comments
Get with Aaron, Jim, or Pete afterward