An overview of the data management challenges faced by a rather large mitigation program, and the system we created to overcome those challenges. Not another spreadsheet: Project Tracking in cbfish.orgcbfish.org Matt Deniston, Sitka Technology Group American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting Seattle, WA, Sept 4-8, 2011

The Situation: $$$ Annual expenditures have steadily increased from $2.3 million in 1980 to $310 million in Cumulative to date: over $10.5 billion.

The Situation: Large Scope One of the largest environmental mitigation programs in the world 260,000 square miles (France) 600 active projects, total projects MOAs signed with tribal and state entities NOAA and USFWS regulation: Endangered Species Act

The Situation: Data Chaos Traditional tools of memos, spreadsheets, mini databases no longer worked ISRP Review 5 FY07 Budgets v.23 Decision History Draft Jan07 Decision Expenditures FY05-06 Public Comments ‘07 In Lieu Ratings Jul07 Fish Accord DRAFT budgets Summary-Budget-Reqs- BOG-Apr08 Budget Change Requests Capital Ratings Jul07 UPA Projects Mar2005

RPA 1 – Implementation Plans RPA 2 – Annual Progress Reports RPA … RPA 73.3 – Comprehensive Habitat Tracking System The Situation: Regulatory Pressures Biological Opinions have significantly increased demand for reporting and tracking Columbia Basin Fish & Wildlife Program

The Situation: ??? Results Lack of a sustained rebound in the salmon and steelhead runs makes no one happy… Source: Fish Passage Center,

The Challenge Obligations NW Power Act ESA – BiOps Fish Accord 10 year agreements Obligations NW Power Act ESA – BiOps Fish Accord 10 year agreements To design and build a transparent web-based system for managing the program’s obligations, objectives, activities, and accomplishments. Activities Budgeting Portfolio Analysis Project Reviews Activities Budgeting Portfolio Analysis Project Reviews {title} {text} Objectives Accomplishments Columbia Basin Fish & Wildlife Program Columbia Basin Fish & Wildlife Program Wildlife Resident Fish Anadromous Fish

The Solution: cbfish.org

Schedule & Key Deliverables Project Proposals & Change Requests 10/1/20089/30/2010 Dashboards & Web Services Project Records & Budgets Interactive Maps & Reports 10/1/2009 New System of Record / Process ImprovementsImproved Info / Analytics

Approach for design & development of cbfish.org Iterative & collaborative Requirements evolve with real-world use Updates to software every 2 weeks Continuous feedback loop Requirements Deliver System Capability Time Design Analysis

Extreme Makeover BEFOREAFTER 6-9 months to enter and upload budget decisions into the old system 1-2 days to enter budget decisions directly into the new system ing dueling budget spreadsheetsViewing and collaborating on budgets online Qualitative narratives of the program’s accomplishments Quantitative, interactive summaries of the program’s accomplishments Working with GIS experts to generate mapsSelf-service, interactive maps Bottoms-up budgetingTop-down, objective-driven budgeting 1-2 weeks to respond to an info requestA few minutes to respond to an info request 1,000 pg BiOp document (unstructured data)3 pg BiOp dashboard (structured data)

Ways to view/manage a project Example project: “Avian Predation on Juvenile Salmonids”

12 Data visualizations: High Level Indicator charts

Data visualizations: Accomplishments by ESU

Benefits of cbfish.org Provides transparent public access Centralizes info for easy access and sharing Tracks progress towards obligations and objectives Delivers new insights into accomplishments & areas where more is needed Enables program to grow – more restoration, more research and monitoring, etc.

Thanks for your time! Matt Deniston, Questions?