1. Moving to a Centralized Database for Surveys in Blaise at NASS Roger Schou National Agricultural Statistics Service IBUC XII Riga, Latvia

2. NASS – 46 Field Offices

3. NASS – 6 Data Collection Centers Virginia Kentucky Montana Wyoming Oklahoma Arkansas

4. Distributed Environment HQ-developed instrument typically distributed to 43 field offices 43 Blaise datasets Physical transfer of forms from Data Collection Centers to Client States Survey management done in individual field offices

5. Centralization Idea Blaise 4.8.1 – Storing data in generic tables in a central database Enable the Blaise data collection processes to be centralized Splash of an idea to centralize one or two applications (CASIC and Survey Management System)

6. Centralization Idea Current Status of Development: –Too many stovepipe applications –Development vacuums –Lack of sharing code Duplication of effort –Duplication of functionality –Management has the I want it now mentality

7. Centralization Idea Tidal wave - Centralization on an enterprise level –Blaise –Survey Management System –ELMO –Sample Design –EDR/EDC –PRISM –Analysis/Summary

8. Database Decision Choosing a database –C–Cost –S–Support –C–Commonality NASS databases –S–Sybase –R–Redbrick –F–FoxPro –O–Oracle –M–MySQL Blaise ?

9. Generic BOI Files Blaise creates 8 tables –Blaise_Case –Blaise_Data –Blaise_Dictionary –Blaise_Form –Blaise_ID –Blaise_Key –Blaise_Open –Blaise_Remark

10. Generic BOI Files All surveys will be stored in a fixed, pre- defined structure Translation tool to extract the data to our PRISM database (Sybase) will work for all Blaise data Blaise data PRISM Translation Tool

11. Versioning We plan on using Blaise versioning Management made a requirement that original reported data must be preserved

12. Folder Structures At the onset we have to plan on allowing all field offices to run CATI Currently planning to continue to use the Blaise call scheduler The.BTR,.BOI,.BMI,.BDM, and.BXI files will be stored in unique folders for each field office (instrument and externals) –It would be nice to store the instrument files (and externals) in one common folder* \hqapps\casic\surveyname\ \data\casic\surveyname\fo\06\

13. User Access Rights Who can view and/or update the data? Distributed – Physical Boundaries Centralized – User Access Controls Roles –HQ Statistician –Field Office Statistician –Supervisor Interviewer –Interviewer

14. User Access Rights A policy has been written and management approved A team has been assembled to discuss the details and prepare for implementation

15. Additional CASIC Tables Information Tables –Survey Information Table –FIPS Allocation Table –User Information Table Sample Master Table Error Limits Table Previously Reported Data Table

16. Initializing the Database Three Steps: –Survey Setup (HQ) Folder creation –Initialize Preparation (FO) Name & address files validated –Initialize (CRON / HQ) Populate the database Easily monitored by Survey Administrators Problems easier to isolate

17. Testing Plans Scheduler Testing –Make sure that we did not introduce issues with the Blaise scheduler across field offices Load Testing –Must support a maximum of 600 users simultaneously Process Testing –What are the locking issues, if any, between processes

18. Benefits Real-time reporting of survey progress Eliminating physical movement of forms Bringing survey processes together –Seamless communication between systems –Eliminate stove-pipe applications Sharing of code

19. Challenges Implementing user access rights Dealing with Blaise datamodel changes Coordinating –Interviewers across the country Routing cases across call centers –Multiple modes of data collection –Other processes being centralized Bridging the gap between applications during transition

20. Conclusion Exciting time of development Positive attitude towards centralization –Anticipating the benefits to be gained Management is realizing the large scope –Stepping back and realizing the development process (less of I want it now) Communication is open and working well Many processes evolving together

21. Questions