From November 13th till November 26th IMSMA V4 was deployed and made ready for testing in the real world environment of the Mine Action Program in Burundi. This is the first time that V4 of IMSMA has been installed for use in the field since its release for testing in September of 2005. The deployment is the last step in a process that began in the spring of 2005 when the Burundi MACC was first asked to consider joining the pilot test.
The pilot project provides an opportunity to review and test IMSMA V4 in the field before general deployment begins later in 2006. The first step in preparation for the deployment was the successful completion of the Information Management training programme sponsored by the GICHD by two members of the national staff at the MACC. This training helps provide a background for the work required to adapt the new system to local conditions in the field.
Localization of V4 includes the preparation of customized reports, data collection forms and local language translations which are defined by the MACC prior to system deployment. Once the installation is completed these templates can be fine tuned to adjust the system content and data collection requirements at any time.
Despite some technical issues linked to the youth of the system, the overall appreciation for this new release is encouraging. The support received from the IMSMA development team and the answers provided were fast, accurate and efficient.
The deployment has already shown that V4 is meeting its design goals. The feedback from the team in Burundi gives the system installation process and the manual provided with V4 high marks for its design and ease of use by non-technical staff. One proof of this is the fact that the entire system installation was performed by IMSMA users at the MAP. The complete networked installation of the system was completed by non-IT trained national staff.
The next step for both the MAP in Burundi and the GICHD regional coordinator is to monitor the pilot test and incorporate lessons learned in the field into the upcoming releases of V4.
First IMSMA 4 presentation to Burundi staff members
IMSMA Screens after the installation
Training and using IMSMA 4
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