Forests Sourcebook - HCV Resource Network

Box 7.13
System Architecture of a Standard FMIS (continued)
■
■
Business Information Management System (BIMS)
Module. This module would allow for the entry,
storage, and processing of all data and information
related to the basic business processes of the organization,
such as accounting, invoicing, personnel
management, and scheduling activities (job orders).
It would normally be closely linked to the Operations
Management module and may even provide much of
the information needed for operational control.
Geographic Information System (GIS). This would
provide visual access to all of the cartographic information
needed by the FMIS. GIS spatial analysis,
modeling, and presentation capabilities are essential
for good forest planning and management of large,
complex forests, such as those on a national scale.
The overall system would have many types of
users—from those who simply enter data to managers
and forest analysts. Modules should be “co-designed”
and linked so that the management processes they support
are integrated and duplication of data entry is
avoided.
Because some information may need to be considered
confidential, and to accommodate the range of user
needs, different access levels may be built into the developing
system. Hence, while a system may be comprehensive
and fully integrated, specific users would only
have access to the information that they need to use for
their own job. At the same time, it is critical that all the
data are entered in standardized form so as to be compatible
across the system for all users at all levels. Moreover,
if jurisdictions charged with the management or
administration of forests (countries, regions, provinces,
or states) were to adopt such compatible systems, this
would greatly help to standardize data and help make
comparisons across countries easier to accomplish.
Source: Robak and Kirmse 2007.
Many on-line resources are available for software design,
development, and implementation, as well as for the
improvement of management processes. 2 Beyond these
well-developed process rules, the following is a suggested
protocol for macro-level FMIS design, development, and
implementation. (See box 7.14 for an example of application
of FMIS in Bosnia and Herzegovina.)
Needs analysis. This step, led by a management team task
force, is critical for ensuring that the proposed investment
will provide an integrated set of tools that meets the needs
of everyone involved in the analysis, planning, monitoring,
and control of forest management strategies, tactics, and
operations. The task force should be educated about what
the new FMIS might do for them before they are able to
provide helpful input to the design process.
System conceptual design. The system strategy and
vision would be developed by the forestry management
team task force, working together with application, GIS, and
IT specialists. All direct and indirect users should be consulted,
while IT specialists should provide advice concerning
capabilities and modalities. The needs definition and
system design are most often iterative processes, as gaps or
constraints identified in the system design phase reinform
the needs analysis.
Design document. The design document should do the
following:
■
■
■
Articulate the vision, goals, and objectives (short- and
long-term) of the system, as well as initial recommendations
concerning development priorities and proposed
timelines for the development phases.
Identify and address all of the infrastructure and
resources available and required to make the system useful
and sustainable, including those related to data acquisition,
communication technology, operating costs,
training, and technical support.
Articulate the physical, fiscal, and organizational constraints
so that the IT specialists can design a system that
can be implemented and supported. System designs
should be based on structures, processes, and resources
that are available beyond the life of the project (it would
be appropriate to identify the compromises that have
been made and the reasons for these).
NOTE 7.2: ESTABLISHING FOREST MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS 265