1

The Information Base for

Exchange, Administration and

Management (IBEAM)

Technology Innovation for the 2010 Decennial Census

Brenda DamarioJerome Garrett

Arunkumar Iyer

Systems Support DivisionU.S. Census Bureau

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Agenda

• IBEAM Background

• Technology Innovation

• Innovative Approach

• Future Plans

3

Agenda - continued

Topics that won’t be covered:

• IBEAM Demonstration

• Discussion of most of the

IBEAM capabilities

The presenters will be happy to cover these

and other topics in more appropriate forums.

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Census

Bureau

United States

Official designation and origination information identifying

official agency responsibility and authorization

SealDEPARTMENT NAME

Directions

Form instruction

text for completing

the form

Additional

instruction

information

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question instruction information to assist

respondent

Question instruction information to assist

respondent

Response label Response label

Question instruction information to assist

respondent

Question instruction information to assist

respondent

Additional

instruction

information

Additional

instruction

information

Census

Bureau

United States

Official designation and origination information identifying

official agency responsibility and authorization

SealDEPARTMENT NAME

Directions

Form instruction

text for completing

the form

Additional

instruction

information

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question instruction information to assist

respondent

Question instruction information to assist

respondent

Response label Response label

Question instruction information to assist

respondent

Question instruction information to assist

respondent

Additional

instruction

information

Additional

instruction

information Census

Bureau

United States

Official designation and origination information identifying

official agency responsibility and authorization

SealDEPARTMENT NAME

Directions

Form instruction

text for completing

the form

Additional

instruction

information

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Response label

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question textNo.

Question instruction information to assist

respondent

Question instruction information to assist

respondent

Response label Response label

Question instruction information to assist

respondent

Question instruction information to assist

respondent

Additional

instruction

information

Additional

instruction

information

IBEAM: Metadata-driven system that supports

paper questionnaire:

Agenda Topic: IBEAM Background

402010 Decennial

Questionnaires

Content development,

Design,

Capture,

Processing ,

Analysis &

Tabulation.

Repository

Questionnaires

Keying specificationsData structures

Definitions

+

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IBEAM Background - continued

Metadata Usage

Busi

nes

s G

oal

s

Business goals

achieved rapidly

through the use of

structured metadata…

….confirming the

success possible

through leveraged

metadata.

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Decennial ProcessForm Development to Creation of

the Data Capture File (DCF)

Without Decennial IBEAM

KEYING

CODING

FORM

PRODUCTION &

DISTRIBUTION

CHECK-IN

BATCH/

SCAN

KEYING

PREPARATION

DATA

NORMALIZATION

TEMPLATING

INITIAL FORM

DEVELOPMENT

FORM REVIEW

& APPROVAL

1

34

5 6

7

8

8

92

Agenda Topic: Technology Innovation

“Define the Business – High Level”

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“Define the Business – Low Level”

Technology Innovation - continued

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INITIAL FORM

DEVELOPMENT

FORM REVIEW

& APPROVAL

1

2

Improvements Required

1. Reduce Time to Create

Initial Layout Design

2. Improve Quality of

Content

3. Reduce Reliance on

Heroes through

Standardization

Technology Innovation - continued

“Identify Improvement Goals”

Multiple Roles

( Layout Designer, Content Specialist …)

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Improvements RequiredIBEAM Features to

Achieve Improvement

3. Generic and Standardized Support for graphical objects in questionnaires

1. Reduce Time to Create

Initial Layout Design

2. Improve Quality of

Content

3. Reduce Reliance on

Heroes through

Standardization

1. Integration between IBEAM and COTS Software to reduce layout effort

2a. Preview simulated layout with interspersed annotations

2b. Content Compare functionality for determining consistency

Technology Innovation - continued

“Define Features to Achieve Improvement”

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Technology

3. Universal Graphic Objects

1. XML Interchange & Web Distributed Authoring & Versioning (WebDAV)

2a HTML & Javascript

2b Hashing Algorithm

Technology Innovation - continued

“Utilize Technology to Make it Happen”

IBEAM Features to

Achieve Improvement

3. Generic and Standardized Support for graphical objects in questionnaires

1. Integration between IBEAM and COTS Software to reduce layout effort

2a. Preview simulated layout with interspersed annotations

2b. Content Compare functionality for determining consistency

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Before Synchronization

After Synchronization

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Universal Graphic Objects

IBEAM Final Questionnaire

Oracle WebdavFolders

Content Synchronization

Before

After

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14

15

16

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18

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The IBEAM approach implements a

3-Dimensional strategy:

Dimension 1:

Dimension 3:

Repository

Questionnaires

Keying specifications

Data structures

Definitions

Decennial ProcessForm Development to Creation of

the Data Capture File (DCF)

Without Decennial IBEAM

KEYING

CODING

FORM

PRODUCTION &

DISTRIBUTION

CHECK-IN

BATCH/

SCAN

KEYING

PREPARATION

DATA

NORMALIZATION

TEMPLATING

INITIAL FORM

DEVELOPMENT

FORM REVIEW

& APPROVAL

1

34

5 6

7

8

8

92

Well-developed business

Processes

Well-structured

Repository

Dimension 2: Innovative Business-

focused Solution to

support processesIBEAM

Agenda Topic: Innovative Approach

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1. Questionnaire

2. Question

3. Instruction

4. Response Label

5. Response Type

1. Dependent Vars

2. Capture Procedure

3. OMR Reqmt

4. OCR Reqmt

5. Capture Edit

6. Recodes

Repository Inputs to be

Determined

Questionnaire Layout & Design

I.B.E.A.M. Repository Inputs

Quality Improvement Assets

Response

Fields

Data AnalysisEnd Products

1. Response Field

Coordinates

1. Content Import (No transcription)

2. Layout Differences Report

I.B.E.A.M. Repository Inputs

1. Designed Questionnaire

Quality Improvement Assets

End Products

Molecular Diagram

I.B.E.A.M.

Information Base for

Exchange, Administration

and Management

Repository Inputs to be Determined

Undefined

End Products from Content Development, Design,

Data Capture and Processing are re-used.

1. Variable Definitions

2. Layout Structures

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Introduction of a COTS Solution

OneForm Designer Plus © by Amgraf, Inc.

incorporated an XML interface to facilitate

content exchange with the IBEAM system.

Later efficienciesContent attributes (e.g., bold, italic)

Capture fields (e.g., checkboxes, segmented boxes)

Graphic objects (e.g., arrows, shapes)

Innovative Approach - continued

B I

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“Get my Work done – Get Metadata for free”

All system development was focused on

allowing users to accomplish business goals.

Metadata repository was transparent.

Unconventional Approach

Occasionally, functionality was omitted

until users determined it was needed.

Innovative Approach - continued

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Make Resource Development a Priority Competence and trust critical to effectiveness

Focus on System Reliability & Alignment

with Business Goals – Not MetadataMake sure technical mistakes did not undermine the effort

Assume Other Responsibilities as neededIssues could be attributed to IBEAM.

Additionally…

Innovative Approach - continued

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Everything begins and ends

with the Business needs

& last

Innovative Approach - continued

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Agenda Topic: Future Plans

1. Debrief and re-factor system

2. Increase Breadth (more lifecycle traction)

3. Increase Depth (even more functionality)

4. Address other modes

5. Incorporate new technologies as appropriate

Remember:

“Get my work done… get my metadata for free.”

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Brenda Damario 301 763-5761

Jerome Garrett 301 763-6624

Arunkumar Iyer 301 763-5730