A Document Management System for Climate Change Information

Exchange

Timo Baur

Information SpecialistCaribbean Community Climate Change Centre Belize

January 24th 2011

Outline

• Exchanging information on climate change in the Caribbean

• Clearinghouse mechanism– Organizational model– Common metadata model

• Document management system (DMS) as a common tool and standard for information exchange

• Status

Exchanging Information on Climate Change in the Caribbean

• CARICOM Climate Change Centre – brings together various organizations in the Caribbean– common objective: sharing information on climate

change– facilitates information sharing using a Clearinghouse

Mechanism and accompanying tools and databases

Glueck, Michael (ed.): Work the Net – A Management Guide for Formal Networks, 2008

• decentral organization– CCCCC as hub coordinates and facilitates– clearinghouse nodes

• produce and maintain data and information• retain full responsibility and ownership

A Clearinghouse Mechanism

• provides

- common standards for structuring data and information- access to consolidated data and information- sophisticated search, query and retrieval methods

Reference Framework:Organizational Model

Components of the Clearinghouse Mechanism

common standardfor data exchange

Information sharing agreement

country node

subnodes

common standardfor data exchange

Information sharing agreement

Clearinghouse(Intermediary)

Common Standard for Information Exchange

• Document Management System facilitates storage and exchange of documents

• Still possible:• Analogous channels (e.g. mail): CCCCC arranges digitalization• Databases in Excel, SQL, etc. can be connected to DMS

Information Sharing Agreements

• define key topics / areas of data to exchange

• define provision, use, and maintenance of data and information

Reference Framework:Common Metadata Model

SourceOrganization ProgramProject

RegionCountryArea

Sector Topic

Topical Spatial

Org

aniza

tional

Temporal

Typical

Document TypeType-specific Metadata

Date

AgricultureEnergyTourism…

Vulnerability & Capacity AssessmentsNational Adaptation StrategiesCoral Reef MonitoringSea Level RiseClimate Model…

PresentationsFinal ReportsBooksNational CommunicationsField data…

Caribbean - Belize – Hopkins

September 9 2010

Every document is tagged with metadata which describes content and context.This allows to accordingly store and find the information.

The User Perspective:Web client for contributor access

Don`t hesitate to contact us for using our customized system for Climate Change Information. Blank M-Files Software for other use-

cases is available from http://www.m-files.com

Accessing the Clearinghouse Data

Full text search

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Searches by Countries, Sectors and Topics

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Different File types

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Entering new Documents

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Uploading Documents

the Public Perspective Online: Country-specific Document Retrieval

http://www.caribbeanclimate.bz

Status

• Core Implementation finished– Server and client systems up and running– web and desktop clients available – initial sets of documents for all CARICOM countries

sourced

• Extending the network: Information Assessments– Information assessments in Belize and Dominica

– more to come (Information assessments in Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

– Integrating a database with document reviews

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thanks for your attention!

tbaur@caribbeanclimate.bz

http://www.caribbeanclimate.bz