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#1 2010-03-10 13:46:04
YHEDN are developing a database for Local Sites
A couple of years ago we did some work to look at how much data from a Local Sites system you could get into Recorder 6.
The answer was quite a lot easily, some awkwardly and some not at all.
Following that a bit of consulation was done to look at how widely Recorder was used for Local Sites systems and it was decided that management and monitoring data was a common problem for most Local Sites Partnerships but many didn't use Recorder at all.
So we've been given some work to develop a database independent of Recorder for storing sites data. Since the issue is not confined to record centres I've set up a discussion on our forum (link below) and I'll try to remember to post updates to here and to the ALERC forum to keep people in the loop. Please feel free to join the YHEDN forum and contribute to the discussion.
http://n2.nabble.com/Local-Sites-databa … 08560.html
Thanks. Dan
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#2 2010-03-10 20:39:47
- stevemcbill
- Veteran
- From: Runcorn, Cheshire
- Registered: 2006-11-21
- Posts: 170
- Website
Re: YHEDN are developing a database for Local Sites
Dan,
Can I ask what 'extra' data you had which Recorder could not cope with ??
My reason is that I would expect a combination of CMS (Countryside Management System) and Recorder-6 (which can be linked) would provide for all of your requirements. However, without knowing your exact needs I cannot be 100% sure.
Cheers
Steve
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#3 2010-03-11 07:47:36
- johnvanbreda
- Moderator
- From: UK
- Registered: 2006-04-27
- Posts: 659
- Website
Re: YHEDN are developing a database for Local Sites
Hi Steve
From memory, one of the stumbling blocks with Recorder was the lack of start and end dates for site features. So you cannot record a feature of the site which is only "semi-persistent", e.g. an ancient tree that is removed.
We looked at CMS during the consultation but of course there is a cost issue.
Best Wishes
John van Breda
Biodiverse IT
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#4 2010-03-11 09:09:03
Re: YHEDN are developing a database for Local Sites
Hi Steve.
John's right. The main problem we had was maintaining a live history of the site to help monitor change.
So we've done things like moving the site description from the location description in Recorder into the survey event comment so that we can keep a history of site descriptions. The things we couldn't find a good place for are things like observed management and land use, identifying the management priorities and then tracking progress toward having an agreed management regime in place.
Location features and the tenure, use and designations tabs in Recorder can store some of that information but not the level of detail we want to be able to store and in the case of features they're not dated so if they change over time you lose the history.
We looked at CMS initially. CMS seems largely geared towards allocating staff time and resources to manage sites where as the majority of our local sites are privately owned so management is not contracted directly. What we need is not a tool to allocate and project manage staff time but a tool to help manage the relationship with the land owner and progress towards agreeing the management regime which the private land owner then implements themself.
The other issue for us is the cost. The local sites partnerships are run with little or no funding or allocated staff time so we want the software to be free leaving all the funding to be spent on survey work.
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