Reclamation Biological Resources Data Management: Developing an Enterprise Approach

Project ID: 1713
Principal Investigator: Douglas Clark
Research Topic: Water Resource Data Analysis
Funded Fiscal Years: 2008, 2009 and 2010
Keywords: None

Project Abstract

The Reclamation Biological Resources Data Management Project was designed to investigate the requirements for data stewardship within the bureau. Two workshops were held, one in Denver and the other in Boulder City. In addition, the BLM hosted two training sessions to acquaint Reclamation personnel and senior management with the principles of data stewardship. An inter-regional technical team was assembled, along with an advisory board, staffed with experienced data stewards from The Fish and Wildlife Service, The Park Service, NatureServe, the Bureau of Land Management and the Geological Survey.
This R&D effort developed a data lifecycle with decision-making as its hub. Key elements of the lifecycle are project design, data acquisition, evaluation, maintenance, access, analysis, reporting, and archival. Resource information classes were designated from which mission critical data to be stewarded were selected. Resource information classes included real property, security interests, T&E species, water storage and delivery, power delivery, and facility operations and maintenance. Mission critical resources data to be derived from these classes will be related to an identified critical resource, support mission decisions, and be difficult or impossible to replace. Additionally, these data, if lost, could severely injure organizational operations, result in loss of life or property, and/or be essential for complying with Federal laws or regulations.
This R&D effort produced a number of documents. The first was a road map for implementation of the stewardship of biological data in Reclamation. The second was a data stewardship policy and the third was a set of related Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). The policy and FAQs were presented to the Reclamation Chief Information Officer's Council (CIOC) and the Reclamation Leadership Team (RLT). Both were received favorably. A draft Data Acquisition and Management Plan template has also been produced.

Contributing Partners

Contact the Principal Investigator for information about partners.

Research Products

Bureau of Reclamation Review

The following documents were reviewed by experts in fields relating to this project's study and findings. The results were determined to be achieved using valid means.

Stewardship of Bureau of Reclamation Mission-Critical Resources Data (interim, PDF, 90KB)
By Dr. Curtis Brown, Jim Nagode, Mr. Art Coykendall and Douglas Clark
Report completed on April 27, 2012

This Policy states requirements for the stewardship of mission-critical resources data (MCRD). These are data that the Reclamation Leadership Team deems to be essential for the management of water and related resources, real property (lands, buildings, and other structures in which Reclamation has an interest), and facilities.

FAQs for the Data Stewardship Policy (final, PDF, 62KB)
By Dr. Curtis Brown, Jim Nagode, Mr. Art Coykendall and Douglas Clark
Report completed on April 27, 2012

This document answers frequently asked questions (FAQs)about data stewardship generally and the Reclamation data stewardship policy in particular.

Appendix A: Phases in the Reclamation Data Lifecycle to be Addressed in the Data Acquisition and Management Plan (DAMP) (interim, PDF, 42KB)
By Dr. Curtis Brown, Jim Nagode, Mr. Art Coykendall and Douglas Clark
Report completed on April 27, 2012

This appendix to the data stewardship policy document describes the Reclamation data lifecycle. It is a structured, sequential process for the planning and management of data from the definition of requirements for decision making or business needs to final data archiving. The Reclamation lifecycle is centered around decision-making and includes eight data stewardship phases: define, acquire, evaluate, maintain, access, analyze, create a data product, and archive.

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Last Updated: 6/22/20