Drinking Water Challenge Grant Project

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Drinking Water Challenge Grant Project
Advisory Committee Kick-off Conference
Call Project Introduction
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Presentation Purpose

• Provide a background on the Challenge Grant
  Project
• Identify Challenge Grant Project objectives
  relevant to the Advisory Committee
• Advisory Committee Roles and Responsibilities

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Project Overview
Implement reliable process of e-Drinking Water
Submissions
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Phase 1 Project Objectives

• Develop a data standard / data format to use for
  the electronic submission of Laboratory Drinking
  Water data
• Identify and define a data submission model
• Develop best practices to guide States during
  development of their lab data submission system
• Develop Participation Agreement Template for
  States to adopt for lab data submission system

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Objective 1 Develop Data Standard / Data Format

• Goal
• Have 1 data format for laboratory Drinking Water
  submissions that can be used as a National
  Standard
• Although focus is initially on Drinking Water,
  National standard will be first step in unifying
  laboratory data format for other environmental
  data flows (air, wastewater, etc.)
• This approach has backing of both States and EPA

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Objective 1 Develop Data Standard / Data Format

• Strategy
• Review all DW forms from 5 states used for
  electronic submittal of DW data, compile common
  data element inventory, group into logical data
  blocks
• Compare this list with Laboratory Data Standard
  and modify if necessary. This is then a Draft
  Data Element Requirements
• Send our Data Element Requirements to Advisory
  Committee for comment. Revise to create Final
  Data Element Requirements.
• Submit the Final Data Element Requirements to
  EPA Standards Bodies for their consideration
• Environmental Data Standards Council
• Technical Resources Group

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Objective 2 Identify and Define Data Submission
Model

• Once Standard Data Format is developed, we then
  work to identify how data should get transferred
• File Upload vs. Web Form Entry
• XML Data Format vs. Excel Data Format
• Manual/Email File Transfer vs. Automated File
  Transfer
• One of the most important parts of establishing
  the data submission model is understanding the
  burden on the potential stakeholders

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Objective 3 Best Practices Development Strategy

• Identify areas that where the data submission
  process would benefit from standardization.
• Nineteen areas already identified as potential
  candidates for development of best practices.
• Draft Best Practices document.
• Review Best Practices document with Advisory
  Committee.
• Revise Best Practices document after
  implementation.
• Examples How should States handle data resends
  from labs?, Should a consistent/standard list
  of unit codes be developed?, Whats the best
  way to handle sub-contracted labs?, What is
  considered sufficient to ensure data submissions
  from labs are secure?, etc

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Objective 4 Participation Agreement Template
Development

• Participation Agreement Template (PAT) Document
  that Labs and Water Systems will sign to join the
  e-Drinking Water Submission program.
• Strategy
• Begin development of PAT after identification of
  the data submission model
• Develop PAT as part of required sign-up
  procedure
• Design and leverage PATs to reduce burden on
  laboratories submitting information to multiple
  clients
• Review PAT with Advisory committee
• Modify PAT, as necessary, following implementation

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Advisory Committee Purpose

• Purpose Assure that workgroup products and
  processes are responsive to stakeholder needs.

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Advisory Committee Member Role

• An Advisory Committee member is expected to
• Review appropriate workgroup products for
  accuracy and relevance
• Provide feedback to Advisory Committee Co-Chairs
• Participate in Advisory Committee meetings
• Help to ensure the e-Drinking Water Submission
  process is useful from a labs/water systems
  perspective.

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Advisory Committee Co-Chair Role

• An Advisory Committee co-chair is expected to
• Review appropriate workgroup products for
  accuracy and relevance
• Work closely with the project facilitator to
  coordinate with the workgroup
• Potentially participate in the workgroups
  quarterly meeting
• Be primarily responsible for disseminating
  information, coordinating presenters, and
  gathering comments from the Committee members.

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Selecting the Co-Chairs

• One Co-Chair from a private laboratory
• One Co-Chair from a public laboratory
• Please e-mail co-chair nominees to
  rob.willis_at_ross-assoc.com by 08/01/03
• Self-nominations encouraged!

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• Questions?