Database Software Design for Information Management

NGOs ⇐===⇒ IT Geeks

- Information management system to store and process information

- A box of papers

- Collection of data in organised structure

- Library

- Software on a computer

- Library management software

- Baseline monitoring

- 10-year rainfall data of Bangkok

- Student information management

- Hospital

- Wordpress, WIKI

- Spreadsheet (baby database)

- Accounting transaction

What is the aim?

Every database should help us to know something, monitor changes, forecast etc.

• What is need
• Who needs it
• When is it needed
• Why do they need it

• What is entered
• Where is the input coming from
• Who will enter it
• When do they enter it

4 components of a database:

• Tables
• Queries
• Forms
• Reports

Example:

Access - Microsoft, not open source, easy to use and install but not scalable, own database format

Open Office - Base - Free and Opensource (FOSS), other than own database format, it connects to MySQL and PostgreSQL database as well

ASP + SQL Server - Microsoft, not open source, high software cost, not easy to use and install but scalable

PHP + MySQL - FOSS, no software cost, not easy to use and install but scalable

Oracle - for really huge databases, got strip down version for free?

Online database

User ⇐=⇒ Internet ⇐=⇒ Database server

- Good for multiusers at different locations - Needs to be online all the time (doesn't work when Internet connection is down)

Offline database

- for in-house or localised use

Best is the combination of offline and online database, good example is Martus human rights bulletin system.

- In House - Consultant - Free Open Source Software (maintained by a FOSS community)

Issues:

- better own the source code - who can upgrade and maintain

• Do People have the skills
• Capacity Building

• let everyone appreciate the implementation process, to make life easier.
• it is a process of empowerment

User issues:

• Fear of using computer and making mistakes
• Don't want to change from old system
• Extra work
• Not enough time to learn new things
• Cannot cheat the system
• Making people redundant
• too complicated
• not enough training
• no incentive

- People may not be trained to collect the data - Check data entry to ensure that there aren't errors - The outputs are only as good as the inputs