Annexure VI: Data digitization guidelines

Table 33: Guidelines for data digitization

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1 An assessment need to be performed to identify the database requirements for the application software envisaged for the department. The data requirements in terms of master data, transaction data need to be identified, which is required for the envisaged solution.

2 Based on the initial assessment and the project timelines, the department needs to analyze whether the data digitization can be performed using the department employees or to outsource such requirement to private operators.

3 While making such decision, it is vital to evaluate the current level of skill sets existing with in the department in using computers for data digitization, the timeframe required to train the department employees in data digitization and whether such timelines are permissible within overall project timelines.

4 If department wishes to outsource the data digitization process to a private organization, department need to enter into a non disclosure agreement with the vendor to protect the privacy of the information and to ensure accuracy of digitized data.

And department shall have the complete rights over the digitized data and the data digitization vendor shall not possess the department data, partly or completely. The agreement between department and the vendor need to incorporate such which ensures complete ownership of data for the department.

5 Department needs to define the data quality standards and target data formats prior to the commencement of the Data digitization.

6 The software for performing data entry must be properly designed after an adequate study of the data to be digitized. The software must have adequate validations built in to reduce errors during data entry.

7 The software deployed must be adequately tested before deployment. It is preferable to test data using “live data” from some of the department records that are to be digitized

8 Appropriate controls such as audit trail etc must be built into the software to ensure that changes to entered data are tracked.

9 Data entry personnel must be adequately trained in using the software.

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structure and contents of department records which is to be digitized so as to reduce the incidence of errors while data entry

11 It is preferable to carry out data digitization at a premises designated by the department, so as to have better control over the physical registers.

12 Physical security of the premises must be ensured adequately, by restricting entry to authorized personnel only. It should be ensured that registers and other materials provided to the vendor are kept in the designated premises at all times.

13 The department must, at all times maintain track of the registers being digitized by the vendor by maintaining a log of the same.

14 Every register must be checked for number of pages, number of entries (if possible) before they are handed over to the vendor for digitization. The same must be cross checked when the register is returned after digitization

15 The department may appoint suitable personnel to supervise the work of the vendor and be available to answer queries relating to data in the registers (in case they are illegible, unclear etc)

16 The vendor may be asked to perform a first level of validation of the entered data against the data in the physical registers, before the same is submitted to the department for validation.

17 The vendor on completion of data entry and first level of validation would provide printouts of the digitized data for validation to the department.

18 Validation of the digitized data would be performed by personnel from the department level by comparing the printouts provided by the vendor with the physical registers. The department will be required to validate 100% of the digitized records to ensure that they are error free

19 Every official involved in the validation process must check a prescribed percentage of the entered records and a sign need to be obtained for the verification performed. 20 The errors so found would be marked clearly using special ink on the printouts and returned to the vendor for correction under acknowledgement, a copy of the corrected checklist would be retained by the department staff.

21 The vendor shall correct the errors marked out at no extra cost. He would then submit a print out of the corrected records for validation by the department

22 All officers and staff involved in the data validation process shall be required to submit a certificate in writing declaring the fact that he/she has verified the required percentage of records as mandated including the corrections, if any. In order to ensure compliance and accountability, all officers would be required to put their

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official stamp, signature and date on every record verified by them

23 The progress of the vendor must be tracked on a regular basis to ensure that the prescribed number of records are digitized within the timeframe defined for the process