regional coordinators and the estuarine-specific implementers.
Data management is a critical pathway in the NESMP.
Without proper data management all of the effort going into
programme coordination, management and sample collection
will be ineffectual. A simple two-way (bottom-up and topdown)
data management process (Fig. 8) ensures that the data
are collected and stored, and information generated and disseminated,
in a seamless fashion. Four parties are involved with
data collection, management and dissemination.
The implementing agency is responsible for collecting water
samples, the associated physico-chemical variables and any other
relevant data. The water samples are submitted to the analytical
laboratory for analysis, whilst a simple standardised Excel-based
database is kept by the implementing agency on a local computer
for the physico-chemical variables and other relevant data. This
Excel spreadsheet is submitted on a monthly basis to the DWS
programme manager, who is responsible for loading the data into
the appropriate DWS database. The data from the water sample
analyses are directly submitted by the relevant analytical laboratory
to the DWS programme manager. This data is also available
to the implementing agency if requested. The information on this
database is also submitted in parallel to SAEIS at the SAEON
Elwandle Node by the DWS programme manager.