The SWAMP Advisor A New Tool for Producing Consistent

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The SWAMP Advisor A New Tool for Producing
Consistent Comprehensive Quality Assurance
Project Plans (QAPPs)

• Lawrence H. Keith, Revital Katznelson, Beverly
  van Buuren
• Presented at the
• NWQMC Meeting
• May 10, 2006, San Jose, CA

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What is an Expert System?

• An expert system is an interactive computer
  program that provides the same answers and advice
  to questions that a human expert would.
• It emulates a human experts decision-making
  process in a particular domain of knowledge.
• Advantages Include
• Ensures that all necessary questions are
  addressed and that all required forms are
  available.
• Provides advice and information at any time, day
  or night, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Helps users quickly find specific information and
  advice for a particular situation without wasting
  time on extraneous information.
• Gives consistent advice (unlike humans).

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What is SWAMP?

• The Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program
  (SWAMP) is the scientific lead for water quality
  monitoring performed by all Programs of the
  California State Water Resources Control Board.
• In addition, monitoring data collected by all
  recipients of grants for habitat restoration and
  pollutant reduction have to be SWAMP-comparable.

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Why Develop the SWAMP Advisor?

• 880 water monitoring projects supported by
  SWAMP.
• All monitoring projects require a QAPP in a
  consistent format and that meets SWAMP protocols
  directives.
• Decisions involving quality objectives, method
  selection, the DQO Process, etc. are complex and
  some users may not be experienced in making them.
• SWAMPs current Electronic QAPP template doesnt
  guarantee an acceptable QAPP that will meet DQOs
  and budgets.
• Rejected QAPPs result in wasted staff time and
  frustrated applicants who must revise them.

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How Does SWAMP Advisor Work?

• Leads users through requirements of a SWAMP QAPP
• Provides advice as well as information
• Makes sure that all factors are considered -
  eliminates forgetting details that could require
  re-submission.
• Helps users consider alternatives and make the
  best choices - but it wont make decisions for
  them.
• Doesnt take the place of a human but simply is
  a tool to help the human be more efficient and
  not forget things.
• Prepares QAPP components step by step and
  exports them as text files (each representing a
  section of the QAPP) that are later combined by
  the user to make a QAPP that should be acceptable
  the 1st time.

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Software Unique Characteristics - 1. Dual Screen
Use

• Two panel framework from EMMA and CBR Advisor
  (preceding expert systems developed under NSF and
  EPA).
• Expert System questions and advice displayed in
  left frame.
• Advice also sometimes contains links to text
  file templates in Microsoft Word format.
• MS Word templates are used for simple
  administrative pages.
• Explanation Box accompanying questions and
  answers is displayed in right frame - often with
  links to additional info.
• When additional advice is provided, as opposed
  to explanations from the QAPP template, the SWAMP
  Advisor icon is also used.

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Software Unique Characteristics - 1. Dual Screen
Use Illustrated
Note the 3 Navigation Buttons
A Link - Another Form of Navigation
Expert System Side
Explanation Box Side
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Software Unique Characteristics -2. Three
Planes of Information

• The top level "Executive/Emergency Plane"
• Gives the user advice and answers for his or her
  specific needs as quickly as possible.
• The second level "Educational Plane"
• Provides explanations and ancillary information
  to help users understand what is being asked of
  them, why it is being asked, and what the
  consequences of their actions may be.
• The third level "Research Plane"
• Reached by internal and external hyperlinks from
  the second plane - contains extensive in-depth
  discussions and links to other web sites such as
  those of US EPA, USGS, etc.

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Software Unique Characteristics -2. Three
Planes of Information Illustrated
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FeaturesColor Coded Title Bars

• Groups A, B, C, and D each have Top Level
  Color Coded Title Bars
• Each Element has a 2nd Level Color Coded
  Title Bar
• Each Sub-element has a 3rd Level Color Coded
  Title Bar

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FeaturesHyperlinks and Rollovers

• Hyperlinks to other files and web sites use
  standard underlined blue type. These include
• Links to RTF template files,
• Adobe PDF files,
• PowerPoint slide files,
• Local web page URLs and other web site URLs
• Hyperlinks that are rolleover (cursor hover)
  links are differentiated by using underlined red
  type.
• These will include acronym definitions,
  technical word definitions, and comments using a
  standardized glossary.

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Additional Advantages of the SWAMP Advisor

• In addition to having all necessary
  advice, information and forms available for QAPP
  preparation 24 / 7, the SWAMP Advisor
• Enables multiple lines of inquiry (study
  questions) and helps users to prepare technical
  descriptions that are specific to each by looping
  through applicable questions as many times as
  needed (i.e., once for each study question) in
  order to gather all necessary information
• Eliminates the arduous preparation of tables for
  MQOs, performance criteria, and quality check
  requirements in QAPP Elements 7, 12, 13, 14, and
  16 by automatically looking up SWAMP Comparable
  data for each of the parameters selected for
  monitoring. The Advisor then provides all of
  these tables at once in an automatically
  generated file for each study question by using a
  Measurement Core Loop (illustrated in the next
  slide).
• Saves completed sections for each QAPP Element in
  separate files.
• Allows entry to any QAPP Element at any time to
  facilitate continuing where you left off if you
  didnt complete the QAPP in one sitting.

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4. Select Measurement Systems (Methods and Media)
That Have Adequate Performance to Achieve Desired
Quality Objectives.
5. Define Requirements for Quality Checks
Acceptance Criteria.
3. Select Quality Objectives (Accuracy,
Precision, DL) Adequate to Answer Study Question
With Advisor Help.
2. Select Characteristics to Measure
(Analytes/Organisms) to Generate Data to Answer a
Study Question.
6. Automatic Generation of Tables 7, 12, 13, 14
16 for Each Study Questions Separate File.
1. Formulate a Study Question.
File for Study Question 3.
File for Study Question 2.
File for Study Question 1.
SWAMP Advisors Measurement Core Loop Process
is Repeated for Each Study Question!
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Limitations of the SWAMP Advisor

• Limitations based on your computer
• You must have Java installed (most computers come
  that way and Java is free and easily installed if
  you dont have it.)
• Your browser must be set to allow Java to be used
  with it.
• Your computer must allow text files to be sent to
  it using your browser, so pop-up blockers and
  some firewalls must be disabled in order for you
  to receive these files.
• Limitations based on the SWAMP Advisor
• Your files are prepared in Rich Text Format
  (RTF), so some formatting such as bold, italics,
  deleting notes, etc. will be required.
• Tables are produced in comma delimited format, so
  you must use the Covert Text to Table tool to
  change the text into regular tables.
• Limitations based on the SWAMP server
• Security will not allow your text files to be
  saved on the server, so they must be sent to
  your computer.
• Once you exit the SWAMP Advisor, all data and
  information gathered from your session that was
  not saved in the text files sent to your
  computer, is lost.

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More Information

• Want to see a demonstration?
• I have my laptop computer here.
• Want to see a Poster Presentation?
• Talk to Will Hagan today from 230 330 pm at
  Poster Number 363 Improving Quality Assurance
  Programs Using an Expert System.
• Want to contact me after the meeting?
• Email larrykeith_at_earthlink.net