Implementation approach
Like most database modeling paradigms, land administration domain modeling
for OSCAR involves gathering the concepts (entities, attributes etc.) and their
interactions (rules, processes, functions) into a design that is machine understand-
able. However, for OSCAR, the translation of the real world focusses on the defi-
nition of individual processes (e.g. parcel subdivision or title change) rather than
on a data structure. One advantage of this approach is the reduced need for an ex-
plicit and complete translation of the entire domain before implementation can
start. Data items are defined as they are required for the definition of workflows.
Furthermore, workflow process definitions and associated code snippets are more
easily shared than raw software code especially for specific requirements. There is
also less need to consider underlying schema issues (such as normalization or re-
dundancy) to the extent that is required by other data modeling paradigms. Hence,
initial domain analysis for a given application of the OSCAR approach should fo-
cus on business processes first within and then between departments, which are
translated into linked workflows.
OSCAR therefore provides a range of generic workflow processes which can be
reused either by versioning, inclusion, or simply used as code examples in the gen-
eration of new workflow definitions that stem from additional input requirements
as they are defined. Generic workflow processes model the kinds of basic opera-
tions that are required within the general domain of land administration and in-
clude such processes as parcel creation, retirement, subdivision, amalgamation, re-
alignment, title change, attribute update, document production, search, query,
etc. Clearly there are many workflow processes that can be added subject to needs
in any given application context. However, the point is that once these processes
are known they can be added to the OSCAR workflow manager and integrated
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into the system relatively easily. Workflow processes will be managed to the max-
imum extent possible with a fully visual, drag and drop interface which will require
defining a process properly and then dragging and dropping the new process
within an existing process or defining a new process.
In a typical implementation scenario, OSCAR will be able to move land records
management from the paper-based systems that characterize most developing
countries to a digital workflow. For example, in a paper-based system an applicant
is given documents to fill in with appropriate information, and these documents
may detail other supporting documents that are required for a particular applica-
tion. Application forms and supporting documents are completed and submitted
to initiate an application process. In OSCAR, this process is defined as a workflow.
Rather than moving paper forms manually through various departments, the soft-
ware will allow data to be input through a user interface directly into a digital
OSCAR workflow. To do this a staff member would log onto the system using
secure access, be presented with an interface that contains all the tasks he/she is
currently involved with, as well as a menu of workflow processes to initiate, select
relevant application process, and cause a new instance of a predefined workflow
process to be executed.
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