Senior Data/Project Manager

Department:	CBRPE	Effective Date:	November 8, 2005
Grade:	USG 07	Reports to:

General Accountability

The Senior Data/Project Manager is responsible for: 1) managing a project to develop a centralized data storage/management system; 2) acquiring datasets from national and provincial agencies participating in CBRPE evaluation projects, cataloguing all datasets and creating the necessary documentation; and 3) developing, managing, and maintaining the databases and database processes to support evaluation/research studies. The incumbent will also attend technical meetings and serve as a resource person on data issues.

This position must ensure this work is conducted in an effective and efficient manner in support of the mission and vision of CBRPE. The position reports to, works closely with, and receives direction from the Director, Evaluation Studies, CBRPE.

All staff employed at the Centre for Behavioural Research and Program Evaluation (CBRPE) are responsible for contributing to the mission of the organization: “To build capacity for, and to conduct social and behavioural studies that contribute to improved cancer prevention and care at a population level.” Our organizational vision and goals can be found on the CBRPE Web site (www.cbrpe.uwaterloo.ca).

Nature and Scope

CBRPE is supported by the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) with funds from the Canadian Cancer Society (the Society). It was launched in 1993 and moved to the University of Waterloo in 1997. In addition to core funding from the NCIC, CBRPE receives contracts and grants from Health Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Social Services and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), as well as other Foundations and granting agencies. The annual core budget is approximately $2.2 million rising to $2.6 million by 2007, the final year of the current funding commitment. CBRPE holds approximately $5 million in externally funded research and evaluation grants and contracts.

Research is conducted through independent operating grants secured by the Executive Director; Director, Evaluation Studies; CBRPE Scientists; Research Associates; and Post Doctoral Fellows in peer reviewed competitive cycles from national or international granting agencies. CBRPE also supports and manages the Sociobehavioural Cancer Research Network (SCRN), which conducts multi-centre research projects and knowledge transfer activities across the country. Evaluation Studies is another major component of CBRPE’s work. In addition to conducting evaluations for core Society programs and services, evaluations of provincial, national and international cancer control initiatives are undertaken from time to time. CBRPE offers graduate and post-graduate training opportunities and exchange programs for visiting scholars and University of Waterloo (UW) faculty. It fosters linkages between researchers and decision makers to ensure the translation of research results to inform decision-making and ensure that research activities and evaluations have an impact on policy and programs.

Statistical Data

Specific Accountabilities

Project Management:

The mission statement for the centralized data storage/management system is to “Implement a highly automated, secure and easy to use system for intake, storage, reporting and analysis of the service data used by CBRPE for program evaluation and research.”

responsible for working with the Director, Evaluation Studies, to ensure the mission statement is achieved;
act as project champion, enlisting the cooperation and support of CBRPE staff;
approve all spending decisions;
define business and functional requirements for the project;
coordinates project engagement with the external project delivery organization;
approve all project deliverables;
responsible for identifying additional deliverables and expanded scope requirements;
approve project plans and schedules.

Database Management, Organization and Quality Control:

develop and implement coordinated business and quality control processes for data management and analysis. The processes must be designed to respect the integration and linkage of program data, evaluation data and national/provincial level data. The ultimate aim is to continually improve the management, analysis and reporting of data for enhanced knowledge utilization by policymakers, providers and researchers. Tasks include assessment of existing software and data management systems, development of database standards and procedures, design forms, reports and process control logs that track the movement of data and the completion of steps through data collection, evaluation/research process, system testing and training, deployment, and maintenance;
design, coordinate, implement and maintain evaluation and research databases as required.

Initially three Evaluation Studies projects will be addressed:

the Smokers’ Helpline Evaluation. This involves over 20,000 calls per year from 8 Canadian quitlines; collaboration and consultation with the other Canadian provinces on common data elements and analysis; data linkage with other North American and European quitlines for comparative research and evaluation;
the Canadian Cancer Society’s Peer Support Knowledge and Information Management (PSKIM). PSKIM is a web-based data system that supports program operations and evaluation in ten provinces. Data on service utilization, volunteer-client matches, duration of match, client satisfaction will be extracted and analyzed. Follow-up survey and research data will be added along with data linkage studies to compare the Society’s clients with the cancer population to determine the extent of services needed and how best cancer patients’ needs can be met;
the Canadian Cancer Society’s Cancer Information Service (CIS). CIS receives up to 65,000 calls per year. CBRPE works with the CIS program and database management staff to analyze geographic coverage of the CIS service, compare CIS caller data with population level data and to randomly select callers for research and evaluation purposes. Every two years a random sample of CIS callers is included in impact studies.
monitor quality control and performance of databases and make recommendations for necessary changes to improve quality of evaluations and research. This task will involve liaison with external groups, which currently create, operate and maintain databases for service delivery;
develop and enforce guidelines for the creation, control and use of data;
provide clear documentation on all aspects of database development, management, analysis and reporting;
perform regular database maintenance tasks such as data dumps/loads, upgrades and performance tuning;
oversee overall data consistency at a technical level and resolve identified data integrity issues within the data management system;
liaison among data base users, University of Waterloo and Applied Health Services Information Technology group.

Managerial/Training:

management of database, analysis, timetables and quality control processes;
keep up-to-date on database management, analysis techniques and systems;
negotiate agreements with outside evaluators, researchers, practitioners and policymakers;
organize training sessions for staff;
coordinate and supervise the work of staff (i.e. Analyst).