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cwXML / ICPC Issues to be Considered - 10/29/02

Throughout our discussions on developing child welfare XML standards, we have identified various technical and functional issues that need to be teased out and investigated. While the table which follows identifies many of the issues we’ve raised over the past couple discussions, the following lists of technical requirements and functional requirements identify the steps involved in performing a data exchange using XML. As the members of the Functional and Technical teams meet to discuss the issues in the following table, they should give consideration to identifying any additional issues which result from each of the requirements below and which are not yet identified in the table.

The following outlines technical requirements to implement to an XML data exchange process:

  1. Establish connection to data source
  2. Map data elements of data source to XML schema
  3. Develop process to extract data and generate XML file according to specified schema (for a send transaction )
  4. Develop process to initiate and send XML file (SOAP exchange would best solution to send XML)
  5. Develop process to receive, retrieve, parse and validate XML file, then load data to data source (for a receive transaction)
  6. Develop a method to provide delivery receipt or confirmation of message
  7. Develop a method to secure and encrypt the transmission of data

The following outlines business process requirements for a user to perform an ICPC transfer:

  1. Specify client for which to send data
  2. Specify form type to send (100A or 100B)
  3. Specify State and contact person to send data to
  4. Specify method in which to send data to recipient contact person (example: HTTP, SMTP, FTP) and address for selected method
  5. Ability to retrieve and view received data
  6. Ability to confirm and load data to database or other repository
  7. Ability to send (fax, mail, other method) and associate additional forms and documents

The following outlines the approach and assumptions to developing a universal ICPC XML data exchange solution:
1. No central application host
2. No required purchase of additional hardware or software
3. No common database or data source for all States
4. No common technical/operating platform for all States
5. Very limited technical and other resources available for each State
6. Develop an application to handle setup, configuration, and execution of data transfer through a graphical user interface (GUI) to eliminate, or at least greatly minimize, any custom programming and modification of source code

Issue Type Issue Description
Technical Team Use of Attributes versus Elements What is the advantage of using attributes instead of elements? What is the converse advantage?
Technical cwXML Attributes and Elements
  1. What is the role/need of the organization attribute “TYPE **” in the organization element (see row 37 on MA Attributes and Elements spreadsheet)?
  2. Need to decide on format for telephone numbers; that is, what elements comprise a phone number?
Technical Use of Codes versus Text in XML File Do we transmit codes to represent values? Such as 1= male and 2= female and 3= unknown or do we simply send long string values (male, female, and unknown)?
Technical (possibly the Functional Team will have to help with this one) Standards Administration
  1. Who will develop and maintain the standards?
  2. Who will register them?
  3. Where will the standards specifications reside (schemas, process definitions, etc.)?
  4. What change management process will be used to make changes to the specifications?
  5. How will changes be approved?
Technical Processing Considerations
  1. How do you categorize the data elements for internal job control purposes and communicating the file structure and contents you’re sending?
      a. job controls and file transfer administration (i.e. record count, file size, recognition of duplicate file being sent, etc.)
  2. transport protocols and security
  3. error handling procedures
  4. overhead considerations
  5. increased network utilization
Technical Processing XML Files
  1. parsing
  2. translating
  3. editing
  4. viewing
  5. storage and retrieval
Technical Transmitting XML Files
  1. How do we identify the types of transmissions? Element name = I00A initial, 100A feedback, 100B initial, 100B feedback, etc.
  2. Also, is there any way to streamline the process so there is not so much back and forth transactional activity? (Functional Team may need to assist in outlining the business process to determine where efficiencies can be realized.)
     
Technical Supporting ICPC Documents How do we send supporting material via XML? (medical records, IEPs, birth certificates, housing inspections, case notes, etc. – where these materials are in hard copy format or electronic format using various applications)
Technical HIPAA Compliance Need to be sure confidentiality is maintained in any data that is transferred.
Functional cwXML Attributes and Elements and 100A Data Elements (use MA document as guide)
  1. Verify values for:
      a. Ethnicity
      b. Initial Report Requested
      c. Supervisory Services Requested
      d. ICPC Termination Reason
      e. Type of ICPC Care
  2. Is the Child Planner (item 6 on 100A Data Elements) the name of a person or organization?
  3. Should Placement Care Type comply with care types found in AFCARS data element 41? (item 12 on Attributes and Elements)
  4. What values should be used for Legal Status? Also, will we break out different legal attributes such as legal custody, physical custody, ICPC custody, etc.? (item 16 on Attributes and Elements)
Functional ICPC Business Process
  1. What is the ICPC business process? Can the electronic transfer of data using XML help this process?
  2. What is the business case for using XML?
Functional Non-child welfare ICPCs
  1. How many jurisdictions have more than one agency responsible for ICPCs?
  2. Assuming XML won’t be used to transmit non-child welfare ICPCs, what is the impact on the business users by excluding these?
Functional Signatures
  1. Can we assume the transfer of data within an XML file constitutes approval from the sending jurisdiction?
  2. How do we acknowledge approval from the receiving jurisdiction?
  3. Would (should) follow-up hard copy documentation be sent along with an XML file?
Functional Team APHSA Database
  1. Are there any lessons learned with regard to the values that APHSA has declared as “standard” on the 100A and 100B forms available in their database?
  2. Look at the APHSA database to determine if the schema approach we agreed on during the 10/24/2002 meeting works with the database since approx. 20 states are using it.
  3. Contact Jan Cooper to determine this.
Functional Team XML Web Site Functional Team should be responsible for developing content for updating the web site, with Mary Ellen Bennard, Rebecca Bolton, and Ed Mount serving as reviewers and approvers of the material.

Technical Team Functional Team
Tomy Abraham (MA) – Lead Fran McAdoo (KS)
Ed Mount (KS) Sheila Sodaitis (NH)
Justin DeLong (KS) Rebecca Bolton (NH)
Mahesh Karekar (DRC) Sandy Purcell (NH)
Ed Wills (NH) Heather Shaw Elster (AMS)
Mark Calem (AMS) or designee Janice Baker (Deloitte)
  Brian Cishecki (DRC)
  Jan Cooper (Caliber)
   
** Note that Janice will also serve as liaison between teams as necessary.


 

 

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