a) Project Background
Modelling is a key decision support tool used by Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP). For example, AEP relies on data-driven decision making through analyses of modelling results to support decisions on air, land, water, and biodiversity management. As the complexity and demand for modelling increases, AEP modellers face two key issues:
• Work to prepare and process data required to run the environmental models takes up most of a modeller’s time
• Processed data is stored in a manner that is not easily accessible to other modellers (outside of that specific business area)
In late 2017, as a proof-of-concept (POC) the Modelling Integration Team (MIT) of the Air, Biodiversity and Policy Integration Branch (ABPIB), AEP purchased consulting services from a firm to do data Extraction, Transformation and Loading (ETL) work to support environmental models using Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) platform. The rationale and benefits for purchasing the consulting service was to:
• give the MIT a jump start in learning to use FME software for performing ETL functions on selected environmental models such as MIKE SHE and WRMM,
• get continued support and time saving tips and tricks through coaching the MIT in the principle of “learning-by-doing”, and
• increase efficiency and effectiveness in preparing modelling data through automation of repetitive data manipulation processes thereby eliminating duplicate, laborious, error-prone work related to data preparation.
This proposed project aims to build upon the preliminary results from the POC. The MIT hopes to leverage usage of FME to significantly reduce time and money required for data preparation to support various environmental models. This will deliver practical results that would support real business issues related to the integration of spatial and non-spatial data. Ultimately, there would be cost savings and a good return on investment.
Furthermore, the MIT is developing the Alberta Modelling Expert System (MES) to assist the modelling community in three key areas including:
• Identifying appropriate modelling tools to meet objectives and determine data availability for models selected,
• Accessing knowledge and information from completed modelling projects, and
• Promoting information and knowledge sharing among modelling community of practice.
There is a need to integrate MES with FME in terms of processing modelling input data from various data sources.
The Government of Alberta, through a government agency, Service Alberta, maintains both the FME desktop and server applications. The tools or workspaces will have direct connections to various enterprise databases such as WISKI, EDW, and GENESIS, allowing modellers ready access to source data.
b) Project Objectives
The objectives of this project are to:
• Eliminate duplicate, repetitive, laborious, and potentially error-prone work related to modelling data preparation,
• Increase efficiency and effectiveness in preparing modelling data required by environmental models through FME, and
• Continue to build essential in-house capacity of the Modelling Integration Team of AEP through learning and application of FME software for environmental models.
This project will support the department’s strategic priorities related to regional planning and other priority management issues. In the context of modelling practice, there are at least three outcomes which can be achieved through the success of conducting this project as follows:
• Reduce environmental modellers’ data processing efforts by 50%,
• Modellers will use consistent data for their respective models, and
• Modellers will have access to both historic and real-time data for model calibration and validation.
