3 Build and Rebuild

3.1 DEVELOP DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS

Here the design developed in step 2.3 is actually implemented. This may involve the use of commercial or open source tools or involve custom programming (or hammering and soldering). Best practice is to use tools that develop the instrument automatically from the metadata developed in earlier steps (see Iverson 2009).

3.2 CREATE OR ENHANCE INFRASTRUCTURE COMPONENTS

Staff may be hired and trained, space occupied, equipment installed, software written and/or installed, and more.

3.3 VALIDATE INSTRUMENTS

Pretesting may reveal the need for redesign or reimplementation of instruments. Questionnaire flow should be thoroughly tested. Simulated or pre-test data may be run through anticipated analysis procedures.

3.4 TEST PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

This may involve testing any computing infrastructure, including tests of security and capacity and any backup facilities to ensure that pretesting scales to the actual data collection. Testing assumptions about staff capacity could be done in this step also -- for example, testing whether each interviewer can really complete interviews in the time estimated.

3.5 FINALIZE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Switch over from test systems. Activate production identity management. Adjustments to scheduling may occur here.