RRI Discussion:
For patrols I believe we could add a “Take Independent Observation” option to the task screen that allows the user to take an observation and flag it as independent. We can change our import tasks to import these and independent incidents instead of patrol values.
I don’t know how we take Incidents without a patrol.

Also it would have to integrate with CONNECT; so we would have to update CONNECT processing as well.

Is it important to put this at the beginning? Can we put it at the end of entering observation along with "Add As New" and "Add To Last"?

What if we add "Add as New Independant observation" and "Add to last independent observation" in the end?

Should there be an option to enable/disable recording independent observations?

In terms of import in this case I assume that we should provide options to import - patrol or independent incidents or both at the same time.

So if we needed to take data for an independent incident whilst not on patrol, we would start a patrol, enter the independent obs, flag as independent and then end the patrol? Would we then be able to import only the Independent Incident and not the patrol?

1) I assumed that you should start a patrol before you will be able to record any patrol observation or independent incident.
2) The way I see it at the moment is that during import user will have several checkboxes were he can pick what he want to import, so he will be able to import either patrol or independent incidents or both (if user checks both checkboxes).

Currently I assume that independent incidents and patrol observations uses the same configurable model. Is it expected to have different configurable models for recording patrol observations and independent incidents?

Note that configurable model can be organised in a way that is has separate sections for appropriate data.

One of the desired uses of this functionality would be using CT to collect data for SMART in a non-patrol situations, such as a community survey or to record human-wildlife conflict. Can I just clarify if the need to start a patrol to enter an independent observation is a limitation or it is assumed that it would be desired? If possible, in CT, under Start New Patrol, there could be an option for Take Independent Observation, or is Philip suggesting that is not possible?

As for the configurable data models, organising the configurable data model certainly could work if it would be very difficult to have separate ones, but if it is simple to do, it would make life easier if there was an option to have different ones, as the data may be quite different and it would avoid confusing the user.

What if we produce another "CT Application" that is similar to the patrol one except that it doesn't record any metadata, just observations and imports them as independent incidents The user would then export this application to the device and use this application instead of the patrol one.
The drawback with this approach is that you could not record Incidents while being on patrol

Please note that "Start New Patrol" screen is also not available while being on patrol

Julien, do you have a preference between:
A) The ability to create independent incidents while on patrol or mission.
B) The ability to export a cybertracker app for collecting independent incidents only.

I would think B) would be more useful, as whilst on patrol, observations can simply be recorded as patrol observations.

However If I remember correctly other members of the UC had mentioned in Cambridge that they wanted the ability to record Independent Incidents whilst on patrol as well, so it may be worth getting a consensus here.

From Raj Amin -

"We had designed the independent incidences to be recorded outside patrols so I think this would be the preferred option. One application for this would be for recording Human Wildlife Conflict incidences which we have started to look into either using existing features or a possible add-on. As we need to track affected individuals / groups we would need the ability to define a new entry in entity tracker in the field. I think we need to think this through carefully"

#2471

Supported in SMART Mobile.

SMART7/Mobile also supports just the collection of independent incidents.