Public Sector Analytic Services & Reports for System Evaluation
This workflow outlines the process by which a knowledge user requests ICES to carry out the analyses and provide research deliverables for the purposes of program or policy development, planning and decision making.
Requestor | 
DAS staff
Step 1 - The Requestor submits the DAS Request Form.
The Requestor must be a publicly funded, not-for-profit researcher, student, organization, policy maker or knowledge user. The Requestor must specify the purpose of the project – academic publication, inform policymakers, report, etc. – and the intended audience. A pdf request form should be submitted.
Step 2 - ICES DAS assesses eligibility and project feasibility. If acceptable, the Requestor is invited to a consultation to review project objectives and timelines.
Upon submission, the DAS team will assess project feasibility and timelines. The Requestor will be contacted within two full business days of submission of the DAS Request Form. If feasible and eligible for services, a consultation will be scheduled.
Step 3 - During the consultation, ICES DAS will gather information to develop a preliminary project plan. Following the consultation, ICES DAS will provide the Requestor with a Confirmation of Feasibility that includes a cost estimate of the services requested.
The DAS team consults with the Requestor to develop a preliminary project plan. This consultation process (up to ten hours) will gather information on the following:
- Project personnel: Specify the principal investigator and any analysts or research coordinators who are part of the project team.
- Type of study: Specify whether the project is a cohort or case-control study. If cohort, has the cohort already been created or is cohort development required? If it is a longitudinal study, identify which changes over time are of interest (examples: residential changes, coding changes).
- Index event, variables and covariates: Identify the index event, age, sex, and any other required demographic or geographic data. Specify any comorbidities and additional covariates.
- Data sets required: Identify the data sets and dates that will need to be used to answer the research question.
- Types of analytical methods: Identify the analysis plan. Specify if existing data fields can be used or whether fields need to be derived. If there is a named analyst on the project team, are they familiar with the analytic methods that are required?
- Disease and procedure codes: Specify any classification codes that will be used in the study.
- Resources required: Specify whether the project will require support from analysts, epidemiologists, project manager, scientist, etc.
- Timeline: Specify the proposed timeline for the project and whether there are deadlines to meet (funding end dates, year-end reports, etc.).
Step 4 - The Requestor reviews Confirmation of Feasibility for accuracy and provides ICES DAS with approval to move forward with project initiation.
ICES DAS will provide the Requestor with a proposed project plan, high-level data set project plan and cost estimate based consultation. The letter of support accompanying the Confirmation of Feasibility will include any conditions that must be met by the Requestor before project work can begin (including confirmation of public funding). If funding is being sought, the letter of support can be submitted to granting agencies for applications. When the Requestor has confirmed funding, they will contact ICES DAS to initiate the project.
Step 5 - ICES DAS provides the Requestor the DAS Agreement for signature.
The DAS Agreement outlines the terms and conditions for provision and estimated cost of the services. Members of the Requestor’s project team will be required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement, to be considered Authorized Researchers.
Following signature, ICES Finance will invoice the Requestor for services as per payment schedule negotiated within the DAS Agreement.
Step 6 - ICES DAS will submit project initiation documents for ICES Privacy to review and approve.
ICES Privacy will review the ICES Project Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) submitted by ICES DAS. ICES Privacy will advise and inform the project team of any further requirements which need to be met prior to project approval.
For projects requesting importation of external data to ICES, a data sharing agreement will be negotiated following ICES Privacy approval, specifying the data custodian, location of data, transfer schedule and data destruction upon linkage to ICES Data.
Step 7 - ICES DAS works with the Requestor to develop and finalize the data set creation plan.
Information from the consultation(s) with DAS and project proposal will be used to put together the data set creation plan outlining in detail, the Requestor's data requirements (specific data sets, timeframes, variables, covariates, etc.).
Step 8 - ICES DAS creates cohort(s) according to finalized data set creation plan and generates research output as requested.
ICES Analysts will generate tables and figures, and provide them to the Requestor for input on an ongoing basis. It is helpful if the Requestor provides ICES DAS with shell or dummy tables.
Step 9 - The Requestor reviews the deliverables and advises ICES DAS if any changes are required.
This is an iterative process where the Requestor works closely with ICES DAS to fine-tune the deliverables according to the Requestor’s specifications. All deliverables (including preliminary deliverables) will be suppressed for small cells and assessed for re-identification risk assessment.
Step 10 - The Requestor receives the final deliverables as requested and informs ICES DAS of project closure.
Once the Requestor has received the final deliverables, final administrative documents will be issued by ICES DAS. Any remaining and outstanding costs will be invoiced at this time.