Download The database - Neighbourhood Watch

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD ALERT NETWORK
(Refers to the Neighbourhood Alert diagram.)
The database
The central part of the system is the database, described in the section ‘Central
datastore and profiling tools’.
We describe people who are registered on the Neighbourhood Alert database as
‘users’, because they could be Neighbourhood/Home Watch members or
coordinators, interested members of the public, or they could belong to other
community groups such as schools, churches or other types of Watch scheme (e.g.
Pub Watch, Business Watch, Farm Watch etc.). Anyone can register on the database.
Methods of database growth
The database is the core of the system, but people need to be able to get onto the
database. They can do this by signing themselves up, during which process they
enter their own details. This also means that they can edit their details at any time,
thereby keeping the database up to date without the need for burdensome
administration and regular data ‘cleansing’. People can sign up to the database as
follows:
Via microsites
A microsite is any community or Neighbourhood/Home Watch website which is
linked into the Neighbourhood Alert system by means of a ‘portal’ (see below).
People are not limited to signing up via a single website. There are a large number
(over 50 at present) of sites where they can register. These are referred to as
‘microsites’. The database is like a large room full of people and each microsite is like
a door into the room.
Via portals
Organisations that work with the Neighbourhood & Home Watch Network – such as
the police, Trading Standards and county Neighbourhood/Home Watch Associations
– can, if they wish, purchase a ‘portal’. A portal is also a ‘door’ into the central
database, but it is much more than just a way in.
When an organisation buys a portal, they are buying a whole set of customised tools.
They get administrative access to the database and appropriate training, together
with whatever tools they want and need. They liaise directly with Visav (the
company that build and maintain Neighbourhood Alert) who will develop those tools
for them and make sure their training and support needs are met.
A portal comes packaged with a set of microsites, so the organisation also gets
customised websites where people can register. They have administrative access to
those who have registered via ‘their’ microsites, and those people are also part of the
larger central database, thus contributing to national statistics which support
promotion, funding bids and allocation of resources.
If the database is a big room full of people and the microsites are doors, the portals
are like big hallways with champagne and a buffet!
Information providers
At the top of the diagram you can see ‘Licensed information providers’. These are
organisations which have signed a license agreement with Visav to use the
Neighbourhood Alert service to send out messages to users on the database.
The Information Providers are explained in the Terms & Conditions when people
sign up, but users can at any time opt out of receiving messages from the various
Information Providers. If they do this, that Information Provider will not be able to
‘see’ them at all on the database.
Profiling tools
A database is only helpful when it can be used. The Neighbourhood Alert database
has three main sets of tools designed to get the most out of the database.
Message sending: enables administrators to send messages to the users to which
they have access (access depends on individual permissions). Users can choose to
receive only certain types and priorities of messages. Administrators can target their
messages to certain groups of users by geography, demographic and interests.
Responses are managed within the system, ensuring an audit trail for each message
and user.
User profiling: shows where the users are located and allows users to choose
which demographic groups and interest groups they want to be aligned with. This
not only allows administrators to send more relevant messages but also supports our
funding bids, allocation of resources and promotion/marketing by allowing us to see
how many of our users are interested in different issues, in all parts of England and
Wales.
NHWN scheme tools: allows trained administrators to manage schemes and
users. Coordinators can manage their own schemes but due to confidentiality and
data protection there are certain things that users cannot do via their own account.
Administrators can use the scheme tools to assist users. They also have local, county
and regional knowledge, so when new users join the system an administrator can
make sure that they are in touch with the relevant local contact(s) and have followed
any other procedures that might be necessary in their area (e.g. registration with the
police).