Comprehensive System Administrator Guide for Data.FI’s DHIS2 Software in Zimbabwe

The organisation unit hierarchy is built up by parent-child relations, in a "tree"-like format. In DHIS2, each of these nodes is an organisation unit (org unit). The Data.FI server, for example, has Regions, each of which has a number of Countries as children. Usually, the lowest level consists of Villages/locations where data is collected as this is where activities typically occur. Data collection can also be located at higher levels, but in the case of Data.FI, data is collected at the lowest level the service delivery point. DHIS2 is structured so that the organisational unit hierarchy is a geographical hierarchy, and the Geographical Information System (Maps) module depends on this. Additional hierarchies (e.g., the sub location structure or a hierarchy based upon the type of organisation units) can be modeled using organisational groups and group sets, but the organisational hierarchy is the main vehicle for data aggregation on the geographical dimension. The data element is perhaps the most important building block of the database. It represents the "what" dimension, explaining what is being collected - i.e., it is raw data. DHIS2 calls this unit of collection a data element. The data element often represents a count of something, and its name describes what is being counted, e.g., "Visits done by Health Staff to released detainees" or "Among new cases assisted, number of Ill Treatment case". When data is collected, validated, analysed, reported or presented it is the data elements or expressions built upon data elements that describes the “what” of the data. As such the data element becomes important for all aspects of the system and they decide not only how data is collected, but more importantly how the data values are represented in the database, which again decides how data can be analysed and presented. DHIS2 Terms include Category, Category Combination, Category Options, Data Element, Data Element Group, Data Element Group Sets, Data Set, Indicator, Organisation Unit, Organisation Unit Group, Organisation Unit Group Sets, Unique Identifier, and Validation Rule. Category Groups of category options, for example, a category called 'Age' would group together a series of age category options. Category Combinations are used to disaggregate data elements and are made up of different combinations of categories (or groups of categories). Category Options are the smallest unit of disaggregation, corresponding to each 'option' within a given category. The organisation unit hierarchy is built up by parent-child relations, in a "tree"-like format. In DHIS2, each of these nodes is an organisation unit (org unit). The Data.FI server, for example, has Regions, each of which has a number of Countries as children. Usually, the lowest level consists of Villages/locations where data is collected as this is where activities typically occur. Data collection can also be located at higher levels, but in the case of Data.FI, data is collected at the lowest level the service delivery point. DHIS2 is structured so that the organisational unit hierarchy is a geographical hierarchy, and the Geographical Information System (Maps) module depends on this. Metadata creation is a crucial aspect of DHIS2. Organisation units are created, updated, and rearranged using hierarchy operations. Organisation unit levels are updated, and organisation unit groups are created and updated. Category options, categories, and category combinations are created and updated. Data elements are created, and data element groups are created and updated. Tracked entity types and tracked entity instances are created, and relationships are defined between tracked entity types. Programs are created, and program details, enrollment details, and attributes are defined.