Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now 

Despite the ongoing pandemic situation in the country, the DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI) was able to conduct a three-day System Administration and End-User Training for the laboratory analysts and managers of its partner agencies DOST-ITDI Advanced Device and Materials Testing Laboratory (ADMATEL) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). The said training, which was conducted last June 3 to 5, discussed how to use the Intelligent Data Analysis System (IDAS) software application.

The IDAS software was developed during the implementation of the collaborative project between the three agencies which started in January 2019 and will conclude by December 2020. The training was conducted through online training channels designed to function like a physical training room under normal circumstances. The event was the first ever End-User Training conducted by the DOST-ASTI through online means of communication.

Figure 1. System administrators of ADMATEL and the DOST-ASTI during the System Administration Training conducted on June 03, 2020 under the IDAS Project. 

The three-day training was divided into two parts: (1) System Administration Training, and (2) End-User Training. The System Administration Training was conducted last June 3 to provide the designated system administrators of the IDAS system with sufficient understanding of the IT infrastructure supporting the operation of the IDAS software application. The designated system administrators of the IDAS system will administer the IT infrastructure upon its turnover to ADMATEL.

The End-User Training, on the other hand, was conducted last June 4 to 5 and is aimed to train the laboratory analysts and laboratory managers of ADMATEL and PDEA on how to use the analytics functionalities of the IDAS software application. The instructional videos provided to each user were meticulously prepared by the DOST-ASTI IDAS project development team so that the participants will be guided well during their training.

Figure 2. Laboratory managers and analysts from ADMATEL during the End-User Training conducted on June 4-5, 2020. 

Virtual is the New Normal 

To cope with the current logistical challenges of the new normal, the DOST-ASTI used its existing corporate subscription to Microsoft Teams to deliver the trainings to its partner agencies. A separate training channel was also prepared for the System Administration Training and another for the End-User Training. Each training participant, depending on their designated role in the IDAS system, joined their corresponding training channels via Microsoft Teams. A separate virtual room for receiving the participants prior to the actual training was also prepared to provide them with some preliminary instructions on how the activity will be delivered.

Participants were then ushered to the virtual training rooms so they can be instructed with a more specific set of guidelines particular to their role in the IDAS system. Both trainings were delivered in a self-paced and hands-on manner. Each participant was provided with a set of highly detailed user guide, instructional videos, and sample input datasets specific to their role in the IDAS system. Since most of the participants were attending the training from their homes, they can personally manage their time as they go through the instructional materials.  

Figure 3. Participants from ADMATEL and PDEA during the End-User Training conducted last June 4-5, 2020. Some of the participants were accessing the system from their homes

The self-paced manner of delivering the training was beneficial for the participants given their varying learning paces in terms of understanding the instructions and using the software. Each training was opened and concluded with a video call with all the training participants so that everyone can discuss their experience with the IDAS software. The participants were also supported by the DOST-ASTI’s IDAS project development team throughout the training via chat in each separate training channel. All inputs from the participants were also documented. 

Figure 4. Participants from ADMATEL, PDEA, and the DOST-ASTI during the End-User Training conducted on June 4-5, 2020. 

Adapt and Serve 

The DOST-ASTI aims to constantly adapt to emerging situations to serve the Filipino people and its partner agencies through various technologies available at the institute’s disposal.

Figure 5. The DOST-ASTI IDAS Project Development Team.