DATA VISUALIZATION :

METABASE Guide

Introduction
The data sent from ESPEN Collect is stored in a database on which an automatic backup is made to
compensate for the loss of data in the event of any possible accident or damage. The data sent daily by
the field teams are raw data that requires cleaned up before any analysis can be done to produce results
that are easy to read and understand in the form of charts, summary tables and so on. Since the data
analysis is only carried out once the survey is completed, it becomes difficult to know before the end of
the survey what results to expect or to determine the trends already for certain key indicators.

In order to monitor and ensure data quality, it is therefore important to produce charts and tables that
will be updated automatically from the data sent as the survey progresses. These charts and tables take
the form of a dashboard that is designed to facilitate monitoring the progress of field activities by the
ministry of health.

The function of a dashboard is to allow easy visualization, monitoring and use of relevant data in the
form of figures, ratios and charts. These indicators are linked to objectives in order to inform decision-
making1. That is why ESPEN Collect survey support services use the dashboard as one of the tools
available to national survey teams..

It is designed to meet the specific needs of programme managers, monitoring/evaluation officers, data
managers, supervisors, and team leaders for tracking survey progress, locating survey sites, inspecting
data, assisting with data cleaning, previewing interim results, and assessing interviewer performance.

1 • Guide pour élaborer un tableau de bord, accessed on september 23, 2020, https://www.manager-go.com/finance/dossiers-
methodes/guide-creation-tableau-de-bord
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Figure 1 : Dashboard model

Configuring the dashboard

With regard to the design of the dashboards for the supported surveys, the ESPEN Collect team opted
for Metabase, an easy-to-use freeware and powerful analysis tool that facilitates data-driven decision-
making.

The configuration of the dashboard is done by the data manager using standard templates so that for
each new survey, the supervisory team does not have to learn the new content of the dashboard.

This guide explains the step-by-step process to follow from the moment the invitation to download the
EPIRF2 is received, through to the monitoring of data quality. The guide also presents some key features
of Metabase that you need to know in order to access the data.

For more information on Metabase, the official user guide is available here: https://metabase.com/docs/
latest/users-guide/start.html

INVITATION TO THE METABASE DASHBOARD

To access the data, at the time of submitting the request to use ESPEN Collect services, the National
NTD Programme Manager specifies the people authorized to access the data and their privileges: read/
write (ability to view and modify data) or read-only (ability to view data only without the possibility of
modification).

The ESPEN Collect Data Manager sends an invitation to the persons specified by the country using their
email addresses as shown in figure 2.

2 • Epidemiological data reporting form

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Figure 2 : Invitation to Metabase

NOTE
A user’s mailbox may classify the invitation message as spam. Therefore, if you cannot find the
invitation message in your inbox, it is important to check the spam folder before contacting the
ESPEN Collect Data Manager.

INITIAL CONNECTION TO METABASE

Once you have received the email invitation, you must accept it by clicking on the “Join now” registration
button (figure 2 [a]) and creating a new password (figure 3 [b]). This password will be used for each new
connection to Metabase. If you already have an account, click on the link or go to Metabase as shown in
figure 4: https://metabase.espen.securedatakit.com/ and enter your identification details to connect.

Figure 3 : Creating the password

NOTE
For future connections to Metabase, navigate to the ESPEN Collect page on the ESPEN Portal
ebelow “Connect to dashboard of existing survey” and click on “Identify yourself” (figure 4, [c]).
You will be directed to Metabase and requested to enter the username and the password. (Use the
details created during creation of the password, figure 3, [a]).
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Figure 4 : Access to Metabase from the ESPEN Portal

After creating the password (also for future logins), you will be automatically redirected to the Metabase
homepage of your country. This page contains mainly two components: raw data and basic analyses (the
dashboard).

Figure 5 : Metabase Home page

Figure 5, [d] : Click on the country name to access the table linked to the survey.

Figure 5, [e] : Click on the database name to access the raw data.

THE DASHBOARD
The dashboard is the Metabase feature you will use most frequently. It provides analyses, displays key
indicators and all the data sent by ESPEN Collect. To access the Dashboard, click below the name of your
country. This will take you to another page containing the dashboard(s) of the survey(s) conducted by
the country [f].
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Figure 6 : Example of a PreTAS table

CONTENT/COMPOSITION OF THE DASHBOARD

The Dashboard contains four large blocks, subdivided in turn into visuals corresponding to the indicators
chosen for each type of survey. These visuals can therefore be the number of sites visited, participants
per site, total number of participants, number/percentage of positive tests, distribution of males and
females, and so on. Depending on the type of data, the visuals are displayed in the form of charts, tables,
maps, text, and so on.

Below are the main blocks that form a dashboard:

 Surveillance and errors

This block contains a set of information on errors in the collected data. This part allows for
monitoring of the quality of the data and provides a general idea of the elements to be followed
to avoid future errors.
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 Reporting
The report includes visuals with key indicators from the survey. This block also contains the
formatting of the data in EPIRF. To download them, simply click on the title of the table containing
the EPIRF data (to the open page containing the «EPIRF» table, click on the bottom right corner of
the page to download the EPIRF). For more details on downloading the data, please refer to the
page below about downloading.

 Raw data
The raw data is represented in the form of tables that include the data as stored in the database.

 Metadata
This refers to additional information from the survey such as the start date, which people have
access to the data, the end date, the partner supporting the activity, the number of sites visited,
and so on.

DOWNLOADING DATA FROM METABASE

You can download the data directly from the dashboard. Below are the steps for downloading the data
set using a Metabase dashboard.

 Access the dashboard and identify the data set you want to download.

 Click on the title of the indicator figure 7 [g] – containing the data – that you wish to download. It
will redirect you to the Metabase visual (the question) containing the data set.

 Wait until Metabase loads all the required data and click on the arrows in the lower right corner of
the page. This will drop down the list of available data formats.

 Click on the format you want, usually .csv or .xlsx. Wait for the download to finish and go to the
download folder to get the downloaded file.

Figure 7 : Indicator (containing data) for downloading

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HELPDESK/ TROUBLESHOOTING
• I have forgotten my password

Click on “I seem to have forgotten my password” on the connection page (figure 8, [h]) of Metabase and
follow the instructions. You will receive an email containing instructions on how to reset your password.

Figure 8: Resetting the password

• I have reset my password but I still cannot get connected

This problem has been encountered by some users of the old version of Metabase. If this happens again,
contact the ESPEN Data Manager at espensupport@who.int for help.