Home / Programs / Information Sharing / JIEM / JIEM Methodology

JIEM Methodology

The JIEM® Methodology is a structured, formally documented approach for defining and capturing information exchange requirements.

The JIEM Methodology provides the steps necessary to capture both the:

  • Content of the exchange - the information being exchanged
  • Context of the exchange - who is involved in the exchange, the factors determining when the exchange should occur, and the reasons that prompted the exchange, as well as what events will happen next.

In addition, JIEM captures critical policy requirements such as privacy, security, and the priority and frequency/urgency of the exchange. The goal is to bring consensus among business partners.

The JIEM Methodology is premised on the notion that all information exchanges can be described by identifying five dimensions of requirements. By carefully defining the five dimensions for each information exchange, the content and context is documented.

The JIEM Methodology provides the guidance necessary to capture and organize critical exchange information using the following three steps:
Step 1:
Collaboratively define the elements in each of the five dimensions 		  Step 2:
Now you have captured both the Context and the Content of the information exchange 		Step 3:
Document critical policy requirements
1. Process:
Series of logically related events and exchanges that achieve some business purpose or milestone
2. Event:
Decisions or actions that trigger information exchange
3. Agency:
Business partners who exchange information
4. Condition:
Decision points or "gates" that define when information exchange happens 		Context:
Why (as part of what business process?)

Who (what parts of the enterprise?)

When (under what conditions? After which events?)

What happens next? 		Policy Requirements:
- Privacy
- Security
- Priority
- Frequency/urgency
- Complexity
- Confidentiality
- Duration
5. Information:
The content of the information exchanged-the "payload" 		Content:
The actual information being exchanged

The JIEM Methodology includes the definition of services, in support of the Global Reference Architecture (GRA). A service is a logically related group of exchanges, all of which provide access to a business capability. The exchanges associated with a service represent the service's action model, as defined in the GRA.

The JIEM Methodology has proven effective in providing the guidance necessary to build consensus among partners involved in each information exchange. JIEM effectively supports key steps in the:
More detailed information on the JIEM Tool is available.

Links

  • Technical Brief: The Benefits of Using JIEM to Capture Privacy Requirements - February 2008
    SEARCH plans to enhance the JIEM conceptual framework and JIEM software tool to allow JIEM users to capture privacy requirements in the same manner as they capture other information exchange requirements in JIEM. The purpose of this Technical Brief is to identify the benefits of this approach.
  • JIEM Flyer
    This one-page flyer makes a great hand-out and describes the features and benefits of the JIEM resource.
  • JIEM Conceptual Framework - Updated November 2010
    This document defines and illustrates the five dimensions of information exchange (processes, events, agencies, conditions, and information), and explains how the individual dimensions are brought together to form meaningful exchanges of information.
  • JIEM Reference Model
    This business reference model for justice information exchange contains almost 700 key exchanges common to most jurisdictions. It is a reference manual for analyzing information exchange as a part of an integrated justice initiative, and aids sites in using JIEM effectively and economically. If you are a current JIEM user, you can obtain a copy of the JIEM Adult Felony Reference Model that you can import and use within the tool. Please consult the "Reference Models" page on the JIEM Community Site for more information. The JIEM Community Site provides users with additional information, reference models, tools, and tips that help information sharing initiatives succeed with JIEM.
  • Contact us: jiem@search.org