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Automated - New & Returning Member Progress (NMRP) report

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 1:07 pm
by rich
Automated NRMP - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... sp=sharing

I read through a couple threads and noticed several requests for this. I didn't see anyone offering it yet though. Our Stake Presidency encouraged unit clerks in Jan2014 to start using the NRMP form with our ward councils. I was discouraged to find a [SAVE] button was not implemented in neither the lds.org nor the MLS version. So I rolled my own, attached is what the on-line Ward Council View and auto-generated report look like. I also attached the MLS and LDS.Org versions for comparison sake.

Personal opinion: I noticed many posts along the way about security concerns of storing member's personally identifiable info (PII) on-line. I totally agree. In google docs, I think it is 'safe' enough, so long as the clerk is diligent in managing the [Share] settings on a specific Google spreadsheet. My Bishop is very conservative with member's PII. He was fine with the security provisions of google spreadsheets. Let me know if this is not in-line with church policy...

1. Membership clerks: I created a google spreadsheet version of NRMP that is partially automated with Google App Script (GAS).
  • * Partially because the ward/branch council tab requires manual input (but so does the MLS version of NRMP which only prints, saving isn't available)
    * The automation is under the "NRMP Tools" menu:
    • A. Generate an individual report
      B. Remove an individual from both the 'Ward Council View' and report
      C. Bring an individuals report to the foreground (just as easy to click the tab at the bottom :-)
2. Membership clerks: once the 'Ward Council View' tab is populated and individual reports generated, the two are linked. Any update in the 'Ward Council View' is automatically populated in the individual report, so only input data in the 'Ward Council View'. No need to input data twice or thrice, etc... The benefits should be clear. google docs automatic save features also allow precise control of who can view via a documents [Share] settings.

3. Note for church developers:, while developing the GAS generator for the report I notice 2 very minor discrepancies between the MLS and lds.org version of NRMP.

Re: Automated - New & Returning Member Progress (NMRP) repor

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 1:44 pm
by russellhltn
Anyone using this will need to consider Meetinghouse Technology Policy 4.9.3 and 4.9.4.

Also slide 14 of Keeping Church Records Safe, which specifically says that Google docs can't be used for confidential information.

Re: Automated - New & Returning Member Progress (NRMP) repor

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 2:44 pm
by rich
russellhltn wrote:Anyone using this will need to consider Meetinghouse Technology Policy 4.9.3 and 4.9.4.

Also slide 14 of Keeping Church Records Safe, which specifically says that Google docs can't be used for confidential information.
Thanks for answering my question on policy...

1. I am familiar with and adhere to the intent and spirit of 4.9.3 & 4.9.4. But they need to be cast in their proper light. Any 3rd party software would exclude a lot of tools required to be effective in leadership callings (i.e. an MSFT spread sheet used by a ward mission leader for coordinating with missionaries).

2. I was not aware of Bishop Burton's "Church Information and Security Introduction" presentation. If I had known it was under the presiding Bishop's pervue, I would have asked Bishop Stevenson (he just wrapped up our stake conference today). This answers a lot of my questions and I found very useful. Paying attention to exact definitions here, since you are firing a shot across the bow of this approach. I went through and carefully noted the slides that defined what is "confidential" below, hence not appropriate to post in google docs (gdocs). By my read the only two fields that would be inappropriate in gdocs from an NRMP report are endowment and sealing dates. My answer to that is simple, don't put a date, yes or no will suffice. In fact, at the moment I don't put any dates beyond baptism and confirmation, I only put in yes, no or N/A.

Is there any other confidential field in the NRMP form that is expressly forbidden from gdocs beyond endowment & sealing dates?

OF COURSE the alternative would be much nicer, listen to the clerk postings on tech.lds.org over the last four years and put a [SAVE] button on the form. A summary button of existing saved reports would help productivity immensely, as well.

[Slide 14] "Never use [Google(tm) Docs and social media website] services to post confidential Church information."

/wrt what is deemed confidential:

[Slide 5] "Membership Records are confidential"

[Slide 7] "Certain membership information should be handled with even greater care."
- Birth Year of adults
- Temple recommend status
- Sealing and endowment information
- Church disciplinary information

[Slide 8] ...financial records are confidential

[Slide 9] names, addresses and phone numbers may be included in stake and ward directories if they are listed in commercial telephone directory or if the member gives permission

Re: Automated - New & Returning Member Progress (NRMP) repor

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 1:53 am
by russellhltn
rich wrote:Is there any other confidential field in the NRMP form that is expressly forbidden from gdocs beyond endowment & sealing dates?
Not that I'm aware of, but quite a bit rides on how local leaders interpret things:

rich wrote:[Slide 5] "Membership Records are confidential"
Which raises the question of just what that means. There are a number of fields in that form that address priesthood and attendance. How much information is "too much" (too close to Membership Records) for Google Docs? Lots of room for interpretation.

Re: Automated - New & Returning Member Progress (NRMP) repor

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 8:54 am
by rich
Indeed, I was hoping there might be a clear cut answer :-( I do appreciate the guidance.

In a small unit (or large unit I would assume) with one clerk, distributed cloud documents with tightly managed access controls is a must or the work would be slowed to a glacial pace. Local leadership consented after discussing policy, the risks and that the decision is ultimately their stewardship. In our unit, we simplified sensitive date entry to yes, no or N/A along with specific access-control being the clerk responsibility.

From this discussion, I will disable the temple date entries.

Re: Automated - New & Returning Member Progress (NRMP) repor

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 11:39 am
by russellhltn
rich wrote:distributed cloud documents with tightly managed access controls is a must or the work would be slowed to a glacial pace.
As someone who was a ward clek before the Internet age, I have to diagree with that one. It may not be as convenient as some would like, but I'd hardly call it "glacial". The form documents a process that happens over the course of a year or more.

Re: Automated - New & Returning Member Progress (NMRP) repor

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 12:04 pm
by rich
I too was a clerk in the days of MS-DOS with dial-up modem financial transfers (guess that dates me). No spread sheet reports, etc. My reference to "glacial" didn't refer to the form or it's year-long goal. "Glacial" referred solely to the struggle of getting timely information from auxiliary leaders into the form(s) and create summary status of where a ward's efforts stand on reactivation and embrace new members as whole instead of piece parts to give a bishopric an accurate perspective or as leaders change over.

The NRMP form and it's goals give a ward council direction in step-wise, persistent fashion.

Re: Automated - New & Returning Member Progress (NMRP) repor

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 12:19 pm
by drepouille
I was a ward clerk in 1982, when everything was paper. How did we survive?

Re: Automated - New & Returning Member Progress (NMRP) repor

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 8:44 pm
by lajackson
drepouille wrote:I was a ward clerk in 1982, when everything was paper. How did we survive?
The same way we did when we were computerizing all of the membership records in 1974. We typed in the data using special typewriters with optical character recognition font that could be scanned by the computers at Church headquarters, and they sent back paper.

And we kept the names of the new and returning members and their progress on 3x5 cards, the same way I do today.

Works like a charm.

Re: Automated - New & Returning Member Progress (NMRP) repor

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:42 pm
by rich
lajackson wrote: The same way we did when we were computerizing all of the membership records in 1974. We typed in the data using special typewriters with optical character recognition font that could be scanned by the computers at Church headquarters, and they sent back paper.

And we kept the names of the new and returning members and their progress on 3x5 cards, the same way I do today.

Works like a charm.
Chuckle... Very nice and security is accomplished by a real lock & key.

FYI 1974 was the year Gary Kildall and John Torode began selling C/PM.