Quality Assurance for BSS Loading | FEWS NET Help Center

When reviewing a loaded BSS, you are looking to answer the questions:

Did the pipeline recognize all of the communities and labels?
Are the Data Points assigned to the correct wealth characteristic, product, attribute, or season?
Are there any logical errors in the BSS that need to be corrected?

Because the Livelihoods Explorer (LEX) reads from the database, if the BSS and LEX match, then you can assume the database matches as well.

If the BSS and LEX do not match, check the database. If the BSS and database match, there is likely a processing error between the database and LEX.

Quality assurance checks

The geographic area represented by the data is in the correct location and showing the correct Primary Livelihood System.
The most recent livelihood baseline zone geography and BSS appears in the map (older BSS are available through the Quick and Detail view cards).

The appropriate Wealth groups are shown.
If the BSS contains a Graphs sheet, the Quick view should show an annual food and cash income chart. Otherwise it should show a text box explaining “No Food + Cash values were reported for this baseline.”
The name of the BSS is correct and in Title Case.
The number of baselines available in the zone is correct, and the reference years identifying each zone are correct.
Note: population cannot be quality checked by baseline owners as it is drawn from FEWS NET’s Data Warehouse based on cross-referencing Landscan data with the zone boundaries for global consistency.

The description for the BSS appears and is correct.
If there is a Graphs sheet in the BSS, there is a Total Annual Food and Cash income chart. Otherwise the initial Food+Cash Activity pane should show a text box explaining “No Food + Cash values were reported for this baseline.” Note: data accuracy will be verified more easily in the Compare view.
The Food, Cash, and Expenditures graphs appear, showing data for all wealth groups. Note: data accuracy will be verified more easily in the Compare view.
The currency referenced in the cash/expenditures charts is correct.
All seasons are present and accurately represented in the Calendar tab.
The Reference year start month in the Calendar tab is correct.
Appropriate key parameters are listed in the Key Parameters tab.

The survival and livelihood protection thresholds and household annual kcals cost match the BSS.
The household sizes and percentage of households match the BSS WB sheet.
Units are listed correctly, including currency abbreviations and land units.
Wealth characteristic values match the BSS WB sheet.
Livelihood activity values match the BSS Data Summary section, below the livelihood activity entries, including Other Income and Wild Foods. (Notes: Strategy-type assignments may differ between the BSS, database, and LEX, but totals for food consumption, cash income, and cash expenditures should not. Income minus expenditure has not yet been added as a non-essential expenditure entry and may explain discrepancies in cash expenditures.)
Appropriate wealth characteristics and values are listed in the Characteristics section. (Note: Wealth characteristics without an order assigned in the Reference Data sheet should not appear in LEX.)

- In the database: Go to Livelihood Zone Baselines > Poor survival non-food expenditure.
- In the BSS: Go to Exp factors sheet > Analysis of Basket Composition and Costs - Summary table > Expenditure in baskets > P column. Find the value in the row that corresponds to basket 3 (survival non-food expenditure).