Lean interfaces for integrated catchment management models: rapid development using ICMS

A move towards the development of lean, issue-focused interfaces is being explored to provide a rapid delivery mechanism to transfer catchment science to managers and custodians. This approach is a move away from development of large decision support systems which attempt to anticipate a myriad of management questions. It relies on having a modelling system which supports the rapid building and integration of catchment models, and is independent of the interface. ICMS (Interactive Component Modelling System) is a PC-based software tool which has been developed with this in mind. The kernel of the ICMS system, ICMSBuilder, provides the modeller’s view of the world, on top of which can be built any number of interfaces which provide the targetted audience’s view of the world. This paper presents an ICMS prototype to demonstrate the power and flexibility of such an approach. It describes an ICMS project a suite of linked models which explore the relationships between hydrology, water allocation and extraction rules, and on-farm decision making; and an ICMS View an interface for that project tailored to address specific management scenarios. Interestingly, the ability to interact with parts of the models through the View gave managers the confidence to delve into the underlying models and data, something often denied to them by traditional decision support systems.