SMDS Help Desk

SMDS allows you to import responses using a system-generated excel template. Responses can be uploaded

to any tool in an active evaluation. Entering data into a system-generated excel spreadsheet is useful if you

will be collecting data on a tablet in the field but do not have internet access. From SMDS, you can download

a spreadsheet for any tool, enter responses into the spreadsheet, and import those responses into SMDS.

Generating Spreadsheet Templates

• Login to SMDS.
• Place your cursor over the Evaluation tab.
• Click the Evaluations link. 

A list of evaluations is displayed. This list includes both Active and Draft evaluations. Only Active evaluations

can generate spreadsheets.

• Click the Name of the evaluation.

A list of tools in that evaluation is displayed. Find the tool you will use in the list.

• Click the Excel Format button for that tool.

When you click the Excel Format button, you will be given the option to Open or Save an Excel worksheet

template of the evaluation tool onto your desktop.

If you are downloading an excel spreadsheet of a tool with multiple languages available, SMDS will ask you

which language you want to use for your excel spreadsheet.

• Click the Save button. (Consider renaming the document to a name that you will easily remember.)

DO NOT make any changes to the layout of the template. Do not create new columns, delete columns, or

move columns.

You must use the spreadsheet generated from the evaluation in SMDS. Do NOT try to use an excel spreadsheet you created on your own.

The downloaded worksheet will have three tabs.

•  Click the Data tab. This is where responses will be entered.

This user guide goes through the steps for a template from a tool that has individual as the information

source. The spreadsheet from a tool that has location as the information source will have a different set of

columns at the beginning.

For a tool that uses an individual as an information source, you must enter Date Collected, Entered By, and

either Alternate ID or Respondent (Last Name, First Name)

For a tool that has location as the information source, you must enter Date Collected, Entered by, and Location Details. Location Details is the response identifier. Enter address, block description, etc. to have a

unique ID for each response.

The columns that are shaded are NOT columns for data; these are instructions columns or hold other text

from the tool. Do not enter data into the shaded columns.

Tool questions with multiple choice answers will have a drop list of answer choices in the excel spreadsheet.

Be sure to select from the drop-down list. To see the dropdown list, place your cursor in a cell and a tab will

appear. Click the tab.

Selecting an answer from the drop-down list is the best way to make sure that there are no typos that will

cause errors in the uploading of your responses. Any typo (a lower case letter when the tool answer has an

upper case letter; or leaving off a period at the end of a sentence when the tool answer has a period) will

cause an error and your spreadsheet will not be uploaded. 

After you have entered data, save the spreadsheet again before uploading.

• Click the File link.
• Click the Save link. 

Importing Responses from a System-Generated Excel Spreadsheet

Before uploading your data, please review the following:

1. Check to make sure there are no “incomplete” rows. If there is anything in a row, the import program will try to read it. Make sure there are no rows hanging at the bottom with a response number but no data.
2. Make sure there are no blanks in the required columns: date, entered by, and the response identifier.

            a.For an individual, the response identifier is either Alternate ID, or Last Name, First Name.

            b. For a location, the response identifier is Location Details.

       3. Finally, scroll through the entire file and look for anything in your data that looks out of place.

• Place your cursor over the Evaluation link.
• Place your cursor over the Responses link.
• Click the Import Responses link. 

The Import Responses page will display.

You will first run the import in “Simulation” mode to see if there are errors in the data that would prohibit the

upload. This means you will run the import the first time without clicking the Confirm Import Box. When the

simulation runs error-free, then you will run it in full mode to import responses into the system.

• Click the Browse button. Navigate to the excel spreadsheet to upload to SMDS.

Leave the Confirm Import checkbox unchecked. This will allow the system to review your data and indicated if

there are errors.

• Click the Import Responses button. 

A dialogue box will appear, warning that the import is being executed in simulation mode.

• Click Yes in the dialogue box. 

The initial review by the system of the data may take up to a minute if it is a large file. While the system is

reviewing, you will a message on the screen that tells you it is working. 

When the system’s review of your excel data is completed, the system will tell you if there were errors that

would negate the upload. Errors are listed in pink.

In this example, there were a few errors. The first error is that that one of the responses did not have a

Response ID, so the operation failed.

The system provides details about errors. Read the explanation to locate the error.

You will need to go back into your excel document to fix the errors. A common error may be if you didn’t use

the drop down list of answer options but instead typed the answer into the cell, which may result in a typo or

added space within the answer.

After fixing your errors, upload your document again without checking the Confirm Import checkbox.

When there are no errors in your excel data the system will show you a page with a list of responses info, it

will tell you there are 0 errors, and each response item will have a check mark indicating that it is correct.

Once the Simulation process is showing that there are no errors, you are ready to do the import with the

“Confirm Import” checkbox selected. This will complete the process of placing the response data into your

evaluation.

• Click the Browse button. Navigate to the excel spreadsheet to upload to SMDS.

• Select the Confirm Import checkbox.
• Click Import Responses button.

The system will complete the import and your responses will be added to your evaluation. The system will tell

you that the Import Response operation completed successfully in a small light blue band at the top of the

page. 

To confirm that the import was successful, you can go into your Manage Responses page to make sure the

new responses are there.

You will also be able to find the new respondents in your list of Respondents by going to the Manage

Respondents page.