Word Definition
EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE The evaluation questionnaire is designed to collect all data on the organization and operation of the surveillance system being evaluated. It is completed on the basis of the documentation and interviews conducted by the evaluation team.
EVALUATOR An evaluator is a member of the evaluation team that is assembled before the evaluation is conducted. There are usually about four evaluators on the evaluation team, two external and two internal evaluators.
EXTERNAL EVALUATOR An external evaluator is a person appointed to be a member of the evaluation team who does not belong to the system being evaluated, is independent, and has no conflict of interest in conducting the evaluation. Ideally, two external evaluators are used: an epidemiologist familiar with the implementation of the OASIS method, and a scientist who is an expert on the health risk that is the focus of the surveillance system being evaluated.
FACILITATOR The person in charge of the overall coordination of the surveillance system. Often the head of the central coordination body, this position is essential to the smooth running of the system.
INTERMEDIARY UNITS These represent the intermediate level between the data collectors and the central coordination body. Their role is to coordinate field activities, and to validate and possibly correct the data collected before sending them to the central coordination body. Intermediate units are not always necessary, depending on the size and nature of the surveillance system.
INTERNAL EVALUATOR An internal evaluator is a person appointed to be a member of the evaluation team who is involved in the operation of the system being evaluated, ideally the facilitator or coordinator at the national level and possibly a person involved in facilitation and coordination at an intermediate level.
LOCAL LABORATORY Provincial laboratory or external private laboratory performing analyses of samples collected within the framework of the surveillance system in a given geographical area.
OBJECT OF SURVEILLANCE The object of surveillance is the disease(s), health risk(s) or pest(s) that are subject to surveillance under the system being evaluated. For example: canine rabies, salmonella in the dairy industry, grapevine flavescence, etc.
OUTBREAK Epidemiological unit of pathological cases, expressed clinically or not, occurring in the same location (farm, house...) during a limited period of time. Example: sheep farm affected by bluetongue.
Note 1: an outbreak can include from 1 "case" (an infected or clinically affected animal) to several thousand cases (industrial poultry farm).
Note 2: in animal pathology, the outbreak (farm, flock) is the most frequently used epidemiological unit for livestock species.
Note 3: in human pathology (and in pets), it is used less, in favour of cases. However, for example in the case of collective food poisoning (CFP), the annual frequency is expressed in terms of the number of outbreaks.

[From the AEEMA Glossary of Epidemiology Terminology]

http://aeema.vet-alfort.fr/index.php/component/glossary/Glossaire-1/
RATIONALE Notes explaining the reasons that led to the choice of one score over another, detailing the context corresponding to the evaluation criterion, and indicating ways that could be considered to improve this criterion.