Unlocking
Guidelines for implementing
the data
Producing a methodology for those interested in implementing
local information systems (LIS) at the coast was a key aim of
the Corepoint project. Six pilots later, the guidelines have been
produced and are about to be sent out to 50 projects around
Europe already looking at the possibility of using such
systems. So, what are the secrets of a good LIS?
A user perspective
Access to quality information that’s
filtered to provide the data you
need, when you need it is probably on
the top ten wish list for many
coastal professionals. And a shared
information system that’s regularly
updated and easy to access can
potentially save money, time and
resources for all those involved in the
long term. Enter the local information
system (LIS) – an IT-enabled system
built to support the efforts of local
managers, such as engineers, planners,
tourism officers, harbour masters and
environmental managers.
For those willing to form a network for
managing coastal information, then a
LIS may be a suitable option. But it’s
not without its pitfalls.
“An important, but little recognised
fact is that information systems can
and often do fail because the lessons
learnt in the field of information
science and information systems
are simply not applied”, says Tim
Stojanovic of MACE who was charged
with developing LIS across six pilots as
part of the Corepoint project. “We
wanted to produce a set of structured
guidelines informed by LIS projects
across Europe and the latest thinking
“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where
Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784)
in the information system discipline to
stop people repeating past mistakes.”
In working with the six organisations,
MACE was keen to adopt a user-led
approach for developing information
systems at the outset. Says Stojanovic,
“We found that people generally start
from three possible places. The first is
where those involved are excited first
and foremost by the technology. This
can lead to some really positive, novel
solutions but I’ve also seen a lot of
money spent on tools where there’s
been little real application. There’s a
danger that you can become
bewitched by technology. The second
approach is a data-led one – simply
asking the question: what are the
resources out there and how can we
catalogue them? The problem with
this approach is that people become
overwhelmed by it – there’s simply no
real rationale for structuring the
information. The last approach, and
one we favour, is the user-led one –
developing a series of questions
relating to a real need.”
“Through this approach, the
organisations we worked with were
able to develop clear and distinct
needs for their information systems.
Sefton Council, for example, wanted
to look at coastal change, while Cork
was interested in land use planning
and development control decisions
and the Fal Estuary in Cornwall
focused on nature conservation and
environmental quality.”
What resulted from the six pilots was a
structured, seven point methodology
for LIS development (see opposite).
While the guidelines are set to provide
an excellent grounding for those
looking to set up an LIS, the ultimate
success will inevitably come down to
funding for the development of such
work. Even within the Corepoint
project, money available was limited
with some pilots only able to complete
phase 1 of the work. For those
organisations without the necessary
resources and time, an LIS project is
probably not the best way forward.
“The crazy thing is many organisations
involved, probably spend tens of
thousands of Euros collecting and
storing data that may only be used a
few times”, comments Stojanovic.
“What’s really needed is the vision and
drive to share information. It’s really a
central theme for true ICZM. The
benefits could be huge if we all begin
to share.”
we can find information on it.”
Data sets available
for the Sefton Coast
Training walls –
dates of intervention,
location and action
Coast Wide Data
– Historical photographs and
video footage of the coast
– Water table monitoring
– Soils
– Sediment sampling
– O/S data from 1850 to
present day
– Aerial photography from
1945 to 2006
– Storm data
Chart data showing the
positions of sand banks and
channels for the Ribble and
Mersey Estuaries
Liverpool Bay data
– Tide gauges
– Bottom drifters
– Wave modelling
Dredging locations,
dates and quantities
of materials dredged
and dumped
Training walls – dates
of intervention,
location and action
Mersey Estuary
A working LIS for Sefton
One of the teams MACE worked with
was fellow Corepoint partner, Sefton
Council. Says Graham Lymbery of the
council, “We already had experience of
putting together a type of database in
the early eighties when computer
power was limited, so the database
itself was a collection of documents in
a number of cardboard boxes.”
“We wanted to store and interpret this
existing coastal change data in such a
way that it could more easily be
updated in the future and
communicated to other users, such as
land-managers or researchers.
“We originally wanted the LIS to be
available online but the costs, for us,
Ribble Estuary Local Information Systems
at the coast
The methodology produced by MACE as
part of the Corepoint project is a great
Land Reclamation extents and dates starting point to help avoid previous
mistakes in developing a usable local
information system. The detailed
methodology points to seven key steps:
Southport Salt marsh extent
and levels
Birkdale
Ainsdale Beach profile data from
line 1 at Crosby to line
30 at Marshside
1 Justify information systems –
Beach topographic survey
It takes money, time and commitment
from collaborators to build an
Dune toe survey information system. So it’s important to
build a case to justify why LIS is useful.
Formby
2 Have clear purpose
Tide pole data Weather station data
You cannot answer all questions
relevant to coastal management in one
attempt. Instead, focus on some key
Sand dune topographic data
Hightown from Formby to Ainsdale purpose/s for the system so coastal
practitioners can clearly identify the
A total of 2,600 datasets were system with a particular part of their
identified by Sefton Council, such
work.
as 18th century charts showing
3 Involve users
where the shoreline was and
aerial photographs from the Be user-led, not data-led – relate your
1940s. Providing a properly system to the work of coastal
catalogued system to make practitioners.
the data available was 4 Solve technical obstacles
where the LIS came in.
Information systems can only work
where a variety of technical obstacles
have been solved – these obstacles
relate both to policy and technical
were prohibitive. Instead the system is
now maintained through a gatekeeper issues.
5 Deploy appropriate technology
(an information manager) and we
There are many technologies out there
make the reports generated from it
available online. so choose carefully to spend limited
finance wisely.
“We in the coastal defence team 6 Check for quality assurance
manage the LIS because it is the data Put checks in place to avoid the
we need for undertaking analysis. We ‘rubbish in – rubbish out’ syndrome.
are still adding to the information 7 Implement and train
both through digitisation of material
Involve users from beginning to end to
such as aerial photos and old records
ensure familiarity with the system and
and through new data capture. For us,
the LIS is extremely useful. We’ve willingness to provide data to populate
found it provides a starting point for it as well as belief in the product.
much of our analysis that
subsequently informs policy and it
The final, comprehensive, step by
does so in a credible way – credibility
step methodology is available
is very important.”
online at:
http://crc67.ucc.ie/corepoint/wp46
The edge Spring 2008 13