SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE

SOLUTIONS THAT MATTER

COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE WHITE PAPER SERIES

2012

An Original GPC Group Document

2012, GPC GIS LLC and GPC Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The advantages of sharing geospatial information across society have been clear for nearly as long as GIS technology has existed, but it has taken some time for the technological and institutional frameworks to evolve enough for the vision to converge with reality. Today, most technological barriers have been overcome, and open-systems and standards-based application and software services have become mainstream. Institutional frameworks have advanced as well although not as quickly, and the targets are known, but their adoption is often slow where organizations have not yet adopted a proactive change-management posture where technology is concerned. Technology is advancing at break-neck speed worldwide, and today we have the opportunity to proactively harness those advancements to the betterment of our governments, communities, businesses and society at large. Doing so requires inspired and motivated leadership coupled with equally committed and competent management for technical implementation. The GPC Group has been at the forefront of SDI implementation in many countries around the world, supporting governments, regions, and international institutions in helping to shape their programs. This paper provides an overview of the principles and practices of SDI, and provides the reader with some time-tested steps that can be taken to initiate and sustain an SDI or less formal GIS Federation: wherever there are leaders and groups of people that wish to work together to better their lives and those of their communities.

2012, GPC GIS LLC and GPC Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary .............................................................................................................. 2 Table of Contents ................................................................................................................. 3 Location, Location, Location ............................................................................................... 4 Harvesting the Benefits ........................................................................................................ 9 Overcoming the Challenges ............................................................................................... 10 Leveraging the GPC Methodology..................................................................................... 13 Assess ........................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Plan ............................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Support Implementation & Operation ................................................................................................................... 15 Identifying the Way Forward ............................................................................................. 18 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 22 Your Strategic Partner ........................................................................................................ 23 The GPC Group Contact Details........................................................................................ 24

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Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

An ambulance dispatcher trying to establish the location of a distraught caller A business owner choosing where to best locate a branch office to reach the most customers A utility manager deciding where to optimize investment in system upgrades Wildlife experts identifying sources of airborne pollutants that may be causing species decline Emergency planners identifying risks and formulating contingency plans for responding to potential future catastrophes in order to save lives and protect property and the environment Different defense and security agencies consolidating and merging different data sets in order to respond to a threat Several oil companies managing their upstream and downstream activities more efficiently in order to maximize profits for the group A takeaway delivery staff attempting to get food to a customer before it goes cold Planners, community leaders, and decision makers making projections into the future and deciding on where and how the cities, towns and villages should develop in a rational and sustainable manner

What do all these scenarios have in common? They all involve information and decisions about location. It has been said that over 80% of the most critical government decisions involve location-based, or geographic information in some way, and the same can be said about many other parts of our society. Geography is where we live, work, play and learn, and geographically based information gives us the means to better understand the world around us, plan effectively and comprehensively, make informed decisions, and carry out the results of those decisions in a coordinated and efficient way. Geographic Information System (GIS) technology today provides a powerful variety of computerized tools to collect, manage, share, explore, analyze and visualize geographic data. Modern GIS is much more than computerized mapping - it provides an information infrastructure for bringing all manner of data together geographically to support integrated and multi-sector decision-making at many levels. Throughout the region, organizations have invested to varying degrees in GIS technology and databases to meet their own needs. We are now in an excellent position to help communities leverage that investment by establishing a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI), consisting of the necessary framework of policies, partnerships, standards, data, procedures, technology and institutional capabilities that are needed to support more effective sharing and utilization of geospatial information.
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Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper

Different communities may share common information interests SDI can benefit different types of communities. The most obvious example is a national SDI, serving government, civil society, academia, and private industry. The same concept may apply to sub-national levels, or to regions encompassing several countries. Whereas these previous examples typically cover all sectors and disciplines, SDIs may also be sector specific, such as in the case of environmental SDI, focusing on the sharing of environmental and related data, whether within one country or a single ecosystem. Other examples of sector specific SDI but which cater to a limited group of entities are utility SDI private or semi-public or security SDI usually exclusive to government entities.

Modern Geographic Information System (GIS) technology provides computerized tools to collect, manage, share, explore, analyze and visualize geographic data. Over the past 30 years, GIS has grown from a relatively specialized and obscure technical field to become an important and pervasive part of a societal information infrastructure for managing and using all sorts of spatial and spatially-related information at the local, regional, national and global levels. The term spatial data infrastructure (S DI) is used to promote the concept of a reliable, supporting environment, analogous to a road or telecommunications network. Spatial data infrastructures facilitate access to geographically related information using a basic set of standard practices, protocols and specifications.

Extensive national SDI programs have been underway for some time in North America, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere, while regional, subnational, international institutions, and theme or sector based SDIs have also been emerging. These programs have established important groundwork, but experience suggests that while these models provide valuable guidelines and insights, all
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Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper countries have many special institutional, political, economic and legal contexts that require a unique approach tailored to a local context. There are several definitions of an SDI, but what is common for all of them is the recognition that as is the case with any infrastructure, the components include both hard and soft elements, in addition to the resource that this infrastructure is built for spatial data. In its simplest representation, an SDI comprises three core frameworks: Business framework. The business framework provides the overriding business processes or mandates that the SDI is meant to serve. This includes topical business areas of responsibility covering the different stakeholders, the related business processes, as well as any linkages to external business processes.
Business framework !

Business !

Computing Infrastructure !

Applications !

Data !

Technical framework !

framework ! Organization ! Technical framework. There are a number of pillars that make up the technical framework, all of which need to evolve as the fast changing technologies keep advancing. Nevertheless, the fundamentals remain true for the data, services, computing infrastructure, and staff capacity.

Institutional

Policies, Procedures, Standards and

Data. This component consists of essentially two separate but highly interdependent parts. The first is the spatial data itself, in other words the data that serves the community and often referred to as the Fundamental Geographic Data Sets or FGDS. The second is the metadata in other words the characteristics of a data set, encompassing its origins and changes over time. As mentioned earlier, data typically consumes the lions share of the overall cost of establishing and operating an SDI, which in addition to it being the raison dtre of an SDI, places it at the forefront of attention. Services. Services allow custodians to create, maintain, and integrate data, while clearinghouse and portal services provide users the tools to discover, access, and process the data. Computing infrastructure. In our increasingly automated world, technology underpins much of what we do, and SDI is no exception. A well-designed solution architecture will provide for the underlying computing infrastructure, covering networks, communications, hardware, and data repositories. Staff capacity. The users, ranging from data custodians to end users as well as those persons that may be shepherding the SDI development, will all need a variety of skills. In many instances such skills either exist or need to be

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Staff !

Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper reconfigured to the SDI needs, although some of the softer skills relating to management and partnership may require more focused consideration.

Institutional framework. This component, which is sometimes overlooked in the rush to address the more tangible hardware and software or the practical aspects of the actual data, is a critical foundation for the establishment and sustaining of a healthy and effective SDI. It comprises the legislative and regulatory frameworks that relate not only to information and its accessibility, but other aspects as well such as liability. It also covers policies, be it the assignment of responsibilities for creation and maintenance of data also known as custodianship to the more mundane but critical business model that dictates how the costs of data collection, maintenance and dissemination are to be recouped. Since SDIs bring together a number of stakeholders that may sometimes be a mixture of public and private sector entities, governance is another area of concern, addressing how the SDI will operate, what will be accountable to whom, and what are the lines of communication. Different aspects of this and the three other components may be formalized between the stakeholders in the form of agreements. Lastly, data standards play an important role, ensuring data quality and increasing users confidence. Similarly, guidelines and procedures are required covering different aspects of the SDI, especially for data maintenance. Standards as a unifying force. Working with the Abu Dhabi Spatial Data Infrastructure stakeholders, the GPC Group helped establish a collection of geospatial data content standards covering geodetic control, buildings, roads, cadaster, utilities, environmental, and others, in addition to five data management standards. A Standards Development Framework and a Standards Governance Framework support the Geospatial Standards. The Standards Development Framework adopts a top-down approach for harmonizing the abstract ISO standards and the more practical OGC standards and a bottom-up approach for integrating them with the various existing stakeholder data standards to come up with the set of SDI standards. The framework specifies the major tasks for developing the Standards as a consensus process with the involvement of various groups of SDI stakeholders, and identifies the custodian group responsible for the current state of the standard at each step of the development process. The Standards Governance Framework is the process by which all SDI stakeholders are afforded an opportunity to shape its structure, functions, and capabilities. This governance framework includes people, policies, and operational processes. The framework for Standards governance consists of leadership and processes that focuses on ensuring proper adoption and implementation of SDIs published Standards, Policies, and Best practices by the stakeholder organizations. The
2012, GPC GIS LLC and GPC Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper framework defines three foundation elements that are pre-requisite to the overall governance process, four governance functions, and the activities under each governance function.

2012, GPC GIS LLC and GPC Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper

HARVESTING THE BENEFITS

SDI initiatives are expected to yield certain individual and collective benefits and positive outcomes to the stakeholder community and their constituents society at large. Some of the key expected benefits are: Provide decision makers with the full range of geographic data and spatial analysis and visualization tools needed to better understand issues and analyze the implications of alternative decisions and scenarios. The SDI can provide a wealth of multi-sector data and the analysis and visualization tools that can provide an invaluable decision-support function and help in streamlining operations. Support better coordination among stakeholders. Sharing of accurate and upto-date information among all key community entities will help to ensure that such organizations are aware of each others fixed assets, facilities and project activities. Potential conflicts and areas for coordination and cooperation will become more obvious. Establish an accurate and up to date inventory and ongoing tracking of conditions in the community. Data is typically spread across many entities, and it is difficult to access and integrate such information to understand the whole picture. An SDI can integrate and harmonize geospatial information from all key entities and make it accessible through a coordinated network of interoperating nodes. Support data sharing and eliminate redundancy and costs in mapping and geographic data development among stakeholders. Sharing of key data among the community entities will eliminate the need for redundant data development and maintenance. Support civil society, private sector, and the public. International experience suggests that SDI can provide many benefits beyond government within both the civil and private sectors. Community interest groups can use the information to support their planning and activities, and the private sector can be instrumental in leveraging GIS data to create new business opportunities and markets. Add the spatial dimension to information management, access and analysis at all levels of the community. GIS helps organize data into its most useful topics and scales for the users low level data for local planners and first responders, midlevel for regional planners and decision makers, and the high level view for the federal and executive decision makers working across government functions.

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Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper

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OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES

Communities may face different kinds of challenges as they pursue an SDI. Some of the challenges that may be faced include the following: Increase awareness and appreciation of existing geospatial resources. Some of the stakeholders may have made significant investments and progress in implementing GIS technology within their own organizations. While there may be some recognition of this among the community at large, the full extent of such data resources and the value of this information when brought together in an integrated SDI environment may not be fully appreciated. Where existing geospatial data resources have been developed separately with little or no coordination or use of common standards, there are bound to be inconsistencies and integration challenges that will need to be overcome. Provide leadership towards an information sharing culture. Often there are no comprehensive or sustained programs for coordinating or sharing information among stakeholders. There may be difficulty in sharing information among units within the same entity, much less with other organizations and the public. The reasons for this are varied including perceived lack of control on how data might be interpreted or used, claims of confidentiality, fear that the quality or accuracy of the data may be questioned or criticized, concern that others may take credit for work done by another or will be used for commercial purposes, and other issues. There is a need to dispel fears and build awareness and confidence, and it is likely that this sort of mindset and cultural change among individuals and organizations will take some time and positive experiences for this to happen.

Environmental information From local to global The Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI) was conceived in 2001 by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) as a means of participating as an active and visible participant in international environmental affairs, with an emphasis on closing the environmental gap between developed and developing nations. The program was initially fashioned around the United Nations World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) Type II Partnership Initiative, as a tool to support the environmental provisions of Chapter 40 of Agenda 21 and the Millennium Development Goals. The GPC Group has been supporting EAD in the conceptualization and implementation of AGEDI since 2004. Most recently, the GPC Group has supported with EAD, the United Nations Environment Program and others to plan and hold the Eye on Earth Summit which brought together global leaders, innovators and decision-makers to focus on an issue critical to the wise decision-making upon which our planets future depends: how to ensure effective access to the world's expanding pool of environmental and societal data by all of those who need it.

Compile information about the availability and quality of existing spatial data. Many organizations do not adequately document their data. As a result the compilation methods used and other information that would give some
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indication of the data quality and accuracy is missing and must be interpreted or further researched to understand the legacy and qualities of the information. A complete inventory and assessment of existing commonly needed information is needed to better understand the existing information assets, and to use this knowledge as the basis for laying the groundwork for filling data gaps and ensuring sustainability of ongoing data maintenance and sharing. Clarify data ownership and custodianship information. In some cases, contractors maintain ownership of information that was developed on behalf of a government project. The receiving entity may not have the internal capability to maintain that information, and without proper maintenance the value of the information will diminish with time. There is a need to both clarify data ownership while also ensuring that responsible entities have the capacity to effectively manage such projects and assume permanent custodianship once they are complete. Introduce standards in the existing spatial data. Often geospatial data is not developed in compliance with any standards. This reduces users confidence in the data, and also makes it more difficult to ensure that successive versions are consistent thereby reducing the ability to perform time-series analysis. Establish the legal and institutional basis and enabling environment for effective information infrastructure. There may not be a well-articulated legal framework for security, privacy, confidentiality and intellectual property, nor any basis for establishing government transparency and the publics right to access information collected by the government. These are known to be prerequisites of a healthy knowledge economy, but will need to be crafted carefully to stay in alignment with local political and administrative realities.

From library card catalogs to the web: Geospatial Portals A Spatial Information Infrastructure provides a framework for coordinated information development and sharing, and key to that is web-based services. A Geospatial Portal connects the producers and consumers of geospatial data by providing the tools for the producers to create and post metadata while allowing the consumers to search for and discover the metadata. A portal also provides the means for users to access and view the geospatial data, regardless of location, format, or structure of the data source. A Geospatial Portal may cover an entire community serving as a single point of access, or a network of portals may collectively serve the whole community. A hybrid approach is where one single portal provides all the metadata, but distributed clearinghouses enable users to access each custodians data. In 2007, the GPC Group assisted in the configuration of a geospatial portal for the Abu Dhabi Spatial Data Infrastructure initiative based on ISO standards. The deployment has evolved over the years, with user interface improvements, graphical and cartographic refinements, and the establishment of direct links between the Geospatial Portal and various eGovernment services. The long-term goal of the AD-SDI is to provide a network of seamlessly interoperable agency nodes through the Portal that allows agencies to share their framework data.

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Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper

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Provide government orientation to balance between profit-generating enterprise, competition, and the public good. Certain governments have policies favoring outsourcing and privatization of selected government functions, or may be urging government entities to become more proactive and entrepreneurial as profit centers. SDI around the world is typically more focused on government efficiencies, cost avoidance, and public common benefit rather than direct commercial profitability or government revenue enhancement. Charging for data by government data custodians is a policy matter that must be carefully vetted with decision makers and in subsequent alignment of policies, regulations and practices that will need to reflect decisions in this regard. Leverage and build on e-government programs. In some cases e-government programs are underway, but may not have addressed foundational issues that are prerequisites for an SDI, such as the special characteristics of spatial information and the security, legal and regulatory frameworks involved. These will need to be addressed at some level so that an SDI can proceed, thus requiring either that some e-government program areas be accelerated, or that any related SDI development in these areas be done in a manner that is consistent with basic e-government program principles and direction in mind.

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Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper

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LEVERAGING THE GPC METHODOLOGY

The GPC Group continues to refine its SDI development methodology, while always recognizing that each SDI community will need its own customized approach. Our SDI services cover the full range, starting with early interventions to assess the context or propose tactical interventions, moving on to the long-term master planning, and then proceeding to the institutionalization stage where we provide various support services.
Assess
Rapid Assessment Stakeholders Situation Assessment Maturity Assessment

Plan
Strategic Plan

Data Inventory & Assessment

Major Programs Alignment

Program Design Operations Plan

Technical Specifications Implementation Plan

Requirements Analysis

Best Practices Assessment

Support Implementation & Operation

Business Framework
Policy & Regulation
(Performance Management)

Citizen
(or Customer)

Satisfaction
(Quality of Life/ Services)

Strategic Relationships

Sustainable Development Multi-sector

(or Multi-disciplinary)

Investment in Innovation/ New Technologies

(Knowledge-based decision making)

Outputs&&&Outcomes&

Coordination / Planning
(Social, Economic, Environment)

Technical Framework
(Data & Infrastructure)

Fundamental Data Capture Foundation Infrastructure Orientation Seminars & Roadshows

Data Standards

Data/Information Management

Technology/Interoperability Standards

Business Solutions/Integration

Institutional Framework

Community Development

Community Organization

Performance Assessment Financing

Communication & Outreach Content Management

Event Management

Professional Development

Assess
Our full life cycle methodology starts out with rigorous assessments covering the different aspects of SDI. Where there is need for further clarity or need for establishment of executive sponsorship before a project can be well defined, an initial Rapid Assessment may be conducted. Otherwise, a project may proceed directly into a detailed Situation Assessment. Rapid Assessment. The GPC Group conducts brief but highly intensive sessions to assess the overall readiness of a given community for the development of Spatial Data Infrastructure. This includes an evaluation of the existing institutional and technical environments, capacity issues, clear identification of potential barriers and opportunities for effective SDI implementation, and the identification of clear steps in a practical and effective way forward. Stakeholders Situation Assessment. The GPC Group conducts in-depth interviews to identify the various aspects of the organization that have a direct bearing on the adoption of geospatial technologies. Interviews are normally preceded by discussion
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Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper

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with stakeholder senior management to ensure understanding and support. This is followed by an Orientation Seminar to establish a common understanding across the community about GIS and SDI principles and practice, how the study is to be conducted, and what is expected of the participants in each step in this process. Subsequent interviews focus on the overall mandate, business functions, data, systems, human capacity, and issues, opportunities and constraints in each entity. Maturity Assessment. The GPC Group applies customized maturity assessment models and questionnaires to establish the SDI maturity of organizations, sectors, and communities as a whole. Data Inventory & Assessment. During the interviews, the GPC Group pays particular attention to inventory all relevant types of digital or manual data used or generated across the different stakeholders, collecting samples where necessary, and establish an initial metadata database. Further work assesses issues of redundancy, gaps, content, accuracy, currency and related aspects. Requirements Analysis. The GPC Group synthesizes information identified in the survey into a comprehensive set of requirements crossing all concerned stakeholders, covering business functions, data, software applications, technology infrastructure, human capacity, and institutional/ organizational requirements such as policy, legal, governance or financial needs. Best Practices Assessment. In some cases, the GPC Group assesses best practices within a sector along with relevant case studies. Sector subject matter experts are mobilized to compare international sound practices within a sector, draw a comparison and gap analysis to the existing situation, and define a basic program for institutional strengthening utilizing GIS technology and SDI as an enabling environment for such transformation. This is presented in a form that can then be used to guide planning and strategy development within an agency or sector. Major Programs Alignment. The GPC Group reviews ongoing or planned geospatial data development projects. The specific requirements and plans of these projects are assessed and compared to one another and to a Data Framework, in order to develop a plan to achieve maximum alignment of the data being produced with the needs of the broader community. Consideration is given to not unduly burden existing projects with new requirements, while any projects that are found to fundamentally contradict or adversely impact the goals and objectives of the SDI program are identified for corrective intervention.

Plan
The GPC Group develops comprehensive SDI master plans to provide structured focus from the very start of the SDI implementation process and ensure that initial efforts are immediately effective, while remaining flexible and extensible to meet future needs. Throughout the actual implementation and operation, different planning components will be revised and updated as part of an adaptive management process.

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Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper Strategic Plan. The GPC Group provides a consolidated perspective for the Spatial Data Infrastructure initiative on the vision & mission, guiding principles, goals and prioritization of the requirements, and general implementation approach. The development of the Strategic Plan involves the consideration of valid options and clear prioritization and consensus before expending substantial time and resources on the subsequent detailed program planning and design activities. Program Design. The GPC Group designs the Spatial Data Infrastructure program, defining the detailed business, technical application software, data, computing infrastructure, and staff capacity, and institutional (policies, procedures, standards, and governance) elements required to attain the strategic goals.

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Technical Specifications. The GPC Group prepares an integrated set of specifications for a solution suite tailored to the clients business requirements consisting of different components such as GIS, Content Management, Work Flow, Business Intelligence, and Collaborative tools, etc. on desktop, web, and mobile platforms, based on the latest technologies including cloud computing, to make the whole solution efficient and effective. Operations Plan. The GPC Group prepares the operational framework that will be required to support an SDI program implementation, covering the establishment of different governance structures, operational teams, change management, and other required processes and activities to support the program design. Implementation Plan. The GPC Group identifies the implementation activities required to achieve the strategic plan according to the program design and operations plan, reflecting the set priorities, and distinguish the activities that a central coordination entity would lead versus those led by other stakeholder entities.

Support Implementation & Operation

Based on the design and planning of the SDI the structured implementation will commence, and during this stage various elements will need to be put in place, institutionalized, strengthened, and continuously monitored. However, there are often opportunities to work with potential SDI stakeholders to achieve quick wins, before initiating the more rigorous design and planning stage. The GPC Group offers various services to support this critical phase, typically grouped into three tracks. Business Framework It is essential to ground any SDI initiative, at several levels, ranging from the stakeholders underlying business functions to more overriding societal drivers. This is complemented by focusing on relevant policies and regulation, citizen satisfaction, and investment in new and innovative technologies, thereby addressing the business framework as a whole. Technical Framework Spatial data and robust, comprehensive and user-friendly tools are essential for an SDI. This track covers all related activities from defining its quality and structure to
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Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper supporting and guiding the capture of data, as well as allowing users to access, analyze, visualize, integrate, and ultimately arrive at better-informed decisions.

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Fundamental Data Capture. The GPC Group develops strategies and procedures for data capture or conversion, in line with international sound practices, the custodians standard operating procedures and the established data standards. Data & Technology/Interoperability Standards. The GPC Group implements geospatial standards to build standardized data encodings and open interfaces into the SDI products and services to address the interoperability challenges while integrating GITS with other IT systems in the enterprise. Data/Information Management. Throughout the implementation of the SDI stakeholders efforts to fulfill their agreed upon data provision role, the GPC Group provides oversight to ensure conformance to standards and expectations. Foundation Infrastructure. The GPC Group relies on robust industry standard tools to develop and customize geoportals that allow users to discover data through a metadata service as well as accessing the actual data through centralized or distributed data clearinghouses Business Solutions/ Integration. The GPC Group designs specific applications to support the SDI community, in addition to the integration between stakeholders solutions, any relevant e-government components, and the SDI infrastructure. The GPC Group will develop such applications and conduct the integration or will provide management support where such work will be outsourced. Institutional Framework The organization and governance of SDI are essential to ensure that the initiative remains focused on the communitys strategic goals, meets the expectations, and has the appropriate resources to achieve that, while effective communication with and support for the community and other stakeholders is highlighted as an integral part of an SDI initiative. Orientation Seminars & Roadshows. It is essential that at the start of an SDI initiative and at other critical junctures, community stakeholders and decision makers participate in seminars that serve to raise awareness, engage with the community, and review next steps. Community Development. The GPC Group assists in identifying and soliciting participation of a wide range of stakeholders, working towards fostering a sense of ownership, creating a framework for capturing input, strengthening partnership, and establishing bridges across the community members. Community Organization. The GPC Group realizes the importance of identifying governance structures and modalities that are the most appropriate for each SDI communitys social and political contexts, while adapting the structures and their operations as the SDI evolves. This often includes the definition of Working Group configurations to address specific, near term projects such as initial standards
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Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper development, or Special Interest Groups involving ongoing coordination among a community of practice. Performance Assessment. The GPC Group employs different tools to monitor and assess the performance of the SDI at different levels, covering the different tracks, through the use of performance indicators and other means.

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Professional Development. The GPC Group Geospatial Information Technology and Services (GITS) Professional Development program is designed to build the human resource capacity of organizations and develop individuals through training and mentoring programs. Communication & Outreach Content Management. As SDIs are multi-stakeholder and medium and long-term initiatives, the GPC Group establishes constant communications channels in order to disseminate information and foster cooperation using collaborative tools such as wiki engines. Event Management. The GPC Group supports its clients in the conception, design and management of events that aim to promote the SDI initiative amongst the wider local and international contexts. Financing. The GPC Group works closely with international development finance organizations to match project and organizational needs to lenders or granting agency portfolios Depending on the situation this may include multilateral development banks, bilateral development aid agencies, sovereign funds, foundations, foreign direct investment establishments and private sector banks.

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Spatial Data Infrastructure A GPC Whitepaper

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IDENTIFYING THE WAY FORWARD

Effective SDI development follows a step-by-step, well-conceived and incremental process that acknowledges and responds to the special needs and circumstances of its geographic and/or sectoral community. International experience suggests some basic lessons learned that might help define the SDI initiation and principles for building a foundation program. The more practical and important of these include the following:
Abu Dhabis drive for e-Government Leading by example In 2007, the Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (ADSIC), under the direction of the Executive Council, began its work with key government entities to build the foundations of the Abu Dhabi Spatial Data Infrastructure (AD-SDI) as an integral part of the Emirate's e-Government program. The GPC Group led an international team to assist ADSIC in the planning and design of the initiative, as well as its implementation. This first intensive stage included a stakeholder survey, comprehensive data inventory and assessment, strategic plan, major data projects alignment strategy, program design, operations plan and implementation plan. It also included the compilation of over 140 layers of information from 8 agencies and integration and publishing of that information to an internal government portal for access and assessment. In the second 18 month stage, the GPC Group worked with ADSIC to expand the stakeholder community to over 50 entities in all relevant sectors of AD Government and society, raise visibility and awareness across all levels, complete the formalization of data sharing arrangements, align and track all major data projects and initiate any additional projects needed to fill remaining gaps, maintain and expand the Data Clearinghouse to include all fundamental data layers needed in common by the stakeholder community, develop and enforce standards and interoperability best practices and leverage AD-SDI data and infrastructure to support wide range of high value, high impact services and products. Five years on, the GPC Group continues to support and advise the initiative through the dedicated Spatial Data Coordination Center, in the areas of coordination, operations, and technical support.

Build a basic enabling framework for SDI to function. International SDI experience suggests that a certain level of infrastructure development is needed for SDI to take root. Certain essential policies, laws, regulations, technology standards, data standards, service level agreements, common operating procedures, physical infrastructure and capable staff must be in place at some level for the SDI to exist and sustain. Much of this enabling environment overlaps with the needs of eGovernment and other facets of the broader concept of a societal information infrastructure. Once a minimum basic foundation is built, it can be expanded at an appropriate rate in pace with need and capabilities. Derive early results to pay big dividends. To most, the concept of SDI does not become tangible or understandable until results can be seen and experienced directly. It is therefore important to choose an initiation target for SDI development that includes provision for early results and quick wins. Such results can raise the
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awareness and capture the imagination of the users and decision makers, and are vital in gaining and sustaining support at all levels. Therefore it is important to identify and exploit high-value/high-visibility opportunities in parallel to a carefully structured and executed strategic planning process. Ensure custodians accept their broader responsibilities. Data custodian organizations must have the capability, capacity and resources needed to maintain fundamental data on behalf of others. Those organizations that maintain fundamental data on behalf of a community of users must be able to do so in an accurate and reliable manner that meets the mutual needs of those users. In some cases maintaining information on behalf of a broader group of stakeholders may require more information, more accuracy, specific content and format requirements, and more time-sensitive updates than might otherwise be needed to support the otherwise less stringent internal needs of the custodian organization. In such cases, ensuring that the data model has been structured in a practical form that is both usable and maintainable, and that the custodian has both the capacity and the resources to fulfill and be accountable for their responsibilities beyond their own immediate needs is a government-wide concern, rather than just that of a single entity. Develop quality data. Data is often the single most significant constraint in the initiation of SDI. Once a community has made a commitment to SDI, the initial cost and time required to get a reasonably functional SDI off the ground is greatly influenced by the type, amount, quality, consistency and accuracy of existing information. Collecting original information is costly. Compiled information that is in paper form, or a digital form that is not well structured, likewise can be costly to convert to a well structured digital form that is more universally useful, often representing 75% or more of the cost of implementing a new GIS system in an organization. Digital data that has been developed around a single purpose may not have the content, format or level of accuracy needed by other applications or stakeholders. Conversely, data that has been structured around international standards and sound practices with careful adaptation to local conditions has a much higher chance of being able to serve the many different purposes that the standards were developed to support.

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From Khyber Pass to spatial data Afghanistans story of infrastructure The GPC Group was commissioned by the U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS) to plan and deliver the first major workshop to introduce the concept of National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) for Afghanistan in 2006, attended by over 170 people representing over 50 organizations from the Government of Afghanistan (GoA), international aid, security and support agencies, non-government organizations, and institutions of higher education. The workshop was co-sponsored by the CSO and the Afghanistan Geodesy and Cartography Head Office (AGCHO), and with the financial and technical support of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The workshop led to the formulation of a program document addressing both urgent, near-term needs as well as longer term strategic planning and the need for incremental program development over time. This led to the GoA adopting the Afghanistan Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI) as a formal initiative and issuing a decree in 2009. The GPC Group continues its support to the Government of Afghanistan Afghan Geodesy and Cartographic Head Office (AGCHO) to take steps in the implementation of the ASDI program. These activities have included training workshops for data inventory and assessment, the development of an initial metadata catalog, situation assessment survey and interviewing techniques, as well as identifying and pursuing funding sources to support further development of the ASDI.

Establish what data is commonly needed. SDI experience around the world has revealed that there are data topics that are more universally needed than others. Most users need topography, but few need to know the precise location of meteorological weather stations or botanical specimen collection sites, for example, although those topics may be very important in their own right and to the specific people and organizations that collect that information. The term fundamental datasets is used to label commonly needed information needed by the broadest spectrum of users. Ensuring effective development, maintenance and access to accurate and timely FGDS is therefore of vital importance to a fledgling SDI program Promote transaction-based data maintenance. While it is usually more effective to create an initial digital database through a bulk load data compilation and automation process, once that information is in place it is usually someones job to record changes that happen on the ground, especially in cities and towns where those changes are regulated. For example, a new building, or the demolition of an old one, should have a building or demolition permit process associated with it. Likewise, the building of a road or extension of a utility network usually necessitates plans and design drawings that require a review and approval process prior to construction. Recording the results of these transactions in the form of building outlines, road edges and utility network extensions can all be captured at the point of transaction, assuming that the policies, procedures, technical infrastructure, standards and trained staff are in place to do so. In short, it has been found from experience that updating data that changes frequently through carefully controlled day-to-day transactions is more advantageous than periodic compilation.

2012, GPC GIS LLC and GPC Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Adapt models and standards to meet local needs and priorities. Models and standards from around the world are useful as a reference, but must be adapted to meet local needs and priorities. There are many SDI and GIS federations that have been implemented around the world over the past two decades, but only a few of these have been well integrated with e-Government and similar programs. There is also a growing body of standards for many facets of GIS, SDI, and ICT in general.

2012, GPC GIS LLC and GPC Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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CONCLUSION
SDI is especially timely for the MENA region at a time that it is experiencing unprecedented growth, thus requiring an extraordinary level of coordination and information exchange among many entities in all sectors. In addition, the economies and societies as a whole are changing, and evolving towards a diversified knowledge economy that will require the free flow of critical information across all segments of government and the private sector, institutions of higher learning, research, and civil society. The development of GIS as a fully integrated part of government business is still in its infancy in most countries, thus the early adoption of SDI and associated coordination and standards will help to ensure that entity enterprise systems and commonly needed data assets will be compatible and interoperable across each community.

2012, GPC GIS LLC and GPC Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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YOUR STRATEGIC PARTNER

The GPC Group includes GPC Inc., GPC GIS and GCS, three companies that work closely together toward a common vision by leveraging each member's unique strengths, tools, methodologies and experiences.

Based in California, USA, GPC Inc. is the rst of the GPC Group of companies, established in 1995. GPC Inc. staff have conducted over 250 projects worldwide, covering a broad range of sectors and scales. In recent years, GPC Inc. has focused on the use of SDI as a mechanism for institutional transformation and innovation, offering full spectrum information infrastructure solutions addressing Business, Technical and Institutional Framework building.!

Based in Abu Dhabi, UAE since 2008, GPC Global Information Solutions LLC (GPC-GIS) specializes in the delivery of geospatial information services to the MENA Region. By harnessing more than 25 years experience of GPC partners, we provide consulting services in Geospatial Information Technology and Services (GITS), Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI), Geospatial Education, Location Based Services and Information Management for a wide variety of organizations and projects.!

Based in Kabul, Afghanistan, Geographic Consultancy Services (GCS) was launched in 2011. GCS is an Afghan owned and operated, full service consulting company focused on the planning, development and operations of geographic information systems (GIS) and community information infrastructure in Afghanistan. GCS works closely with GPC Inc. and GPC-GIS to deliver world class, quality service to the Afghanistan market.!

For over two decades, the GPC Group has been committed to assisting its clients and the communities they are part of build knowledge-based societies, through a number of SDI related projects including:
Eye On Earth Summit Abu Dhabi 2011 Jammu and Kashmir State (India) SDI Workshop AGEDI Phase II Abu Dhabi SDI Stages 1 and 2 Yemen Spatial Data Infrastructure Afghanistan SDI Continuing Support Afghanistan SDI Initiation Program Arctic Research Support Spatial Data Infrastructure Bahrain Central Information Organization (CIO) SDI Readiness Assessment Libya Spatial Data Infrastructure Community Information Footpath World Health Organization (WHO) GIS Situation Assessment and Technology Strengthening Strategy Saudi Arabia Eastern Province Governor's Office, E-Gov. GIS Portal Concept Plan Malopolska Region GIS Situation Assessment and Technology Strengthening Strategy World Bank GIS Situation Assessment and Technology Strengthening Strategy Salton Sea Database Program (SSDP) Lebanon National GIS Infrastructure Feasibility Study Jamaica National Land Information System Framework Plan Sultanate of Oman Nationwide GIS/LIS Strategic Plan Baghdad Municipal GIS Design State of Hawaii Ocean and Coastal Resource Information System

2012, GPC GIS LLC and GPC Inc. All Rights Reserved.

THE GPC GROUP CONTACT DETAILS

REDLANDS, CA, USA, OFFICE Telephone: +1.909.867.7628 Fax: +1.909.867.5310 Email: info@gpcinc.net Post: 5 East Citrus Ave Suite 205 Redlands, CA 92373, USA SEATTLE, WA, USA, OFFICE Telephone: +1.206.325.6331 Fax: +1.206.325.6735 Email: info@gpcinc.net Post: 191 27th Ave. Seattle, WA 98122, USA GPC GIS CONTACT DETAILS Telephone: +971.2.666.6574 Fax: +971.2.666.3660 Email: info@gpc-gis.ae Post: PO Box 129060 Abu Dhabi, UAE

2012, GPC GIS LLC and GPC Inc. All Rights Reserved.