GEO 580 - Lecture 9
Implementing GIS

GIS Prophecies

"GIS can do everything for you"

"GIS is a hot technology that should be implemented at all costs in every organization"

"GIS is very new and should be viewed with suspicion"

"GIS will mess everything up"

The Field of Dreams Prophecy: "Build it and they will come. . . ."

Implementation Considerations

- semifluid but not quicksand

data - 70-80% of effort

products/procedures should not be overlooked:

- application models
- "If you dont know what GIS can do differently, chances are you arent going to ask it to do anything differently"

- user acceptance

What GIS Can Do For You

• automated mapping
• inventory

Where is what?

• map/attribute linkage
• management
• extension of thinking
• networking

Where has it changed?

• temporal question
• from inventory to planning/policy

What relationships exist?

• spatial question
• analysis toolbox
• from repackaging to deriving new data

Where is it best?

• modeling an active ingredient
• suitability models

What affects what?

• like relationship question but more cause and effect
• what relationships exist and why
• system models

What if?

• iterative processing of models
• e.g., suitability or system

Information Needs Assessment

describe specific GIS outputs

identify base maps/data and analysis tool needed to produce desired outputs

- database design

- system design

derive possible models needed

- type

- degree of difficulty

GIS Reality Assessment

priorities and tradeoffs among hardware/software options

cost of acquiring data

list of project steps and timetable to completion

Qatar Video and Discussion

Another Example: National Park Service Issues

Are other information systems in place (National Register database, GPS, remote sensing)?

Are there data standards for the organization as a whole?

Are people willing to share data?

Is there appropriate staff?

Is there appropriate funding?

Will there adequate training/exposure to GIS?

Supplemental Information on Implementation

http://dusk.geo.orst.edu/buffgis/buff09.html

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