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Policy: [ NSDI Strategic Plan (10/96) | Stakeholder Roles in NSDI (6/967 | NIMA's Gill Plan (5/97) ]
[ Testimony by UCGIS Representative to House Basic Science Subcommittee (9/98) | Report of 11/9/98 ]
Draft June 20, 1997
The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS):
Stakeholder Role in the
The National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI)
Introduction
The National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) is envisioned to be a part of the evolving National Information Infrastructure which will provide the means to make "Current and accurate geospatial data available to contribute locally, nationally, and globally to economic growth, environmental quality and stability, and social progress." As part of the work to fulfill this vision a revised Strategy for the National spatial Data Infrastructure was completed in March 1997. The Strategy with its goals and objectives (which were developed with the participation of a number of individuals and organization in the geospatial data community) will serve as a mechanism under which many organizations can work together and craft tactical plans to advance the vision of the NSDI.The implementation of the NSDI stresses partnerships. No one organization can build it by itself. The NSDI can become reality only through cooperation among state, local, and tribal government, the private sector, the academic community, and the federal government. Each of these sectors often has a different interest and different way of representing data and looking at solutions for problems. However, in using geographic data to aid in decisions about pieces of geography such as watersheds, towns, states or the nation which are of common interest to all citizens, we must come together to help improve the access, sharing, dissemination and use of geospatial data.
A Goal of the NSDI Strategy is to Build relations among organizations to support the continuing development of the NSDI and to achieve a vibrant network of organizations working together and with their counterparts internationally. A specific Objective for this Goal is to Develop a process that allows stakeholder groups to define logical and complimentary roles in support of the NSDI.
This document represents the statements of the roles that a number of key organizations will play in the implementation of the NSDI. The roles played by various organizations will likely evolve over time and more organizations will participate in identifying NSDI roles. Thus the process will remain dynamic, fresh, focused on implementing the NSDI and actively learning how to define and support our mutual interests.
Vision of the NSDI
The vision of the NSDI is aimed at improving the economic, environmental and social well being of our communities and citizens. It recognizes that the availability of and access to geospatial data will serve to increase our knowledge and understanding and will improve our decision making capabilities.Current and accurate geospatial data will be readily available to contribute locally, nationally, and globally to economic growth, environmental quality and stability, and social progress.
As a way of confining to build relations among organizations to support the development of the NSDI a number of representatives of key stakeholders have come together in a series of inter- sector meetings. The purpose is to begin to define logical and complimentary roles that can be pursued in implementing the NSDI. These organizations fully recognize that many other organizations will be participating in NSDI implementation and likewise will identify roles for support of the NSDI. The following Role Statements are for the purpose of beginning the process of building a network of organizations that collaborate in the development and long term functioning of a National Spatial Data Infrastructure that encompasses the needs of the country.
NSDI Stakeholder Roles
The NSDI began with direction from the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). Currently five major organizations have stepped forward as principal advocates of key constituencies- FGDC, an interagency committee, speaks for the interests of the federal government and will continue to provide principal leadership of NSDI.
- The National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) speaks for the interests of state governments.
- The National Association of Counties (NACo) speaks for the interests of county governments.
- The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) speaks for the geographic information science research and education communities.
- The Open GIS Consortium (OGC) speaks for commercial providers of geographic information systems.
- The National League of Cities has been invited to speak for the interests of cities.
The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS)
The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) is a not-for-profit
organization of universities and other research institutions dedicated to advancing the
understanding of geographic processes and spatial relationships through improved theory,
methods, technology, and data. UCGIS membership is open to all U.S. academic and research
organizations that meet the membership criteria. Member institutions participate in reviewing
and setting national research priorities in GIS and related specialties.
UCGIS Mission
The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science is dedicated to the development and use of theories, methods, technology, and data for understanding geographic processes, relationships, and patterns. The transformation of geographic data into useful information is central to geographic information science. The mission of UCGIS is to:- A. - serve as a unified and effective voice for the geographic information science research community;
- B. - foster multi disciplinary research and education in geographic information science
- C. - promote the informed and responsible use of geographic information systems and geographic analysis for the benefit of society.
UCGIS Goals
The UCGIS goals are:- Provide ongoing research priorities for advancing theory and methods in geographic information science
- Assess the current and potential contributions of GIS to national scientific and public policy issues
- Expand and strengthen geographic information science education at all levels
- Promote the ethical use of and access to geographic information
- Provide the organizational infrastructure to foster collaborative interdisciplinary research in geographic information science
- Foster geographic information and analysis in support of such national needs as: The National Spatial Data Infrastructure Global environmental quality and change International economic competitiveness Efficiency, effectiveness and equity in all levels government Improving democratic participation Monitoring public safety, public health, and environmental pollution Maintaining world leadership in basic science, mathematics, and engineering
NSDI Implementation Role Statement by UCGIS
UCGIS will serve as a principal advocate for the GIS research and education communities. In this role we will work to ensure that geographic and other spatial data, information, and technology are accessible, affordable, and responsive to societal needs. We will promote the interests of researchers, educators, and all citizens who benefit from research and education in geographic information science. Thus, we will help to advance the functionality and value of the NSDI and thereby contribute to its continued success.Specifically, UCGIS will:
- Provide analytical research and support in spatial information policy development and management relevant to government agencies and non-government organizations;
- Help decision makers evaluate and understand the likely consequences of their information policy decisions and choose among alternative policies; and
- Improve the public and private sector understanding of ways in which spatial information policy and technologies can better serve broad societal needs.
UCGIS Membership
Membership in UCGIS is open to academic and research organizations and institutions with programs and missions consistent with UCGIS's mission and may include colleges and universities, federally funded research and development centers, membership organizations, and other nonprofit organizations. Applications for membership must be accompanied by a portfolio describing the institutions programs and must be approved by the UCGIS Council. Currently membership is restricted to the United States.Currently UCGIS has 35 members, including major academic research and educational institutions, two professional associations and a federally funded research and development center. Of number of applications are being prepared for submission to the Council in October.
Major Functions and Work Areas for UCGIS in the NSDI Strategy
Each of the stakeholder organization can play a slightly different role for the different Goals of the NSDI Strategy. There are major functions and work areas that each organization will carry out in its implementation activities that follow the overall role of the organization and use the organizations special strengths and capabilities most effectively. The following is and identification of these major functions and work areas by Goal and organization.NSDI Goal One: Increase the awareness and understanding of the vision and concepts of the NSDI through outreach and education.
UCGIS is comprised of academic and research organizations whose missions inherently include education and outreach. Thus, UCGIS will be a highly effective medium for communicating NSDI information and activities to various constituencies. Specifically, UCGIS will:- Develop educational priorities for geographic information science,
- Develop instructional materials based on and contributing to the NSDI,
- Expand and strengthen geographic information science education at all levels,
- Strengthen institutional capacity through the training and education of people with knowledge, skills, and insights in geographic information science, technology, and institutions, and
- Develop curriculum, educational programs, and professional training to build information resource management (IRM) capacity for managing digital spatial information libraries.
NSDI Goal Two: Develop common solutions for discovery, access and use of geospatial data in response to the needs of diverse communities of users.
Effective policies, strategies, and organizational arrangements together constitute a spatial information infrastructure, and are necessary to facilitate the sharing, integration, and use of spatial information across a broad set of government, industry, academic, and public sectors. Our goal is to address the challenges of incorporating a wide variety of spatially referenced information into various problem solving domains, serving purposes as diverse as education, government, and industry.The principal activities that underlie UCGIS research and development of NSDI can be assigned to three broad areas:
- Information Policy: The factors that shape the development of spatial information policy and law reflect traditional and contemporary culture and technology. Research will identify optimal government information policies and practices for promoting a robust spatial information infrastructure. Basic policy issues include intellectual property rights, information privacy, and liability, as they pertain to spatial data. A range of perspectives, from local to global, will be considered.
- Access to Government Spatial Information: In this area, research will examine how government information policies affect access to, and use of, data to a broad spectrum of public and private sector stakeholders for a variety of public and private (commercial) purposes. Public and private roles in information creation (e.g., partnerships, cooperative research and development agreements, etc.) will be a subject of particular attention.
- Economics of Information: Spatial information is an unusual commodity of great value. Issues of cost recovery, pricing, and markets for spatial data, and their relationship to intellectual property rights, are of central importance. Understanding the economic characteristics of information, especially government information, is important. Applicable concepts include public goods theory, network externalities, and processes of value addition.
NSDI Goal Three: Use community-based approaches to develop and maintain common collections of geospatial data for sound decision-making.
UCGIS supports the development of community-based information infrastructures through direct involvement by UCGIS institutions, researchers, and educators at subnational levels. Locally generated information and knowledge are increasingly important because current technology makes it possible for local people to obtain and use local data more effectively. Contributions can be systematic or ad hoc, coming from civic groups, schools, local institutions, and informed individuals. Local users can make significant contributions of their own local knowledge, identify gaps in existing data resources, or identify erroneous observations. Developing the technical and institutional means to support creation and contribution of local knowledge presents a novel challenge to technologists and decision makers. In particular, we will pursue advancements in the following areas:- Local Generation and Integration of Spatial Information
- Understanding of Cognition, Scale, Uncertainty, Interoperability, and Other Factors Involved in the Development of Community-Based Information Infrastructures
- Methods and Techniques for Acquisition and Integration of Geographic and Other Spatial Information
- Extensions to Geographic Representation: 3-D, Time, Process
- Spatial Analysis in a GIS Environment
- GIS and Society: Benefits and Costs
NSDI Goal Four: Build relationships among organizations to support the continuing development of the NSDI.
The primary function of UCGIS is to build and maintain interactive relationships among organizations devoted to geographic information science. These same organizations have a vested interest in continued development of the NSDI. Through strategic research initiatives, communications, and annual assemblies we will inform and engage UCGIS member institutions in the ongoing development of NSDI. We will continue to:- Provide the organizational infrastructure to foster collaborative interdisciplinary research in geographic information science
- Foster geographic information and analysis in support of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure and related topics of national interest.
Contact Information
Worldwide Web: http://www.ucgis.org Dr. Jerome E. Dobson, President University Consortium for Geographic Information Science Senior Development Staff Oak Ridge National Laboratories POB 2008, MS 6237 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 Tel: 423/574-5937 Fax: 423/574-9646 jed@ornl.gov president@ucgis.org Thomas M. Palmerlee, Executive Director University Consortium for Geographic Information Science 319 C Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202)544-1419 execdir@ucgis.org