The Big Picture Spatial Data Relationships

5th DE Community MeetingPenn State Harrisburg

January 31, 2001

John MoellerStaff Director, FGDC

Purpose

• Discuss Relationship of Spatial Data Infrastructure activities

• Build on existing partnerships and establish new opportunities

Population Growth Washington, DC - Baltimore

Issues Affecting Nations & Citizens -

Emergency Response

Wild Fire Management

Happen in Places

Spatial Data Infrastructure Progress

• Growth in participation and partnerships– Federal - State, Local & Tribal– Associations - Industry & Academia

• Expansion of NSDI Clearinghouse - 238 Nodes

• Metadata and Data Standards

• Training Programs

• Community Support for use of GIS, DSS and Applications

• International

CURRENT SITUATIONInstitutionally Separate – Redundant, Costly & Unreliable

Stove-piped Definitions, Standards, Capital Planning & Funding

Much data Data Is Not Catalogued, Reused, Reusable or Shared. Tools to Use Data Rebuilt

Need Common Privacy, Security, Data Quality and Licensing Policies

Policy and Decision makers ( and others) not effectively using GI technologies and data

Technology and Data initiatives need better linkage

TRENDS

Products

Mandates

Federal View

Closed Solutions

LimitedCommunication

Information & Services

Incentives

Community View

Open Geoprocessing

WorldwideReach

Major Activities

• National Spatial Data Infrastructure - NSDI

• Global Spatial Data Infrastructure - GSDI

• Digital Earth - DE• Global Disaster

Information Network - GDIN

• International Organization for Standardization - ISO

• Open GIS Consortium - OGC

• Global Map

The NSDI OMB Circular A-16 and EO 12906

Develop and implement spatial data resource for nationReduce duplication of effortPromote effective management by all levels of governmentImprove the acquisition, distribution and use of geographic informationStakeholder collaboration - public private partnerships (State, local, tribal, Pvt, Academic)Federal leadership provided by the FGDCGeoData Alliance is developing as National leadership & governance structure

The GSDI Policies, standards, technologies, human and financial resourcesSupport collaboration on regional and global issues of importanceEncourage the growth of Spatial Data Infrastructures Provide mechanisms to link national and regional effortsPublic and private sector participantsGuided by Steering Committee represented by many nations

Digital Earth Improve application of geodata visualization, decision support & analysisAccelerate research and developmentFocus on community end use applicationsFocused research, funding, and collaborative partnerships to resolve gaps and issuesUS Digital Earth led by NASA with Interagency Steering CommitteeInternational Digital Earth

GDINFocus on sharing disaster informationImprove use of existing and new technologies Facilitate institutional processes to promote global sharing of disaster informationImprove effectiveness and interoperability of natural and technology informationFoster improved early warning and mitigation International public/private partnership Guided by an International Executive Committee

ISOPromote development of standards worldwideFacilitate international exchange of goods and services, develop cooperationTC 211 is responsible for Geographic Information/GeomaticsStandards specify geographic information, methods, tools, and services2 Published standards and 27 in developmentInternational Committee for TC211 includes 33 participating nations &19 observers

OGCAddressing interoperability needs among systems that process georeferenced dataPromotes connection of mainstream computing systems and geoprocessing systemsDevelops technology specifications and business process innovations to support widespread use of geodata and services International membership of public and private entitiesActivities guided by multi-national/sector Board of Directors

Global MapObjective is to help understand global environmental issues in support of Agenda 21Developing global scale geographic information through international cooperation (81 countries and areas have participated)Selected thematic data sets will be provided at 1:1,000,000 scale - Focus is on base data, such as elevation, vegetation, drainage systems, transportationInternational Steering Committee provides guidance

Emphasis Areas For Spatial Data

Resources

MetadataMetadata

GEOdataGEOdata

Clearinghouse (catalog)Clearinghouse (catalog)

FrameworkFramework

StandardsStandards

Community Applications O

utr

each

an

d E

duca

tion

Leadersh

ip

Partnerships

Emphasis Areas• Geodata NSDI, GSDI, Global Map, GDIN

• Metadata NSDI, GSDI, ISO

• Clearinghouse NSDI, GSDI, OGC

• Framework NSDI, GSDI, Global Map

• Standards NSDI, ISO, OGC

• Partnerships ALL

• Community ApplicationsDE, GDIN

• Outreach ALL

• Resources ALL

• Leadership ALL

Common Characteristics• Each is seeking to expand value of place based information to

decision-making

• Seek to improve geographic information and technologies

• Build on cooperation/partnership of many individuals and organizations

• Public and private are each critical to success

• Call for “interoperability” of data and technology

• Often involve many of the same organizations

• Each are addressing pieces of the “Big Picture”

• Each is guided by a multi-agency or multi-sector committee

• Each presents opportunities for synergy, leveraging and better coordination of activities

Imagery

Elevation

Geodetic Control

Boundaries

Surface Waters

Transportation

Land Ownership

Other Thematic DataOther Thematic DataFramework/Core DataFramework/Core Data

Access, Sharing, Interoperability and Relationships to

Build Once, Use Many Times

Access, Sharing, Interoperability and Relationships to

Build Once, Use Many Times

Soils

Economic

Biological

Landcover

Demographic

Flood Zones

Spatial Data Infrastructures

Regional/Multi-National

National

Global

State, local

Lessons Learned• Common Spatial Data Infrastructure improves

information access, sharing and use • NSDI and GSDI are building blocks to support many activities

• Availability, quality, and consistency of spatial data still an issue • DE, GDIN, Global Map and other activities should use SDIs

and help them grow

• Standards-based technologies and information are key for dynamic application of spatial data on the WWW.• FGDC developing data standards for NSDI

• ISO supports GSDI and SDI work in many nations

• OGC developing interoperability specifications for geoprocessing technology

Lessons Learned

• Significant efficiencies can be gained through local, state, federal partnerships• Reduce redundant data collection and maintenance

• Improve quality, lower cost

• Public Private Partnership models show promise

Future Needs/Opportunities• Focus on continued growth of spatial data infrastructures

• metadata, cataloging, standardization, access and framework (SDI)

• Focus on place• Web Delivered Technologies

- Decision Support, Location Based Services,Visualization

- G-Government

• Partnerships - Consortia to pool resources for data collection, maintenance and use

(federal, state, local, tribal, private sector) - OMB Initiative

- Agreements to enhance flow/transfer of technology, information and ideas

- Technology test beds and pilots

- Procurements for standards based COTS and NSDI compliance

Future Needs/Opportunities

• Leadership and Awareness• Help policy makers see capabilities for improving decision

process

• Promote interaction of scientist, engineers, program managers, and others to institutionalize policies to better use place based information

• Increase understanding of opportunities to use geodata and technologies to help tie together many functions of government and business

• Promote agreement on the alignment of initiatives and determine how each can more fully contribute and avoid duplication

• Promote awareness and a consistent common “Big Picture”

SDIs supporting user needs

Regional/Multi-national

National

Global

Digital EarthGDINE-GovNational AtlasCommunity 2020Geography Network… many others

State, local Standards supporting Infrastructure & Applications

NSDI, ISO, OGC

User Applications drawing on & supporting SDIs

The Big Picture View

Resulting in

• Better information

• Better decisions

• Better operations

• Better customer service

• Greater accountability

• More trust in government & business

To find out more.…

www.fgdc.gov

www.gsdi.org Global Spatial Data Infrastructure

www.fgdc.gov NSDI / Federal Geographic Data Committee

www.digitalearth.gov Digital Earth

www.opengis.org Open GIS Consortium

www.iso.ch International Organization for Standards

www.gdin-international.org Global Disaster Information Network

www.gsi.go.jp Global Map