Unlocking the Data
2
The edge Spring 2008 13 A user pers pect ive 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 mone y, 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 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 tech nology. The second approach is a data-led one – simply asking t he ques tion: 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 Unlocking 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? “Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information on i t.” Samue l Johns on (17 09 – 178 4) Southport Birkdale Ainsdale Formby Hightown Sand dune topographic data from Formby to Ainsdale Mersey Estuary Liverpool Bay data –Tide gauges – Bottom dr ifters –Wave modelling Coast Wide Data – Historical photogra phs and video footage of the coast – Water ta ble monitoring – Soi ls – Sediment sampling – O/S data from 1850 to present day – Aerial photograp hy from 1945 to 2006 – Storm data Land Reclamation extents and dates Data sets available for the Sefton Coast A total of 2,600 datasets were identified b y Sefton Cou ncil, such as 18th century charts showing where the shoreline was and aerial photographs from the 1940s. Providing a proper ly catalogued system tomake the data available was where the LIS came in. Salt marsh extent and levels Beach profile data from line 1 at Crosby to line 30 at Marshside Beach topographic survey Dune toe survey Tide pole data Weather station data Training walls – dates of intervention, location and action Dredging locations, dates and quantities of materials dredged and dumped Chartdata showing the positions of sand banks and channels for the Ribble and Mersey Estuaries Training walls – dates of intervention, location and action to look at coastal change, while Cork was interested in land use planning and development control decisions and the Fal Est uary in Cornwall focuse d on nature conse rvation 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.” Guidelines for implementing Local Information Systems at the coast The methodology produced by MACE as part of the Corepoint project is a great starting point to help avoid previous mistakes in developing a usable local information system. The detailed methodology points to seven key steps: 1 Justify i nformati on syst ems – It takes money, time and commitment from collaborators to build an information system. So it’s important to build a case to justify why LIS is useful. 2 Hav e clea r pur pose You cannot answer all questions relevant to coastal management in one attempt. Instead, focus on some key purpose/s for the system so coastal practitioners can clearly identify the system with a particular part of their work. 3 Invol veusers Be user-led, not data-led – relate your system to the work of coastal practitioners. 4 Solv e technic al obstacl es Information systems can only work where a variety of technical obstacles have been solved – these obstacles relate both to policy and technical issues. 5 Deploy appropri ate technology There are many technologies out there so choose carefully to spend limited finance wisely. 6 Chec k for quali ty assur ance Put checks in place to avoid the ‘rubbish in – rubbish out’ syndrome. 7 Impl emen t and tr ain Involve users from beginning to end to ensure familiarity with the system and willingness to provide data to populate it as well as belief in the product. The final, comprehensive, step by step methodology is available online at: http://crc67 .ucc.ie/cor epoint/wp46 A working L IS for Sefton One of the teams MACE worked with was fellow Corepoint partner, Sefton Counci l. Says Gr aham Lymbe ry of the council, “Wealread y 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 cardbo ard 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 origina lly wanted the LIS to be available online but the costs, for us, were prohibitive. Instead the system is now maintained through a gatekeeper (an information manager) and we make the reports generated from it available online. “We in the coastal defence team manage the LIS because it is the data we need for undertaking analysis. We are still adding to the information both through digitisation of material such as aerial photos and old records and through new data capture. For us, the LIS is extremely useful. We’ve found it provides a starting point for much of our analysis that subsequently informs policy and it does so in a credible way – credibility is very importa nt.” Ribble Estuary
Transcript of Unlocking the Data
8/14/2019 Unlocking the Data
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The edge Spring 2008 13
A user perspectiveAccess to quality information that’sfiltered to provide the data youneed, when you need it is probably onthe top ten wish list for manycoastal professionals. And a sharedinformation system that’s regularlyupdated and easy to access canpotentially save money, time andresources for all those involved in thelong term. Enter the local informationsystem (LIS) – an IT-enabled systembuilt to support the efforts of localmanagers, such as engineers, planners,tourism officers, harbour masters andenvironmental managers.
For those willing to form a network formanaging coastal information, then aLIS may be a suitable option. But it’snot without its pitfalls.
“An important, but little recognisedfact is that information systems canand often do fail because the lessonslearnt in the field of informationscience and information systemsare simply not applied”, says TimStojanovic of MACE who was chargedwith developing LIS across six pilots aspart of the Corepoint project. “Wewanted to produce a set of structuredguidelines informed by LIS projectsacross Europe and the latest thinking
in the information system discipline tostop people repeating past mistakes.”
In working with the six organisations,MACE was keen to adopt a user-ledapproach for developing informationsystems at the outset. Says Stojanovic,
“We found that people generally startfrom three possible places. The first iswhere those involved are excited firstand foremost by the technology. Thiscan lead to some really positive, novelsolutions but I’ve also seen a lot of money spent on tools where there’sbeen little real application. There’s adanger that you can becomebewitched by technology. The secondapproach is a data-led one – simplyasking the question: what are theresources out there and how can wecatalogue them? The problem withthis approach is that people becomeoverwhelmed by it – there’s simply no
real rationale for structuring theinformation. The last approach, andone we favour, is the user-led one –developing a series of questionsrelating to a real need.”
“Through this approach, theorganisations we worked with wereable to develop clear and distinctneeds for their information systems.Sefton Council, for example, wanted
Unlocking the data
Producing a methodology for those interested in implementinglocal information systems (LIS) at the coast was a key aim of
the Corepoint project. Six pilots later, the guidelines have beenproduced and are about to be sent out to 50 projects aroundEurope already looking at the possibility of using suchsystems. So, what are the secrets of a good LIS?
“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information on it.”Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784)
Southport
Birkdale
Ainsdale
Formby
Hightown
Sand dune topographic data
from Formby to Ainsdale
Mersey Estuary
Liverpool Bay data–Tide gauges– Bottom drifters–Wave modelling
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
Land Reclamation extents and dates
Data sets availablefor the Sefton Coast
A total of 2,600 datasets wereidentified by Sefton Council, such
as 18th century charts showingwhere the shoreline was andaerial photographs from the1940s. Providing a properly
catalogued system tomakethe data available was
where the LIS came in.
Salt marsh extentand levels
Beach profile data fromline 1 at Crosby to line30 at Marshside
Beach topographic survey
Dune toe survey
Tide pole data Weather station data
Training walls – datesof intervention,location and action
Dredging locations,dates and quantitiesof materials dredged
and dumped
Chartdata showing thepositions of sand banks andchannels for the Ribble andMersey Estuaries
Training walls –dates of intervention,location and action
to look at coastal change, while Corkwas interested in land use planningand development control decisionsand the Fal Estuary in Cornwallfocused on nature conservation andenvironmental quality.”
What resulted from the six pilots was astructured, seven point methodologyfor LIS development (see opposite).
While the guidelines are set to providean excellent grounding for thoselooking to set up an LIS, the ultimatesuccess will inevitably come down tofunding for the development of suchwork. Even within the Corepointproject, money available was limitedwith some pilots only able to completephase 1 of the work. For thoseorganisations without the necessaryresources and time, an LIS project isprobably not the best way forward.
“The crazy thing is many organisationsinvolved, probably spend tens of thousands of Euros collecting andstoring data that may only be used afew times”, comments Stojanovic.“What’s really needed is the vision anddrive to share information. It’s really acentral theme for true ICZM. Thebenefits could be huge if we all beginto share.”
Guidelines for implementingLocal Information Systemsat the coastThe methodology produced by MACE aspart of the Corepoint project is a greatstarting point to help avoid previousmistakes in developing a usable localinformation system. The detailedmethodology points to seven key steps:
1 Justify information systems –It takes money, time and commitmentfrom collaborators to build aninformation system. So it’s important tobuild a case to justify why LIS is useful.
2 Have clear purposeYou cannot answer all questionsrelevant to coastal management in oneattempt. Instead, focus on some key
purpose/s for the system so coastalpractitioners can clearly identify thesystem with a particular part of theirwork.
3 InvolveusersBe user-led, not data-led – relate yoursystem to the work of coastalpractitioners.
4 Solve technical obstaclesInformation systems can only workwhere a variety of technical obstacleshave been solved – these obstaclesrelate both to policy and technicalissues.
5 Deploy appropriate technologyThere are many technologies out thereso choose carefully to spend limitedfinance wisely.
6 Check for quality assurancePut checks in place to avoid the‘rubbish in – rubbish out’ syndrome.
7 Implement and trainInvolve users from beginning to end toensure familiarity with the system andwillingness to provide data to populateit as well as belief in the product.
The final, comprehensive, step bystep methodology is availableonline at:http://crc67.ucc.ie/corepoint/wp46
A working LIS for Sefton
One of the teams MACE worked withwas fellow Corepoint partner, SeftonCouncil. Says Graham Lymbery of thecouncil, “Wealread y had experience of putting together a type of database inthe early eighties when computerpower was limited, so the databaseitself was a collection of documents ina number of cardboard boxes.”
“We wanted to store and interpret thisexisting coastal change data in such away that it could more easily beupdated in the future andcommunicated to other users, such asland-managers or researchers.
“We originally wanted the LIS to beavailable online but the costs, for us,
were prohibitive. Instead the system isnow maintained through a gatekeeper(an information manager) and wemake the reports generated from itavailable online.
“We in the coastal defence teammanage the LIS because it is the datawe need for undertaking analysis. Weare still adding to the informationboth through digitisation of materialsuch as aerial photos and old recordsand through new data capture. For us,the LIS is extremely useful. We’vefound it provides a starting point formuch of our analysis thatsubsequently informs policy and itdoes so in a credible way – credibilityis very important.”
Ribble Estuary
