Group Looks to Maximize Value of GIS Data Nationwide

A national board of directors made up of local, state and federal representatives is continuing to explore ways to maximize the value of geographic and geospatial data for use in collaborative decision making.

Christine Becker – The National League of Cities

The Geospatial One Stop Board of Directors was created last October to guide a federal effort to connect geospatial data to broaden its value and to ensure maximum local input in the process. The board is overseeing a comprehensive effort, funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior, to make geospatial information available over the Internet through a secure one-stop portal.

A survey will be sent to city officials later this week to collect information about local use of geographic information technologies. The survey was developed jointly by the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties (NACo), the International City-County Management Association (ICMA) and Public Technology Inc. (PTI).

"I urge you to make sure the right person in your city or town gets the survey and takes the time to complete it," said NLC Executive Director Donald Borut. "The information we provide will help guide and shape this joint intergovernmental effort around an essential and emerging technology."

Though many cities have used geographic information systems (GIS) for a variety of local uses for many years, the value of consistent data and cross boundary access has become even more important since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Officials in New York City have said access to geographic information collected by a variety of government and non-government organizations was an essential tool for first responders.

The board of directors is attempting to play a coordinating role for a wide range of federal activities related to GIS systems and data — and to ensure that local and state officials have a strong voice in those federal efforts. The federal government has been working for many years to establish standards for geospatial information and develop a coordinated national spatial data infrastructure.

NLC and the other local public interest groups have been connected to that effort through seats on the Federal Geographic Data Steering Committee, which is heavily dominated by federal agencies.

The one-stop project provides a strong voice for local governments that develop and control a large percentage of the geographic and geospatial data through local and regional GIS systems.

At a meeting last week, the board focused on ways to further strengthen the local voice in this process including exploring ways to support local efforts to develop and maintain data and developing a more effective and helpful partnership between the federal and local governments.

NLC Past President Brian O’Neill, councilman from Philadelphia, represents NLC on the board, and other local government members of the board are Eric Anderson, city manager of Des Moines, Iowa, representing ICMA, and Randy Johnson, commissioner from Hennepin County, Minn., representing NACo.

Johnson has said that he hopes this process will eventually lead to a point where local officials view geospatial data and GIS technologies the same way they view e-mail, as another valuable and easily accessible tool for carrying out the job of being an effective local leader.

http://www.govtech.net/news/news.phtml?docid=2003.05.05-49945