Action items.
Action 1: Please contact Alison Kiernan (akiernan@fgdc.gov) if you can host the January 6 Coordination Group meeting and subsequent Environmental Scan meeting (9 a.m. - 3 p.m.). A volunteer to host the February 3 Coordination Group meeting (9 a.m. - noon) is also needed.
Action 2: Please contact Alison Kiernan (akiernan@fgdc.gov) by December 2 if you can attend the January 6 afternoon Environmental Scan meeting. All FGDC members are welcome.
Action 3: Please contact Alison Kiernan (akiernan@fgdc.gov) if you would like to participate on the Future Directions team, working with Tricia's staff. Writers are needed for the 10 page report, as well.
Action 4: Please send Alison Kiernan (akiernan@fgdc.gov) the names and contact information of the key people in the geospatial community (Federal or non-federal) who you feel should be interviewed during the FGDC Future Directions activity.
Action 5: FGDC will investigate hosting a budget workshop to clarify the data table and will discuss further at Dec 2 Coordination Group Meeting.
Hosts: K. Thirmulai and Carol Brandt, DOT
Attendees:
Ivan DeLoatch, FGDC Staff Director
Alison Kiernan, FGDC
Mark Bradford, BTS
Nancy Blyler, USACE
Bruce McKenzie, FGDC
Bruce Joffe, GIS Consultants
Kathy Covert, FGDC
Hank Garie, GOS
Richard Pearsall, USGS
Robby Wilson, NOAA/NOS
Milo Robinson, FGDC
Tim Trainor, Census
Ronald E. Wilson, NIJ
Brad Beach, IDS/NIMA
Bill Chang, BTS
Kim Burns, ESRI
Ed McKay, NOAA/NGS
John Moeller, NGIT, TASC
Bob Harding, GSA
Carol Anadale, GSA
Pam Lafontaine, USDOT/BTS
John Clark, GSA
Rob Dollison, GOS
Leslie Wollack, GOS
Donald Draper Campbell, FCC
David Morehouse, DOE
David Painter, FGDC
Betsy Banas, USFS
Corey Runnels, GSA-FAS
Sherry Konigsberg, BLS
Jason Racette, BLM
Anne O'Connor, Census
Jason Freihage, OMB
Jeff de La Beaujardiere, NASA
Donna Scholz, FGDC
David Stein, NOAA
Anne Hale Miglarese, NOAA
Ginny Pyles, BLM
Sharon Shin, FGDC
Lynda Wayne, FGDC/GeoMaxim
Kim Owens, NOAA
Billy Tolar, National Atlas/USGS
Matthew Sheppard, BTS
FGDC Future Directions Activity - Ivan DeLoatch, FGDC Staff Director
[ PowerPoint 1.16MB ]
The Future Directions Planning Team, comprised of 3 FGDC staff members (Kathy Covert, Bruce McKenzie and Alison Kiernan) and 3 FGDC members (Barry Napier (DHS), Dennis Lytle (USDA), and Tim Trainor (Census)) and led by Tricia Gibbons (LEAD Alliance), will be developing a project plan to be presented at the December 2 Coordination Group meeting. The purpose of the Future Directions Initiative is to create a strategy and implementation plan for the FGDC to further the development of the NSDI. This would be a 1-3 year action plan focused on the Federal community, with input from all levels of the non-federal and Federal geospatial communities. The data collection phase of the project will occur between mid-January and mid-April 2004 (through interviews, workshops, visioning sessions, gap analysis), with the final report to be completed by June.
Immediately following the January 6 Coordination Group meeting there will be a 2 hour meeting (1 pm - 3 pm) which will serve as an environmental scan of where the FGDC currently stands. FGDC members are encouraged to participate in the Future Directions activity and can be assured that it will not be very time consuming. Your input is needed!
Action 1: Please contact Alison Kiernan (akiernan@fgdc.gov) if you can host the January 6 Coordination Group meeting and subsequent Environmental Scan meeting (9 a.m. - 3 p.m.). A volunteer to host the February 3 Coordination Group meeting (9 a.m. - noon) is also needed.
Action 2: Please contact Alison Kiernan (akiernan@fgdc.gov) by December 2 if you can attend the January 6 afternoon Environmental Scan meeting. All FGDC members are welcome.
Action 3: Please contact Alison Kiernan (akiernan@fgdc.gov) if you would like to participate on the Future Directions team, working with Tricia's staff. Writers are needed for the 10 page report, as well.
Action 4: Please send Alison Kiernan (akiernan@fgdc.gov) the names and contact information of the key people in the geospatial community (Federal or non-federal) who you feel should be interviewed during the FGDC Future Directions activity.
Mapping & Analysis for Public Safety in DOJ - Ron Wilson, ICPSR
Ron Wilson is a senior research associate for Mapping & Analysis for Public Safety at the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). He is working with Justice's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to develop spatial data warehouses for use in responding to regional events. During last year's D.C. area sniper shootings NIJ was asked to predict possible target areas. This demonstrated the need for a spatial data repository. While the data from the different regions took time to acquire, the events required immediate response. During this exercise there was trouble identifying where and how to get spatial data. Data delivery was difficult because the files were so large and needed to be processed into a single format. Some attribute data had to be added and the data needed to be transformed into the same projection and coordinate space before analysis could begin. Because the data was not seamless, certain analysis techniques were rendered useless.
The Geospatial Repository for Analysis and Safety Planning (GRASP) run by NIJ and UVA lets local authorities upload and analyze spatial data for regional purposes and crime research. The data is converted to share coordinate space with the neighboring areas, although the data is also preserved in its original format. Requests for data can be streamlined and the data repository allows small jurisdictions with limited funds to contribute data. GRASP uses FGDC compliant metadata and non-proprietary data formats and lessens the load on local personnel for data requests in the event of a disaster. GRASP will eventually become a node on the Geospatial One-Stop and will serve as a central repository for regional scale data and local and state public safety data. The metadata is not yet linked to the Clearinghouse.
GRASP currently has a team of four graduate students modifying the data. This is labor intensive and as the system grows a different system will need to be developed. The use of university students has kept the budget to $150,000 for 3 years. The local universities' capstone projects have provided computer science and systems engineer graduate students who want to gain on the job experience. GRASP has not engaged the private sector yet, but they are exploring that option.
For more information contact: Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety (NIJ) 202.616.4531 or maps@ojp.usdoj.gov. Website is available at: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/maps.
Geospatial One-Stop Transportation Activity Update - Mark Bradford and Mike Kulakowski, DOT/BTS
[ PowerPoint 69KB ]
BTS was assigned the lead by DOT for the development of the Transportation Standard. This standard has five modes: road, rail, air, transit, and water. (The Water Transportation Standard was led by USACE.) The transportation standards were developed and then harmonized with each other as well as with the other Framework Standards. BTS is now working to get more DOT participation and is hoping that the focus of the effort will move from BTS to DOT. The transportation portal will be moved outside the DOT firewall, the transportation community will be introduced to this activity through upcoming conferences, and a strategy will be developed to add other agencies' data. Mike Kulakowski gave a live demonstration of the transportation portal for the Coordination Group, demonstrating the way the portal can hit multiple servers and pull data from all facets of government into a single view. The registry service at the portal puts the data into a generic format that corresponds to the transportation standards. All of DOT does not use the same datum, but this portal is datum independent and is specified in GML.
Open Data Consortium Project and Study - Bruce Joffe, ODC
Open Data Consortium Project and Study
The Open Data Consortium (ODC) examined digital geographic information (dGI) trends and created a model data distribution policy. DGI is a strategic asset and local governments create the highest quality data but don't tend to distribute it well. Some local governments sell their data at a high price, others give it away for free but it's not easily accessible and customer requests are not fulfilled. Some local governments may not have a data distribution policy at all and so refuse to share their data even though State laws say that public records must be provided in the format of use at the cost of reproduction. The private sector could more effectively distribute the local governments' data, and could add value by providing services and repackaging the data.
The ODC project to formulate a model data distribution policy was organized through the GeoData Alliance with seed funding grant money from USGS. It was a collaborative effort with 117 reviewers and 67 participants. (The policy and PPT presentation are available at www.OpenDataConsortium.org.) The article "10 Ways To Support Your GIS Without Selling Data" gets to the core issue: the public's right to public data and the public agency's need to fund their geospatial operations. The article provides general framework guidance for easy public access to public-record geospatial data and focuses on revenue produced from existing taxes and service fees, as well as cost savings and support from internal budgeting. (The article is available on the above ODC website.)
It's a faith-based issue. Most governments don't make money selling data; they may as well put it on the web for free. A KPMG study showed that the income produced from selling data equaled 2% of the cost of setting up a data sales mechanism. Selling data is counterproductive. The value of geodata is through its usage. We need to change local governments' accounting practices to identify and measure savings from GIS and allocate that money back to the GIS departments. To build the NSDI we need to release local governments' proprietary interests in GIS by helping them get money other ways. A policy for the free flow of information would be beneficial for the NSDI. The purpose of government is to do what the market doesn't do. There is a confluence where the government, citizens, and private sector could work towards a wider distribution of data.
To contact Bruce Joffe, to give him your opinion, your ideas, or offer to help, please contact him at Bruce@OpenDataConsortium.org, 510.508.0213 (cell), 510.238.9771 (office).
Geospatial Investments Review - Milo Robinson, FGDC and Jason Freihage, OMB
The passback language asked the agencies (USGS, FEMA, and Census) to consider whether they could better coordinate their investments, and link business cases (Exhibit 300). FGDC with OMB participation held several meetings to address ways to improve investments. The result of these meetings was a data table for elevation data. This was reported to Steering Committee in June. But, it's still an open question: How can we improve Geospatial Investments? Agencies to need to self organize to better coordinate investments.
OMB is now asking agencies to fill in this table as part of A-11.
Folks still have questions about the data table. It was proposed to have a budget workshop to clarify table and help folks understand budget process. This idea was well received.
Action 5: FGDC will investigate hosting a budget workshop to clarify the data table and will discuss further at Dec 2 Coordination Group Meeting.
Recommendation: When geospatial data calls are sent to the Agency budget offices, OMB should ensure that the geospatial data person's name is included on the email so they are aware of the exercise.
Old Business -
In early August, the Coordination Group voted by electronic ballot to recommend approval of the Proposed FGDC Policy on Recognition of Non-Federally Authored Geographic Information Standards and Specifications. This recommendation will be forwarded to the Steering Committee for a vote at their next (as yet unscheduled) meeting.
Next Coordination Group meeting:
December 2, 2003
Hosted by Department of Homeland Security
FEMA Building
500 C St., S.W.
Washington, DC 20472
Meeting Room: 273
(An agenda will be forwarded in late November)