Goal 1: Increase the awareness and understanding of the vision, concepts and benefits of the NSDI through outreach and education.
Corps of Engineers
Objective
: Develop Agency policy to make employees aware of NSDI.Action
: USACE has formal policy (Engineer Regulation 1110-1-8156) and technical guidance (Engineer Manual 1110-1-2909) outlining the requirements of Executive Order 12906 for Commands having civil works, military constructions, and environmental restoration responsibilities.Barriers
: Not everyone in the Corps is aware of the policy and guidance. If they are aware, request funding to implement policy and guidance.Next Steps
: Policy and guidance will be revised and procedures will be less cumbersome.Objective
: Educate employees about metadata, FGDC and NSDI.Action
: USACE held 5 Metadata workshops in 1998 at District Offices.Barriers
: Not everyone who needed the workshops attended. Although many Corps personnel attend the workshops, their managers do not. Without the buy-in from management, metadata generation is not stressed in day to day operations.Next Steps
: 1) Investigate creating a GIS management seminar that would include information on metadata generation to educate management. 2) Create a metadata module to be included in all Corps GIS courses. By incorporating metadata generation in all courses, will encourage personnel to generate metadata as part of data generation.Action
: USACE has a geospatial website (http://gis.usace.army.mil) with links to the FGDC web site. New FGDC news is highlighted on the web page.Barriers
: Not everyone looks at the website.Objective
: Develop communication mechanisms with field.Action
: Established a USACE geospatial email list with subscribers throughout the Corps. The list can be used to pass FGDC information to field offices.Barriers
: Not everyone is aware of the list.Next Steps
: Continue to promote the list.Defense Logistics Agency
Objective
: Develop Agency policy to make employees aware of NSDI.Action
: We have issued DLAD 4165.5, Installation Master Planning, which reiterates DLA’s support for NSDI.Results:
DLAD 4165.5 has not been published in the Agency’s automated document library, but will be added soon.Barriers: Not all of DLA is aware or has implemented the policy.
Next Steps:
A DLA Instruction is being written which will contain procedures for implementing the vision and concepts of the NSDI.Objective
: Train DLA engineering community on NSDI and Metadata development.Action:
DLA had U.S. Army’s engineering experts to training sessions at the DLA Installations conference to present information on geographic information systems (GIS) and Metadata use and generation.Results
: Training sessions were a success. Two DLA engineers were further trained on GIS development at Army schools.Barriers
: Because of training budget shortages and information flow, not everyone who requires training can get it.Next Steps
: Gather information from Corps of Engineers on their proposed Metadata module for GIS courses and provide to appropriate field employees.
Goal 2: Develop common solutions for discovery, access, and use of geospatial data in response to the needs of diverse communities.
Corps of Engineers
Objective:
Make NSDI available to Commands.Action
: The Corps has an NSDI Clearinghouse Node and USACE Commands are required to serve metadata and check the clearinghouse prior to starting a project. Currently, the Corps is serving over 2000 metadata files on the USACE NSDI Clearinghouse Node.Barriers
: Although HQUSACE requires each command to support the clearinghouse not all Commands are posting or checking the clearinghouse. They request additional funding to check and post to the clearinghouse.Barriers
: When Corps personnel do use the clearinghouse, they often do not find anything or have trouble using the search engine. If they are posting metadata files, they often have problems.Next Steps
: Revamp the Clearinghouse Node and make it easier to use.Objective
: Aid and support the development of metadata generation.Action
: The Corps has developed a metadata generation tool, Corpsmet95, and distributes it freely to all Corps Commands and the general public.Next Steps
: A new release of Corpsmet95 will be available in FY99. The new release will primarily fix bugs.Objective
: Provide Corps navigation data economically to the public.Action
: Developed Engineer Circular (EC 1130-2-209) mandating that navigation data collected by the Corps shall be posted on the internet and metadata files posted to the clearinghouse.Defense Logistics Agency
Objective
: Document existing dataAction
: DLA contracted with the Tri-Service CADD/GIS Center to determine the geospatial data needs for one installation.Results
: The Tri-Service CADD/GIS Center is working on translating existing data into geospatial data and proposing Metadata required.Barriers
: The DLA activity selected for the test has undergone major consolidations and downsizing in preparation for an A-76 study.Next Step: Publish the results of the test site to the remaining DLA installations.
Goal 3: Use community-based approaches to develop and maintain common collection of geospatial data for sound decision making
.Corps of Engineers
Objective:
Support, develop and promote the development of common standards.Action
: USACE continues to hold and chair FGDC Facilities Working Group meetings.Barriers
: Not all facilities related agencies are represented at the meetings.Next Steps
: Continue to chair and hold meetings, promoting the group to the fullest.Action
: USACE participates on the following FGDC subcommittees and working groups to develop standards: Cadastral, Demographic, Bathymetric, Geodetic, Ground Transportation, Geologic, Spatial Water, Facilities Working Group, Standards Working Group, and the Ad-hoc Metadata Working Group. USACE is also a member of the Coordination Group and a DoD Co-Member of the FGDC Steering Committee.Barriers
: There are many working groups and Corps personnel are spread too thin.Next Steps
: Continue to support the various subcommittees and working groups.Action
: The Corps mandates the use of the Tri-Service Spatial Data Standards (TSSDS). Many of the approved FGDC standards have been implemented in the TSSDS.Barriers
: Many Commands are still not using the TSSDS.Next Steps
: Continue to support the TSSDS.Defense Logistics Agency
Objective
: Implement standardsAction
: DLA mandate use of the Tri-Service Spatial Data Standards (TSSDS).Status
: DLA issued a letter to all design agents and field engineers that the TSSDS must be used in all DLA projects.Barriers
: Not everyone is using the TSSDS.Next Steps
: Continue to mandate use of the TSSDS.Action
: Maintain active role in the FGDC Working Group.Status
: DLA is an active member of the Tri-Service CAD/GIS Center’s Executive Steering Group, Executive Working Group and Field Technical Advisory Group.Barriers
: Membership is an extra duty to people already overworked.Next Steps
: Continue to maintain an active role in these groups.
Goal 4: Build relationships among organizations to support the continuing development of the NSDI.
Corps of Engineers
Objective
: Partner with Federal and non-Federal entities.Action
: Many of the Corps Commands participate on local GIS councils and purchase data in joint effort with federal as well as state and local governments. Some are formal purchasing agreements, others are more informal data exchanges.Barriers
: The Corps has no authorization to build or collect spatial data. Districts often cannot financially support joint collections, because they do not have authorization to spend funds.Next Steps
: Examine whether Corps can be authorized to spend funds to participate in joint geospatial data collection efforts.Defense Logistics Agency
Objective
: Partner with non-Federal entities.Action
: DLA is actively participating with the City of Lathrop, CA in their long range planning efforts. We will improve access to the installation at the same time the City is realigning and improving their major arteries.Status: We have attended meetings with the City.
Barriers
: DLA participation is limited because of resource shortages and the fact that the City is funding the initiative 100%.Next Steps
: Continue meetings with the City and attempt to get any required fundingFunding:
Corps of Engineers
1998 USACE spent approximately $400,000 to support the NSDI.