Part B
LEAD FEDERAL AGENCY/BUREAU AND/OR SUBCOMMITTEE/WORKING GROUP REPORT (Agencies With Lead Responsibilities Assigned under Current Circular A-16 Authorities) (Please provide a separate report for each activity for which you have the lead)
1. Program/Activity Name:
Clearinghouse Working Group
2. What are the programs this data supports?
All programs using geospatial information in the government and non-governmental sector.
Very Briefly Describe All Applicable Items:
3. Uses of Data: What are the end uses of this data? How does it benefit customers, support lead and other agency missions, etc.?
The Clearinghouse Activity facilitates the discovery of geographic data through the adoption of common descriptions (metadata) and their discovery through fielded and full-text search in a distributed search environment. The Clearinghouse makes it easier for customers to locate spatial information and for providers to fulfill agency missions in data dissemination.
4. Charter/Plan: Do you have a current charter or plan for collection? Should it be updated?
The Clearinghouse does not collect information but organizes the dissemination of descriptions about available information. New metadata are collected on new and old datasets globally every month. There is no specific plan or schedule.
5. Metadata: What is the status of metadata? Is it discoverable and served through the NSDI Clearinghouse? What percentage of this theme's data has metadata and is in a Clearinghouse node?
Metadata is the central feature of the Clearinghouse.
6. Standards: What is the status of this theme's data, process, transfer, and classification standards?
We apply FGDC Metadata, ISO TC211 Standards, and OpenGIS Consortium Specifications where appropriate.
7. Progress: List FY 2000/2001 activities/progress to date (quantify where possible)
Clearinghouse Nodes have increased by 100% in the FY 2000-2001 time period. The number of metadata records in the federated Clearinghouse is estimated to be over 1 million.
8. Leadership: Describe your active leadership role with others (private, local, State, Federal) who collect and use this data.
The Clearinghouse Working Group acts to coordinate and lead in data documentation and publication tasks across many use sectors.
9. Collaborative Partnerships: How many major partnerships with others do you have on this theme? (list if desired)
The ESRI Geography Network is applying Clearinghouse technologies in its implementation.
10. Scope: Are you engaged in broad participation and international/global coordination?
Yes, through OpenGIS Consortium and ISO TC 211.
11. Policy: Do you have a policy in place for full and open access or data sharing?
The Clearinghouse WG encourages data sharing, where possible, but permits data for sale to be advertised in the Clearinghouse. By establishing an environment for comparison fo available information, the Clearinghouse can help establish a market value for data where there is competition among similar products.
12. Are there areas or issues regarding lead responsibilities for spatial data themes that require attention, or lessons-learned that you would like to share with others? Please describe.
N/A