The National Spatial Data Infrastructure: 10 Years in the Making

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The National Spatial Data Infrastructure10
Years in the Making
The National Spatial Data Infrastructure10
Years in the Making

Bruce McKenzie
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What you are is where you were when.
What you are is where you were when.

• What you did is what you used when.

What you did is what you used when.
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TECHNOLOGYTHEN NOW
TECHNOLOGYTHEN
NOW
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What is it? Internet Web Craze

NCSA Mosaic Web Browsers Netscape vs. Explorer

Static Web Pages Dynamic Servicing
486/66 MHz 16 MB RAM 500 MB HD Hi-End PC 3GHz Pentium 4 512 MB RAM 60 GB HD

What is it? Internet Web Craze

NCSA Mosaic Web Browsers Netscape vs. Explorer

Static Web Pages Dynamic Servicing
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Genesis of the FGDC NSDI

• Federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on
  Digital Cartographic (FICCDC) created under OMB
  directive in 1983, to initiate a process to
  bring about coordination of digital cartographic
  activities of Federal agencies.
• FGDC created by OMB in 1990 (Revised Circular
  A-16) to coordinate surveying, mapping, and
  related spatial data activities across Federal
  government.
• 1990, OMB Revised Circular A-16 called for the
  development of a national digital spatial
  information resource.

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Historical Reflection

• In 1993, 94, and 95, the National Research
  Council,
• Mapping Science Committee (MSC) issued reports
• on the concept, need for, and contents of the
  NSDI
• 1993 - The concept of a NSDI was first
• advanced by the MSC.
• 1994 Explored Federal/State partnership
• scenarios to advance building the NSDI.
• 1995 Called for the development of a common
• reference system (critical data foundation) for
• the generation, exchange, and integration of
• spatial data.

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Historical Reflection (cont.)

• March 1994, First Strategic Plan for the NSDI,
  crafted by the FGDC Building the Foundation of
  an Information Based Society. Articulated the
  vision for the NSDI and defined specific
  immediate and near-term activities to be
  accomplished.
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• April 1994, Presidential E.O. 12906, called for
  the nations development of the NSDI and further
  chartered the Federal Geographic Data Committee
  (FGDC) to lead and coordinate this effort,
  engaging the non-Federal sector in this
  challenge.

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Historical Reflection (cont.)

• Additional Calls for Action
• 1997,A Strategy for the NSDI, crafted by the
  geospatial community.
• 1998, National Academy of Public Administration
  Study Geographic Information for the 21st
  Century Building a Strategy for the Nation.
• 1999, National GeoData Forum.
• 2000, FGDC study Improving Federal Agency
  Geospatial Data Coordination.

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Actions from Studies

• Strengthening representation/participation/stakeho
  lder involvement in the FGDC
• Raising awareness and understanding of the NSDI
• Ensuring commitment to building the NSDI
• Building and distributing integrated national
  geospatial data assets
• Developing standards to achieve national
  consistency and multiple applications of the data
• Developing common solutions for discovery and
  access to data
• Raising international awareness of the NSDI
• Supporting alternative/complementary approaches
  for involvement in the NSDI
• Addressing Pricing Policies and Intellectual
  Property Rights

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Accomplishments

• Adoption and promotion of policies that support
  principles of full and open access to federal
  geographic data.

• The formulation and adoption of the FGDC Metadata
  Standard, and its impact on international
  metadata standards development.
• The establishment and continued expansion
  (nationally and internationally) of the NSDI
  Clearinghouse network.

• The conception and promotion of collaboratively
  building a Framework of geospatial data
  nationwide.
• Establishing national standards that provide the
  basis for interoperability and efficient data
  sharing.

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Accomplishments (cont.)

• Many non-federal organizations are actively
  engaged in building the NSDI in partnership the
  FGDC.

• The NSDI is viewed internationally as a model for
  emulation.
• The FGDC has played a major role in the emergence
  and evolution of the Global Spatial Data
  Infrastructure.

• The establishment and maintenance of a grant
  program has encouraged organizations to get
  engaged in NSDI activities.
• Performed many public outreach activities and
  capacity building endeavors such as national
  forums, workshops, and publications.

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Strengthening Representation/Participation/Stakeh
older Involvement in the FGDC

• Increase state, local and tribal government
  participation in the FGDC, and develop a process
  that allows these stakeholder groups to define
  logical and complementary roles in support of the
  NSDI.
• Seek ways to broaden private sector
  participation.
• Engage OMB at the highest level to become a full
  FGDC member.

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2003 CAPFunding Categories

• Category 1 Metadata Creation and Implementaion
• Category 2 Metadata Training Assistance
• Category 3 Metadata Outreach
• Category 4 Clearinghouse Integration with
  OpenGIS Services
• Category 5 Canadian/US Spatial Data
  Infrastructure Development Project

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1. Metadata Creation and Implementation

• Seed funds to new organizations
• Implement the basic NSDI technical building block
• Funds cover
• - Training, travel, labor
• - 9,000 (50 in-kind match)
• Project objectives
• - Metadata created
• - Served through NSDI clearinghouse
• - Metadata integrated into standard practices
• FGDC training coordination available

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2. Metadata Training Assistance

• Provides assistance to metadata trainers
• Funds cover
• - training, travel, facilities, training
  materials
• - 25,000
• Eligibility
• - ability to travel regionally nationally
• - metadata expertise
• Project objectives
• - Organizations trained, metadata created and
  served

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3. Metadata OutreachNew 2003 Category

• Metadata and clearinghouse mature organizations
  assist resource poor organizations in creating
  and serving metadata in their state or region
• Funds cover
• - travel, outreach, communication
• - Metadata promotion to managers
• - Labor costs to create and serve metadata
• - 40,000
• Organizational eligibility
• - Metadata expertise
• - Operational clearinghouse

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4. Clearinghouse integration with Web Mapping
Services

• Objective Deploy web map (and feature) client
  and server software for linking to and viewing
  geospatial data from metadata in the NSDI
  Clearinghouse utilizing embedded URL map
  requests.
• Operational and registered clearinghouse node
• Operating web map server software extendable to
  support OpenGIS Web Mapping (or feature) Standard
  1.0
• FGDC assists in providing training and technical
  referrals
• 25,000

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5. Canadian/U.S. Spatial Data Infrastructure
Project

• FGDC Collaboration with GeoConnections Canada
• Broadly address collaborative geospatial data
  activities over a common geography between CA and
  the U.S.
• 75,000 U.S. / 100,000 CA (1 collaborative
  project award)

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CAP Funding Webpage
Closes May 30, 2003
www.fgdc.gov
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Accomplishments (cont.)

• The NSDI is on the radar screen of the
  Administration.

• Geospatial data and the NSDI have become
  recognized as foundations for electronic
  government.
• High-level Federal agency officials are involved
  in the FGDC.

• OMB Circular A-16 has been revised to strengthen
  Federal agency roles and responsibilities for the
  NSDI.
• Policy-level officials at other levels of
  government are becoming aware of the NSDI.

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E-Gov-olution of Efforts from E-Gov to G-Gov

• OMB Geospatial Information Initiative
• I-Teams
• Circular A-16 Revised August 2002
• Major agency collaborative initiatives
• Presidential E-gov Initiatives
• GeoSpatial One-Stop

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Circular A-16 Revised 8/02

• Establishes a coordinated approach to
  electronically develop the NSDI.
• Reflects changes that have taken place in
  geographic information management and technology.
• Strengthens Federal agency roles and
  responsibilities for the NSDI.
• Names Deputy Director for Management, OMB, as
  Vice-Chair of FGDC.
• Identifies spatial data as a national capital
  asset.
• Applies to all spatial data and geographic
  information systems activities - financed
  directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, by
  federal funds.
• Identifies lead federal agencies with
  responsibilities for 34 NSDI spatial data themes.

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Geospatial One-Stop

• E-Government (E-gov) Initiative
• Component of President Bushs Management Agenda
  One of 24 E-Government initiatives.
• Raises the visibility of the strategic value of
  geographic information and the NSDI.
• Accelerates implementation of the NSDI.
• Increases federal agency accountability for the
  stewardship and sharing of geospatial resources.
• Makes it easier, faster, and cheaper for all
  levels of government and public to access
  geospatial information.

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Geospatial One-Stop

• Establishes a collaborative model for directing
  an intergovernmental initiative.
• U.S. Office of Management and Budget oversees the
  direction of all E-Government Initiatives.
• DOI serves as the Managing Partner for One Stop.
• Intergovermental Board of Directors provides
  guidance to the project includes Federal and
  non-federal participation.
• FGDC supports the Geospatial One Stop project
  implementation.

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Geospatial One-StopIntergovernmental Board of
Directors(2/3 Non-federal, 1/3 Federal)

• National Association of State CIOs
• National States Geographic Information Council
• Western Governors Association
• National Association of Counties
• National League of Cities
• International City/County Managers Association
• Intertribal GIS Council
• Department of the Interior USGS, BLM
• Department of Commerce Census Bureau, NOAA
• Department of Transportation
• NASA

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Geospatial One-StopProject Modules

• Establish integrated Framework Data Content
  Standards.
• Use metadata to inventory, document and publish
  Framework data holdings in NSDI Clearinghouse.
• Publish metadata for planned data acquisition and
  update for Framework data in NSDI Clearinghouse
  (geospatial data marketplace).
• Prototype and deploy enhanced data access and web
  mapping services for Federal Framework data.
• Establish a Federal Portal (One-Stop) as a
  logical extension to the NSDI Clearinghouse
  Network.

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Geospatial One-StopWhere we want to be..

• Users are able to discover and use maps or data
  served and maintained by a reliable custodian.
• The format and structure of the information for a
  given theme from all providers can appear the
  same to all customers.
• Content and encoding requirements are simple yet
  useful enough that many providers adopt and serve
  compliant Framework data.
• Data and map services are authoritative,
  reliable, and are referenced by many customers
  instead of setting up duplicate services
  elsewhere.

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How It Is All Fitting Together

• NSDI - the infrastructure of data, policies,
  standards, and procedures for organizations to
  cooperatively produce and share geographic data.
• Geospatial One-Stop - a Presidential initiative
  to accelerate completion of the infrastructure.
• I-Teams a collaborative process to help
  agencies produce, exchange and steward data.
• National Map, Census Modernization, Tanana Valley
  Initiative, StratMap - Federal State programs
  using the I-Team process to produce products to
  fulfill essential national and regional missions.
• The products, produced to NSDI standards, are
  available through and become part of the
  infrastructure.
• Homeland Security and other applications use data
  products and services from the infrastructure.

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Future Directions

• The Homeland Security Department's chief
  information officer outlined his top priorities
  today (3/13/03) help first responders do their
  jobs, develop better wireless systems and use
  geospatial technology to keep America secure.

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Drivers for Planning

• Cultural change is slow, spatial data and
  technology are still secondary in agency
  planning. NSDI is still an under appreciated
  asset.
• E-Gov is the future. Federal enterprise
  architecture effort will be pursued.
• Technology is surging ahead of our ability to
  culturally adapt.
• Homeland Security will remain a paramount
  application driver for the data.

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Drivers for Planning (cont.)

• Intergovernmental (Federal, state, local)
  collaboration is needed to build and maintain
  integrated national data assets.
  Institutionalizing stewardship responsibilities
  is key.
• The altruistic movement does not appear to work
  to get agencies to work together. Mission-driven
  efforts tend to keep agencies apart. Money
  drives cooperative spirit.
• There is inconsistent implementation of the
  common practices and standards developed for the
  NSDI.
• Open access/community right to know vs.
  privacy/security concerns.
• Pricing policies and intellectual property rights
  will remain important.
• Data overload ahead quality,
• accuracy, and liability issues.
• Others

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Next Steps

• Forming a Planning Team to craft an updated NSDI
  Strategy.
• GIStrategy for America.
• Broad stakeholder involvement is essential.

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