California Opens A GIO Position

Last week, California opened an executive position in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) for a Geospatial Information Officer. This is big news for California, and comes nine months after the California GIS Council adopted a Strategic Plan (see http://cgia.org/CA%20StrategicPlan%20P2.pdf ) calling for a GIO.

The GIO will be responsible for ensuring that the State of California receives the benefits associate with Geospatial data, specifically,

• increased data access and sharing;
  
• reduced GIS duplication and costs;
  
• developments of GIS standards;
  
• Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) centers of expertise; public outreach; and
  
• increased collaboration.

We are enthusiastic about this development and look forward to good things to come from now having

1. an executive sponsor,
2. close ties with our Chief Information Officer, and
3. a Paid full-time coordinator.

The link for the job announcement and details for the application process is here.

Learon Dalby Provides "An Insider's Take"

The latest edition of Fugro EarthData's Perspectives newsletter includes an interview with NSGIC President Learon Dalby "on the relationship between technology and GIS user needs within state government."

The interview covers a range of topics related to how changing technology, and the expanding use of new technologies in the workforce, affects GIS coordination in the states. It looks at the relationship between states and the private sector, discusses data access policies, new challenges brought by changes in technology, common misconceptions about GIS coordination, and future directions for data coordination.

Mr. Dalby discusses new challenges and opportunities related to technological change, but reminds us that the fundamentals of GIS coordination remain constant:

The technology comes and goes with the seasons. But no technology can replace the hard part; creating and maintaining trust with partners. That includes service providers, decision-makers…anyone involved in the process. The real success ingredient of our state GIS coordination business is building relationships.

The Fall 2008 Edition of Perspectives also includes articles on Land Use/Land Cover data, a new, NGA funded geospatial research and internship partnership, and other news and events listings.

Six Word Challenge Results: NSGIC in 3 Years

At the recent NSGIC Leadership Strategic Retreat, there was a brief, but serious, discussion of where NSGIC should find itself in three years time. NSGIC Strategic Plans are written in three-year increments and it makes little sense to plan how you plan to get there if you don't really know where you are going.

This seemed like a good excuse to toss out another "6-word challenge." The first, "How will we achieve a true National Spatial Data Infrastructure?" was posted in the last "paper" issue of the NSGIC Newsletter. This time, the question was "where will NSGIC be in three years?"

The following are some of the responses (some were trimmed to keep this blog's PG rating).

• Central nervous system facilitating federated GIS.
• Financially stable: imagery, transportation, height, elevation.
• Coordinated geospatial advocates for the nation.
• Realizing our dreams for the nation.
• Facilitating the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure.
• Still Optimistically Waiting For The NSDI.
• Blissfully Counting For The Nation Initiatives.
• Still Waiting For For The IFTN.
• National Spatial Data Infrastructure Reduction Sale.
• Up a Creek Without A GPS.
• Finally Holding The Conference In Hawaii.
• Using NSDI(s) to solve global problems.
• A sustained organization impacting public policy.
• Still fighting furiously for the NSDI.
• Bringing people together to build consensus.
• Leading the way with our friends.
• Banging heads against the same wall.
• Same ‘ole stuff, different geospatial day.

You'll have to await completion of the NSGIC Strategic Plan to see the actual three year goals.

Job Opening: GIS Coordinator for West Virginia

The West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey has posted a job opening for a Statewide Geographic Information System Coordinator.

If you have ever wanted to enter into the fast-paced and exciting world of statewide GIS coordination (and can meet the requirements listed in the job posting) this may be your big break.

The position will be in Charleston, West Virginia. The posting is open through November 14.

NGAC Transition Recommendations Posted

Materials from the most recent meeting of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) have been posted on the FGDC web site. The NGAC met October 15 -16, 2008, in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

The posted materials include a meeting summary (PDF), updates from NGAC members, an action plan for the committee and information on several major issues now under discussion by the committee:

• The "Changing Landscape" White Paper
• National Land Parcel Data
• Imagery for the Nation (IFTN)
• The Geospatial Line of Business (LoB)

Most timely on this election eve, there is also a three-page paper outlining the NGAC's recommendations (PDF) for the transition team of which-ever candidate will be the next President of the United States.

A Few Words from the NSGIC President: GO...GO...GO...

The following is the first of a series of monthly guest-posts from 2008-2009 NSGIC President Learon Dalby, of Arkansas.

I have quickly learned that NSGIC is on the go.

The NSGIC Board met last week in Fort Worth, Texas, to begin a process that will result in an updated NSGIC strategic plan. The last strategic plan was completed in 2005. It is always interesting to see how an organization has progressed over time.

NSGIC continues to mature its advocacy strategy, which I view as extremely important. Stop and think about all of the ways that geospatial technologies impact (or are impacted by) business processes. It becomes easy to lose focus without a clear purpose and an advocacy agenda. I believe NSGIC has developed each of these critical components which enable this organization to remain focused.

It is imperative that NSGIC stay the course. A strong strategic plan and advocacy agenda will ensure we are prepared to respond to opportunities that present themselves in the coming months and years while keeping our focus on our purpose, as stated in the NSGIC Bylaws (PDF):

...to encourage effective and efficient government through the coordinated development of geographic information and technologies to ensure that information may be integrated at all levels of government.

NSGIC's 2009-2010 Advocacy Agenda (PDF) includes:

• Imagery for the Nation
• Parcel Mapping
• Partnership Funding
• Transportation for the Nation, and
• Technology for the 21st Century

I look forward to working on your behalf to support each of these efforts. I encourage you to identify a role in NSGIC you are passionate about and get involved.