An Idea to Improve Data.Gov

NSGIC has registered an idea on the Federal CIO Council's Evolving Data.gov web site. The site was developed as part of the CIO Council's effort to involve the public in the evolution and growth of data.gov.

NSGIC leadership gathered via Google Wave to discuss data.gov and how it might help with NSGIC's effort to support a National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). Out of those talks grew an idea:

Data.gov should become a nationally managed "access point" that provides a mechanism for all levels of government to participate or integrate with, thus creating a single location for citizens to access government data.

This idea matches NSGIC's vision for the NSDI; a nationwide collection of geospatial data that originates in local, county and state agencies and is aggregated up to the national level. It is an approach that counts on a national effort to develop and promote data standards and to manage the integration of data from all levels of government.

"Nearly 30 of us tossed around a number of ideas and ultimately chose this as NSGIC's official submission," explained NSGIC President Will Craig (Minnesota). "I will ask the full membership to consider this idea within the context of the Evolving Data.Gov site. I hope to see other ideas submitted by NSGIC members as well."