GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002 Towards a European Spatial Data Infrastructure: Recommendations for...

GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

Towards a European Spatial Data Infrastructure: Recommendations for

Action from the GINIE project

A. Annoni (*), M.Craglia,(°), P.Smits (*)

*Joint Research Centre – European Commission, Institute for Environment and Sustainability°University of SheffieldSheffield Centre for Geographic Information and Spatial Analysis


Geographic Information Network in Europe

Aim – Develop a cohesive GI Strategy at the European level

Partners:– University of Sheffield, Project Co-ordinator– Open GIS Consortium Europe, Ltd. – EUROGI - European Umbrella Organisation for GI– Joint Research Centre of the European Commission

Accompanying Measures, IST Programme Funded timeframe

– 1st November 2001 to the 31st October 2003


GINIE: Key activities

Developing a sound knowledge base through the comparative policy analysis of frameworks for access, use, and dissemination of GI

Strategic input to INSPIRE and contributing to the international debate taking place at the GSDI6

Raising awareness and capacity building which includes targeted actions for policy-makers at national and European levels

Establishing government and industry panels to help formulate a cohesive European Strategy for GI, and a business model to make it work.


GINIE SDI ws

Rationale– Currently Europe characterized by fragmentation

multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and multi-national nature of Europe, main challenges are organisational, institutional, and political in

nature

Objective– to bring together experiences with existing or upcoming SDIs

(13 EU countries + US),in order to: to evaluate the extent of progress of SDIs in Europe, identify key issues that need addressing to ensure

complementarity between European and national/regional developments.


Outcome of the WS discussions

input to “Comparative analysis of SDIs” report : Part I - summary of each country’s experience

Context Foundation and Legal framework Funding Educational aspects Co-ordination Data content Access to information Standards User expectations and benefits

Part II - comparative analysis and recommendations for actions from a European perspective.

Executive summary translated in several European languages

* available on GINIE web site (www.ec-gis.org/ginie)

CoordinationHighMediumLowNot included in comparison


SDI is successful when ..

it is developed, used, and maintained by several agencies responsible of key data resources including socio-economic, environmental, land and property, and reference data,

it is ready to answer to real needs, particularly at times of emergency such as natural or man-made disasters,

its data conform to common specifications, are maintained up-to-date, and are easy to find and access,

it is multi-level from local to regional and national levels, there is functional homogeneity across levels of jurisdiction, there is clear authority in managing the framework, it supports sufficient economy to justify itself.


Political support

Political support at the highest level is crucial– Governments play a crucial role in the development of SDIs

being at the same time data producers, users, policy setters, and regulators

– GI is expensive and source of tension between policies maximizing government revenue vs maximizing benefits to

citizens.– a clear framework of agreements is needed among

government agencies, the private sector, and citizens Political support needs to be sustained over time

– political priorities may change over time. SDIs remain sensitive to changes in organisational priorities and political leadership.


Selling the Benefits

SDI should be developed at all levels– need to address politicians and decision-makers at each level and

demonstrate the benefits The benefits have to address areas of high political priority

– need to demonstrate To demonstrate, start to use existing examples and then focus on

applications that deliver quick wins– disaster management (Toulouse, Chernobyl,.), environmental

management (water framework directive, flooding across Europe), and transport (impact of blocked tunnels across the Alps)

Need to manage expectations – the development of an SDI requires education, and the change of

organisational cultures


Coordination

One of the most important aspects in SDI development Identify gaps&inconsistencies in the SDl framework is important The roles of the coordinating body include:

– Leadership / Mediating inter-agency conflicts / Sustaining political support / Selling the benefits to multiple audiences / Providing technical guidance and enforcement of common standards / Raising awareness and disseminating the results

SDI coordination does not need to be expensive Some lessons from US experience

– without firm coordination still risk of “departmentalism” – coordination needs its own budget to be effective – think big and act small (promote the vision, but phase implementation)


Phased Implementation 1/2

Different models/approaches in EU as a result of cultural differences– Eg longer time in the planning stage / start with available and develop – One model does not fit all.

A phased implementation is crucial – Collaboration and complementarities are key principles. – Some legal backing requiring MS to develop a base-line SDI seems necessary

Need to support organisational and institutional capacity, promote international standards and best practice, and provide technical coordination and support

– including development of European specifications for data content based on what already exists, whilst keeping the impacts on national dbs to a minimum.

– Work is needed to harmonize data and achieve seamless coherent information.


Phased Implementation 2/2

Implementing an ESDI needs to consider a series of issues:– Identification/selection of who will be in charge of data harmonization, – Coordination between ESDI technical coordinators and existing

agencies, – How this work will be funded, – relationships between original and harmonized data, issues of IPR

and access.– top down (policy, coordination), and from the bottom up, integrating

what already exists. a GeoPortal is important

– to demonstrate what can already be achieved by making public sector data more visible and accessible


Recommendations: Political & Financial and sustainability

Political sustainability– politicians should be encouraged to take an active role in all

committees involved in establishing and steering the development of the SDI, at all levels.

Financial sustainability– To kick-start the ESDI establishment, financial support should come

initially from national governments through general taxation investments must be regarded as an integral part of the e-Europe and e-

Government because the SDI underpins the modernisation of government, and increased access to PSI

– When ESDI is in place, long term financial stability must be ensured. This may require a combination of public and private investment, and user

charges congruent with the objective of maximising its use.


Recommendations:Legal Framework

a common legal framework should be set in place, it should require: – of the EC

that ESDI principles should be followed in all EU-funded projects, i.e. the development of data and technology specifications should be considered in parallel to enable delivery of a specific service,

– of Member States that a base-line SDI on agreed priority services (e.g.

Catalogue Services) be constructed building on existing services or creating them where not available.


Recommendations:Coordination

a coordinating framework at the European level should be established. – Operational coordination:

To define European specifications for common data content and encoding, To provide technical advice, support, and technology watch. To promote international standards for interoperability. To coordinate the activities of the organisations charged with data harmonization. To manage a European GeoPortal.

– Strategic Coordination To support NSDI development through capacity building, comparative studies, ... To ensure that European policies/actions are consistent with the ESDI development To liase with national organisations in raising awareness at the political level

It is further recommended that each of these two coordinating functions be supported by a clearly earmarked multi-annual budget


Recommendations:Phased implementation

a phased implementation for ESDI development should be based on subsidiarity, multilingual GeoPortal be established for demonstration purposes, and to measure

the success of ESDI development. – Such portal must integrate with e-government services underpinned by location rather

than providing GI services isolation. Candidate services and capabilities should be identified early in order to construct

a baseline ESDI. A core European technical committee (TC) should be established at an early stage

to define European specifications, and provide technical coordination of the ESDI. Organisational and financial framework for the data harmonization be established

in consultation with existing European Agencies, and the core TC Capacity building measure focus on SME's in the value-chain of services needed

to guarantee the implementation at the local level, and on local government.

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