Towards a European Spatial Data Infrastructure: Recommendations for Action from the GINIE project

1. 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 Sheffield Sheffield Centre for Geographic Information and Spatial Analysis GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

2. 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 GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

3. 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. GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

4. 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. GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

5. 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) GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

6. 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. GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

7. 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. GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

8. 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 GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

9. 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) GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

10. 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. GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

11. 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 GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

12. 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. GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

13. 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. GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

14. 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 GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002

15. 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. GSDI6, Budapest 16-19/9/2002