GSDI Standing Commitees

Societal Impacts Committee

This is the homepage of the GSDI Societal Impacts Committee.  We also support the Societal Impacts Committee Discussion List.  If you would like to join the committee, please fill out the registration information to join the discussion list and the chair of the SIC will be in contact.

-BACKGROUND-

As established by the GSDI Bylaws:

The Societal Impacts Committee explores the organizational/institutional frameworks within which spatial data infrastructures are developed locally and across individual nations, multi-nation regions and globally. The Committee encourages dialogue and interaction with respect to varying approaches and explores SDI models, approaches, and experiences with the goal to enhance cooperation among nations in sharing spatial content, including spatial data, spatially-enabled services, geoprocessing models, etc.

In transforming recommendations into action, this committee shall advise the Board on all matters that involve the GSDI Association with regard to funded projects, including grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts, in order to accomplish the greatest societal benefit. Funded projects are defined as any payments to the GSDI Association that oblige the GSDI Association to provide services to the organization providing the funding. The GSDI Association Board retains the final authority over such funded activities, cooperative agreements and contracts.

The committee shall be responsible for dealing with all sources of externally funded activities for the GSDI Association. The Committee shall:

  • Communicate with funding agencies to determine or develop requests for proposals or scope of work for GSDI Association projects,
  • Solicit professionals from GSDI Association member institutions to complete this work,
  • Accomplish proposal peer review processes if required or desired, and
  • Monitor such contracts to ensure completion in a timely manner in adherence to schedules agreed upon with the funding agency.


The chair and vice-chair of the Societal Impacts Committee, as well as the Executive Committee of the GSDI Association, are ineligible, as individuals, to apply for any project funding administered by the Societal Impacts Committee during their term and for six months after their last date of service on the Committee, whether by resignation, expiration of term, or otherwise. This ban also includes the chair of any sponsored projects subcommittee processing such grants.

This committee is looking to recruit new members. 

If you have ideas to share, please join us!

-CURRENT SPONSORED PROJECTS-

GSDI Small Grants Program

Sponsored by the US Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) and the GISCorps

2009 Small Grants

2008 Small Grants

2006-2007 Small Grants

A total of 85 proposals were received in the 2006-2007 competition.  After review by international assessment teams, the GSDI Association is pleased to announce the following 20 recipients:

  • Africa (regional)- Integration of Metadata in current MadMappers Web Archive
  • Americas (regional) -- Global Map of the Americas User Application Survey
  • Belize - Promoting the use of Metadata Standards in Belize
  • Burkina Faso - Technical Workshop on the Production of Metadata
  • Chad - Organization of Spatial Data at the CNAR (Tchad) & Implementation of a Spatial Metadata Base for Researchers
    • Grant Update:  PDF Newsletters from September 2007 and October 2007
  • Egypt - National Spatial Data Infrastructure: Policies, Regulations, and Standards
  • Jamaica - Fostering a Culture of Metadata Production
    • Announcement of Grant to Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
  • Kenya - Enhancing Capacity of Mapping Services within the International Livestock Research Institute
  • Kenya - Mau Watershed (Sub-region) Spatial Data Infrastructure
  • Kenya - Metadata training for Kenyan government and non-profit cooperators
  • Moldova - Geospatial Data Standardization
  • Mongolia - Establishing web mapping services and applications
  • Nepal - Cadastral Metadata of Nepal
  • Niger - Niger National SDI Plan
  • Nigeria - Spatial Data Infrastructure Capacity Building fro Nigerian Professionals
  • Pakistan - Environmental Spatial Metadata Archive of Pakistan
  • Peru - SDI National Workshop
  • South Africa - Training of Data Managers in GIS
  • South Africa - Address Standards Workshop
  • West Africa (regional) - Metadata for the Management of the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem Region

2005 Small Grants

Three (3) grantees received $2,500 in funding from GSDI supplemented with voluntary services from the GISCorps:

  • Hungary - Institute for Ecology & Botany: Vegetation Map Portal
  • Mali - World Food Programme: Strengthening SDI
  • Marshall Islands - Marshall Islands: Metadata/clearinghouse

Nine (9) grantees received $2,500 in funding from GSDI:

  • Colombia - Instituto Geografico Agustin Codazzi (IGAC): Web Mapping Workshop to support ICDE
  • Dem. Rep. of Congo - Observatoire Satellital des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale (OSFAC): Survey of Institutions 
  • East Timor - Directorate of Land and Property (DNTP): SDI Workshop
  • Kenya - Foodlink: Workshop on Data Sharing and Stakeholder Agreement Development 
  • Jamaica - Ministry of Lands & Environment: Continuation of work on 2004 grant topic
    • Grant Update:  The ultimate objective is to make geospatial datasets readily available via the portal to various stakeholders inclusive of decision makers when it is required. At the touch of a button, datasets on geology, topography and socioeconomic conditions among others can seamlessly be integrated. This will help to improve the development approval process, sustainable planning activities, and disaster management initiatives among others. The information which is needed to make decisions will now be readily available and accessible. This will create new possibilities while simultaneously assisting the county as it moves toward achieving sustainable development. The NSDI is truly a sustainable approach to national, regional and international development.

Hospitals and Emergency Shelters for Jamaica

River Network for Jamaica 

1. A land Information Council of Jamaica (LICJ) home page with general information on the Council, its mission and vision, GIS News and links to GIS resources.

2. Metadata uploading and publishing and basic web GIS capabilities to search, view, print and download complimentary local data.

3. GIS Forum for the posting and answering of technical questions.  

 

Project Status - Based on post evaluation of the proposal as written and other pending related activities it was decided that another approach should be taken to implement the activity.

 

The decision was taken to proceed with the project in collaboration with Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN)/The U.S. Geological Survey EROS Data Center to establish an Internet Map Server.

 

The GSDI grant was earmarked to purchase Web GIS Software and Server hardware in combination with in kind contribution from other parties.  The approach adopted was to purchase a mini server to be used for establishing the web service.  A Dell Poweredge 1800 sever with Zeon processor. 3.4 GHZ was purchased in November 2006 at a cost of US$4,345.  An additional US$1,845 was provided by Government of Jamaica/LICJ to purchase the server. 

 

To support the installation, under the Global Map Programme, ESRI provided ArcIMS and ArcSDE software.  In February 2007 with technical assistance from USGS/EROS and the IABIN/DGF project ArcIMS was installed configured and made operational.   

 

To date, base data on Jamaica such as parish boundaries, road network, rivers, schools hospitals and fire stations are available via the portal.  From the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management there are emergency management data sets inclusive of emergency shelters, hurricane tracks from 1950 to 2005, high risk flood prone areas, among others.  The following are screen shots of what is available on the portal.

  • Kenya - International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI): Data Inventory & Clearinghouse Development
  • Nigeria - Niger Delta On-line GIS
  • Philippines - Information Management: Building NSDI, Technology Working Groups; Policies, and Database
  • Uganda - National SDI for Development Workshop

Three (3) Grantees received voluntary services from the GIS Corps:

  • Namibia - Biodiversity: Biodiversity Database
  • Armenia - Web-mapping Volcanoes

  • Kenya - Coastal Resources Maps / Oil Spills

2004 Small Grants

  • Americas (regional) - Pan American Institute for Geography and History, Mexico City
  • Argentina - Federal Council for Cadastre, Rawson, Chubut
  • Bhutan - Centre of GIS Coordination, Department  of Survey and Land Records, Thimphu
  • Czech Republic - Czech Association for Geoinformation, Praha
    • Grant Update: The grant is helping the Czech Republic become more involved in the EU's INSPIRE activities.  Efforts include but are no limited to framework normalization, metadata (a long tradition in the CR) creation with work toward meeting ISO standards has escalated, development of a "MetaProtal," and a document of "Czech INSPIRE – scope and implementation"  had been created outlining the steps for implementation of Czech INSPIRE.
    • PDF of report
  • Jamaica - Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Land & Environment, Kingston
    • Please see the Grant Update in 2005 Small Grant winner listing
  • Malawi - National Spatial Data Centre, Lilongwe
  • Mongolia - MonMap LLC/MSPRS, Ulaanbaatar
    • Grant Update: In September 2004, the first Workshop on a National Spatial Data Infrastructure was conducted by the Mongolian National Society for Photogrammentry and Remote Sensing in Uulanbatar, Mongolia with 66 Domestic participants representing 21 national Ministries, agencies, NGOs and the private sector.  Sessions discussion group topics included raising SDI awareness, barriers to SDI development and how to over come them, establishing an NSDI advocacy organization, education and training, standards, funding, framework, and related issues.  

  • Namibia - Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF), Windhoek
  • Tanzania - Tanzania Agricultural Research Project, Dar es Salaam
  • Zimbabwe - SADC Regional Remote Sensing Unit, Harare 

 

2003 Small Grants

  • Botswana - Department of Surveys and Mapping
    • Grant Update:  Introduction - In 2003 Department of Surveys and Mapping (DSM) was granted a small grant amounting to $2,500 by the FGDC at the US Geological Survey in the United States, this was for a period of one year from August 15, 2003 – April 30, 2004. The grant was to facilitate the establishment of a metadata clearing house node and a web map service for the Botswana National Atlas. To achieve the overall objective, a coordinated metadata service and a web map service was to be established to ensure wider distribution of the Atlas information.
    • Requirements for the grant - The grant was to facilitate the training of local staff to become knowledgeable on the use of the system. The Department already had ArcIMS software granted through Global Map/GSDI Grant from ESRI. Therefore, training on all the requirements of the main elements of ArcIMS would require support to up-grade skills of requested staff and in line with advancements in technology. Among the required upgrade/training were the following
      • Internet Map Service, which would be OGC compliant allowing users to easily search, retrieve, access and exploit geospatial information from multiple locations.
      • Identify a common Metadata standard used probably the FGDC
      • Clearinghouse node registration to provide link from the Atlas website to clearinghouse search mechanism.
      • Develop work plan for the metadata 
    • IGIS II Project- At this time DSM was in preparation to start the second phase of IGIS II project. This project was a continuation of IGIS I, which started in 1997 and ended in 2004. The contract for the project was signed with Swede Survey in November 2004 and the project duration was three years. The main objective of the IGIS II project is to integrate cadastral, geodetic, and topographic databases. This will facilitate the provision and dissemination of all our geographic data in a cost effective and speedy manner, to all our stakeholders and customers. 
    • The IGIS II project has been structured into seven task groups with six to seven members in each task group these are:
      • 01-Information Technology (IT),
      • 02-National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI),
      • 03-Geodesy,
      • 04-Cadastre,
      • 05-Geodatabase,
      • 06-Cartography,
      • 07- Topography,

plus the project management team which include two consultants from Swede Survey. Each task group has been assigned a set of objectives to work on. In total twenty objectives will be implemented in this project.

  •  
    • The Geodatabase task group has the responsibility to design data models, ensure that all data in the geodatabase is compliant with the agreed DSM standards for easy access, retrieval and management. This task group will be an overseer of different production flows (Cadastre, Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography) that they are integrated efficiently and effectively in the Geodatabase. All products at DSM will be derived from the Geodatabase.
    • The main objectives of this task group are:
      • To fully implement the new National digital base map into the geodatabase (Village map, Topographic Map 1:50000, Topographic Map 1:250000).
      • To Implement a Geographical Name Database
      • Development of the Geodatabase
      • To integrate National Atlas data with Geodatabase 
    • National Atlas Web Map Service- The Geodatabase task group explained above will take over the activities of integrating the existing National Atlas data and integrate into the Geodatabase. This will involve analyzing the data for the 29 chapters in the National Atlas, applying transformation parameters according to the new Botswana National Geodetic Reference System (BNGRS02) data conversion and attribute mapping and finally the web map service. 
    • The first step towards the preparation of the Atlas metadata has been done, an officer was sent to Nairobi at the Regional Center for Services in Mapping and Remote Sensing Development (RCMRD)for a short course in ArcIms software specifically to deal with the Atlas. The officer has already started the compilation of the data and will work with the Geodatabase task group for that particular task. One consultant from Swedesurvey is assisting in this task. Another task in ensuring the wider use of the PC Atlas, a workshop will be arranged with Secondary School teachers, to train them on the use and the importance on the web service. 
    • It should also be noted that the GSDI Grant has facilitated the production of the Map of the Republic of Botswana (1:1million) based on the 2002 Orthophoto maps and the new reference system. The map is now available at DSM and the demand for this new edition has been phenomenal. A copy of this map will be submitted for exhibition at the ESRI conference in Egypt (6th - 8th December, 2005) as a token of acknowledgement for the use of ESRI products. 
    • Conclusion-  The Implementation of the IGIS II project at the Department of Surveys and Mapping will ultimately become a gateway to the development of a National Spatial Data Infrastructure for Botswana. It has however, become evident that the newly started IGIS II project for the establishment of a geo-spatial data management system at DSM will need additional financial support to augment the already stretched current budget for this project. The Department therefore welcomes and appreciates grants such as the one from the USGS, which has indeed made a significant contribution to the fundamental requirements of the project (IGIS II).
  • Burkina Faso - Secretaire Permanent du Conseil National pour l'Environnement et le Development Durable
  • Ethiopia - The Ethiopian Mapping Agency
  • Malawi - Malawi National Spatial Data Centre
  • Mauritius - University of Mauritius
    • Grant Update:  Jaishree Beedasy, together with Kate Lance and PCGIAP, implemented and maintained the Regional SDI Newsletter for Asia and the Pacific.  With resource help from both the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) in the name of the GSDI and the USGS-EROS Data Center, Kate Lance started the concept of a monthly electronic newsletter for Africa.  This was such a success that it was decided to publish monthly newsletters for both the Asia/Pacific and the Americas.  These newsletters provide information on up-coming  SDI and GI activities in the region (training, workshops, conferences, etc), the outcomes of some of those events, and the contact information of funding sources for those that support SDI development.  The Asia/Pacific Newsletter continues to be published monthly today.  To review previous editions of the SDIAP newsletter, please go to the archive.
  • Mozambique - National Directorate of Geography and Cadastre (DINAGECA)
  • Nigeria - Regional Center for Training in Aerospace Surveys
  • Tanzania - Tanzania National Spatial Data Infrastructure Initiative
  • Zambia - Environmental Support Program