Geographic Information Systems Implementing a GIS

1. Information is Power People problems vs. technique problems GIS and GIS data are political tools "Numbers always beat no numbers"

2. Six Phases to Implement a GIS Phase 1. Awareness Phase 2. Developing system requirements Phase 3. System evaluation Phase 4. Implementation plan Phase 5. System acquisition and start-up Phase 6. Operation

Phase 1 - Awareness Top-down - Funding and organization support from the top, but resistance from staff Bottom-up - Technical knowledge and support from the bottom but may take time to convince the top The role of consultants

Phase 2 - Developing System Requirements User needs analysis - What are the needs and who's needs, procedures used for the current system and future needs - current operations vs. new ways of doing current operations vs. new operations The standardization of data, process optimization, and data/equipment sharing These are both technical and organizational issues - interoperability at technical, semantic, and institutional levels

Phase 2 - Developing System Requirements An example of system requirement for GIS operations This chart detects common GIS functions and the applications that can be used to perform the functions

Phase 3 - System Evaluation Stage 1. Identify candidate systems - Essential vs. would-be-nice-to-have - New technology generation ratio - Overhead vs. maintenance State 2. Benchmarking - Real data, real problem, direct staff involvement

Phase 4 - Implementation Plan Cost/benefit analysis: - cost: time, labor, software, hardware initial costs, long term costs - benefit: tangible and intangible, GIS data base is a gold mine Staff

Phase 4 - Implementation Plan Alternative approaches to implementing a GIS

Phase 4 - Implementation Plan Organize the components of a GIS

Phase 5 - System Acquisition and Start-Up - Site preparation - Training - Internal communication - External communication

Phase 5 - System Acquisition and Start- Up Pilot Project - Develop a complete data set for small study area and an easily attainable project with high probability of success - Plan and execute as if full-scale application - Have all staff/users participate - Use your resources, available staff and consultants - Report Results

Phase 6 - Operation Internal and external communications

Reading Chapter 11