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Reflections on the Indian National Geospatial Data Infrastructure
Metadata services
The next most important step towards the implementation of an NSDI is the development of metadata services. This is because one of the biggest problems faced by users is the lack of information about information sources that might be relevant to their needs. Consequently, without appropriate metadata services which help them to find out this information it is unlikely that an NSDI will be able to achieve its overarching objective of promoting greater use of geographic information.
There is also a very practical reason why the development of metadata services should be given a high priority in the implementation of an NSDI. This is because they can be developed relatively quickly and at a relatively low cost. In this respect they can be regarded as a potential quick winner for those involved in NSDI implementation.
In practice the development of metadata services is one of the most obvious NSDI success stories. This is particularly evident in the experience of the US National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse project which has exceeded all expectations. The decentralised model that has been implemented in this case has resulted in the establishment of more than 200 national, regional and local nodes. What is most surprising is that 70 of these nodes are not even located in the United States but are to be found in many different parts of the world, particularly in South America (GSDI, 2000).
It is worth noting that there has been a lot of discussion about metadata documentation standards. At the outset of an NSDI initiative it may be useful to distinguish between relatively simple user orientated standards for discovery metadata and the more complex sets of professional technical standards developed by bodies such as ISO TC 211. It can be argued that some professionals tend to underestimate the importance of discovery metadata standards such as those developed by the global library community as the Dublin Core. It is also worth noting that the costs of implementing these standards are generally much lower than those involved in implementing even a minimal version of the ISO standards.
Capacity building
The implementation of an NSDI initiative is also a process of organisational change management. Despite this the need for capacity building initiatives to be developed in parallel to the processes of NSDI implementation is often underestimated. This is particularly important in less developed countries where the implementation of NSDI initiatives is often dependent on a limited number of staff with the necessary geographic information management skills. For this reason the experience of the Portuguese CNIG is particularly interesting as it was recognised that modernising government was one of the most important priorities for those involved if effective use was to be made of the new opportunities provided by the development of an NSDI. With this in mind a great deal of effort has been devoted by the national GI centre to equipping public sector agencies and training staff at the central, regional and local levels of government.
Capacity building can be undertaken in various ways. In Portugal it has been closely integrated with the development and implementation of the NSDI by CNIG. Elsewhere, professional associations such as URISA (US) and AURISA (Australia) have played an important role, as have national GI associations such as the British Association for Geographic Information. The AGI has also been instrumental in creating a Continuous Professional Development scheme to ensure that its members are continuously updating their skills. There is also a strong case for institutional as well as individual level capacity building as there is plenty of evidence that suggests that many local and regional level government agencies experience great difficulties in adapting to new responsibilities imposed on them by central government.
Data integration
It may come as something of a surprise to find that matters relating to data integration come last on my list of issues. This is because the development and implementation of NSDIs involves much more than database creation. This is clearly evident from the preceding discussion. It should also be noted that the potential for data integration is heavily dependent on the specific institutional context of the country involved. Because of the distribution of responsibilities between the different levels of government in the United States, for example, a complex patchwork of local, statewide and federal data has come into being rather than an integrated national database.
The creation of an integrated national digital database is also likely to be a very expensive task that takes place over a relatively long period of time. In the meantime those involved in NSDI development must seek to create partnerships of stakeholders that promote interoperability. It will also be necessary to exploit alternative information sources such as remotely sensed data in addition to conventional survey technology. A great deal can be done in this way without incurring the delays that are inevitably associated with conventional data base creation.
Summary
The proposed National Geospatial Data Infrastructure is a major step forward for India. It implementation will require the active involvement of all the geographic information stakeholders. It is important that those involved in this process build upon the experiences of other countries. In this process particular attention must be given to the nature of the machinery for coordination purposes, the need to develop metadata services, the importance of capacity building and the need to promote data integration.
References
- GSDI. 2000. The SDI cookbook, www.gsdi.org
- Masser, I. 1998. Governments and geographic information, London: Taylor and Francis.
- Masser, I. 1999. All shapes and sizes: the first generation of national spatial data infrastructures, International Journal of GIS 13, 67-84.
- NAPA. 1998. Geographic information in the 21st century: building a strategy for the nation, Washington: National Academy of Public Administration.
- Task Force on NSDI. 2001. National Spatial Data Infrastructure: strategy and action plan, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, New Delhi.
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