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Abstract
Spatial Data Infrastructure Capacity in
Africa: Are We There Yet?
Kate Lance
International Institute for
Geo-Information Science
and Earth Observation
(ITC), The Netherlands
Across Africa, government agencies and development partners are investing in
geospatial technologies and developing an array of products and services. A number
of countries have formal spatial data infrastructure (SDI) initiatives, and others have
projects or communities of practice that advocate interoperability and data standards.
Despite this growing level of geospatial activity, few government agencies
have instituted basic processes of evaluation to assess efforts in this area. The low
level of evaluation is striking in light of public sector reforms that call for a greater
emphasis on efficiency, coordination, and accountability. Spatial data infrastructure
advances under the radar screen. This paper brings to the forefront developments in
spatial data infrastructure in Africa, and it introduces approaches that could be used
to assess geospatial capacity, such as SDI performance indicators and statistics on
employment, industry growth, and public investment.
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