Testimony of
Karen C. Siderelis
Geospatial Information Officer,
Department of the Interior and
Acting Chair of the Federal Geographic
Data Committee
before the
Oversight Hearing on Federal Geospatial
Data Management
Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral
Resources
July 23, 2009
I thank the Honorable
Chairman Costa and the Members of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral
Resources for the opportunity to provide testimony for this hearing on Federal
Geospatial Data Management and to contribute positively to the dialog about the
value of geospatial data to the nation and efforts to create the National
Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).
My experience with
the subject of geospatial data includes my present position as Geospatial
Information Officer for Department of the Interior (DOI) and my current role as
Acting Chair of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). I also have served as Associate Director for
Geospatial Information and Chief Information Officer for the U.S. Geological
Survey and worked a number of years in the State of
Chairman Costa’s
letter of invitation stated that this hearing will examine 1) the usefulness of
geospatial data to the nation; and 2) the status of federal efforts to create a
National Spatial Data Infrastructure, reduce redundant geospatial data
investments, promote data sharing, and increase coordination of geospatial data
gathering activities within the federal government and between federal agencies
and non-federal entities.
To address the
first point of the usefulness of geospatial data to the nation, I will briefly
share with you some examples of how geospatial information and technology have
and are being used to address issues of national significance, and invite you
to explore with me the possibilities of the future National Spatial Data
Infrastructure.
To address the
second point, my testimony includes observations of the Federal progress that
has been made over the last decade to ensure more effective investments in
geospatial data, promote data sharing, and improve coordination both within the
federal government and between federal agencies and non-federal entities. I will also alert you to opportunities and
challenges we face in realizing a robust and coordinated NSDI, and describe
directions the current Administration is pursuing to address these
opportunities and challenges. The testimony is centered on efforts of the FGDC
and its responsibilities outlined in OMB Circular A-16 and Executive Order
12906.
Usefulness of Geospatial Data
to the Nation
A report
prepared by the National Geospatial Advisory Committee entitled The Changing Geospatial Landscape states
a remarkable truth:
“Practically
overnight, access to terabytes of geographical information, much of it in three
dimensions, has changed the way people work, live, and play.”
Geospatial
information and technology are now ubiquitous and embedded in numerous aspects
of society. They support planning,
decision-making, and action in many disciplines, professions and organizations
literally around the world. Geospatial
information is being used to address the nation’s critical issues and
applications include natural resource management, land records management,
conservation and environmental restoration, facility management, transportation
and logistics, human health, security, natural and human disasters,
humanitarian relief, climate and environment – just to name a few. Today the consumer market has exploded and
geospatial information and technology are being used in ways never imagined
even a decade ago.
Geospatial
information has been a valuable tool in the Nation’s response to the events of September
11, 2001, Hurricane Katrina, the annual fire season, avian influenza, Census
data collection and analysis, weather forecasting, and now the economic
recovery. The impact and benefits of
this information in each of these efforts was significant.
However most of
these uses and applications still arise issue-by-issue and project-by-project
and require extensive time to prepare and synthesize information. Imagine the
Federal Progress,
Achievements, and Status
Over the last
decade remarkable Federal progress has been made toward a National Spatial Data
Infrastructure. I call your attention to
achievements in 7 key areas: strategic planning,
improved Federal governance and accountability, partnerships with the
non-Federal community, data sharing mechanisms, streamlined investment
management, shared operational data assets, and support to key national issues.
Strategic Planning
Over the past
several years federal partner agencies have conducted two significant efforts
to develop strategic approaches for geospatial coordination.
NSDI
Strategic Directions
In 2004, the
FGDC launched the NSDI Future Directions Initiative to craft a national geospatial strategy and implementation plan to
further the development of the NSDI. The resulting document, “NSDI
Future Directions Initiative, Towards a National Geospatial Strategy and
Implementation Plan”, drew on the collective insights and contributions of the
geospatial community at-large and requires a variety of organizations and
individuals to become involved and share the responsibility for implementation
in order to achieve success. This report provides a context for
action to address the needs of the geospatial community, built on past
successes and providing the blueprint for collective action. The strategy described in the report:
·
Is
based on communication, cooperation, and partnerships;
·
Reflects
an integrated approach to access critical geospatial data and products;
·
Recognizes
the need to communicate the NSDI’s value beyond current constituents;
·
Emphasizes
coordination of resources and appropriate technical services for all Federal
and non-federal entities;
·
Focuses
on achieving interoperability and framework standards compliancy and adoption;
and
·
Outlines
procedures, defined more concretely in its accompanying Action Plans, for
achieving each objective and serves as a starting point to address the issues.
Geospatial
Line of Business
Subsequent to
development and execution of this National Strategy, the FGDC embarked on a
follow-up effort to enhance coordination across federal agencies. The FGDC used
a business process approach in developing the next iteration of its strategic
efforts in 2006 through the OMB sponsored Geospatial Line of Business
Initiative. The Geospatial Line of Business is a
government-wide initiative, sponsored by the Office of Management and Budget
that focuses on improving government effectiveness by promoting the use of
geospatial information in order to improve both the policy decisions and the
internal business processes of Federal agencies. This initiative has
produced a Common Solutions and Target Architecture document that has served as
the operational framework for federal geospatial coordination over the past
three years. Two of the major accomplishments that this
initiative produced are the Geospatial SmartBUY Blanket Purchase Agreements
(BPAs) and the OMB Circular A-16 Supplemental guidance. These specific accomplishments will be
described in more detail later in this testimony.
Improved Federal Governance and Accountability
Implementation
of the strategic vision required executive participation and concurrence from
partner agencies, a mechanism to guide the Steering Committees efforts,
clarification of the Federal roles and responsibilities directed in A-16, and
recognition of the importance of managing geospatial investments. Improved governance and accountability
mechanisms include the following items.
Senior Agency
Officials for Geospatial Information
In March of
2006, OMB directed select executive departments and agencies that produce,
maintain, or use geospatial information to designate a senior agency official
who has agency-wide responsibility, accountability, and authority for
geospatial information issues, referred to as a Senior Agency Official for
Geospatial Information or SAOGI. Each
SAOGI is responsible for internal coordination and implementation of
geospatial-related initiatives and activities in their agency and also serve as
the policy-level official to represent the agency on the FGDC Steering
Committee.
FGDC
Executive Committee
In April 2008, a
subset of the Steering Committee members, along with the Chair and Vice-chair
were chartered as an Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee meets frequently and is responsible for
providing guidance, making recommendations and helping move forward critical
issues for the Steering Committee. The
Executive Committee member agencies are the seven agencies with the majority of
the Federal geospatial investments, including: Department of the Interior (DOI),
Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Commerce (DOC), Department of
Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). OMB serves as the Vice-chair. The Executive Committee has taken the lead on
advancing Federal geospatial initiatives, such as Imagery for the Nation (IFTN),
and has enabled the FGDC to progress efficiently and maintain continuity during
the administration transition period.
A-16
Supplemental Guidance
Draft
Supplemental Guidance for OMB Circular A-16 has been developed to clarify
roles, responsibilities, and management processes to help lead agencies more
systematically and effectively implement their geospatial management
responsibilities. The Guidance sets the
framework for lifecycle-based portfolio management and establishes a reporting
process to increase transparency in the development and maintenance of
nationally significant geospatial datasets.
It also provides a standard lexicon of terms for use in this
process. It offers a decision process
for adding, modifying, or deleting specific themes or datasets from the
Circular based on alignment with long-term national strategies or goals,
specific business requirements, benefits, and costs. Most importantly it
establishes a meaningful process for continuously improving nationally
important geospatial data.
Individual
Agency Governance Improvements
Many
improvements in geospatial governance have occurred within individual
agencies. For example in 2008, DOI issued
a Secretarial Order entitled “Enhanced Geospatial Governance” that, among other
things, established the position of Geographic Information Officer. This formally recognizes the importance the Department
places on the need for strategic oversight and management of geospatial
investments and operations. Two other
examples of Federal Departments establishing GIO positions are the EPA and the
U.S. Army.
Partnerships with the Non-Federal Community
Non-Federal
partners are key to the success of the NSDI.
Advancements in Federal coordination with these important stakeholders
are described below.
National
Geospatial Advisory Committee
One of the most
effective new developments to enhance our partnership and governance process
has been the establishment of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee
(NGAC). The NGAC is a Federal Advisory
Committee established by the Interior Department in 2008 to provide external
advice and recommendations to the member agencies of the FGDC. Two of my colleagues on the panel today,
Michael Byrne and John Palatiello, currently serve as members of the
committee. The NGAC includes a balanced
membership of 28 committee members representing a variety of organizations involved in geospatial issues, including the
private sector, non-profit organizations, academia, and all levels of
government. The NGAC has staggered
membership terms, and Secretary Salazar issued a call for nominations earlier
this month for the next round of appointments to the committee.
In
the short period that the NGAC has been in existence, it has proven to be an
invaluable source of advice and feedback for the FGDC. The NGAC promotes two-way communication on
issues of common interest to the national geospatial community and provides a
forum to convey views representative of our partners and stakeholders. The NGAC meets on a quarterly basis and has
established subcommittees that conduct research and develop draft products
between committee meetings. Over the
past year, the NGAC has analyzed and provided recommendations on Imagery for
the Nation, Geospatial Line of Business, National Land Parcel Data, Transition
Recommendations, “Changing Landscape” of Geospatial Technology, Economic
Stimulus, and FGDC Governance. For next
steps, the NGAC is working with us to conceptualize an approach for a new
National Geospatial Policy and Strategy.
This is a very complex activity, and I anticipate that this issue will
be a major focus of the NGAC’s work over the coming year.
Cooperative
Agreements Program
The
NSDI Cooperative Agreements Program (CAP) was established by FGDC to help form
partnerships among organizations to implement the NSDI. The CAP funds
innovation in the GIS community to build the NSDI. This broad effort includes a
focus on people, organizational know-how, best business practices,
collaboration, education, tools, technology, the Internet, standards and data. The
NSDI CAP is a success story for the NSDI, FGDC, and our constituents.
CAP
participation is now open to all sectors, except for Federal agencies, and has
included: Federal agencies (prior to 2008), State governments, county and city
governments, Tribal organizations, academic institutions, regional
organizations, and private organizations.
Since 1994, $18 million has been spent on CAP, funding over 600 projects,
each of which is matched by non-Federal funds in the form of in-kind services. These matches typically range from 25 percent
to 100 percent of the award.
50
States Initiative
This
initiative provides seed money, requiring in-kind matches from the awardees, to
help states develop geospatial strategic and/or business plans in support of
the NSDI. These plans can then be
utilized by the Federal agencies who can, through their programs and state
liaisons, improve the integration of efforts between and across levels of
government and between agencies.
Currently, 46 states have received awards.
NSDI
Training
The
FGDC supports NSDI training through a distributed network of partners including
State GIS Coordinators, university GIS programs, independent consultants, and
Federal programs including the National Biological
Information Infrastructure (NBII) and the National Oceanic and
Administrative (NOAA)
Data Sharing Mechanisms
We have advanced
our capabilities for data sharing within and among Federal agencies, and also between
Federal agencies and our not-federal partners.
Geospatial
Standards
Standards are
critical to the sharing of geospatial information. The FGDC in cooperation with partners develops
geospatial standards for implementing the NSDI.
These include standards on: thematic data content, metadata, transfer
protocols, positional accuracy, cartographic representation, and others. The FGDC’s standards process incorporates
established Federal requirements, and complements other National and
International standards development efforts including the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO), the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI), and the InterNational Committee on Information Technology
Standards (INCITS).
There are
currently 24 FGDC endorsed geospatial standards and another 14 currently in
development. Since 2003, the 7 Framework
data themes, and 4 additional data themes, have been endorsed. These include
cadastre, digital orthoimagery, elevation, geodetic control, governmental unit
boundaries, hydrography, transportation, bathymetry, geology, vegetation, and
wetlands.
A significant
amount of data collected by non-Federal partners becomes part of the NSDI. FGDC standards facilitate the contribution of
data to the NSDI by non-Federal partners and provide guidance for the partners
producing their own data. For example, last year, only one third of the
new and updated data added to the wetlands layer of the NSDI was produced using
funds appropriated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wetlands
Inventory. The rest was contributed by
cooperators.
Geospatial One
Stop
Geospatial One-Stop (GOS) is an e-government initiative
sponsored by OMB. GOS makes it easier,
faster, and less expensive for all levels of government and the public to
access geospatial information. The GOS portal,
also known as geodata.gov, serves as a public gateway for improving access to
geospatial information and data. It provides a robust geospatial data catalog
and tools for searching Federal and non-Federal geospatial information. It also includes a “Marketplace” where geospatial data
purchase/development efforts are posted to foster partnerships for data
collection and reduce costs. Use of the
GOS continues to grow. From 2004 to 2008 the number of records
registered with the GOS has increased from 11,000 to 188,000.
Data.gov and Recovery.gov
Geospatial
technology and expertise have been used to support Data.gov and Recovery.gov,
two new Administration initiatives to increase public access to government
information and activities. Data.gov deals
specifically with access to high-value government generated data sets. For example the USGS’s “Global Visualization
Viewer” provides access to 1.5 million aerial photographs of
Streamlined Investment
Management
In
the last few years, several important steps have been taken to streamline
Federal investments in geospatial information and technology.
Geospatial
SmartBuy
The Geospatial
Line of Business, through the FGDC, has established a SmartBuy contract vehicle to consolidate
purchase of geospatial technology. The acquisition
initiative is led by the Department of the Interior and GSA. Multiple Blanket Purchase Agreements, provide
significant cost savings and greatly improve the government’s access to high
quality commercial geospatial software, packaged data, and related products. BPAs will be available to Federal civilian
and defense agencies as well as state, local, and Tribal governments.
Investment
Reporting
As
a part of the Geospatial Line of Business, a 2008 data call was issued to the
Lead Agencies responsible for each of the 34, OMB Circular A-16 Data Themes of
National Significance. This information is being used to develop a framework
for geospatial data portfolio management.
The
FY 2007 budget passback guidance issued by OMB to all Federal agencies directed
agencies to “update and report to OMB by March 30, 2007, their inventories of
geospatial data and systems using a common set of investment definitions”. Agency information obtained through this
investment reporting request was intended to be used to coordinate agency
investments in geospatial data and services through FY 2009. Analysis of agency responses is contained in
the “2007 Data Call Analysis Report” and some of the key findings were:
·
For
the specific data sets included in the reporting request, the Federal
government financed or plans to invest, directly or indirectly, $1.89 billion
in spatial data and geospatial services during the FY 2007 – FY 2009 period.
·
The
level of geospatial investment each year was relatively consistent.
·
Fifty
two percent (52%) of agencies reported a three year average of less than one
million ($1M) per year in geospatial data and services investments within the
scope of the investment data request.
·
DHS,
DOC, DOI, and USDA investments when combined total over 90% of total reported
federal geospatial data and services investments and these agencies are lead
federal agencies for 87% of the data themes within the scope of the 2007
geospatial investment reporting request.
·
A
high degree of redundant investment types was not readily apparent in
comparison with other LoB initiatives (i.e. Human Resources LoB, Financial
Management LoB, Grants, etc.)
Shared Operational Data Assets
The
FGDC has provided leadership to align the efforts of the Federal agencies and
worked collaboratively with our non-Federal partners to move toward a national
goal of shared operational data assets being available on-line for multiple
uses and purposes.
Imagery
for the Nation
Imagery
for the Nation (IFTN) is a proposed Federal program, to be conducted in
partnership with State and local governments, to address the nation’s basic
business needs for imagery. The vision
for IFTN is that the nation will have a sustainable and flexible digital
imagery program that meets the needs of local, State, regional, Tribal and
Federal agencies. Imagery is used for
countless applications in all levels of government and sectors, and has been
embraced by the public through its use in online tools such as Google Earth and
Microsoft Virtual Earth. Partnerships
between levels of government to acquire imagery data have been successful and
growing because the benefits of a coordinated approach are clear: lower costs,
reduced duplication of effort, greater standardization and more data available
for the full spectrum of uses and users. IFTN has been endorsed by the National
Geospatial Advisory Committee and many other stakeholder groups. We are finalizing a project plan for IFTN and
working with our partner agencies to develop a funding strategy.
Land
parcel data is another key data asset that has received focus by the FGDC. Digital
land parcel data are a critical component supporting key national programs and
priorities. Parcel information,
combined with other geographic information, is used to support numerous other
programs such as management of emergency situations (including wildland fire
and hurricanes), the development of domestic energy resources, management of
private and public lands, support of business activities, and monitoring
regulatory compliance. A recent National
Research Council report, “National Land Parcel Data: A Vision for the Future”
provided a set of recommendations on the development of a national approach to
parcel data. The NGAC has also reviewed
and endorsed the recommendations in the report.
The FGDC has begun to address the parcel data recommendations. For example, the NGAC and other stakeholders
have identified how parcel level information across the country can be used in
developing effective responses to the current mortgage crisis. The FGDC Cadastral Subcommittee convened an
outreach conference in May with partners and stakeholders in the financial
community to demonstrate how parcel information can help support a data-driven
response to the mortgage crisis. We are working with our partner agenciues
to address the recomendations that resulted from the meeting.
Support for Key National Issues
Geospatial
technologies and data are used at all governmental levels and by non-Federal
constituents to monitor, respond, and prepare for a multitude of issues. Geospatial technologies and data are
currently being used to address many key national issues including: climate change,
economic recovery, energy exploration, homeland security, and managing our
environmental resources and critical infrastructure. During the 9-11-2001 response, daily
monitoring and mapping of ‘ground zero’ using aerial imaging was performed to
monitor structural stability and locate heat signatures of survivors and fires. The most costly
I
call your attention to an attachment to this testimony that provides web links
to some outstanding geospatial activities in the Federal agencies that are supporting
critical national issues. For example, the National Geospatial Program (NGP) in
the US Geological Survey collects and integrates base national geospatial
datasets, maintains standards, coordinates data discovery and access, and
ensures consistent and current data are available for the Nation. Two of NGP’s primary products are The
National Map and The National Atlas, which present current, accurate, and
consistent geospatial data and map services online. These products contain data and information
describing the landscape of the
Coastal
habitats are among the most important habitats for fish and wildlife. The large number of National Wildlife Refuges
along coasts are tremendously important to myriad migratory birds and
endangered species. In its draft climate
change action plan, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognizes that and
states that it will use the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) to
develop adaptive strategies for coastal Refuges. Absent Federal geospatial data readily
available over the internet, the use of SLAMM would be limited due to cost and
limited access to the data. These data
sets include wetlands data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, elevation
from the U.S. Geological Survey, and tide data from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
Opportunities and
Challenges
In spite of this
record of achievement, the
At the same time
there are tremendous opportunities to leverage the intersection of an era of
“unprecedented transparency and accountability”, a renewed commitment to
innovative government, geospatially literate society, and a period of
unparalleled technological sophistication in order to put geospatial
information at “the fingertips of the nation.”
The Administration’s
Geospatial Directions
The
Administration is committed to the National Spatial Data Infrastructure and considers
“geo-enabling the government” an obvious and essential direction. We will do this through:
·
Encouraging
innovation, both in the use of new technologies and transformed business
practices;
·
Ensuring
broad and effective collaboration with State, local and tribal governments;
·
Leveraging
industry progress;
·
Clearing
policy obstacles; and
·
Focusing
on performance.
In the short
term we will concentrate in 3 areas:
1.
We
will engage the nation in a dialog about its geospatial future. We plan to hold a “National Geospatial Open
Forum”, using new media, to garner input from all corners of the country to
seek out the best ideas for enhancing the National Spatial Data Infrastructure.
2.
We
will bring creative energy to making Imagery for the Nation (IFTN) a
reality. We are listening to the
non-Federal stakeholders and concur that this important project can serve as a
superb demonstration of the principles and concepts of the NSDI and meet a key
national need.
3.
We
will bolster the geospatial governance structure that we now have in place. We will ensure that the FGDC is successful in
providing unprecedented leadership to meet the geospatial needs of the Federal
government and of the nation in the 21st century.
Summary
Today, American society demands and expects geospatial information to be at their fingertips. Leveraging advancements in the private sector and leadership from state, local and tribal governments, the Nation stands poised to enjoy the benefits of a robust National Spatial Data Infrastructure.
As
I have discussed through this testimony, highlighting numerous accomplishments
over the last decade, the Federal Government is continuing and will continue to
play a key role in the NSDI. We are making
significant strides towards meeting user expectations, leveraging private
sector innovation, collaborating with non-Federal partners, and managing our
investments. While there is substantial work
to be done to realize the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, we have advanced
national geospatial efforts in order to:
·
quickly
and effectively respond to the Nation’s priorities;
·
be
the leader in the global spatial data infrastructure;
·
stay
at the forefront of technology;
·
respond
to disasters and national security events;
·
meet
the increasing demand for access and use of geospatial information; and
·
provide
transparency and accountability to citizens.
I look forward
to working with the Subcommittee on any further efforts toward the National
Spatial Data Infrastructure and appreciate your leadership in convening this
hearing. Thank you for the opportunity
to present this testimony. I would be
pleased to answer any questions.