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Building Geographic Management Systems:

Tackling Critical Policy Needs for the Nation’s Future

 

 

With the increasing need for better knowledge about geographic information systems (GIS) for homeland security, local governments, and emergency preparedness, COSSA joined with the Association of American Geographers (AAG) to present a Congressional Briefing entitled, “Building Geographic Management Systems: Tackling Critical Policy Needs for the Nation’s Future” on June 14.

 

 AAG Executive Director Douglas Richardson began the briefing by giving an overview of the current need for geographic management systems, or GMS.  As Richardson explained, GIS is “a computerized way of making maps, which stores lots and lots of layers of data and map layers, as well as all sorts of what we call attribute data, or detailed information about all of these features like a street or a telephone pole or a moving tank that one wants to store.” GMS, on the other hand, is the integration of technologies such as GIS and global positioning systems (GPS) in order to get a more comprehensive way to monitor, map, and model activities across the globe.  Richardson explained that further developing this type of capability is “extraordinarily powerful.” 

 

 In addition, he emphasized, the U.S. Department of Labor has recognized the field of geo-technology as one of the three most emerging and evolving fields next to nanotechnology and biotechnology.  “Job opportunities are growing and diversifying in geospatial technologies, proving their value in ever-more areas… this is a very important, exploding new field, one that universities are getting behind, one the private sector is getting behind,” Richardson added.  He expressed hope that there will eventually be an increased need for a deeper pool of skilled professionals in geo-technology on the local and national levels. 

 

While Richardson conveyed that difficult issues such as locational privacy will be brought to the forefront with the increasing emergence and evolution of this field, researchers and practitioners should take this as a challenge to confront “head on.” He explained, “… we need to put in place regulatory systems just like we have for every other type of technology that allows us to move forward and utilize the benefits of those technologies without finding ourselves enmeshed in controversy over other issues.” 

 

Wachter: “We Need GIS and GSM Leaders”

 

 Susan Wachter, the Richard B. Worley professor of financial management and professor of real estate and finance at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, spoke about the importance of, need for, and future of spatial intelligence in a globalized world.  She emphasized the increasing need for businesses to use geospatial intelligence in seeking the best locations, but also noted that it is becoming increasingly more common for local governments to use geospatial elements for similar purposes. 

 

Wachter pointed out three of the main ways in which localities use GIS and GMS.  The first purpose is tracking.  Local governments can now keep track of addresses in large part because the private sector has made these capabilities cheaper and easier to use.  Second, localities can optimize local decision making.  Wachter illustrated this by talking about assessing property taxes; governments can use technology to track properties as well as to automate and streamline their processes.  She added, “…using automated evaluation models, you can have fair taxation that’s effective at a miniscule percentage of [the current] cost…”  The third main use of these systems in local government is to do long-range scenario planning that can project the best places to invest assets.  This can be critical in emergency preparedness, environmental protection, and maximizing property value.  In terms of emergency preparedness, she emphasized, we cannot limit ourselves to thinking about assets only within our own municipalities: “The key point to make here is that you can’t geo-fence high-risk assets and stop at your own border.  This is going to require cooperation across localities, and partnerships.”

 

Wachter closed her discussion by arguing that there is “a lack of managerial leadership to manage the entire process, including the education across the entire ladder of skills.  We need GIS and GSM leaders.” 

 

GIS the “Best Tool Available,” But More Communication Needed

 

 The next speaker was Akhlaque Haque, an associate professor of government and director of graduate studies in public administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who shifted the discussion more toward GMS and local government decision-making.  He opened his discussion by citing a 2003 study performed by Public Technology Incorporated that found that 97 percent of local governments were using GIS, including 88 percent of local communities with populations between 50,000 and 100,000 people.  Haque gave several examples of local government agencies in Jefferson County, Alabama who have been successfully using GIS to run sarin gas simulation models, flood prediction maps, community emergency awareness models, traffic congestion, meeting federal school district requirements, tax appraisal and assessment, planning, and zoning.  “GIS gives life to local government policy planning and implementation.  There is no question that this is a very useful tactical tool, and there is no choice but to use it for policy implementation.  For accountability and oversight, monitoring and surveillance – this is the best tool available so far,” Haque concluded.   

 

 He argued that the “art” of GIS decision-making must be balanced with adequate  communication; though many neighboring local governments have advanced technology, they cannot harness the decision-making potential without established lines of communication.  He added: “The federal government must take the lead in promoting GIS and providing incentive to integrate GIS operations…”

 

Users Evolving, But More Skilled Workers Are Needed

 

 The final speaker of the day was David Cowen, chair of the department of geography, co-director of the NASA Affiliated Research Center in South Carolina, and distinguished professor of geography at the University of South Carolina.  Cowen discussed the evolution of users and needs for GIS.  He pointed out that, “In the old days we talked about managers using… chauffer-driven GIS… You know, here, do this for me and bring me that analysis.” He added:  “Well, that is not what managers want now just as they don’t want somebody to send them an accounting sheet.  They want the actual spreadsheet and they want to do their analysis themselves.”  Cowen explained that these new user needs are forcing researchers to create not only a more robust research program, but also ways to use the technology in a more pragmatic way for entities like local governments. 

 

 As with the other speakers, Cowen addressed the important need to expand the skill pool for GIS: “We have to be more creative about this.  We have to look at ways that we can use the Internet and other ways to deliver this technology and the training to a group of people that don’t have their hands on it.” He went on to add that in South Carolina, by the year 2010, all surveyors have to have a four-year degree.  However, there isn’t any place in the state where they can get a four-year degree.  In addition, geography and affiliated departments in four-year universities and community colleges have not coordinated enough to agree on a set of acceptable and transferable credits.  In addition, he argued that “… we need to find new ways of training people outside of the traditional four-year programs.”  He praised the Institute for Advanced Education in Geospatial Science at the University of Mississippi for developing modules and online coursework for geospatial studies students.

 

 Cowen wrapped up his presentation by talking about the newest technologies that can be of use to local decision-makers, like LIDAR, a laser-range finding sensor that sends out laser beam pulses to map things like elevation.  This, for example, helps railroads find the least costly and difficult routes, he explained.  But too many barriers continue to exist in sharing the data between agencies, he argued, and data must often be replicated in order for everyone to use it.

 

 During the question and answer period, one attendee asked if the presenters were optimistic about higher funding recommendations for GIS and GMS in light of the fact that overall numbers for agencies like NASA are seeing a gradual decrease.  Richardson responded that he remained optimistic because GIS and GMS have such critical uses for homeland security purposes.  Another attendee asked Richardson, “how are you going to build capacity at colleges and universities that don’t even have geography programs, but are charting these programs in homeland security and all these other areas?”  Richardson explained: “We’re very happy to support anyone and everyone who has any interest at all in the field.  A lot of our members are economists; they’re sociologists; they’re people from other disciplines who have an interest in geography.  They don’t have to have degrees in geography in order to have programs.”  He pointed out that geography is “a field a bit like history.  We cover the spatial analysis and history covers the temporal analysis.  So we’re happy to extend hands and work with everyone and try to be supportive there.”

 

Another briefing attendee from the U.S. Census Bureau asked how best to create regional cooperation across local governments who have few or no incentives to share information with neighboring areas.  Wachter argued that in some cases, the federal government must step in.  “I’m all for local governance.  Decisions ought to be at the local level.  But information should be in a form that can be shared… that’s where the federal government can step in,” she explained.