Spatial Data Infrastructures in the United Kingdom: State of play 2007

Transcription

1 Spatial Data Infrastructures in the : State of play 2007 Country report on SDI elaborated in the context of a study commissioned by the EC (EUROSTAT) in the framework of the INSPIRE initiative (Under Framework Contract REGIO/G Lot 2) January 2008 SPATIAL APPLICATIONS DIVISION K.U.LEUVEN RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT Celestijnenlaan 200 E, BE-3001 LEUVEN TEL.: FAX: URL:

2 Report meta-information Title Spatial Data Infrastructures in The : State of play Autumn 2007 Creator Catharina Bamps (SADL) & Peter Beusen (ICRI) Date Issued Subject INSPIRE State of Play Publisher K.U.Leuven (SADL + ICRI) + Margaret Hall consultant Description This report is summarizing the review of SDI in the UK Contributor Catharina Bamps, Jos Van Orshove, Danny Vandenbroucke (SADL); Peter Beusen, Katleen Janssen (ICRI); Mr. Connelly Russell, Mr Mark Linehan, Neil Sutherland (UK) Format MS Word 97/2000 Audience INSPIRE stakeholders Identifier rcr07ukv101 Language EN Coverage Snapshot at Version number Date Modified by Comments Catharina Bamps First version (SADL) & Peter Beusen (ICRI) Jos Van Orshoven (SADL) Completion & harmonization with 31 other country reports Catharina Bamps (SADL) Consolidation and integration of comments received from Mr. K. Murray and Mr. Earnshaw (Ordnance Survey GB) Addition of : - Report meta-information - Executive summary - Abbreviations/acronyms Jos Van Orshoven (SADL) Harmonisation with 31 other country reports Katleen Janssen (ICRI) General review, correction and update of legal framework Catharina Bamps (SADL) Integration of comments from Mr. Connelly, Russell, Policy Co-ordinator OSNI (Response

3 OSNI), Mr Mark Linehan, director AGI and from limited review of web sites. General review, correction and update Addition of table pointing to changes with regard to Version Jos Van Orshoven Consolidation (SADL) Neil Sutherland Update the status for Danny Vandenbroucke Review and consolidation of the 2005 update Katleen Janssen (ICRI) General review, correction and update of legal framework Danny Vandenbroucke Final report based on comments from the EC Katleen Janssen (ICRI) General review, correction and update of legal framework Danny Vandenbroucke Review and consolidation of the 2006 update Danny Vandenbroucke Add information on Scottish SDI Katleen Janssen (ICRI) Correction and update legal and organizational framework Danny Vandenbroucke (SADL) Metadata and final changes

4 Change matrix 2007 versus 2006 Paragraphs in which information is reported which deviates in a significant way from what was reported in the Autumn 2006 version of this country report are listed in the below table. They are indicated in red. Paragraph Type of change 1.1 Update section on methodology Adding information, new status Adding information on commercial use of GI K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 1

5 Executive summary Although as early as 1995 the National Geospatial Data Framework (NGDF) initiative was launched to assist in the process of getting industry players round the table to tackle some common GI-issues, there is yet no formal NSDI in the UK, nor a single organisation with responsibility for its establishment and coordination. On the other hand, the country as a whole has a well developed GI sector, with extensive datasets available from both public and private sector sources. Various efforts have been undertaken to implement a broad metadata service but these have not been sustainable. These developments have taken place within a robust commercial, i.e. customer driven framework, with central government also adopting a policy of cost recovery for some of its data resources. There has been criticism that such commercially-led policy is hampering informed governance and the further development of value-added services in the private sector. Nevertheless, there is a great deal of interest among the key players for the development of a more coordinated national spatial data policy in UK. The Ordnance Surveys of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Association for Geographic Information are generally being considered to have a central role in the elaboration and execution of this policy. In 2006, the Scottish Executive prepared a framework for the development of the Scottish SDI: One Scotland, One Geography. An important driver is the modernising government agenda through which the importance of geographic information has been recognised at the most senior levels of government. An important element for the development of an NSDI in the UK is that public geoinformation is strongly protected by far reaching Crown copyright. No other country has a system quite like it. Crown copyright covers a wide range of material, including Ordnance Survey mapping. Ordnance Survey (Great Britain) is the national mapping agency of England Scotland and Wales. It provides the underpinning reference framework and infrastructure. Before 1999, Ordnance Survey worked within a maximum cost recovery model. Since April 1999, it has operated as a Trading Fund (the user pays funding model) and has as such greater responsibility for own finances and planning, extra freedom to develop new initiatives. The financing of activities that are of national interest fall under the National Interest Mapping Services Agreement (NIMSA). This Agreement came into effect on 1 April 1999 when Ordnance Survey started to operate as a Trading Fund and ends in March In July 2004, a new framework document setting out the role and responsibilities of Ordnance Survey has been presented to Parliament by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. It endorses the business model under which Ordnance Survey operates, and sets out financial arrangements for the agency. The Deputy Prime Minister confirms that the excellent performance of Ordnance Survey, which operates as a Trading Fund from 1999, has shown that working commercially is still the most appropriate way for the agency to operate. K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 2

6 Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland works along the same lines as Ordnance Survey. The common national infrastructure NIGIS is a now defunct programme which has been superseded by Mosaic - A Geographic Information Strategy for Northern Ireland containing an INSPIRE-compatible vision. Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland reviewed the NIGIS (Northern Ireland Geographic Information System) in order to shift the focus from a technical forum to a strategic forum. A consultation document A GI strategy for Northern Ireland containing an INSPIRE-compatible vision was launched to promote a coordinated cross-governmental approach, standardisation of address data (Pointer), collaboration (cross-border) (Ordnance Survey, OSNI, OSI) and harmonisation. The Association for Geographic Information (AGI) which brings together over members from public and private sectors, data producers and users, holds a neutral position as it represents the GI-community as a whole (public + private). AGI is currently hosting the web-based metadata service GI-gateway and has recently launched MetaGenie, the UK metadata creation tool. The environmental sector is playing an important role with initiatives to implement components of the SDI, especially for the environmental part of it. Defra, the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is developing and/or involved in several initiatives to build those components in order to make environmental data more accessible: SPIRE, WIYBY and MAGIC are the most important examples. The service based architecture is further evolving with services focusing on discovery and viewing, some of them being free, while others are paying services. K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 3

7 Table of Contents CHANGE MATRIX 2007 VERSUS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS... 4 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS GENERAL INFORMATION METHOD THE GI- AND NSDI-SCENE IN THE UK DETAILS OF THE NSDI-SITUATION IN THE UK GENERAL INFORMATION COMPONENT 1: COORDINATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES COMPONENT 2: LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND FUNDING COMPONENT 3: DATA FOR THEMES OF THE INSPIRE ANNEXES COMPONENT 4: METADATA COMPONENT 5: NETWORK SERVICES STANDARDS COMPONENT 6: THEMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL DATA USE AND EFFICIENCY OF SDI ANNEXES SDI ADDRESSES & CONTACTS FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM LIST OF REFERENCES FOR UNITED KINGDOM K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 4

8 Abbreviations and acronyms AGI Association for Geographic Information AHL Admiralty Holdings Ltd BSI British Standards Institute CT Core Thematic Data DCLG Department for Communities and Local Government DNF Digital National Framework FIR Further Investigation Required GEMINI Geo-spatial Metadata Interoperability Initiative GI Geographical Information GINIE Geographic Information Network in Europe GIS Geographical Information System GPS Global Positioning System HMSO Her Majesty s Stationary Office IFTS Information Fair Trader Scheme IGGI Intra-Governmental Group on GI INSPIRE INfrastructure for SPatial InfoRmation in Europe MDIP Marine Data and Information Partnership MOLAND Monitoring Land Cover / Use Dynamics NAG National Address Gazetteer NDPB non-departmental public bodies NGDF National Geospatial Data Framework NHS National Health Service NICS Northern Ireland Civil Service NIGIS Northern Ireland Geographic Information System NIMA Northern Ireland Mapping Agreement NIMSA National Interest Mapping Services Agreement NLIS National Land Information Service NLPG National Land & Property Gazetteer NREIS Networks for Rural and Environmental Information for Scotland NSAI National Spatial Address Infrastructure NSDI National Spatial Data Infrastructures NSG National Street Gazetteer NTD National Topographic Database ODPM Office of the Deputy Prime Minister OPSI Office of Public Sector Information OS Ordnance Survey OSGB Ordnance Survey of Great Britain K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 5

9 OSNI PGA PSI PPP REF RIA SDI SNS SPIRE SSL UKHO UKSGB UPRN VLA VORF Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland Pan Government Agreement Policy and legislation on access to public sector information Public-private partnerships Reference data Regulatory Impact Spatial Data Infrastructures Scottish Neighbourhood Statistic) Spatial Information Repository SeaZone Solutions Ltd UK Hydrograhic Office Standard Geographic Base Unique Property Reference Number Valuation & Lands Agency Vertical Offshore Reference Framework K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 6

10 1 GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 Method This report is summarizing the review of SDI in the, and aims at reflecting the degree to which the SDI-situation is similar to the ideas set out in the INSPIRE position papers 1 and the more recent INSPIRE scoping documents. The report is based on the analysis of various documents, project references and web sites readily accessible (See Section 3.2 for the full list of consulted references). Basic information was found in the recent GINIE-reports. The report has been completed by integration and consolidation of comments received from representatives of the Ordnance Surveys (GB in 2003 and NI in 2004 both updated in 2005) and through interviews organized in the framework of Activity 2 of the State-of-Play project in May-June The update of 2006 is based on input received from Mr. Neil Sutherland (Ordnance Survey), Mr. Russel Connelly (OSNI) and Mr. Cameron Easton (Scottish Executive). Presentation during the EC GI&GIS workshop gave additional information which was used for this update. In 2007 new information was gathered regarding the legal and pricing/funding issues through various channels. No information was received from UK authorities regarding data sharing practices (survey) and the data sets/services (templates). 1.2 The GI- and NSDI-scene in the UK Overview The UK has a unique political and administrative structure. It is made up of the three nations England, Scotland and Wales, and the province of Northern Ireland. Scotland has for some issues a specific legal system, reflected e.g. in the land registry which is different from the HM Land Registry in England and Wales. Decentralisation is clearly progressing which impacts on governance, regulations and information and data provision. The modernising government agenda has been another important driver for change. It comprises the Joined-Up Government initiative which aims at effective, efficient data sharing across organisations. It also implies the implementation of the e- government plan through which the UK Office of the e-envoy (now transformed into the e-government Unit) was responsible for ensuring that all government services are available electronically by 2005 with key services. Both items have led to a firm recognition by the central government of the GI-sector. The traditional producers of reference and core thematic spatial data in the UK are: Ordnance Survey Great Britain (OSGB), the national mapping agency of England, Scotland and Wales, providing the underpinning reference 1 INSPIRE position papers, final versions: RDM, ETC, DPLI, ASF, IST, IAS (latest version). K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 7

11 framework and infrastructure for Great Britain. ( ; Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland (OSNI), the national mapping agency for the province providing the underpinning reference framework and infrastructure for Northern Ireland. ( ) ; Royal Mail, the producer and maintainer of the postal address file. It can be stated that reference and core thematic data are now largely in place for the UK. More attention is now being devoted to linking it all together. From there a great deal of interest exists for the development of a national spatial data policy. With respect the establishment of such a policy, the key players are: The Intra-Governmental Group on GI (IGGI), representing central government departments; The Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government ( ) and The Association for Geographic Information (AGI) ( ) which brings together over members from public and private sectors, data producers and users. Following the devolution or decentralisation, national groups were set up in Scotland (AGIS), Wales and Northern Ireland. The Geographic Information Panel. In July 2004, the UK Government announced the formation of the Geographic Information Panel. The Panel has 12 members, each of whom is a senior member of the organisation that they represent. The Panel aims to give high-level advice to ODPM Ministers on geographic information issues of national importance for the, in particular: To identify the key medium to long-term geographic information issues and advise Government through regular short reports to Ministers; To encourage more effective, extensive and systematic use of geographic information, led by the example of Government Departments and other public bodies where appropriate; To facilitate a co-ordinated position on potential legislation, both national and international, that might impact on the geographic information market ; To promote a coherent approach to the management of geographic information in the ;" Other players have a pertinent role in the Spatial Data Policy and SDI-related context: K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 8

12 The Cabinet Office, through its e-government Unit ( in respect of e-government policies, and through the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI: ) for regulating the management of Crown copyright. The Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) was formed in early 2005, incorporating Her Majesty s Stationery Office, reflecting its role in the UK's implementation of the EU Directive on the re-use of public sector information; The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), that is responsible for both local government, regional development, planning and several new key initiatives (such as attacking the ills of social exclusion). ; In Scotland the Scottish Executive fulfils much the same role as the ODPM in England. ; In Wales the National Assembly fulfils much the same role as the ODPM in England. ; The major data producers Ordnance Survey, OSNI and Royal Mail. The Director General of Ordnance Survey is official adviser to the Government on GI Ordnance Survey In the last few years, Ordnance Survey has taken the lead to promote a joined up approach to geographic information through several initiatives. An important driving force for this is the National Interest Mapping Services Agreement (NIMSA), concluded on October 13, With this seven-year agreement, Ordnance Survey is to provide to the British Government improved mapping and other services needed in the national interest. (Data production and mapping services are addressed in Section 2.3.) Other SDIrelated key provisions derived from NIMSA include: Providing a contribution to the cost of maintaining the rural component of the National Topographic Database to the same specification as the more commercially viable rural component. Providing a contribution to the cost of maintaining the rural component of the ADDRESS and ROADS datasets to the same specification as the more commercially viable urban component. Providing core funding for the depiction of administrative boundaries on the National Topographic Database and thereby supporting the whole boundary revision process in Great Britain. K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 9

13 Providing core funding for the development of the National Metadata Service in Great Britain to facilitate the discovery of geographic data particularly that referenced in the Annexes of the INSPIRE proposal for a Directive. Maintaining the capability to supply the geographical information needs of the educational sector, particularly within the National Curriculum; Maintaining the capability to respond to requests from Government and the public for information relating to survey, mapping and geographical information. Other Ordnance Survey-initiatives include: Developing common specifications and standards with OSNI and Ordnance Survey Ireland. The web site provides information and guidance on using mapping and data products from the three National Mapping Agencies responsible for mapping Britain and Ireland. Although they share the name Ordnance Survey they are, in fact, three separate organisations each responsible to their own governments. Each has their own portfolio of products and services, each produced to their own specifications; The development of the Digital National Framework, a set of standards and technologies to promote joined up geography. The DNF ( brings together all the components that make up the essentials of an SDI, reusing existing standards where that is possible. DNF has been developed over the past three years, and is now supported by an Expert Group that includes central and local government bodies and representatives of the private sector. Some of the development has been in collaboration with Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland and Ordnance Survey Ireland. The DNF architecture continued to be developed in 2006 by the Expert Group, while much recent emphasis has been on communicating what DNF is and how it will benefit the nation. A series of roadshows started in Cardiff in April and ended in London in June having visited York and Edinburgh; Collaboration with the UK Hydrographic Office and British Geological Survey to promote a seamless transition into the offshore geography and subsurface geology; Collaboration with the land registries, local authorities, Royal Mail and the Valuation Office Agency to promote an integrated approach to land and property information; The Pan Government Agreement for central government provides central government with access to Ordnance Survey spatial data; The Mapping Services Agreement for local government provides local authorities with access to (principally) Ordnance Survey spatial data; K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 10

14 Ordnance Survey is in the unique position of being responsible for mapping at all scales, including the large ones which in other European countries are often the responsibility of local government and the Cadastre. Ordnance Survey exercises a virtual monopoly in the provision of mapping through the enforcement of Crown Copyright, which covers both maps and databases without requiring the mark of originality as in other European Countries. The role of Ordnance Survey is crucial also because its Director General is adviser on GI matters to the Government. On 21 July 2004, a new framework document setting out the role and responsibilities of Ordnance Survey was presented to Parliament by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. It follows a government review which reconfirmed Ordnance Survey s status as a government department and executive agency operating as a Trading Fund, earning commercial revenues for its geographical information in order to be self-financing. The framework document endorses the business model under which Ordnance Survey operates, and sets out fresh financial arrangements for the agency. Together, these are designed to ensure Ordnance Survey continues to strike the right balance between maintaining consistent and accurate geographical information for the whole of Great Britain while ensuring its operations are funded by earning income and generating profits from the licensing of data to both the public and private sectors. Ordnance Survey is now required to make an average return on the capital it employs currently around 40 million of at least 5.5% a year. In addition, it will be expected to pay an annual dividend to the government: the amount of the dividend will be determined when each year s trading results are known. In a foreword to the framework document, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott says: On my recommendation, Parliament decided that Ordnance Survey should operate as a Trading Fund from 1999, and its excellent performance since then has shown that working commercially with partners is still the most appropriate way for the agency to operate Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland OSNI developed a common national infrastructure (NIGIS) for sharing spatial information among a wide range of private-and public-sector organisations, for improvement of the accessibility and usefulness of geographic information held by government departments and public utilities. The common basis of the system is the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland s topographic database to which all other spatial data are to be referenced. Access to core topographical data is by application to the digital sales Department at Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland. Government policy aimed at delivering more services electronically has recently been introduced so methods of access may be extended. A metadata service is also available to highlight datasets that are fit for purpose. Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland reviewed the NIGIS (Northern Ireland Geographic Information System) in order to shift the focus from a technical forum to a strategic forum. A consultation document A GI strategy for Northern Ireland containing an INSPIRE-compatible vision was launched to promote a coordinated cross-governmental K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 11

15 approach, standardisation of address data (Pointer), collaboration (cross-border) (Ordnance Survey, OSNI, OSI) and harmonisation. The consultation period for this consultation document ended on 7th March The consultation document entitled A Geographic Information Strategy for Northern Ireland was distributed to a wide range of groups. Following the receipt of responses from a number of these groups, a draft implementation plan was developed and subsequently approved by both the Northern Ireland E-Government Project Board and the Minister responsible for GI policy. The Implementation Strategy, which has been rebranded MOSAIC, sets out a strategy for the coordination, of GI in Northern Ireland, that is, the collection, storage, management, maintenance, dissemination, analysis and use of spatial information. MOSAIC recognises the need for a robust, high-level framework for managing, and co-ordinating GI matters in Northern Ireland to be established. This will include the creation of an overarching Steering Group, a GI Support Office, and a number of sectoral and project groups including: Culture & Heritage; Education and Awareness; Emergency Services; Environment and agriculture; Key Datasets; Land and property; Statistics; Health and Social Improvement Transport; and Utilities and networks. In order to facilitate the implementation of MOSAIC, an Implementation Project Board has been established to oversee the initial implementation of the Sectoral and Overarching Steering Groups. This Project Board held its inaugural meeting in early November 2003, and comprises representatives from each sectoral group. In order to support the work of the Implementation Project Board, a GI Strategy Support Office has also been established. The office will provide administrative and technical support during the implementation stage of MOSAIC, and will provide a focal point for GI co-ordination in Northern Ireland, and a first contact point for UK and EC interests. K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 12

16 1.2.4 The Scottish initiative: One Scotland, One Geography The Scottish Executive recently defined a framework for the SDI of Scotland. We take over the first part of this report (without the annexes) since it summarizes the status of the Scottish SDI development and discussions. The report elaborated by Cameron Easton will be the basis for the further development of the SDI. One of the key themes of the Implementation Plan for One Scotland One Geography is development of a sustainable Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) for Scotland. The concept of SDI is difficult; the term means different things to different people and there are many different definitions. However, the definition used in the Implementation Plan indicates that the SDI must be the mechanism to join up the Spaces, Faces and Places of Scotland, and so needs to cover four main things: The quality and standards required of the spatial data itself. The procedures and technology for building and using the data. The institutional relationships and business practices that support creation, management and use of the data. The use of the data to provide information and services. Overall, the SDI for Scotland should facilitate production and use of geographic data, reduce operating costs, promote development of shared services and improve decision making. ( ) It has taken some time to get to the point where a structure/framework can be defined for a Scottish SDI. While new for Scotland, this approach has been successfully implemented elsewhere, and it has seemed sensible to learn from this experience. Both Northern Ireland and Norway provide valuable examples of what can be achieved. Lessons have also been learned from existing projects in Scotland. For example, the SEERAD NREIS project (Networks for Rural and Environmental Information for Scotland) and the SNS programme (Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics) help define the limits of current approaches to data sharing, while the e-care project defines opportunities for a different approach. Forth Valley GIS is a model of what can be achieved at local level, and helps define what needs to be delivered nationally. Discussions about possibilities and options have been held with many colleagues and organisations, not the least of which is the Association for Geographic Information (AGI) Scottish committee. Specific discussion with (among many others), Scottish Natural Heritage, the Improvement Service and Registers of Scotland have helped define requirements and opportunities for the practical data sharing projects that will actually create the SDI. The developing ideas about SDI structure have been shared with a range of private sector system integration and software companies in order to make sure that they are feasible, practicable and deliverable through existing/forthcoming technology. The SDI s approaches to spatial data standards and interoperabilty, and the opportunities for shared services have been K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 13

17 compared and are consistent with the Executive s mainstream policies and proposals for Public Services Reform and Efficiency. The conclusion from this is that the SDI for Scotland could/should consist of nine main themes: Reference Data Framework Projects Register Central Procurement of data/systems Data Sharing Framework: - National Map Library - National Infrastructure Register - National Land & Property Register - National Address Gazetteer - National Place Names Gazetteer Information and Services Framework Reference Data Framework Spatial datasets that provide the core, most commonly used set of base data are known as Reference Data. They include the fundamental grid referencing systems, base mapping (both terrestrial and hydrographic), geographic names, aerial/satellite imagery, elevation (and bathymetric) data, together with thematic layers covering key functions such as transportation, property ownership, governmental/administrative boundaries, statistical units, land use and many others. The Reference Data Framework defines the individual datasets together with the quality standards that apply to them, access and availability mechanisms, interoperability protocols, legal background and archiving requirements, among many other aspects. The Key Geographies of Scotland provide the basis of our Reference Data Framework, although more work is necessary to ensure compatibility with both the widely used definition and the approach that is likely to be adopted by the UK s GI Strategy and INSPIRE. While the Executive s Geography Technical Working Group carried out some preliminary work on this, the task remains substantially incomplete. Indeed, the difficulty in completing the various reviews has been a contributory factor to the decision to disband this group. At present, five areas of work from GTWG are outstanding, and funds are being sought for a dedicated resource to complete these themes as well as to develop the remaining aspects of the Framework. The aim of this project would be to develop the K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 14

18 Framework to the stage where it can be submitted as a formal set of spatial data standards to OSIAF, ideally by the end of March Project Register The Scottish GI Projects Register has been created through a partnership between Edinburgh University, the Executive and AGI Scotland. This could/should define everything that is happening in Scotland s GI world, and is vital to avoid duplication of effort and identify gaps. While the Register has been created and is currently working well enough through its hosts in Edinburgh University, it will be important to sort out how the Register can be managed in a sustainable way over the long term. There is also a need to establish sustainable mechanisms to maintain pressure on the GI community to keep adding records. Central Procurement of GI Data and Systems Thinking about improvements in the way that Scotland s Key Geographies are managed leads to the inevitable conclusion that a different approach is needed to the supply of base map data for Scotland. The existing sectoral one size fits all approach is cumbersome and inflexible, leads to duplication of effort and may result in increased costs. By taking advantage of the new approaches to data sharing defined below, there is potential for reduction in costs and development of a shared services approach to base data supply for the public sector. Some of the implications of this have been discussed previously by the Geography Steering Group.2 Such a new approach to base data supply has been given impetus by the conclusions of the Mclelland Report Review of Public Sector Procurement in Scotland which calls for a more collaborative approach to procurement of key commodities by the public sector. Following discussion with the Executive s Procurement Directorate, GI data and systems have been defined as Category A Commodities, which means that they should be provided to the public sector through call-off from a National Contract. This has major implications for the way that spatial data is acquired and managed in Scotland. The next steps involve close working with the Procurement Directorate to work out the implications of and requirements for GI data and systems procurement within this framework. Data Sharing Framework Using lessons learned from existing models it is possible to define the data standards and interoperability protocols that will allow data to flow between public sector organisations. This will reduce the overhead costs of data warehousing and minimise duplication of effort. Five main themes have been identified, corresponding to the 2 GSG Paper 8 Development of a spatial data infrastructure for Scotland - Some Implications K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 15

19 expanded Spaces, Faces and Places framework. Within these themes similar protocols will be applicable, which means that even initial pilot data sharing schemes will have a much wider utility. National (virtual) Map Library creating the mechanism whereby base maps, national boundaries etc will flow from data creator to specific application, doing away with the need for public sector data warehouses. Currently four possible scoping/pilot projects have been identified, which could begin to define the overall protocols. National (underground) Infrastructure Register ensuring the exchange of data among Scotland s utilities and local authorities. This is only at the original concept stage in Scotland, although a framework is being established in England, and a system has already been established in Northern Ireland. National Land & Property (Asset) Register- bringing together the land and property ownership/asset information held by the public sector, with the potential for major efficiency gains and development of a shared service for management of public sector land and property assets. Some initial discussion has taken place about options for securing resources for initial scoping studies, programme management and project delivery, and Registers of Scotland has already expressed an interest in being involved in the project. This links closely with work being undertaken on Asset Management by the Executive s Public Services Reform and Efficiency Group. National Address Gazetteer creating the common address structure that can be shared by all public sector applications. The Improvement Service is on track to deliver the NAG project early in the New Year. However, it will be important to use the data sharing facility that is being built into this system to ensure that NAG becomes the core of any application that uses addresses. Currently there are three possible scoping/pilot projects that could define protocols with a wider utility. National Place Names Gazetteer ensuring a standardised approach to place naming and a means of linking current place names with the historical archive. This is at an extremely early stage in development, and the first stage will be to establish a working group to consider the issues. Information and Services Framework Information and service provision are inextricably linked to the data that support them. Currently priority is being given to sorting out the data managed by the public sector. Once this is done, and assuming that the public sector can make their data readily available, the thinking is that information and services will begin to flow through natural evolution and market forces. Therefore, as well as providing its own information and services, the public sector s future role will be as facilitator and enabler for the private, voluntary and academic sectors. K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 16

20 In meantime, there is a need to develop some high profile information/service provision systems that can demonstrate to a wider audience the benefits of using GI The Association for Geographic Information (AGI) AGI has two main roles in the context of the SDI in the UK. Firstly as the industry body for geographic information it forms collective views across the industry on issues of concern, and represents these views to government and others. Secondly, AGI manages and runs the national geographic metadata service (gigateway) under contract from Ordnance Survey, funded by NIMSA. In the first of these roles, AGI has developed a policy on INSPIRE and engages with the relevant UK Government departments to communicate that policy. In February 2004, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister defined, in a letter to AGI, the UK Government position on INSPIRE, addressing AGI as the recognised national organisation representing the UK geographic information community. It was stated that the UK Government, including Defra and ODPM, as joint leads, is supportive of the aspirations of INSPIRE and shares the Commission s views on the importance of geographic information in underpinning the development and delivery of EC policies. It was also stated that the UK Government is continuing its commitment to INSPIRE, with representation at both the Expert group and these new taskforces. Following the common procedure of the Cabinet Office for reaching judgement on European proposals, a regulatory impact (RIA) assessment has been recommended from the AGI that addresses the initial RIA topics. The gigateway metadata service is operated by a team of 4 staff within the AGI team (see The service has 3 components: Data Locator - a search engine for geographical information Data Directory a directory of data provider organisations Area Search a lookup service for the different administrative and statistcial geographies covering the country Some of the main landmarks in the development of gigateway have been: The National Geospatial Data Framework (NGDF) was an initiative launched at the AGI 95 event. The emphasis was on a framework of standards, metadata and services. This resulted in two products: a metadata service, and the UK Standard Geographic Base. A website gateway to the services and data was launched: the askgiraffe Data Locator (launched July 2000) and the askgiraffe Data Integrator (launched September 2000). The NGDF was however not perceived as being wholy successful. Therefore in September 2001 the NGDF transferred its management and operation to the Association for Geographic Information (AGI) and was operated by seconded staff from Ordnance K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 17

21 Survey. Full responsibility for the askgiraffe Service was transferred to the AGI in April 2002 and the contracts of the Ordnance Survey staff came to an end Other SDI-related initiatives National Spatial Address Infrastructure. Project Acacia, completed in 2004, investigated the need to standardise the common address framework required across government. Following this, plans for the creation of a National Spatial Address Infrastructure (NSAI) covering England & Wales were announced by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The NSAI will be a single, comprehensive nationally consistent source of address information that will encompass objects without postal addresses. Ordnance Survey will provide the NSAI in partnership with local government and others. Publication of the NSAI prospectus was followed by cross-governmental discussions on the means of creating the NSAI. These discussions failed to reach agreement and remain in abeyance. Meanwhile the results of consultation on the prospectus have been published (second link below) Maps on Tap led by ODPM. A common technical infrastructure and one-stop shop for access to governmental geographic information through a userfriendly map base; Defra is developing several SDI initiatives - The Spatial Information Repository (SPIRE) programme led by Defra. This aims to join up the use of geographic information across the Defra family, and will involve the creation of a spatial data infrastructure within Defra. SPIRE can be seen as the organizational component of the environmental SDI. There are 21 partners and data providers collaborating in the initiative. The initiative is running in different phases: phase 1 (till September 2005) created an offline repository delivering 70 datasets to Defra; with phase 2 (September 2006), a fully functional on-line repository was made available to all Defra users with around 200 thematic layers and phase 3 (March 2007) will make a on-line repository available to both Defra and the wider Defra family and partners community with some 300+ thematic layers. SPIRE focuses on the viewing services. One of the aims of SPIRE is to rationalize developments in the field of GI (software and applications, use of the data) through the use and promotion of standards, the re-use of components, etc. - MAGIC. This Defra-led project provides a one-stop shop for rural and countryside information, bringing together definitive rural designation K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 18

22 boundaries and information about rural land-based schemes into one place. Over 60 datasets are organized into 7 frameworks from the Environmental Agency, the Forestry Commission, the Ordnance Survey, English Nature, English Heritage and the Countryside Agency. It incorporates the Coastal and Marine Resources Atlas and is linked with the National Biodiversity Network. Some of the datasets are downloadable like: agricultural land classification, nuclear power stations, national parks and trails, marine pollution control zones, etc. - WIYBY is a public information service based on environmental data gathered as part of a statutory task. The aim is to find easily information about your local environment: Is there a risk for flooding?, Is there an old landfill site nearby?, etc. Marine Data and Information Partnership (MDIP) is aiming to deliver a marine spatial data infrastructure; Vertical Offshore Reference Framework (VORF) is a UKHO project to create a seamless sea level surface for the UK continental shelf; The Integrated Coastal Hydrography project provides a metadata discovery portal to identify hydrographic surveys undertaken on the UK continental shelf. The National GPS Network ( ) is a web-based service that provides an essential resource for the precise Global Positioning System (GPS) user in Great Britain. The website provides a GPS data archive, an information resource and precise coordinate transformation utilities. It is intended for all professional or recreational GPS users in Great Britain as well as geographical information systems (GIS) developers who work with Ordnance Survey mapping. All Ireland GPS initiative - OSNI, in partnership with Ordnance Survey of Ireland (Osi), has established a network of continuously operating GPS receivers distributed throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland. The data from these is available via the internet to all surveyors using high precision GPS. This provides a more efficient method to obtain precise coordinates in the European coordinate system ETRS89, which can be easily converted to the Irish Grid and heights above mean sea level using Ordnance Survey transformation models. Northern Ireland Spatial Indicators Project - A key project arising from Mosaic is the implementation of the MOLAND (Monitoring Land Cover / Use Dynamics) project in Northern Ireland. MOLAND has defined and validated a methodology in support of European sectoral policies with territorial and environmental impacts for endorsing sustainable urban and regional development. To this end, MOLAND develops land use digital K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 19

23 databases at different dates, to provide an assessment of land use changes over time. OSNI has been awarded funding from the INTERREG IIIA Programme Ireland/Northern Ireland in order to establish a Spatial Indicators Project as part of the Mosaic programme. The purpose of this Project will be to create a local centre of excellence to encourage and assist government departments and state funded bodies in Northern Ireland and the Border Region to utilise the data and applications created by MOLAND. The project is an initiative designed to use Geographic Information Technology to assess and model present and future scenarios of sustainable urban and regional development for Northern Ireland and the Border Counties of the Republic of Ireland. The model can be used to run scenarios of planned infrastructure developments, population growth or testing of planning zones to assist in the prediction of where urban growth will take place. Seazone provides access to hydrographic and other marine and coastal data in digital form for direct use in Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Data products are supplied to international standards and come complete with metadata. In essence, SeaZone is extending the UK's Digital National Framework to the coastal zone and marine environment. SeaZone Solutions Ltd (SSL) was established as a joint venture company between Metoc and Admiralty Holdings Ltd (AHL) in In September 2005 Metoc relinquished its stake and SSL became wholly-owned by AHL, which is owned by the UK Secretary of State for Defence and operated on his behalf by the UK Hydrographic Office. 2 Details of the NSDI-situation in the UK 2.1 General Information Although, as early as 1995, the National Geospatial Data Framework (NGDF) initiative was launched to assist in the process of getting industry players round the table to tackle some common GI-issues, there is yet no formal NSDI in the UK, nor a single organisation with responsibility for its establishment and coordination. On the other hand, the country as a whole has a well developed GI sector, with extensive data sets available from both public and private sector sources. Most developments have taken place within a robust commercial framework, with central government also adopting a policy of cost recovery for some of its data resources. A shift in government policy has started to emerge in the last three years through its agenda to modernise and better coordinate government departments, which hinges to a large extent on e-government, i.e. the availability of all government services at both central and local level in electronic form by Within this framework the importance K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 20

24 of geographic information has been recognised at the most senior levels of government, leading also to a more general reflection on funding and regulatory regimes. 2.2 Component 1: Coordination and organizational issues Collaboration between these bodies is well developed, but clearly operating within a bottom-up market-oriented context. There is no single high-profile central government led initiative to co-ordinate the provision and dissemination of GI at the national level. In Britain, central government does not see this as its business, even though some of its core policies such as partnerships between government agencies in delivering services at the local level, would clearly benefit from a coordinated GI framework as the basis for sharing information. This stand-off approach is considered to leave more room to the participation of the private sector in the development of a national GI framework, and to foster innovative solutions. Under the e-government initiatives, a clear tendency towards more coordination is present, i.e. the evolution in the direction of a more centrally managed SDI, in which the Ordnance Surveys of Great Britain and Northern Ireland play a key role. The Government announced the creation of a new Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) on 5 May DCLG has a remit to promote community cohesion and equality, as well as responsibility for housing, urban regeneration, planning and local government. It unites the communities and Civil Renewal functions previously undertaken by the Home Office, with responsibility for regeneration, neighbourhood renewal and local government (previously held by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister). Ordnance Survey s Director General & CEO reports to a DCLG Minister. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced, in March 2006, the creation of a Land and Property Services Agency for Northern Ireland, involving the merger of Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland, Land Registers of Northern Ireland, Valuation and Lands Agency as well as Rates Collection Agency. The unified body will be fully in place by April Component 2: Legal framework and funding Legal framework There is no legal framework or high-profile central government led initiative to coordinate the provision and dissemination of GI at the national level. The British central government does not see this as its business. Ordnance Survey has however recently been taking a stronger lead in joining up several agencies through collaboration and in conjunction with the Office of Deputy Prime Minister. K.U.Leuven (SADL-ICRI) REGIO/G Lot2 21