Fostering the continued evolution of the CGDI

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Fostering the continued evolution of the CGDI
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GeoConnections

• GeoConnections (1) was launched in 1999 as a 60
  million, 5 year national (federal/provincial/terri
  torial/municipal/local) program to build the
  Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI).
  Ended in March 2005.
• Renewed GeoConnections (2) was announced in 2005
  Federal Budget as a 5 year 60 million program.

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GeoConnections 1

• Objectives
• Increase the amount of geospatial data,
  information and services available on-line
• Encourage use of data standards to ease data
  integration
• Promote the development of innovative
  infrastructure technologies through private
  sector partnerships and
• Simplify the conditions for geospatial data use
  and resale.

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GeoConnections 1

• The first phase of GeoConnections funded
  activities, in partnership, to build the
  foundation of the CGDI. GeoConnections
• Worked with the international Open Geospatial
  Consortium (OGC) to develop and promote common
  specifications for CGDI applications
• Worked with Canadian provinces/territories to
  develop common principles (the Geomatics Accord)
• Worked through the private sector to innovate
  standards-based technologies to share and use
  geospatial information and

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GeoConnections 1 successes

• Established the Canadian Geospatial Data
  Infrastructure (CGDI) Through partnerships with
  industry, developed elements of the operational
  infrastructure such as advan ced technologies
  and applications that increase access, sharing
  and use of geographic data.
• Strengthened Federal-provincial-territorial
  collaboration Negotiated first ever Ministerial
  Canadian Geomatics Accord with Canadian provinces
  and territories achieved common agreement and
  policy approach on partnership principles and to
  licensing data to remove policy barriers to data
  sharing.
• Facilitated the provision of seamless, up-to-date
  and regularly maintained GeoBase framework data
  at no cost to users.

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through partnerships

• Leveraging investments and developing
  partnerships The federal government has
  benefited from a 170M program based on its 60M
  investment through cost-sharing partnerships with
  industry, academia and provinces/territories, and
  non-governmental agencies
• Growing an innovative geomatics industry
  advancing innovation and growth of the high-tech
  geomatics sector through partnerships on
  Internet-applications and advanced technology
  development (70 of funds expended with industry
  42M)

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GeoConnections 2

• Under the program, governments, the private
  sector, academia and non-government organizations
  have partnered to develop the Canadian Geospatial
  Data Infrastructure, bringing together data
  previously held by different organizations and
  orders of government. Budget 2005 provides
  60 million over five years for GeoConnections to
  continue this work and to support decision making
  on a broader range of issues, particularly
  health, public safety, sustainable development,
  the environment and issues of importance to
  Aboriginal people.
• - Federal Budget 2005

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GeoConnections 2

• During the second phase (2005-2010),
  GeoConnections will
• Work with users within the four specifically
  targeted communities to support decision making
• Provide framework and thematic data required by
  communities of practice
• Maintain, operate and expand the core
  infrastructure and standards, as required by
  users
• Support consistent geomatics policy development
  federally and nationally to reduce duplication,
  improve access to geospatial information and use
  of the CGDI.

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How is the renewed program different?

• Building the CGDI was our core business in the
  first phase of GeoConnections.
• Enhancing and applying the CGDI is our core
  business in the renewed GeoConnections.
• All program investments in enhancing and applying
  the CGDI will be user-driven.

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User Driven

• Program requires use of proven user needs
  assessment methodologies to ensure users are
  continuously engaged and their requirements are
  addressed.
• GeoConnections program reacts to the common CGDI
  priorities among users.
• Common user needs will serve as the basis for
  prioritizing investments in technology and
  content.
• Common barriers to information access and sharing
  will serve as the basis for prioritizing policy
  coordination efforts

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GeoConnections Governance
IACG
Management Board
CCOG
GeoBase Steering Committee
Director

• Public Health
• Public Safety
• Env. SD
• Aboriginal
• Municipal

Policy Advisory Committee
Thematic Advisory Committees
Operations Committee
VMO
Technical Advisory Network (Open)
Infrastructure Advisory Cttee

• Program Delivery
• Users
• Content
• Infrastructure
• Policy Coordination

Periodic Cross-Cutting Regional Discussion Fora
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Advisory Committees

• Advisory committees being formed by 4
  GeoConnections advisors for priority areas
  (Public safety, public health, sustainable
  development and the environment, and matters of
  importance to Aboriginals)
• First committee meeting (Public Safety) was held
  in March, others to follow within next few
  months.
• Public Safety committee meeting in Edmonton in
  September.
• Management board being recruited, will meet by
  end of June.
• Policy advisory committee is in transition from
  GeoConnections 1.
• Technical committee meeting in June in Ottawa
  (open invitation).

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Priority Areas

• Public Safety
• Information Exchange architecture to link
  operational application to data and facilitate
  data exchange that also addresses privacy,
  security and trust
• Data inventory and model that is composed of a
  data awareness exercise to determine information
  inventory and to define and agree on a data model
  for Critical Infrastructure
• Applications for Decision Support
• Public Health, Aboriginal Matters, Public Health
• TBD

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Program Status

• Due to change of government and failure of key
  supply bill, 05/06 became ramp up year
• Of 11M budget, 8M re-profiled
• GeoConnections was a 60M program over 5 years,
  now a 57M program over 4 years.

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Program Results

• CGDI User Needs Assesment
• Contracted Environics to conduct user needs
  assessment process.
• National focus groups through autumn 2005 (13
  groups in 7 cities)
• Surveys through spring/summer 2006
• Questions relate to priority content, key
  barriers to content sharing, key uses of CGDI
• Results expected June 2006
• Opportunities
• 26 projects selected from first two Announcements
  of Opportunity (agreements currently being
  negotiated)

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New Opportunities

• Detailed list available at www.geoconnections.org.
  
• In summary
• User Capacity to identify end user needs and
  form partnerships.
• Content to link priority framework and thematic
  datasets (evolving to distributed model).
• Technology and Standards to maintain, operate
  and evolve core infrastructure.
• Policy to address the policy barriers to
  information sharing and advance soft side of SDI
  evolution.
• 4 announcements expected before end of summer
  2006

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For more information
Trevor Rankin GeoConnections Tel [phone]
Email trankin_at_NRCan.gc.ca Web
www.geoconnections.org Subscribe to
GeoConnections mailing list on-line!