Who we Are

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• Who we Are
• What we are Doing

Harlan Onsrud, Executive Director (Interim) GSDI
Association http//gsdi.org
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GSDI Defined

• The Global Spatial Data Infrastructure supports
  ready global access to geographic information

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• achieved through the coordinated actions of
  nations and organizations promoting awareness and
  implementation of complimentary policies, common
  standards and effective mechanisms for the
  development and availability of interoperable
  digital geographic data and technologies to
  support decision making at all scales for
  multiple purposes. global forum to support
  exchange of ideas and encourage joint activities
  at the global level

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Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Association

• a global forum to support exchange of ideas and
  encourage joint activities at the global level
• Members Think global, act local
• Organization Think local, act global

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Meetings

• GSDI 1 Bonn, Germany 4-6 Sept, 1996
• GSDI 2 Chapel Hill, USA 20-21 Oct, 1997
• GSDI 3 Canberra, Australia17-19 Nov, 1998
• GSDI 4 Cape Town, South Africa13-15 Mar, 2000
• GSDI 5 Cartagena, Colombia 21-24 May, 2001
• GSDI 6 Budapest, Hungary 16-19 Sept, 2002
• GSDI 7 Bangalore, India 30 Jan 6 Feb, 2003
• GSDI 8 Cairo, Egypt 16-21 April, 2005
• GSDI 9 Santiago, Chile Nov 6-10, 2006
• GSDI 10 St Augustine, Trinidad 25-29 Feb, 2008
• GSDI 11 Rotterdam, Netherlands 15-19 June, 2009

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• While the primary work tends to be focused on
  addressing technical and policy issues, done
  within the context of important social goals.

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Goal 6 foster spatial data infrastructure
developments in support of important worldwide
needs such as -- improving local to national
economic competitiveness, -- addressing
local to global environmental quality and
change, -- increasing efficiency, effectiveness,
and equity in all levels of government,
and -- advancing the health, safety and social
wellbeing of humankind in all nations.
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Non-Profit Organization - heavy focus on
inclusiveness and democratic processesA.
Membership- organizations and individuals -
agencies (national to local), companies (all
sizes), academic institutions, non-profits,
individuals- dues scaled upon approximate
ability to pay
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B. Board of Directors (18 - most elected)

• Officers - President, President-elect, Past
  President
• Sectors Industry, Government, Academia,
  Non-Profit
• Regions Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, N.
  America, S. America
• Permanent Regional Committees Europe, Africa,
  Americas, etc.
• International Global Organizations -
  International Geographic Org., GSDI Related
  Global Initiative, International Industry Org.
• Ex-Officio Members of Council

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Ongoing Activities of Interest to Developing
Countries

• Newslist (news_at_gsdi.org - 3000 subscribers)
• Monthly Regional Newsletters Africa, Latin
  America, Asia/Pacific (electronic)
• Working Groups Task Groups Technical, Legal
  Economic, Standing Committees, etc.
• Web Discussion Forums
• Small Grants Program
• Regular Global Mtgs plus Training Workshops
• Affiliated Projects ESRI Global Map, Intergraph
  Open Interoperability Grant Program

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Current Hot Projects (funded in
budget)Developing SDIs Best Practice Manual
(i.e. SDI Cookbook) - how to implement SDI
concepts within any nation adhering to
interoperable standards- ongoing international
cooperative effort - version 2, Jan 2004,
several languages - being rewritten again
recommended suites of software versions
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Knowledge Portal for Worlds Mapping Agencies
SDIs - self-reporting web form system published
directly to web- who are the leading authorities
in each nation? national, province and local -
insider perspectives updates on status of SDI
developments in each nation - discussion lists
for tech and resource transfer among agencies
contact- online surveys of most pressing needs
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Best Practices Task Group Primary Literature
web form for reporting germane literature by
academics with links/uploads, search Best Ten
Papers nominations and peer assessment, each of
several categories from research to applications
to implementation descriptions, five-year
assessment cycle
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Prototype Web Hosting Service for Geodata
Organizations in Developing Nations - help
develop initial content and easy update
interfaces- help develop interactive
capabilities for communicating over time (lists,
wikis, blogs, etc) - host with stable electrical
connections and tech support
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Major Goal - work with and mutually support
other efforts in the geospatial organizational
community
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e-SDDC Action Lines and GSDI Cooperation/Collabor
ation 1. Think Tank Network 2. Scientific
Data Center Network 3. Technology Transfer and
Assistance Network 4. Online Training and
Education Network 5. Data Applications Network
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Join us at GSDI 10 St Augustine, Trinidad 25-29
Feb, 2008 http//gsdi.org/gsdi10