ASPRS Certification Program

1
Guidelines for Procurement of Professional Aerial
Imagery, Photogrammetry, Lidar and Related Remote
Sensor Based Geospatial Mapping Services
Developed by
In Consultation With
2
Background

• Existing document, Guidelines for Procurement of
  Photogrammetric Services from Private
  Professional Sources adopted in 1986, published
  in 1987
• May 2006 ASPRS Board votes to update existing
  Guidelines
• Professional Practices Division (PPD) tasked with
  leading ad hoc work group
• October, 2006 Ad hoc committee formed to
  includefederal/state government, MAPPS and ACSM

3
Procurement Guidelines Committee

• ASPRS Committee Members
• Chair (Asst. PPD Director) Doug Smith, David C.
  Smith Associates, Inc.
• Co-chair (PPD Director) Dan Paulsen, Wilson
  Company
• Federal government George Lee, USGS
• State government John Tull, Washington Dept.
  of Transportation
• MAPPS Representatives
• Marvin Miller, Aerometrics
• Mike Ritchie, Photo Science, Inc.
• ACSM Representatives
• John Matonich, ROWE Engineering, Inc.
• Curt Sumner, ACSM Executive Director

4
Charter

• Deliver an updated, revised document which
• Includes updated technological references
• Maintains consistency with references to
  professional services included in recent
  modifications to the NCEES Model Law and Model
  Rules
• Addresses professional services vs. products
• Includes guidance for organizations procuring
  mapping services to assist in determining when
  qualifications-based selection processes should
  be used

5
Work to Date

• Numerous meetings
• Initially focused on defining characteristics of
  professional service related to
  photogrammetry/remote sensing
• Submitted initial draft summary at ASPRS Tampa
  conference
• Introduced draft to Excom, Board and at Hot
  Topic session
• Feedback from conference received through early
  summer
• Re-initiated meetings in Fall 07 to incorporate
  feedback and resolve key issues

6
Current Status

• Revised Executive Summary to address key issues
• Better address NCEES distinction between
  survey/not survey
• Include supporting matrices with a specific list
  of professional vs. technical services
• Address Best Value and other procurement methods
  that include qualifications as a primary
  selection criteria
• Seeking Feedback from this session
• Has not been reviewed by ASPRS Board

DRAFT
7
Current Status
DRAFT
8
Schedule

• Submit full draft at ASPRS Spring Conference in
  Portland
• Board/Excom review
• Similar Panel Discussion in Portland
• Incorporate feedback and submit final draft for
  Board approval
• Send out accepted/approved document for review by
  broader geospatial mapping community
• Target Final submitted for Board approval at
  ASPRS Fall conference
• Publish in PERS and distribute to educate
  agencies and procurement personnel

9
Licensure/NCEES Considerations

• Initially considered issues related to Licensure
• State licensing laws vary too widely to serve as
  a guide
• National Council of Examiners for Engineering and
  Surveying (NCEES) Model Law and Model Rules
• National Multi-Organizational Task Force (MAPPS,
  ACSM, ASPRS, NSPS, URISA, others)
• Authoritative Location Final word and basis
  on which all other determinations are made

10
Professional Services

• Determined Professional Services for
  procurement purposes is much broader in scope
  than for Licensed Services
• Licensing
• Minimum level of competence
• Serious harm / Public health, safety and welfare
• Procurement Guidelines
• Recommendations / guidelines, not law or policy
• Need to consider broader scope of public
  interest, not just serious harm
• Goal is to provide guidance to help organizations
  best meet project needs

11
Professional Services

• Professional Services require
• Specialized knowledge/skill
• Independent judgment
• Expectation of overall ethical conduct and
  quality of performance to protect public or
  recipients best interests

12
Professional Services

• Includes all photogrammetry or remote sensing
  services that
• Interpret, process or analyze remotely sensed
  imagery to determine geospatial positions or
  produce maps and
• Have an expectation of accuracy that could
  influence decisions that affect public
  welfare/interests
• Focused primarily on measurement science, though
  recognize professional nature of other analytical
  remote sensing work
• Professional services does not include
  technical services or product sales

13
Matrix Attachments

• Matrix attachments compare Professional Services,
  Technical Services and Products
• Distinguishes between NCEES surveying/not
  surveying to address concerns and feedback from
  Spring conference
• Vast majority of photogrammetry/remote sensing
  geospatial mapping services are listed as
  professional services
• IMU/GPS and geo-referenced aerial
  photography/imagery
• Orthophotography
• LiDAR, IFSAR
• Feature extraction
• Digitizing or cadastral mapping if interpretation
  is required

14
Matrix Attachments

• Standardized / automated processes still
  considered professional
• Ultimately a professional is responsible for the
  reliability of the information
• Technical Services include
• Conventional or resource photography that is not
  geo-referenced
• Image mosaics for display only purposes
• Direct digitizing / no interpretation
• Products include off the shelf and other
  products where provider offers a set of standard
  features and sets specifications
• Definition of Product is from MAPPS Product vs.
  Services Matrix

15
Matrix Attachments

• Example Orthophotography
• Rectification/processing imagery for
  representation as an orthophoto is a professional
  service
• Imagery rectified to existing USGS DEM, solely
  for referential/GIS overlay purposes and
  accompanied by an appropriate disclaimer is not
  surveying by NCEES definition
• Orthophotography produced to meet a specific
  stated or implied accuracy is surveying by NCEES
  definition

16
Matrix Attachments

• Example Feature Extraction
• Always a professional service
• Features digitized or extracted to meet a
  specific accuracy statement are surveying by
  NCEES definition
• Inventory maps, GIS centerlines, resource
  management boundaries and similar features when
  used solely for referential purposes are not
  surveying by NCEES definition
• Example LiDAR, Radar and Terrain Modeling
• Always professional service
• Surveying if represented to meet a specific
  accuracy
• May be exceptions, but could not identify any
  reasonable examples where a stated /
  authoritative accuracy would not be required

17
QBS Procurement

• Current revised Executive Summary
• Qualifications, not cost, should always be the
  primary factor
• Recommends Brooks Act as best procurement model
• Recognizes Brooks Act is not always required by
  law local jurisdictions and others will use
  other methods
• Recommends Brooks Act as only appropriate method
  for services that meet definition of surveying
• Provides minimum guidelines for qualifications as
  primary selection criteria if best value or other
  processes are to be used

18
Other Recommendations

• Research and comply with State licensing laws
• Research and comply with State mini-Brooks Act
  laws
• Consider NCEES Model Law/Model Rules as best
  definitive guideline for determining surveying
  vs. not surveying
• Apply general principals outlined for all future
  technologies
• Apply principals outlined to all mapping
  procurement, including incidental or
  subcontracted services

19
We Want Your Feedback

• SUMMARY
• Broad definition of professional services not
  limited to licensed services. Includes vast
  majority of geospatial mapping services.
• Professional Services vs. Technical Services vs.
  Products(Matrix attachments)
• Brooks Act is only appropriate method for NCEES
  surveying
• Brooks Act is endorsed for all professional
  services
• Low bid is never appropriate minimum guidelines
  needed to ensure qualifications is primary if
  other process is used
• Guidelines/QBS also apply to subcontracts