Global Positions, Inc. can provide your organization with a Geographic Information System (GIS) Needs Assessment. Our senior staff, have extensive knowledge in GIS, cartography, data collection, spatial analysis, GIS modeling and computer programming. For more information, give us a call or contact us via email at: jfolgert@globalpositions.com

 GIS Needs Assessment

The adoption of technological innovations such as GIS is not always a straightforward process. The adoption of GIS into an organization introduces fundamental change into the organization in its thinking about data.

A needs assessment is the first major step in implementing a successful GIS within an organization. A needs assessment is a systematic look at how departments function and the spatial data needed to do their work. Conducting a GIS needs assessment fosters cooperation and enhanced communication among departments by working together on a common technology and new set of tools. In addition to the final needs assessment report that is generated, intangible benefits are realized by an organization. Finally, the needs assessment activity itself serves as a learning tool where potential users in each participating department learns about GIS

All existing maps are reviewed along with existing data and departmental use. The daily operations of various departments are analyzed, including Assessment, Planning and Development, Public Works, Engineering, Schools, Fire, Police and Traffic. A GIS Implementation Plan presents recommendations for the installation of computer hardware, software and data conversion, and recommends the formation of a GIS manager to coordinate GIS activities.

The purpose of a GIS need assessment is to study the issues and considerations for the implementation of a GIS for an organization. The assessment focuses on the following details:

The needs assessment activity is composed of:

• Interviewing and documenting the needs of potential GIS users
• Studying Legal Issues and Data Security
• Reviewing Quality Assurance and Quality Control Issues
• Studying Training and Educational Issues related to GIS Implementation
• Compiling the results of the needs assessment into a list of GIS functions and a master data list.

Without a complete needs assessment individuals within an organization might proceed to adopt their own system and database, which may or may not be compatible with those of another department. The largest benefit for a local government adopting a GIS is to realize efficiencies from common "base data" and the sharing of data among departments.

At the conclusion of a needs assessment, an organization will have all of the information needed to plan the development of a GIS system. This information can be grouped into the following categories:

• Required GIS functionality. – For a given organization, certain functions will be required, such as the standard operations of spatial analysis functions, query and display such as routing, overlay analysis, buffering, and possibly advanced analysis requiring special programming.
• Necessary GIS data. – Many agencies use data that has a spatial component. Much of this data are hard copy maps or tabular data sets that have a spatial identifier such as addresses and zip codes or X-Y values (latitude-longitude, state plane coordinates, or other coordinate system). A needs assessment will identify how this information will be used by GIS applications.
• Customized GIS Applications needs. - In evaluating the responsibilities and workflow within an organization, certain tasks are identified that can be done more efficiently or effectively in a GIS. These tasks will form the basis of GIS applications. Application descriptions prepared, as part of the needs assessment will describe these tasks.
• Procedures for maintaining GIS data. - By looking at the workflow and processes within and between departments, responsibility for data creation, updates and maintenance will become apparent.

Once all of this information is collected and analyzed for each department and published in a report, it can be used as a blueprint for implementing the GIS. The GIS coordinating group within the organization will use it to:

• Design the GIS database
• Identify GIS software that will meet the government's needs
• Prepare an implementation plan
• Start estimating the benefits and costs of a GIS

What is GIS?

A geographic information system (GIS) may be defined as "...a computer-based information system which attempts to capture, store, manipulate, analyze and display spatially referenced and associated tabular attribute data, for solving complex research, planning and management problems" (Fischer and Nijkamp, 1992). GIS have taken advantage of rapid developments in microprocessor technology over the past several decades to address the special challenges of storing and analyzing spatial data. Geographers have referred to GIS as simultaneously providing "...the telescope, the microscope, the computer and the Xerox machine" for geographic and regional analysis (Abler, 1987).

The major advantage of such a system is that the user can interact with the system, as opposed to geographic data appearing on static, paper maps.  A GIS has the capability of creating digital abstractions of the real worked (encoding), handling the stored data in an efficient manner, developing insights into the relationships of spatial variables (analyze) and summarizing the spatial relationships (display).

Benefits of GIS span a wide spectrum; from digital capture of the arrangement of spatial data, spatial analysis and modeling of spatial entities, to simple inventory and data management. GIS does not itself solve problems, it merely provides information for those who do.  GIS opens new windows of observation that extends perception into a hidden dimension.  The end result is a vastly improved capacity to manage our environment, or current situation.

The GIS development cycle starts with the needs assessment where the GIS functions and the geographic data needed, are identified. This information is obtained through interviewing potential GIS users. Subsequently, surveys of available hardware, software and data are conducted and, based in the information obtained, detailed GIS development plans are formulated. A GIS needs assessment is structured to facilitate communication between potential GIS users and the GIS analyst, and to provide specific and detailed information to the GIS analyst for designing the GIS.

Benefits from using a GIS fall into the two categories of: efficiency and effectiveness. Existing manual tasks done more efficiently by the GIS result in a substantial savings of staff time. Choosing the right GIS for an organization involves matching the GIS needs to the functionality of the commercial GIS. For many choosing a GIS will require help from larger, more experienced agencies and from qualified consultants.

REFERENCES
 

Abler, R.F., 1987, "The National Science Foundation National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis" International Journal of Geographical Information Systems, 1, no. 4, 303-326.

Berry, J. (1989(. Cartographic Modeling: The analytical Capabilities of GIS. Cartographic Modeling.

ESRI, 1994, Understanding GIS, The ARC/INFO Method, pp 1-1.

Fischer, Manfred M. and Nijkamp, Peter, "Geographic Information System, Spatial Modeling, and Policy Evaluation," Berlin & New York: Springer-Verlag, 1993, pg. 42.

Hardy, E. (1982). Remote Sensing for land and water resource management, Remote Sensing for Resource Management