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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1379

The National Geospatial Programs Office

*A Plan for Action*

By Karen Siderelis, Ivan DeLoatch, Mark DeMulder, Henry (Hank) Garie,
Mark Naftzger, Robert (Bob) Pierce, and Stanley (Stan) Ponce

**U.S. Department of the Interior October 2005**

**U.S. Geological Survey**

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**U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR**\
**GALE A. NORTON**, Secretary

**U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY**\
**P. PATRICK LEAHY**, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2005

Any use of trade, product, of firm names in this publication is for
descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S.
Government.

Although this report is in public domain, permission must be secured
from the copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials
contained within this report.

Published in the Eastern Region, Reston, Va. Manuscript approved for
publication October 12, 2005.

For additional information, contact:

Associate Director GIO\
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive\
Reston, VA 20192\
<geocustomer@usgs.gov>

Information about the NGPO is available online at:
http://www.usgs.gov/ngpo/

**Table of Contents**

**Core Team** 3 **33**

**Acknowledgments** 4 **4**

**Executive Summary** 6

**Introduction to the National Geospatial Programs Office -- *What is***

***the NGPO and why was it created?*** 12

**An Action Plan for Success -- *What will the NGPO do and how will it
***

***measure success?*** 16

**Purpose, Vision, Mission** 16

**Major Transformations** 17

> Toward a national geographic information system 17
>
> Toward matters and places of national importance 18
>
> Toward management excellence 20

**A Strategy for Success** 21

> National Geospatial Enterprise Architecture 21
>
> Governance Structure for the 21^st^ Century 24
>
> Incentive-based Partnerships 26
>
> Tapestry of Base Content 28
>
> A Geospatial System of Systems 32
>
> National Geospatial Investment Management 34
>
> Revitalized Suite of USGS Topographic Products and Services 36

**Internal Streamlining -- *How the NGPO is organized*** 38

**Schedule -- *When will the NGPO accomplish its priorities?*** 43

**Stakeholder Input -- *How the NGPO is gathering input from
stakeholders *** 44

**Communications Strategy -- *How will the NGPO inform its stakeholders?
*** 49

**Appendixes** 56

**Core Team**

An undertaking as ambitious and comprehensive as that of unifying and
simplifying national geospatial assets is not achieved without the
professional dedication and personal commitment of a special group of
people. It has been my singular privilege and pleasure to have the
following individuals with me every step of the way as we have begun
this extraordinary journey to ensure that we will be able to fulfill the
vision for the National Spatial Data Infrastructure and to place
geographic knowledge at the fingertips of the Nation. Leadership is a
task made easier and better by those on whom a leader can depend. I
would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their individual
contributions and their collective counsel to me. Together we have set
the National Geospatial Programs Office on an ambitious path that is
grounded in thoughtful and well-informed guidance.

Karen Siderelis

Associate Director for Geospatial Information

**Ivan DeLoatch**, who brought his knowledge and considerable experience
of the Federal Geographic Data Committee and the essential notion of
broad collaboration into the team;

**Mark DeMulder**, who stepped out of his long-time role with the USGS
Cooperative Topographic Mapping Program to assume acting leadership of
Geospatial One-Stop and to bring a new perspective to that effort during
the team's deliberations;

**Hank Garie**, wholike Markstepped out of his comfort zone with
Geospatial One-Stop, to take on leadership of the Cooperative
Topographic Mapping Program and to devote his energy there for the team;

**Mark Naftzger**, who worked on management and administrative
transition efforts early on and then moved seamlessly into the team in
bringing emergency operations into the portfolio;

**Bob Pierce**, who has been a long-time advocate of the uses and
applications of geographic information systems and who brought his
coordination of the Department of the Interior Enterprise Geographic
Information Management activity into the team; and

**Stan Ponce**, who has ably led the efforts for partnerships and
external coordination for *The National Map* and brought a commitment to
new ways to partner and collaborate into the team.

**Acknowledgments**

**Essential Role of Partners**

The National Geospatial Programs Office (NGPO) would like to extend
special thanks to State and local partners and key stakeholders in the
private sector, professional societies, trade associations, and the
academic community who have been both the impetus and the champion for
"providing leadership to place geographic knowledge at the fingertips of
the Nation." The input of State and local members of the Study Teams and
comments and feedback from listening sessions, conferences, and other
venues have been instrumental in developing this plan for action.
Federal partners on Study Teams and through various committees and
active partnerships, especially the Federal Geographic Data Committee,
have brought their creative and collective energy and support to bear
(see appendix for access to Study Team Reports). We thank these partners
for their invaluable role thus far and look forward to moving ahead
together in implementing the National Spatial Data Infrastructure.

**The USGS Family**

We also wish to acknowledge the following individuals and offices in the
USGS for their support, input, and guidance throughout this endeavor.
The Core Team could not have done its work were it not for their
efforts. There are many others, not called out by name, who we trust
know that their contributions were welcomed and valued. Thank you all.

**National Geospatial Programs Office Core Team:**

**Chip Groat**, former USGS Director, for his commitment to the National
Spatial Data Infrastructure and for his confidence in our ability to
develop the leadership role for the USGS in the National Geospatial
Programs Office and carry out his vision;

**Max Ethridge, Alan Mikuni,** and **Pamela Malam**, Regional
Geographers of the USGS who have played a critical role in the
transition of programs and activities for which they have a strong sense
of loyalty and dedication and for whom this transition has not always
been easy;

**Dru Burks, Cheryl Morris**, and **Stephen King**, Regional Geographic
Information Officers of the USGS who themselves were relatively new to
the enterprise when the NGPO was created and who have been instrumental
in the shaping of our collective geospatial future;

**Andrea Alpine** and **Mark Naftzger**, who ably led the difficult task
of transitioning from the various components into the promise of the
NGPO and who will continue to play key leadership roles within the GIO
and the NGPO;

**Roxanne Lamb**, who took on the challenging task as staff manager of
the still-forming NGPO with willingness, enthusiasm, and her usual grace
and professionalism and helped, herded, and sometimes harangued us into
doing the work that needed to be done;

**Karen Kretlow**, who took on new duties in the formation of the NGPO
as Chief of Staff for the larger Geospatial Information Office and
provided invaluable administrative assistance, counsel, care, and
concern;

**The Staff of the NGPO**, who all took on incredible workloads and
challenging assignments under stressful and pressing schedules and
deadlines and who showed that they are team players and will be critical
partners in the months and years ahead;

**The USGS Budget Office**, particularly **Carla Burzyk**, for
leadership and guidance as we chart a new budget course for the
geospatial assets of the Nation for which the USGS has a leadership
role; and

**The USGS Office of Communications**, especially **Barbara Wainman,
Denver Makle**, and **Gail Wendt**, who each made important and critical
contributions to the creation of the NGPO, its communications plans for
the future, and the development of this plan for action.

**Executive Summary**

**Establishing the National Geospatial Programs Office**

In a strategic move to consolidate national geospatial programs for
which it has a leadership role, the USGS Director created the National
Geospatial Programs Office (NGPO), organizationally housed in the
Geospatial Information Office (GIO), and under the authority and
accountability of the Associate Director for Geospatial Information.
With the creation of the NGPO, the essential components to implement the
National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) will be managed as a unified
portfolio that benefits the entire geospatial community. The NGPO will
engage partners in planning to ensure that their needs are met.

**Leadership for the Future**

In establishing the NGPO and determining its purpose, vision, and
mission, the Core Team defined the purpose of the NGPO as "***Providing
leadership to place geographic knowledge at the fingertips of the
Nation."*** To achieve that purpose, the NGPO will look at how
Government needs to change in order to be prepared for the future and be
responsive to its citizens and stakeholders. The vision of the NGPO is
"***By June 30, 2006, transform the processes of Government necessary to
implement key components of the NSDI."***

The mission of the NGPO is twofold. One mission component focuses on
leadership and the prominent role of partners and stakeholders; the
other focuses on the operational aspects and technical services needed
to implement the NSDI and provide useful geospatial information to
decisionmakers. These two mission components inform the structure of the
NGPO. In concert with its mission, the NGPO and its leaders are
committed to core values of national leadership, partnership, service,
value and impact, and professionalism, which will guide the NGPO into
the future.

**A Culture of Transformation**

The NGPO envisions three transformations that will be necessary to
fulfill the vision of the NSDI.

**Toward a national geographic information system:** Transformation to
an enterprise information system for the Nation's geospatial assets is
essential. The NGPO will lead the development of a national geographic
information system (GIS) that will provide access to quality, timely,
digital geospatial data and resources. This approach will facilitate the
adoption of a common architecture and best practices and leverage the
resources of a distributed network of data stewards to implement the
NSDI. Data stewards are a federation of Federal, State, local, and
tribal government organizations, along with nongovernmental and academic
communities and the private and nonprofit sectors. The primary roles for
the USGS will be demonstrating leadership, providing useful information
to decisionmakers, providing meaningful incentives to partners, and
promoting data models, standards, and best practices. The USGS will
shift its emphasis from producing maps to providing access to the
creation of map products and geographic knowledge, thus empowering
partners to achieve their geospatial information needs.

**Toward matters and places of national importance**: While much of our
society and infrastructure is supported by available geospatial assets,
other issues and places, ranging from rural and coastal communities to
natural hazards and homeland security, need more attention. Those who
are not direct users of geospatial information, such as emergency
responders, public health workers, and government officials, also need
what that information can tell them about resources, processes,
patterns, or threats. The NGPO will focus on that untapped potential of
issues, places, and users.

**Toward management excellence**: The President's Management Agenda
calls for a performance-oriented approach by Government that shows
improved accountability. The NGPO will adopt the discipline of project
management as a means to realize its strategic vision, effect change in
the organization, and implement new business procedures. Best practices
of the information technology community will ensure that life cycle
management guides project planning. One of the hallmarks of the
President's agenda is to make access to Government information
transparent to citizens. The NGPO shares that commitment to transparency
and accountability. Accountability to the lines of business and
performance management goals set forth by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB), the Department of the Interior (DOI), and the Government
Performance and Results Act are embedded in the NGPO strategic plan for
action.

**Transforming Geographic Knowledge**

In its concept of *The National Map*, the NGPO envisions a tapestry that
weaves together a national GIS, data stewards, incentive-based
partnerships, a national geospatial enterprise architecture, revitalized
USGS products and services, and well-managed investments. The weaving
together of disparate threads will create a strong and sustainable
"fabric," a rich and colorful graphical representation of the landscape
of the Nation.

**A Strategy for Success**

The NGPO has embraced several strategic priorities and accompanying
strategic actions to guide its progress. These priorities were developed
through internal deliberations, interactions with partners and
stakeholders, and reflections on the major transformations needed to
implement the NSDI. Establishing and championing a national geospatial
enterprise architecture, promoting a governance structure for the
future, and providing business value through incentive-based
partnerships are the cornerstones on which to build the NSDI.

**The Cornerstones**

**National Geospatial Enterprise Architecture**

***Strategic Actions***

-   Adopt geospatial enterprise architecture principles

-   Establish advisory council and technical working group

-   Promote use of common standards

**Governance Structure for the 21^st^ Century**

***Strategic Actions***

-   Explore governance models and review FGDC governance efforts

-   Promote national governance and its benefits

-   Create a national geospatial coordinating body

**Incentive-Based Partnerships**

***Strategic Actions***

-   Promote an incentive-based partnership model

-   Implement best practices for incentives

-   Support NGPO demonstration pilots

**The Heart of Success**

**Tapestry of Base Content**

***Strategic Actions***

-   Ensure a tapestry of base content by December 2006

-   Integrate geospatial information systems

-   Strengthen steward relationships

**A Geospatial System of Systems**

***Strategic Actions***

-   Create a national geospatial information system of distributed data
    systems

-   Provide multipurpose, standards-based technology and tools

-   Support and sustain stewards of component systems through
    incentive-based partnerships

**The Resulting Value**

**National Geospatial Investment Management**

***Strategic Actions***

-   Identify interagency investment strategies

-   Increase efficiency of expenditures

-   Begin a dialog of efficiency

**Revitalized Suite of USGS Topographic Products and Services**

***Strategic Actions***

-   Derive digital 1:24,000-scale topographic map

-   Implement map-on-demand service

-   Institutionalize a process for developing new and innovative
    services

**Stakeholder Input**

A range of stakeholders gave input on the formation of the NGPO. From
this input, the NGPO has developed its strategic priorities and its plan
for action. Listening to and learning from everyone involved---partners
in the States and local communities, Federal agency partners, other
stakeholders, and individuals and interests that are served by
geospatial information---is a core value of the NGPO. One message that
was repeated again and again is the need for effective communication.
This strategic plan for action includes a communication strategy from
which specific plans and actions can be developed, and each strategic
priority identifies specific communication tactics.

**External Stakeholders**

A listening session was held in early October 2004 with external
stakeholders and partners from other Federal agencies, State and local
governments, nongovernmental organizations, academia, and the private
sector. Resounding messages from that session were that the NGPO should
provide leadership and guidance, expand the stakeholder base, provide
incentives, support decisionmakers and facilitate problem-solving (with
the use of geospatial information), and develop an effective
communication plan.

**Internal Stakeholders**

In a listening session in the fall of 2004, USGS employees brought
forward recommendations to the NGPO leadership. It is clear that
employees want to be a part of the NGPO as it moves forward and need to
be engaged in the process to be ambassadors for the mission. NGPO
leaders are committed to responding to those recommendations and
communicating with employees.

**Study Teams Input**

In early November 2004, Study Teams were chartered to investigate
several key areas: Unified Geospatial Enterprise Architecture,
Geospatial Technology Integration, Partnership Offices, Unified NSDI Web
Presence, Measuring Geospatial Investments, and USGS Geospatial Products
and Services. A member of the NGPO Core Team sponsored each Study Team.
The contributions of the Study Teams, their investigations, interviews,
and deliberations have been invaluable. The Study Team reports were
drawn upon heavily for this plan and will be used as springboards for
future actions. Some of the Study Teams track directly to Strategic
Priorities in the plan for action; in other instances, the Study Team's
charter encompassed all of the priorities.

**Other Input**

Everyone has a stake in the tapestry of place. From many sources and
through various venues, it was clear that the time was right and the
need was paramount to create the NGPO and to transform the processes of
Government to ensure the implementation of the NSDI. The leaders took
the message of the NGPO on the road and gathered many suggestions and
criticisms from every level of government and every walk of life. This
input was also incorporated in the plan for action.

**Early Actions**

Although it is early in what the NGPO hopes will be an extremely
successful endeavor, there have been some early achievements. Early
successes are noted in each of the Strategic Priorities and include the
following:

**Geospatial Enterprise Architecture.** Efforts are underway to update
the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) to include locational data.
NGPO is taking the lead on developing what would become the geospatial
overlay to the FEA's various reference models, joining the one for
security and privacy released in early fall 2004. This effort recognizes
that geographic information is a major asset of any organization and of
every entity of government.

**Geospatial One-Stop**. In February 2005, after a highly competitive
procurement process, a \$2 million+ contract was awarded to
Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) to develop a second
generation of the Geodata.gov portal. Geospatial One-Stop is one of 24
E-Government initiatives to help make Federal technology resources more
accessible. Version 2 of the popular portal will be easier to use, with
its search tools powered by a partnership with a commercial search
engine provider. It will support the merger of the map viewers of
Geospatial One-Stop and *The National Map* and will manage a broad array
of knowledge resources from Federal, State, local, and private sources.
This is an important step toward a unified Web presence for the NSDI.

**Leveraging Project Homeland**. The energy and resources of homeland
security must be captured in support of a national geospatial
information system and production of *The National Map*. The more than
200 Homeland Security Infrastructure Program (HSIP) variables identified
by Project Homeland are recognized by the States and locals as key
elements that are needed. Developing specifications with the National
Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), Department of Homeland Security
(DHS), and the States for these data elements will ensure that framework
data layers of *The National Map* can be distilled from the HSIP
elements.

**Unified Web Presence**. This Web site becomes the premiere place to
begin a search for GIS data, written content, papers, presentations,
educational materials, and links to related sites. Redundant content and
functionality will be eliminated from the various program component Web
sites to enhance the experience of partners and customers when coming to
the new unified site.

**National Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC)**. A national
capability of production activities and technical services associated
with the NGPO was consolidated by the USGS Director's memo in January
2005. Included are the activities and services of the Cooperative
Topographic Mapping Program, the Federal Geographic Data Committee, the
Geospatial One-Stop portal, and the DOI Enterprise Geospatial
Information Management activity. A business strategy for the NGTOC has
been developed, and a scoping process is underway to look at the most
efficient way to carry out its functions.

**Next Steps**

The development of this strategic plan for action has been a significant
step in the formation of the NGPO. With an expectation of constructive
feedback regarding priorities and actions, the NGPO leadership will set
a specific implementation plan in place for the remainder of this fiscal
year and integrate NGPO priorities into the broader USGS and DOI budget
process. In the coming months, the NGPO leadership will take this plan
for action out to its employees, partners, stakeholders, and customers
in a series of presentations, discussions, and planning sessions.
Additional reports and marketing materials will be used to generate
support and engagement in the NGPO and in implementation of the NSDI.

**Introduction to the National Geospatial Programs Office**

***What is the NGPO and why was it created?***

***"...current and accurate geospatial data will be available to
contribute locally, nationally, and globally to economic growth,
environmental quality and stability, and social progress."** (***NSDI
Future Directions Initiative)**

**Background**

When the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) was first
envisioned more than a decade ago as a means for sharing geographic data
among all users, it was seen as producing significant savings for data
collection and use and as enhancing decisionmaking at all levels of
government and in society. Since that time, technological innovations
and the demands and applications for geospatial information have
increased exponentially, and there is now an imperative to embrace the
potential of the NSDI vision.

The NSDI evolved out of the concept of the National Information
Infrastructure, which would provide citizen access to essential
Government information and, consequently, strengthen the democratic
process. That commitment to citizen access to Government information and
services is borne out in the President's Management Agenda in its
Expanded E-Government initiative, which seeks to provide single points
of access to Government services, to make Government more transparent
and accountable, to share information---in this case geospatial
information---more quickly and conveniently between Federal, State, and
local government entities, and to collaborate across public and private
sector boundaries.

A governmental imperative to effectively manage the Nation's geospatial
assets was recognized at the time the NSDI was envisioned. The national
scope of the NSDI---as reflected in its emphasis on promoting economic
development, improving stewardship of natural resources, and protecting
the environment---requires Federal leadership of a coordinated effort
that includes State and local governments, academia, the private sector,
professional societies, and other partners.

The Secretary of the Interior was given Executive Branch authority to
coordinate the Federal Government's development of the NSDI and was
named as chair of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). The U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS) was given the responsibility to provide the
Executive Secretariat in the conduct of the FGDC as the coordinating
body for the NSDI.

Today, the NSDI comprises of the technology, policies, criteria,
standards, and people necessary to promote geospatial data sharing
throughout all levels of government, the private and nonprofit sectors,
and academia. It provides the essential base or structure of practices
and relationships among data producers and users that facilitates data
sharing and use. The entire geospatial community---and the public as a
byproduct of that community effort---will have a more comprehensive
means to analyze data in making decisions, setting policy, and choosing
the best course of action when the NSDI is viewed as a set of actions
and innovations for accessing, sharing, and using geographic data, and
when all partners cooperatively engage in those actions and innovations.
In realizing the vision of the NSDI, the Nation has the powerful force
of its geospatial assets available for any need that arises.

**Rationale and Organizational Background**

In response to these national imperatives and Government mandates, the
Director of the USGS in August 2004 created the National Geospatial
Programs Office (NGPO) to act as a catalyst for realizing the potential
of the NSDI. The NGPO is organizationally housed within the USGS
Geospatial Information Office (GIO) and is overseen by the Associate
Director for Geospatial Information. The NGPO portfolio of national
geospatial assets and activities includes *The National Map*, the FGDC,
the Geospatial One-Stop portal, and the DOI Enterprise Geospatial
Information Management activity, as well as the National Atlas™ and the
Web-based GEODE---Geologic Data Explorer. Brought together, these
components can be woven into a rich tapestry of geospatial assets to
serve the Nation.

The creation of the NGPO allows the various program components of the
NSDI to be managed as a unified portfolio that benefits the entire
geospatial community. By unifying the components of *The National Map*
(integrated base data), the FGDC (coordination of policy and standards),
and Geospatial One-Stop (information discovery and access), the
geospatial community and the Nation will realize the vision that
*"current and accurate geospatial data will be available to contribute
locally, nationally, and globally to economic growth, environmental
quality and stability, and social progress"* (NSDI Future Directions
Initiative).

Part of the organizational strategy in transferring management and
oversight of *The National Map* from its previous home within the USGS
Geography Discipline to the GIO was to allow USGS expertise in geography
to focus on research and to enhance USGS leadership in both geospatial
programs and geographic research.

Management of these geospatial assets was reorganized in response to
discussions with many constituent groups over several years about how
best to meet their geospatial data needs, as well as recommendations by
the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences in
"Weaving a National Map" (see appendix).

In asserting its roles as leader of a national geospatial program,
coordinator among all stakeholders, and facilitator for implementing the
NSDI, the NGPO is mindful that no one entity owns the Nation's
geospatial assets---they are a shared resource and a national treasure
for everyone.

As the NGPO begins to operate as a unified program and to restructure
its budget, it will streamline and refine its internal management
structure and organization (see Internal Streamlining, p. 26). Key
aspects of that restructuring include the following:

-   Incorporating practices that enable management of a single, unified
    program instead of a simple realignment of program components

-   Adopting a community of practice around portfolio management and
    project management disciplines

-   Transforming the workforce to be poised for opportunities afforded
    by innovations in technology and being flexible enough to react to
    the mutable expectations of public resources and support

The National Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC) was created
in January 2005 as the operational component of the NGPO. The NGTOC will
be a national capability of the USGS and will support NGPO activities by
which the USGS will provide the geospatial information that will be
produced mostly by a network of State and local partners. It would
provide technical support, through the NSDI Partnership Offices, to
partners and customers in the States. A business strategy for the NGTOC
has been developed (March 2005), and a scoping process conducted (April
2005) to recommend whether it is feasible and appropriate to compete
NGTOC activities under OMB Circular A-76 guidelines.

**Federal Enterprise Architecture**

The OMB Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) is a business-based
framework for governmentwide improvement. It is being constructed
through five interrelated "reference models" designed to facilitate
analysis and identification of duplicative investments, gaps, and
collaborative opportunities within and across Federal agencies. Its
foundation is the Business Reference Model, which describes the
Government's lines of business and its services, independent of the
agencies and offices involved. The model provides a common framework for
improvement in key areas, including budget allocation, horizontal and
vertical information sharing, performance measurement, budget and
performance integration, cross-agency collaboration, E-Government, and
component-based architectures. Other reference models focus on
performance, service components, data, and technology. As this action
plan was being prepared, the FEA was being updated to include
location-based data. This effort is being led by the USGS/NGPO within
the Architecture and Infrastructure Committee of the Chief Information
Officers (CIO) Council. A policy document or "overlay" on privacy and
security affects all of the FEA reference models, and there will be a
similar overlay for geospatial information.

**Business Reference Model**

The Business Reference Model separates Government operations into four
categories relating to the purpose of Government (Services for
Citizens), the mechanisms the Government uses to achieve its purpose
(Mode of Delivery), the support functions necessary to conduct
Government operations (Support Delivery of Services), and the resource
management functions that support all areas of the Government's business
(Management of Government Resources). These four business areas are
composed of 39 lines of business, 19 of which are within Services for
Citizens and describe the purpose of Government in functional terms
(external lines of business). The remaining 20 are internal and are
included in the other three business areas. The NGPO purpose, to "place
geographic knowledge at the fingertips of the Nation," is inherent in
many of these lines of business.

**Services for Citizens**: The significant role of geospatial
information in providing services for citizens crosses many of the
external lines of business (for example, Homeland Security,
Transportation, Health, Environmental Management, Natural Resources,
Disaster Management, Economic Development, and General Science and
Innovation). Lines of business not called out here---Community and
Social Services, Education, Law Enforcement, International Affairs and
Commerce, Litigation and Judicial Activities, Correctional Activities,
Energy, Income Security, and Workforce Management---might be included as
well. It is difficult to name any aspect of the daily lives of citizens
in which the concept of "where" does not come into play or in which some
aspect of national geospatial information might not be incorporated into
a service.

**Mode of Delivery**: The mechanisms the Government uses to achieve its
purpose of services for citizens include financial vehicles and direct
and indirect Government delivery. Government Service Delivery includes
all modes of delivery in which Government employees (or contracted
employees) perform tasks that directly support the improvement of a
Service for Citizens, and is further delineated into Knowledge Creation
and Management, Public Goods Creation and Management, Regulatory
Compliance and Enforcement, and Direct Services for Citizens. Geospatial
information comes into play primarily in Knowledge Creation and
Management in that it involves the creation by the Federal Government of
a body of knowledge that can be manipulated and analyzed to benefit both
the Federal and private sector. Geospatial information functions also
play a role in Public Goods Creation and Management.

**Relation to DOI and USGS Performance Goals**. The DOI strategic plan
includes performance goals for the mission areas of Resource Use,
Resource Protection, Recreation, and Serving Communities. The USGS
supports DOI primarily through the goal of Serving Communities and, in
turn, supports the lines of business within Services for Citizens
(General Science and Innovation) and Modes of Delivery (Knowledge
Creation and Management, and Public Goods Creation and Management).
Specific USGS goals in Serving Communities are to advance knowledge
through scientific leadership, inform decisions through the application
of science, and improve information base, information management, and
technical assistance. In addition, geospatial information provided
through NGPO is vital to the accomplishment of goals and objectives in
all of DOI's mission areas.

DOI also supports the President's Management Agenda through a goal of
Modernization, in which Citizen-Centered E-Government and Information
Technology Management are key strategies. The twofold mission of the
NGPO---providing leadership and guidance for key stakeholders and
implementing key components of the NSDI---supports the goal of Serving
Communities, as geospatial information serves communities in their
broadest sense---not only the communities in which people live but also
"communities of interest" wherein stakeholders and partners have vested
interests in how geospatial information is used in policy and management
decisions and the "communities of practice" in which the users of
geospatial information operate. Furthermore, Geospatial One-Stop's
innovative delivery of geospatial information is one of the Government's
24 citizen-centered E-Government initiatives. The goal of Modernization
will be realized as the unified Web presence for the NSDI evolves and
brings the complete portfolio of national geospatial assets into a
modern and easily accessible "portal of portals."

**An Action Plan for Success**

***What will the NGPO do and how will it measure success?***

**Purpose, Vision, and Mission**

The NGPO will engage partners throughout the geospatial community to
ensure that its unified program portfolio meets the needs of those on
the national landscape. It will help the Nation realize the NSDI vision
that *"current and accurate geospatial data will be available to
contribute locally, nationally, and globally to economic growth,
environmental quality and stability, and social progress"* (NSDI Future
Directions Initiative). That vision will be reinforced by communicating
the importance of the NSDI to a broad audience of users and potential
users of geographic knowledge. To guide its progress in support of the
NSDI and its service to the national geospatial community, the NGPO has
developed the following statements of purpose, vision, and mission.

**Purpose**

The purpose of the NGPO is providing leadership to place geographic
knowledge at the fingertips of the Nation.

**Vision**

By June 30, 2006, transform the processes of Government necessary to
implement key components of the NSDI.

**Mission**

The mission of the NGPO is twofold. One mission component focuses on
leadership and the prominent role of partners and stakeholders; the
other focuses on the operational aspects and technical services needed
to implement the NSDI and provide useful geospatial information to
decisionmakers.

**Providing leadership and guidance for key stakeholders to**

-   Develop policy

-   Provide incentives to potential partners

-   Develop key standards and data models

-   Coordinate and facilitate the governance structure for the NSDI

-   Negotiate collaborative agreements with partners

-   Develop a national geospatial enterprise architecture

-   Provide a forum for technology transfer, best practices, and program
    guidance

**Implementing key components of the NSDI**

-   Host spatial datasets, Web sites, knowledge base, and tools for
    discovery and access

-   Provide data integration and quality assurance of spatial data

-   Staff enterprise architecture, governance body, and spatial
    operations

-   Conduct and sponsor research for geospatial information science

-   Provide contract management for operations

-   Conduct training, education, and consultation

-   Adopt a posture of being the data producer of last resort

-   Make map products accessible

**Core Values**

The success of the NGPO rests largely on the commitment of its leaders
to core values that will guide their deliberations and decisionmaking.

**National Leadership**

As leaders in the national geospatial community, NGPO management will
embrace a "bias for action" in transforming Government processes needed
to implement the NSDI.

**Partnership**

As colleagues and collaborators in providing geographic information,
NGPO leaders will honor the role of partners by listening and learning
from them.

**Service**

As public servants in the national geospatial community, NGPO leaders
are committed to provide timely, quality service to meet geospatial
information needs across the Nation.

**Value and Impact**

As stewards of national geospatial investments, NGPO leaders are
committed to ensuring that each investment is an opportunity to return
value to stakeholders and the Nation.

**Professionalism**

As professionals in the geospatial community, NGPO leaders are
respectful of others, demonstrate the highest integrity, and strive for
excellence in all that they do.

**Major Transformations**

The NGPO envisions three transformations that will be necessary to
fulfill the vision of the NSDI. Those transformations must be embraced
by the entire geospatial community.

**Toward a national geographic information system**

Just as the Federal Government recognized the need for an enterprise
architecture that would inform all of its business lines and practices
(the FEA), the NGPO believes that a transformation to an enterprise
information system for the Nation's geospatial assets is essential to
ensure the implementation of the NSDI. Geographic information systems
are developing at all levels of government and throughout the private
sector. These systems, when employed individually, often result in
duplicate data development and redundant investments. They seldom follow
common standards of practice that facilitate data sharing. The NGPO is
in a unique position to lead the development of a national geographic
information system (GIS), an integrated "system of systems" to provide
access to quality, near real-time, digital geospatial data and resources
to

-   Support real-world decisionmaking and problem solving (for example
    related to natural disasters, homeland security, economic
    development, and public health)

-   Support the daily business of Federal agencies and avoid duplication
    and redundancy

-   Facilitate regional and national analyses of data for a wide range
    of applications

-   Serve as the basis for a revitalized suite of USGS mapping products
    and services

-   Provide a place-based context and geographic framework for
    scientific studies

-   Display and share geographic resources through *The National Map*

This "system of systems" approach will facilitate the adoption of a
common architecture and best practices and leverage the resources of
individual organizations in implementing the NSDI. The national GIS will
be composed of a distributed network of data stewards who contribute
their expertise, data, and resources to an enterprise solution that will
leverage geospatial data assets into strategic national resources. The
steward organizations will be a federation of local, State, and Federal
Government organizations, with contributions from the academic community
and from the private and nonprofit sectors (see **A** **Governance
Structure for the 21^st^ Century, p. 24**).

As part of this concept of a national GIS, USGS geospatial activities
will focus on demonstrating leadership, providing meaningful incentives
to partners, and promoting data models, standards, and best practices.
The USGS would shift its emphasis from producing maps to providing
access to the creation of map products and geographic information and
empowering State and local partners to meet their geospatial information
needs. No single organization would have sole ownership of the "system
of systems." It would be a national asset shared---and valued---by all.
The USGS will continue its long and proud role as the Nation's civilian
mapping agency but with a 21^st^ century approach that modernizes and
integrates technology, rewards innovation, and is based upon a
partnership ethic.

**Toward matters and places of national importance**

There is a growing recognition of the many ways geospatial data can be
applied throughout society and within business, commerce, public safety,
and national security. GIS technology is a mechanism for visualizing and
understanding what is going on in one or many locations, allowing users
to observe and measure an event, analyze disparate data, develop plans,
and decide on a course of action. Bringing nonspatial data into a
spatial environment combines information in new ways to allow for true
integration of various lines of business within Government. Adding the
spatial component---that sense of place---to basic business processes
can transform how the business of Government, or of any component of
society, is conducted.

Examples of potential new lines of business include the following:

-   Providing services for citizens such as water-resource management
    and disaster preparedness

-   Planning how Government services are delivered to citizens

-   Disseminating knowledge

-   Managing large databases

Not all segments of society, or of our Nation's infrastructure, are
currently supported by available geospatial assets. The NGPO will focus
on that untapped potential of new users and new constituencies to extend
the power and use of Government-provided geospatial information.

Geospatial information provides a common framework for sharing
information across all levels of government. Perhaps the best example in
the area of government service is that of first responders in the event
of a natural or human-caused disaster. A common framework of geospatial
information will ensure that all responders have access to the same
information about the situation. Neighboring jurisdictions can cooperate
effectively, and one part of the country can learn from and model its
responses based on plans developed elsewhere. A national strategy for
information integration must ensure a common geospatial framework for
all potential users for every aspect of emergency operations. Different
views of the data may be needed by data producers and consumers. With
all of the geospatial data on a common framework, the data can be
overlaid onto a single common picture tailored for a particular audience
or mission. Whether it is a raging wildfire in a suburban hillside
community outside Los Angeles or a category 4 hurricane sweeping across
the panhandle of Florida, dispatching an ambulance requires the same
kind of information on transportation routes, infrastructure, and
location of health facilities. Common response systems can be deployed
based on reliable and accurate geospatial information that is standards
based and similarly formatted. A unified Web presence will ensure access
to that common picture for everyone, especially first responders, who
can draw upon graphics and mapping products that have proven useful in
other emergencies.

In the Natural Hazards Initiative for Fiscal Year 2007, the USGS is
committing its varied program resources to ensure that the people,
property, and infrastructure of the Nation are prepared for and
protected from natural hazards.

There are many issues and places of national importance for which
geospatial information is needed and for which it is not yet uniformly
and commonly available, and each issue and place is as critical as the
next---urban and metropolitan areas, borders and crossing points,
transportation corridors (railways, highways, and waterways), airports
and seaports, and coastal areas and flood plains. While major
metropolitan areas have received Federal, State, and local attention in
developing and deploying geospatial assets, places with lower population
density and economic means and limited computer processing capability do
not have the ability to use those assets effectively. As a Nation, we
cannot afford not to provide equal access to the rural consumer of
geospatial information. The time is right for a National Map for Rural
America, and working effectively with rural communities will be a
critical charge to the NSDI Partnership Offices of the NGPO.

Burgeoning population centers in coastal areas on both sides of the
continent and in the Gulf of Mexico region---many of which face
significant threats from natural hazards---are another *place* where we
must ensure that geospatial assets are being developed and deployed.

Geospatial information also plays a critical role in the development and
implementation of public policy and management of land, resources, and
the environment. Ensuring that elected officials at the national, State,
and local levels have the place-based information they need to create
legislation, effect policy, and manage public resources is critical in
addressing matters and places of national importance. These
decisionmakers must also understand how geospatial information can be
used and how investments in the consistent availability of such
information can provide a solid return to citizens and communities.
Effective communication with elected officials, particularly on Capitol
Hill, will be a focus for the NGPO.

Looking to the future, the NGPO will leverage and coordinate existing
efforts in support of homeland security. There are many positive
relationships to build upon and opportunities to collaborate across the
homeland security community at every level of government, as well as
with the private sector. All facets of homeland security have a common
component, that of geography. Geography is the common reference point to
describe, understand, apply resources to, and evaluate an event. As with
first responders to natural disasters, those who deal with homeland
security need that common, national framework of data in place
immediately. Over the last year or so, agreements have been put in place
among Federal agencies to make that framework a reality, and additional
agreements will be coming on board.

This description of *places* in rural America and the coastlands and of
*issues* in public safety and national security as they relate to
hazards, whether natural or human caused, is not exhaustive. Other
places and issues will be added as the NGPO and the national geospatial
community move forward with these actions.

**Toward management excellence**

For the NGPO to lead these transformations, it must set a standard of
management excellence. The President's Management Agenda calls for a
performance-oriented approach by Government that shows improved
accountability. Each Federal dollar invested must reflect that standard
of management. The NGPO is committed to adopt a culture that uses the
discipline of project management as a means to realize its strategic
vision, to effect change in the organization, and to implement new
business procedures. Best practices of the information technology
community will ensure that life-cycle management guides project
planning. For example, in acquiring and investing in new systems or
capacity, commercial off-the-shelf software will be the norm, not the
exception. Investments should be based upon demonstrated business needs
and should be consistent with the National Geospatial Enterprise
Architecture. One of the hallmarks of the President's agenda is to make
access to Government information transparent. It should not be a mystery
to citizens---or to other government entities---how Government works,
what actions it is taking, or where citizens can access the information
their tax dollars have helped to create. Citizens should not have to
understand the structure of government or wade through complex,
confusing, or contradictory points of access to arrive at what they
need. Because of the critical importance of geospatial information to
the lives of every citizen, the NGPO shares that commitment to
transparency and accountability to its citizen stakeholders. It is the
right of all citizens to access the place-based information they need. A
unified Web presence for the NSDI---which is envisioned as the framework
and roadmap to geographic knowledge for use in mapping, managing, and
understanding our world---is part of the commitment to management
excellence. Accountability to the lines of business and performance
management goals set forth by OMB, DOI, and the Government Performance
and Results Act are embedded in the NGPO strategic plan for action.

**A Strategy for Success**

In providing leadership to place geographic knowledge at the fingertips
of the Nation and transforming the processes of Government necessary to
implement key components of the NSDI, priorities must be established,
and strategic actions outlined that can be tracked to measure their
success. The NGPO Core Team has set forth the following strategic
priorities. While all of the priorities are essential, there was
overwhelming internal consensus, combined with the resounding voice of
external partners, that establishing and championing a geospatial
enterprise architecture are the foundation on which the other priorities
would be based.

**Strategic Priority: National Geospatial Enterprise Architecture**

Geospatial data, information, and technology provide a foundation for
innumerable applications that can address the lines of business of
government and private industry. Currently, geospatial enterprise
architectures are proliferating at all levels of government. In general,
these efforts are not well coordinated and may be incompatible, which
can hinder the goal of a seamless information environment where data,
applications, and services can flow freely between entities.

The NGPO will lead the efforts of the geospatial community to unify
disparate geospatial enterprise architectures, aligning them with the
FEA and ensuring that the needs of the non-Federal community are
accommodated. A national geospatial enterprise architecture will be a
common point of reference for the development of physical architectures
that will ensure geospatial interoperability at all levels of
government. A unified geospatial enterprise architecture will
demonstrate management excellence by identifying common lines of
business and be the model for further transformations necessary to
implement the key components of the NSDI.

***Strategic Action*: Adopt geospatial enterprise architecture
principles.**

To ensure that interoperability in geospatial systems architecture is
broad and sustainable, each participating system should adopt the
following principles:

-   Avoid nonstandard data syntaxes

-   Register the semantics of shared data elements

-   Document service interfaces in a standard way

-   Implement the standard interface for information discovery

-   Implement the standard interfaces for geospatial data

***Strategic Action*: Establish advisory council and technical working
group.**

Establish the National Geospatial Enterprise Architecture Management
Advisory Council (NGEA-MAC), which will coordinate with the FEA and
other enterprise architecture efforts. Establish the NGEA-MAC Technical
Working Group, which will develop a conceptual framework for
constructing more detailed physical geospatial architectures at the
Federal, State, and local levels. The NGEA-MAC will provide a critical
link to the budget processes of Federal, State, and local governments.
The draft templates for the Business Case, Project Plan, Methodology and
Process, and Timelines and Milestones will be refined.

***Strategic Action*: Promote use of common standards.**

The NGEA-MAC will promote the use of common standards within the
national geospatial community, thereby advancing the implementation of
national framework standards for content and nationally adopted
international standards, as well as open interoperability specifications
developed by Open Geospatial Consortium and other consortia.

**Measuring Success**

A geospatial enterprise architecture will be realized when

-   It is supported by the geospatial community; is composed of a common
    set of reference models, business practices, standards, and best
    practices; is implemented and aligned with the FEA; and accommodates
    the needs of both the Federal and the non-Federal community

-   Inconsistencies and incompatibilities are reduced among independent
    geospatial enterprise architecture efforts

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-   An NGEA-MAC exists to coordinate and unify disparate geospatial
    enterprise architecture efforts

-   The NGEA-MAC demonstrates to its stakeholders, including Congress,
    OMB, and State/local legislatures, that the national geospatial
    community is unified around this enterprise

**Early Successes**

-   **Internal Support**: The NGPO is taking steps to simplify, unify,
    and organize its priorities according to lines of business. These
    steps are fundamental tenets in enterprise architecture
    reengineering. Staff members who are involved in architectural
    components are more enthusiastic and are expressing appreciation
    that senior managers see the value of such an approach.

-   **External Support**: The NGPO staff has met with favorable response
    when sharing ideas and plans for developing a national geospatial
    architecture at conferences, workshops, and meetings. The NGPO is
    being recognized as having the mission and the capability to lead
    this effort. For example, the Architecture and Infrastructure
    Committee (AIC) of the Federal CIO Council asked the NGPO to
    co-sponsor a geospatial enterprise architecture workshop, which took
    place in March 2005 and was met with enthusiasm and excellent input.
    The AIC was provided a draft of the Geospatial Enterprise
    Architecture Study Team report and is preparing a response.

**Communication Tactics**

-   Use the venues on the 2005 NGPO events calendar and other
    communication vehicles, such as Web pages and information products,
    to inform stakeholders and foster a climate of acceptance for a
    geospatial enterprise architecture.

-   Identify and coordinate educational, informational, and training
    resources specific to geospatial enterprise architecture.

-   Facilitate communications with other agencies and external partners
    about national issues, programs, policies, and budget initiatives
    relating to geospatial enterprise architecture.

**SIDEBAR**

# **Geospatial Enterprise Architecture Principles**

In many geospatial initiatives, a key goal is to be as inclusive as
possible, spanning geospatial systems managed at all levels of
government (Federal, State, local, and tribal), as well as academic,
commercial, and other nongovernment organizations. This goal demands a
high level of interoperability, (that is, differences among systems must
not pose a barrier to tasks that span those systems. Therefore,
participating geospatial systems must have mechanisms that accommodate
system-to-system differences. Those mechanisms become components of a
common geospatial systems architecture.

Interoperability in the geospatial systems architecture should be broad
and sustainable at a strategic level. Fewer agreements accommodating
most systems are preferred over many agreements accommodating few
participants. Interoperability agreements also should entail minimal
impact on affected systems other than their interfaces with the
geospatial architecture. Active participants that specialize in
particular interfaces may have a lead role in building consensus on
interoperability agreements (for example, a certain government agency
may have a mandate to build consensus on a particular set of
interfaces).

As a practical matter, interoperability agreements must be driven by
specific needs as they are identified at the interfaces among
participants. Wherever possible, interoperability agreements must be
based on nonproprietary standards, and profiles should be specified when
standards are not sufficiently specific. All interface implementations
should be specified in a platform-independent manner and verified
through interoperability testing and public demonstrations.

The following principles should be agreed upon by each participant.

**1. Avoid nonstandard data syntaxes.** Data can be represented in a
number of ways, and each way has its peculiar strengths and weaknesses.
Converting between different data representations can degrade the data;
therefore, participants must agree on a small number of robust data
representation syntaxes for data that traverse shared interfaces.
Examples include the international standard known as Abstract Syntax
Notation (ASN.1) and the emergent industry standard Extensible Markup
Language (XML).

**2. Register the semantics of shared data elements.** Interfaces among
participant systems are typically composed of a large number of data
elements, and it is difficult to gain a common understanding of their
meaning. (The syntax information in an XML schema or an ASN.1 definition
does not fully address the requirements of semantic interoperability.)
The agreed international standard for representing such understandings
in a commonly accessible registry is ISO 11179 (formally designated
ISO/IEC 11179, Information Technology\--Metadata Registries). This
standard supports registration of data using virtually any syntax and
also provides a basis for interoperability among industry-led registry
initiatives.

**3. Document service interfaces in a standard way**. Interoperability
within the geospatial systems architecture is dependent on specifying
common interfaces among disparate information systems. In addition to
specifying the syntax and semantics of the data elements defined at the
interface, it is necessary to describe how the systems interact at the
interface. A common mechanism for describing such interaction is an
"interface definition language" (IDL). An elaborate example is the IDL
for CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture). Industry-led
movements have recently shifted toward WSDL (Web Services Definition
Language) or WebXML specifications to describe service interfaces. Each
of these service interface description mechanisms has an associated
mechanism to automate discovery and access of service interfaces.
Unified Modeling Language (UML) is also commonly used to document the
interactions occurring at a service interface. Participants should agree
to use any one of these standard mechanisms to describe service
interfaces and to convert to a single standard when appropriate.

**4. Implement the standard interface for information discovery**. A
common objective across interoperable geospatial systems is to enable
the discovery of and access to a wide range of information resources and
services. Support of a common service interface for information
discovery is therefore an important information architecture principle.
(The term "information discovery" refers to the process of finding
relevant data and information resources without prior knowledge of where
those resources may reside, how they are organized, or how they are
usually accessed.) The agreed service interface implements the
international standard ISO 23950 Protocol for Information Search and
Retrieval that is well supported and broadly adapted to most information
search and retrieval system interfaces. This interoperable search
service interface applies to discovery of resources in the form of
traditional library, museum, and archives holdings, as well as digital
resources distributed across global networks. This service supports XML
and ASN.1 data syntaxes; data element semantics are registered according
to ISO/IEC 11179; and service interfaces have been defined by using
CORBA IDL and WSDL, and published via UDDI (Universal Description,
Discovery, and Integration).

**5. Implement the standard interfaces for geospatial data.** In the
geospatial systems architecture especially, data and information
resources usually include references to places. Although such geospatial
data may be viewed in the form of a map, the underlying digital data may
be applied in many other forms. Interfaces to discover and use these
data and services have been standardized, ranging from "yellow pages"
and "product catalogs" to "technical manuals." International standards
supporting discovery of and access to geospatial data and services are
agreed upon through various initiatives such as the U.S. National
Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). These include the discovery
interface standard referenced above (ISO 23950), as well as a range of
international standards covering documentation and representation
(ISO 19115) and place codes (for example, ISO 3166). In addition,
participants should support formal standards such as the range of
geospatial interfaces being developed through the Open Geospatial
Consortium (for example, OGC Web Map Service).

## **Strategic Priority: A Governance Structure for the 21^st^ Century**

Government agencies and other organizations face many challenges in
their business of providing services for citizens. One example is the
necessity for quick responses to natural disasters, industrial
accidents, environmental crises, and homeland security alerts. Much of
the information needed to make informed decisions in such cases is
placebased: that is, geospatial. Those who must meet these challenges
share a goal of making those decisions in a more cost-effective and
efficient manner. Accurate and current geospatial data must be
coordinated and made available to all, and a clearly articulated process
of governance for the Nation's geospatial assets is necessary for that
shared benefit to occur.

The vision for the NSDI Strategic Plan (1997) that *"Current and
accurate geospatial data will be available to contribute locally,
nationally, and globally to economic growth, environmental quality and
stability, and social progress"* has been reconfirmed in the planning
and organizing of the NGPO. A more forward-thinking vision for the NSDI
that moves toward both a national GIS and management excellence could be
stated as *Federal, State, and local government agencies, the private
sector, academia, and others are engaged in an unprecedented national
project to design, build, and maintain a highly accurate, distributed,
and consistent geospatial framework, services, and collaborative work
during the first decade of the 21^st^ century. This revolutionary
partnership continues to leverage resources, technologies, and
investments to create the geospatial component that supports the
national information infrastructure and enables informed decisionmaking
at all levels of society.*

A well-coordinated effort inclusive of the private sector, academia, and
all levels of government, and supported by the NGPO, is needed to
leverage resources, minimize redundancies, and solve problems to achieve
this revolutionary partnership.

A new governance structure that includes representatives of all
stakeholder groups is needed to guide the development of the NSDI. It
must foster collaboration and shared responsibilities among stakeholders
and guide the development of partnerships and core datasets.
Furthermore, the governance structure must have the power to transform
policies, resource allocation, and services.

The issue of governance is at the heart of the NGPO vision of
transforming the processes of Government necessary to implement key
components of the NSDI. It is also embedded in the component of the NGPO
mission to "coordinate and facilitate the governance structure for the
NSDI." For this strategic priority, the NGPO will leverage the work of
the Governance Action Team for the FGDC Future Directions Initiative,
whose purpose is to investigate and recommend options for the operation
of the NSDI (a report due in June 2005).

***Strategic Action*: Explore governance models and review FGDC
governance efforts.**

Examine governance models used by other entities and develop options
with advantages and disadvantages that allow a more inclusive
membership. Draw on the FGDC Future Directions-Governance effort and, by
2005, identify, evaluate, and act upon options for restructuring the
governance model of the NSDI. The Future Directions effort has completed
its charter, organized a 30-member team, established working groups, and
is completing tasks to have a restructured governance model by June
2005. Governance is being defined as the organizational structure,
leadership and authority roles, and all associated regulations,
policies, and procedures for management, coordination, and operation of
the NSDI. In light of Future Directions findings, review the current
structure of FGDC, including membership, structure, and roles of the
Steering Committee, Coordination Group, subcommittees, and working
groups. Develop an action plan to implement the revised governance
model.

***Strategic Action*: Promote national governance and its benefits.**

To be effective, the NSDI must have national leadership that
incorporates all affected sectors. The governance process must build in
accountability, include all interested parties, and provide clearly
defined roles and responsibilities. Much of the discussion of governance
has involved the producers of geospatial data. The users of geospatial
data must be brought into the discussion as well. The potential benefits
of effective governance---improving services to citizens, coordinating
public services, improving management of natural and human resources,
and improving public safety and emergency response---need to be
supported, and resources need to be invested by data users as well as by
data producers.

***Strategic Action*: Create a national geospatial coordinating body.**

It is clear from the efforts of the Future Directions group that a
national geospatial coordinating body is needed as part of the
governance of the NSDI. The body would have equitable representation
from Federal, State, and local components, tribal governments, national
trade groups, and national nonprofit organizations. A proposal and
options for such a body will be part of the June 2005 report of the
Future Directions group.

**Measuring Success**

The NGPO, FGDC, and the NSDI will have successful governance when

-   There is positive movement toward that more forward-thinking vision
    of the NSDI as that *"highly accurate, distributed, and consistent
    geospatial framework, services, and collaborative work during the
    first decade of the 21^st^ century"*

-   There is less duplication of effort and more gaps in data and
    information are filled.

-   Similar problems at the Federal, State, and local levels are
    recognized and solutions are created because of the availability of
    the geospatial framework and an efficient governance model

**Early Success**

-   A sense of urgency that it is time for a new governance model has
    been articulated by focus groups conducted by the Future Directions
    effort.

**Communication Tactics**

-   Use upcoming events of interested parties and organizations to
    discuss needs of governance and problems that need resolution.

-   Maintain the contact information database being created as part of
    the Future Directions work and use this for future interaction.

-   Develop a communication plan when the June 2005 report is released
    to promote its recommendations.

## **Strategic Priority: Incentive-Based Partnerships**

With the rapid advancement of geospatial technologies coupled with
limited resources at all levels of government, geospatial information
operations are focusing on meeting specific business needs rather than
on developing systems for general use. Managers at the State and local
level, for example, cannot justify changing their processes to
participate in Federal initiatives unless they can show that such
participation increases their ability to meet their business needs. At
the same time, the growing community of data producers has increased the
need for coordination to maximize investments and avoid redundancy.

The traditional approach to the development of the NSDI will not achieve
the results needed to meet the collective vision in a timely manner.
Thus, the NGPO must develop an incentive-based partnership strategy that
will engage partners who must first meet their own bottom lines. Such
incentive-based partnerships for geospatial data have been successful in
North Carolina, Utah, and New Jersey, where they have been used to
achieve a high level of intergovernmental cooperation. The NGPO must set
the Federal example of this new approach and offer a suite of monetary
and nonmonetary incentives that are tailored to the needs of partners in
exchange for their commitments to advance the NSDI.

The focus will not be on short-term or one-time exchanges of data.
Transformation toward an enterprise information system for the Nation
will require a cultural change in partner relationships. Incentive-based
partnerships will accelerate the development of the content of the NSDI,
in terms of data completeness, quality, and reliability, by encouraging
participation by State and local governments and other key data
producers. Following a business model, in which all partners commit
resources to achieve mutually beneficial goals, will mean that more NSDI
stakeholders (for example, State and local governments) will be invested
in a successful outcome; that is , the sustainability of the NSDI.
Finally, promoting the use of a menu of possible partnership incentives
should encourage greater Federal interest in supporting NSDI
partnerships, including agencies and Departments that have not
heretofore been active NSDI participants.

***Strategic Action*: Promote an incentive-based partnership model.**

Develop and circulate a white paper that describes the incentive-based
partnership model, how this approach will benefit all NSDI stakeholders,
how this strategy will be coordinated throughout the NGPO, and details
of an action plan for the next 2 years. Meet with geospatial
stakeholders and their representatives to seek their input and support
in promoting these potential actions to their membership.

***Strategic Action*: Implement best practices for incentives.**

Provide interested Federal agencies and Departments with the information
and tools for implementing incentive-based NSDI partnerships. Develop
and communicate best practices on the types of incentives or incentive
categories that can be provided and develop examples (such as templates)
for negotiated partnership agreements that can be disseminated across
the NSDI stakeholder community.

***Strategic Action*: Support NGPO demonstration pilots.**

Demonstrate to the Federal community how incentive-based partnerships
can be successful. Identify NGPO resources (funding, in-kind services
and support) that can be made available, beginning in FY 2005, to
support several State-based pilots, and communicate their progress. Each
pilot should include an agreement between the State and the USGS that
articulates NSDI needs and incentives for each State and begins the
process of long-term planning to meet those needs.

**Measuring Success**

The success of incentive-based partnerships will be seen in

-   An increasing number and quality (that is, effectiveness in meeting
    requirements, sustainability) of incentive-based partnership
    agreements

-   An increasing number of agencies and organizations (including those
    from nontraditional sectors) engaged in one or more such agreements

-   Various measures relating to the content of the NSDI (for example,
    completeness of framework data layers, addition of higher
    resolution, more timely or accurate data). The *Fifty States
    Initiative Action Plan* developed in 2004 by the NSGIC-FGDC Work
    Group includes some suggested metrics that could be adapted for
    broader use in measuring success of this priority

-   A greater quantity and breadth of spatial data applications and
    increased use of the NSDI for decisionmaking, problem-solving, or
    improving services (according to the NSGIC-NACo-USGS Best Practices
    model). While it is hard to quantify how geospatial information
    improves decisionmaking or services, anecdotal information will be
    captured.

**Early Successes**

-   *Fifty States Initiative Action Plan* recommends the use of
    incentive-based partnerships that focus on meeting specific mutually
    defined business goals.

-   A key finding of the NSGIC-NACo-USGS Best Practices Model affirms
    this approach, indicating significant support within the leadership
    of these important stakeholder groups.

-   A broad range of agencies and organizations is involved in the NSDI
    Future Directions initiative; NSDI Partnership Liaisons are
    discussing the future of partnerships and identifying opportunities
    for enhancing USGS capabilities in this area. The Cooperative
    Agreements Program (linking *The National Map* funds and FGDC funds)
    was begun in FY 2004.

**Communication Tactics**

-   Develop a coordinated communications/outreach strategy that
    encompasses all NGPO programs.

-   Provide briefings and discussions at NSGIC midyear and annual
    conferences.

-   Meet with interested organizations to introduce them to NGPO
    leadership and staff; establish contact and regular communications
    on progress of the incentive-based partnership priority.

-   Communicate regularly with constituent groups, highlighting NGPO
    activities of interest, contacts in each State, and ways to
    participate.

-   Provide NSDI Partnership Liaisons with information on
    incentive-based partnerships to use in communicating with their
    existing partners and in identifying new, prospective partners.

-   Feature partnership activities in the unified NSDI Web presence.

-   Hold regular conference calls with NGPO and stakeholder staffs to
    discuss progress, identify pitfalls, and establish next steps.

## **Strategic Priority: Tapestry of Base Content** 

A significant priority for the NGPO is to build upon USGS resources,
leverage the resources of partners, and organize them into a rich and
textured tapestry of geographic content. The importance of place-based
content in everyday life cannot be overstated. Each decision made by a
government entity, whether it affects the environment, transportation,
social services, public safety, or health care, occurs *somewhere* on
the national landscape. In turn, those decisions and those places do not
happen or operate in isolation but affect adjacent places. Planning and
analyses in support of these decisions requires accurate, up-to-date,
and standards-based data for those places. To achieve the goal of
becoming *the* provider of place-based content, the NGPO will need to
focus on three areas: ensuring a tapestry of base content, integrating
information systems, and strengthening relationships with those who are
stewards of geospatial data.

The envisioned tapestry will include

-   High-quality national datasets compiled from many sources

-   Integrated themes, scales, and resolution

-   National templates with specific implementation guidance

-   Support and sustainability through incentive-based partnerships

Because of its long-standing role as the purveyor of the Nation's
topographic maps, the USGS is uniquely suited to be the trusted source
for accurate information about Earth processes and the Nation's
landscape, natural resources, and infrastructure. As such, the USGS
becomes the Federal Government's provider of choice for place-based
content. The use of the word "provider" rather than "producer" is
intentional. While the role of the USGS in the past has been to produce
the map products that contained base content, its future role will be to
facilitate and coordinate so that there is broad national access to
place-based content. The new role ensures that the resources invested in
the USGS provide a significant return to the American public.

The scientific resources of the USGS weave together a rich tapestry of
geospatial and tabular data that is, in turn, transformed into
knowledge, information products, and visualization services to meet the
strategic planning, analysis, and response needs of organizations and
individuals across the Nation. Outside organizations expect the USGS to
be the provider and integrator of place-based content. Since the Organic
Act of 1879 that created the USGS, it has been part of the Bureau's
mission to map the "national domain." The mandate to classify public
lands and examine the geological structure, mineral resources, and
products of the national domain, expanded to include topographic
surveys, is part of what makes the USGS uniquely qualified to assume the
leadership role for national geospatial assets. Topographic maps have
been signature products throughout the Bureau's long and rich history.
The USGS has broad brand recognition that should not be discarded but
rather transformed into a new market force for the future of place-based
content.

***Strategic Action*: Ensure a tapestry of base content by December
2006.**

As envisioned, *The National Map* represents core geospatial data about
the United States and its territories that are in the public domain and
that can be extended, enhanced, and referenced by other agencies. *The
National Map* has the potential to be that tapestry of base content,
woven into a seamless, continuously maintained and nationally consistent
set of databases. The color and richness of the tapestry will be added
by NSDI partners. State, local, Federal, and tribal GIS organizations
will be encouraged to provide access to data and services for their
geographic areas and datasets under partnership agreements with the
NGPO. This model will ensure that the NGPO is the source organization
that makes relevant and timely data available to support the interests
of science, land and resource management, recreation, policymaking, and
homeland security. Steps to ensure the base content by December 2006
include

-   Developing content and process models for framework layers

-   Demonstrating Quality Assurance/Quality Control, maintenance, and
    updating workflow

-   Designing a strategy for outreach and implementation of framework
    content and process models on the national level

-   Designing a strategy for developing content and process standards
    and models for data layers identified in OMB Circular A-16

**SIDEBAR**

# **Foundation for the Tapestry -- The Nation's Topographic Base Map for the 21^st^ Century**

*The National Map* is

-   A seamless, continuously maintained, nationally consistent set of
    base geographic data

-   Developed and maintained through partnerships

-   A national framework for science, land and resource management,
    recreation, policymaking, and homeland security

-   Available over the Internet

-   The source for revised topographic maps

The USGS provides the foundation of the tapestry through *The National
Map* by ensuring complete and consistent coverage for eight basic data
themes. The USGS will develop and manage centralized databases for these
eight themes (see table below), which will allow all the data to be
viewed and accessed over any selected space. A user asking for data in
Utah, for example, would get the same content, format, and model as a
user asking for data in Cook County, Illinois, or for a watershed that
crosses several States.

*The National Map* "Blanket"

  ------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
  **Theme**                       **Resolution (*or Accuracy)***

  Elevation                       1/3 arc second or finer

  Orthoimagery                    1 meter or finer

  Land Cover                      30 meters or finer

  Geographic Names                

  Hydrography                     Better than or equal to 1:24,000 scale

  Transportation                  Better than or equal to 1:24,000 scale

  Boundaries (civil)              Better than or equal to 1:24,000 scale

  Boundaries (State and Federal   Better than or equal to 1:24,000 scale
  lands)                          

  Structures\*                    Better than or equal to 1:24,000 scale
                                  variable
  ------------------------------- ---------------------------------------

\* Structures will not be "complete." These data will be loaded as they
become available from partners.

*The National Map* will serve as the base dataset for the Geospatial
One-Stop portal and as the source for a revitalized suite of USGS map
products and services for the future. Geospatial One-Stop will be the
Internet Portal for resource publishing, discovery, and access, enabling
Federal, State, and local users to organize and share geospatial
knowledge (data, scientific reports, models, decision-support tools, and
problem-solving applications). By combining place-based knowledge with
the geographic base content of *The National Map*, the NGPO can support
many diverse lines of business.

***Strategic Action*: Integrate information systems.**

Viewing the intricate patterns, the varying textures, and the
complementary colors of a tapestry transforms threads into a beautiful
whole. One generally does not see the back of the tapestry with its mix
of knots and clipped ends. Similarly, when customers view the services
offered by USGS through *The National Map* tapestry, many technologies
and activities behind the scenes will be transparent to the user. At the
heart of the technology strategy will be the integration of *The
National Map*, Geospatial One-Stop, and the NSDI Clearinghouse. A single
system approach will couple the seamless national base map with the
ability to find, access, and overlay datasets maintained by steward
organizations.

To achieve this goal, it will be necessary to

-   Develop a coordinated information system that delivers geospatial
    data and services

-   Conduct a business process analysis of all NGPO components

-   Utilize standard information technology business practices across
    NGPO activities

***Strategic Action*: Strengthen steward relationships.**

Partners will play a critical role in the creation of a tapestry of base
content for the Nation. Negotiated partnership agreements will govern
the relationships among steward organizations, Federal stewards, and the
NGPO. These agreements will outline roles and responsibilities, as well
as incentives for participation. A model for this distributed partner
environment might include the following characteristics:

**NSDI Partner Role**. A State, regional consortium, county, and/or
metropolitan city will agree to be the geospatial information steward
for a given geographic region, such as a State, ecosystem, or region. In
partnership with NGPO, the steward will agree to be responsible for data
development and maintenance, 24/7 Web access to data, strategic planning
for new data development, adoption of relevant data models and
standards, and coordination with local organizations. Resulting data
will be shared with the Federal Government, through the national
stewardship of the NGPO, as part of the national geographic information
system.

**USGS-NGPO Role**. The USGS, through the NGPO, will use the network of
NSDI Partnership Liaisons to negotiate a partnership agreement with each
steward. A range of incentives will be available as part of the
agreement. Incentives can include funding, training, technical or
consulting resources, hosting services, and contracting services (such
as orthoimagery). In addition to providing incentives, USGS will
coordinate the development and promote the use of relevant data models
and standards as a resource for partners in their implementation efforts
and to facilitate data sharing and consistency.

The role of partners and the benefits of using incentives to generate a
stronger culture and practice of partnering are discussed in the section
on Strategic Priority on Incentive-Based Partnerships, which precedes
this Priority**.**

**Measuring Success**. A tapestry of base content will be realized when

-   The tapestry within USGS is enriched. As the NGPO integrates the
    information resources of the USGS, the development of a knowledge
    base of scientific information comes closer to realization. Other
    USGS-sponsored information systems, such as the National Atlas™ (a
    component of *The National Map*), GEODE, the National Biological
    Information Infrastructure, and the National Water Information
    System can share data and analyses and be viewed in concert with the
    national geospatial system of systems.

-   There is spatial access to USGS scientific reports. By including
    location attributes and metadata, USGS scientific reports will be
    made spatially accessible. This will allow nonspatial data and
    information to be easily accessed through a visual geographic
    interface.

-   The NSDI Partnership Liaison program expands. NGPO staff will be
    strategically located to work with other stakeholders in developing
    partnerships. The goal is at least one NSDI Partnership Liaison in
    every State.

-   NGPO programs that provide discovery and synthesis of geographic
    data and services (Geospatial One-Stop and *The National Map*) can
    rely on partners to catalog and produce data.

**Early Successes**

-   Discussions for implementing partnership models are underway with
    the NSGIC and NACo.

-   Other Federal agencies are linking their geospatial data holdings by
    documenting metadata, participating in Geospatial One-Stop, and
    partnering with *The National Map.*

**Communication Tactics**

-   Mark milestones when framework components of the tapestry are
    completed.

-   Use national conferences and other venues to show the strengthening
    and enriching of the tapestry---a continually enhanced exhibit that
    visibly becomes that tapestry of base content.

-   Showcase the tapestry of base content when it is completed in
    December 2006.

[]{.mark}

## **Strategic Priority: A Geospatial System of Systems**

An enterprise information system for the Nation's geospatial assets is
essential to ensure the implementation of the NSDI. Geographic
information systems are developing at all levels of government and
throughout the private sector; however, these systems, when employed
individually often result in duplicate data development and redundant
investments. They seldom follow common standards of practice that
facilitate data sharing. The NGPO is in a unique position to lead the
development of a national geographic information system (GIS), an
integrated system of systems, to provide access to quality, near
real-time, digital geospatial data and resources. Development of this
"GIS for the Nation" would be based on modern, multipurpose technology
and on national standards. It will be the distributed yet shared tool to
manage the tapestry of base content. It will also provide tools for
access, discovery, and use amongst all data stewards and data users. The
national system will constitute a distributed network of data stewards
who agree to contribute their expertise, data, and resources to
construct a shared enterprise solution that will leverage geospatial
data assets into strategic national resources. The steward organizations
will be a federation of local, State, and Federal Government
organizations, with contributions from the academic community and the
private and nonprofit sectors. Adherence to the discipline of project
management and the employment of Information Technology best practices
will facilitate the development of the system of systems. By
consolidating geospatial Exhibit 300's and establishing a working
capital fund, investments in and performance of the systems approach can
be effectively tracked and measured.

***Strategic Action*: Create a national geospatial information system of
distributed data systems.**

One key component in creating a national GIS is to develop a
modernization blueprint to understand existing systems and the desired
future state. A second key component is to develop a prototype systems
implementation plan that will include critical elements of project
management and IT Best Practices, such as

-   Project cost, schedule, benefits, and risk

-   Project plan and a Work Breakdown Structure

-   Project tracking and performance evaluation

-   Governance and configuration management process

-   Contracting and acquisition strategy

-   Risk assessment and monitoring process

-   Communications and change management strategy

-   Human capital strategy

***Strategic Action*: Provide multipurpose, standards-based technology
and tools.**

Promoting the use of geospatial technology in a consistent fashion will
provide for more discoverable, interoperable, and user-friendly
geospatial information. To move toward the desired future state,
technology and tools will focus on the key elements of data creation,
data management, and data dissemination. Information requirements must
be multipurpose to meet the needs of the many interests and uses of
stakeholders, partners, and citizens. Technology must be designed to
ensure that

-   Spatial data are created, stored, available, and maintained at the
    most appropriate level

-   It is possible to combine spatial map and data services from
    different sources across the community in a consistent manner and
    share them among multiple users and applications

-   It is easy to discover available spatial data, to evaluate their
    fitness for purpose, and to know the conditions applicable to their
    use

-   Interoperable schemas, methods, definitions, and products are
    derived from the infrastructure

***Strategic Action*: Support and sustain stewards of component systems
through incentive-based partnerships.**

As in the strategic priorities "Tapestry of Base Content" and
"Incentive-based Partnerships", the role of partners and stakeholders in
the development of a national geospatial system of systems is paramount.
By providing incentives in various forms to the steward organizations of
system components (Federal, State, tribal, and local), the NGPO will
ensure that those component systems are supported and sustained. Models
of partnership engagement and sustainability as discussed in other
strategic priorities should be thoroughly investigated, and a plan
developed to implement this network of support to the stewards who are
at the heart of a modern national geospatial database.

**Measuring Success**

The system of systems strategy will be realized when

-   It is possible to combine spatial data from different sources across
    the user community in a consistent way and share them between
    several users and applications

-   There are simple and widely understood means for discovering and
    accessing available geospatial resources and evaluating their
    fitness for use

-   There is a technology framework that supports collaborative
    development and sharing of geospatial information

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-   Steward organizations are full partners in implementing and managing
    the Nation's geospatial information assets as a system of systems,
    which will allow access to current local data through Internet
    mapping services

**Early Successes**

-   Discussions for implementing partnership models are underway with
    the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) and the
    National Association of Counties (NACo)

-   Other Federal agencies are linking their geospatial data holdings by
    documenting metadata, participating in Geospatial One-Stop, and
    partnering with *The National Map*

**Communication Tactics**

-   Develop a marketing plan and communication strategy to introduce and
    promote the system of systems concept

-   Feature new stewards in various communication venues

-   Promote the system of systems within USGS to highlight opportunities
    to integrate with other systems

-   Showcase the tapestry of base content when it is completed in
    December 2006.

## **Strategic Priority: National Geospatial Investment Management** 

The value of geospatial data and technologies to Federal programs is
generally recognized, and the efforts to coordinate activities have been
acknowledged. The national geospatial community has emphasized metadata,
clearinghouses, standards, partnerships, and articulation of framework
data. Federal programs, too, are embedding geospatial capabilities in
their activities and systems.

Federal investments in geospatial data, systems, and applications are
not well coordinated, and OMB does not have a support arm in any of the
Federal agencies to help track and monitor these investments. A recent
Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, *Geospatial Information:
Better Coordination Needed to Identify and Reduce Duplicative
Investments* (GAO-04-703), recognized the need for improvement in
coordinating Federal geospatial investments. GAO recommended development
of a national geospatial strategic plan, better criteria for assessing
investments, and improved oversight of geospatial projects. The USGS,
through the NGPO, has the opportunity to address these recommendations
and support OMB by serving as an information clearinghouse and a source
of national expertise on Federal geospatial investments.

The transformations toward a national GIS and toward management
excellence will both be enhanced by effectively managing national
geospatial investments. An enterprise system requires knowledge of the
investments necessary to develop and operate that system; hence, the
need for an investment strategy arm of the NGPO. One of the key areas of
the Federal Government that must be transformed if this vision is to be
achieved is to develop a strategic plan for geospatial investments. An
enterprise system of geospatial data and applications will require not
only an organized method for understanding national investments but also
a commitment to ensure that those investments meet business needs and
are sustainable.

***Strategic Action*: Identify interagency investment strategies.**

Identify opportunities for interagency investment strategies and
implement those strategies. Next steps will include

-   Estimating supply and demand for Federal programs

-   Comparing supply and demand to identify opportunities for
    investments

-   Identifying current interagency interactions for accomplishing
    common goals and modeling the successful ones

-   Developing an outline of an investment strategy

***Strategic Action*: Increase efficiency of expenditures.**

Provide tools to increase efficiency of expenditures and monitor their
effectiveness. Coordinate investment review activities with the Capital
Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) process.

***Strategic Action*: Begin a dialog of efficiency.**

Work to change the conversation about geospatial activities from one
about duplication to one about steps being taken to improve efficiency.
Duplication is at best a problem that can be managed, not solved. Next
steps will include preparatory work on investment strategy and
expenditures and education of key stakeholders on the complexity of the
duplication issue (for example when are parallel activities wasteful
duplication?). Consider sponsoring a summit for executive stakeholders
to communicate their ideas.

**Measuring Success**

The NGPO and the Nation will have a successful strategy for geospatial
investments when

-   The NGPO is recognized as the principal, objective source for
    information regarding Federal geospatial investments

-   Measurement of investments and benefits is limited to that which
    supports investment strategies. Data are "rolled up" from common
    agency reports of benefits and investments from field and agency
    activities

-   Investments are discussed in terms of an investment strategy, shared
    benefits, and related costs, not total Federal expenditures and
    redundancy

-   An interagency decisionmaking structure conducted by those with
    relevant program responsibilities is in place

**Early Success**

The NGPO is leading by example by using an enterprise approach to
measure its own geospatial investments and implementing a portfolio
management process to monitor those investments. Additional work is
required before showcasing the portfolio management process, but even
today, every dollar that the NGPO spends on field activities is managed
as a series of projects.

**Communication Tactics**

-   Explore communication vehicles and Federal partner venues to build
    trust. It will be important to move forward cautiously in
    communicating this priority, recognizing that other Federal agencies
    are sensitive to proposals that may affect their budgets.

-   Build a relationship with OMB. Future interaction with OMB regarding
    investment strategies will require diplomacy and tact; here, too, a
    sense of trust will need to be earned.

-   Develop and foster an open communication culture and practice. NGPO
    will need to operate with an open book approach to its own
    investments if others are expected to follow suit.

-   Explore producing joint publications. Join with another Federal
    agency or agencies to produce a publication that explains the
    national investment strategy approach. This strategy will help to
    underscore the cooperative nature of this activity.

Strategic Priority: Revitalized Suite of USGS Topographic Products and
Services

For many years, the primary comprehensive map series for the Nation has
been the USGS 7.5-minute topographic map series. Because this map series
was developed in an analog world, it has become progressively more
obsolete in terms of both data content and format. A successor to this
map series is vitally important to the Nation for numerous applications
not generally addressed by local mapping and geospatial data programs.

The USGS has established the NGPO to facilitate the development of *The
National Map* as a national geospatial data blanket that will serve as
the successor to the Nation's primary map series and to consolidate the
activities of related USGS geospatial programs, such as Geospatial
One-Stop and the FGDC. As the primary civilian mapping agency of the
Federal Government, the USGS is responsible for ensuring that *The
National Map* is deployed expeditiously and that it is a comprehensive,
standardized, quality-assured, public domain data framework for the
entire Nation, border to border, coast to coast.

This strategic priority requires decisive leadership and clear and
effective communication.

Further, adequate resources are necessary to support internal USGS
activities, as well as to foster and sustain partnerships in data
acquisition, development, and integration, particularly in areas where
data acquisition programs are nonexistent or inadequate.

Information and services useful to customers are at the core of an
enterprise information system. The products and services of the NGPO,
including the successor to the traditional topographic mapping series,
will be key contributions in the transformation to an enterprise
information system for the Nation. *The National Map*, as the principal
expression of the USGS topographic mapping program, is central to the
success of this system.

***Strategic Action*: Derive a digital 1:24,000-scale topographic map.**

Derive a USGS-sanctioned, 1:24,000-scale topographic map product from
data in *The National Map*. This should be a digitally derived, printed
product, sourced from the blanket data in *The National Map* as much as
possible. Where data are required outside the eight data themes of *The
National Map*, a consistent, national source of these data should be
identified. It is desirable that the standard printed map products
adhere to the familiar tiling and naming system in place for the current
7.5-minute topographic map series. This does not, however, preclude
inclusion of capability for custom map footprints on demand.

-   Develop minimum and optional content standards for this product
    within 90 days of the release of the NGPO Plan for Action.

-   Develop prototype products showing the minimum and optional content
    within the same timeframe.

-   Distribute the standards and the prototype maps to internal USGS and
    external audiences for review and comment.

-   Develop prototype USGS topographic map products in cooperation with
    partners by using the minimum data or blanket standards and minimum
    graphic standards for a 1:24,000-scale product.

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-   Produce a prototype map 90 days after the draft minimum standards
    are outlined.

-   Develop a prototype of a 1:24,000-scale graphic product
    incorporating optional data content.

***Strategic Action*: Implement map-on-demand service.**

### Implement a prototype map-on-demand (MOD) service, and work with both public and private sectors to provide the necessary technology and printing and distribution services.

-   Working with the State of Texas, establish a team to implement a MOD
    solution for the revitalized USGS topographic map series.

-   Use the above solution to include both the public and private
    sectors to print and distribute the map.

-   Discontinue distribution of older vintage lithographic maps where
    newer MOD maps exist, using data from *The National Map.*

-   Implement MOD for legacy topographic maps that have little or no
    sales.

***Strategic Action*: Institutionalize a process for developing new and
innovative services.**

The NGPO will institute an annual process to gather ideas for new and
innovative products and services that will include collaboration with
the USGS science disciplines, other partners, and data users. The NGPO
will work collaboratively with the private sector to assure respect for
the role of the private sector in the development and marketing of new
products and services.

**Measuring Success**

A revitalized suite of USGS map products and services will be realized
when

-   The USGS is meeting the Nation's demand for current, accurate
    base-mapping information, both digitally and in paper formats

-   That production is being accomplished through partnerships with all
    levels of government, the private sector, and academic institutions

-   The name of the USGS continues to be synonymous with high-quality
    maps for the Nation

-   A program is in place to sustain those accomplishments

**Early Success**

Partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service and the State of Texas have
been successful.

-   The U.S. Forest Service maintains the USGS topographic maps over
    Forest Service Lands (about percent of the Nation).

-   The State of Texas has updated all 4,400 of the USGS topographic
    maps of the State.

**Communication Tactics**

-   Speak and act with pride about the future. The USGS accomplished
    something that few can equal in completing the 1:24,000-scale
    topographic map series.

-   Recognize and champion shared ownership of the mapping future with
    customers and constituents.

**Internal Streamlining**

***How the NGPO is organized***

To effect organizational change, it is not enough to simply realign
functions. Transformation requires internal streamlining, consolidation
of activities, and fundamental changes in processes and practices;
however, this transformation cannot be an insular exercise but must be
informed by best practices in government and the broader community. The
administration of the NGPO---the organizational structure, budget
structure and authority, and its operational processes---will need to be
streamlined and made more responsive to the strategic priorities that
have been set forth.

**Managed as a Single Program**

The NGPO has made a commitment to "portfolio management," which a change
intended to signal a new way of doing business. What is meant by this
style of management? It is not enough to say that national geospatial
assets have been put into a single portfolio; the assets in that
portfolio will be managed as unified, interdependent assets that have
unique strengths.

The life cycle management model used for information technology (IT) has
much to inform organizational change. Three of the components of that
model are to ***co-locate*** systems and assets, then to
***integrate***, and finally to ***optimize*** them. The first step has
been taken by creating the NGPO, which integrates the geospatial assets
for which the USGS has a leadership role. Now the hard work begins of
integrating those program components, their companion systems and
technology, and, most importantly, the workforce that will be the
generators, facilitators, and coordinators of geospatial information for
the future.

**Information Technology Best Practices**

The NGPO must embrace IT best practices of the private sector,
government, academia, and the nongovernmental community, recognizing
that IT is the intersection of computers and networks, of mission and
business process reengineering. Coupled with contracting, budget and
finance, change management, human resources, security, privacy, data
integrity, and architecture, using best practices ensures that IT
planning incorporates all facets of the business of the NGPO. The life
cycle model must be used in planning. Life cycle costs are decided
early; 90 percent of costs are typically determined in the first 5
percent of the development. As a result, decisions made at the outset of
the project drive the long-term costs. At the beginning, then, decisions
such as make versus buy, standards versus custom configuration,
stove-pipe versus integrated, data warehouse versus duplication, central
versus decentralized processing, and commercial off-the-shelf versus
"home grown" must be carefully evaluated and built into the investment
strategy.

**Project Management**

Embracing IT best practices segues logically to the best practice of
project management. The NGPO is committed to using the discipline of
project management to realize its strategic vision, effect change in the
organization, and implement new business procedures. Tomanage the
Nation's geospatial assets as a single portfolio, each leader and
manager will need to demonstrate capabilities in project management,
specifically in the areas of integration, scope, time, cost, quality,
human resources, communications, risk, and procurement. Life cycle comes
into play in that projects are divided into several phases to improve
management control and to link to ongoing operations. Collectively, the
phases become the project life cycle. Many of the best practices of IT
life cycle management are mirrored in project management and serve as an
organizing strategy. Just as a system can be examined to see if it does
what it is supposed to do and performs with the desired response time,
availability, and reliability, a project can be examined in the same
manner.

The concept of project stakeholders is important to the NGPO, as well.
Project stakeholders are individuals and organizations that are involved
in the project or whose interests may be affected. The expectations of
these stakeholders should be managed as part of the project. The
commitment of the NGPO to provide leadership and guidance for key
stakeholders will be facilitated through the discipline of project
management.

**Organization and Staffing**

To reinforce the NGPO's twofold mission of facilitation and
implementation, the Associate Director for Geospatial Information has
created two organizational components: Geospatial Coordination (GIC) and
Geospatial Integration and Analysis (GIIA). Additionally, a National
Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC) has been created as the
operational arm of the NGPO (January 2005). A business strategy for the
NGTOC was developed in March 2005. As a necessary companion effort to
the development of a business strategy for the NGTOC, a scoping process
is being conducted to decide if an OMB Circular A-76 study is
appropriate. The NGPO must transform the workforce from producers of
base topographic mapping products to providers of geospatial data and
services. The scoping process on geospatial production and technical
services will ensure that the operational functions of the NGPO are the
right ones for the Nation's geospatial assets, that program dollars are
being invested to their best advantage, and that the workforce has the
skills necessary to realize NGPO goals.

**National Geospatial Technical Operations Center**

The following purpose, vision, and mission functions have been
established by the NGPO for the NGTOC.

**Purpose**: The National Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC)
provides geospatial technical expertise, services, and innovative
solutions in support of the National Geospatial Program Office (NGPO) in
its implementation of key components of the National Spatial Data
Infrastructure (NSDI).

**Vision**: By March 2007, the NGTOC will serve as a center of
Government excellence for geospatial information and technology for key
partners and stakeholders of the NSDI.

**Mission:** In fulfilling the NGPO mission of implementing key
components of the NSDI, the NGTOC will

-   Provide IT infrastructure (servers, portals, expertise) to support
    the NGPO

-   Manage multipurpose geospatial data products and services contracts

-   Perform integration and quality assurance of geospatial data from
    contractors and partners

-   Support geospatial standards and data model development, testing,
    and implementation

-   Provide geospatial data systems integration and technical support
    for a National Geospatial Enterprise Architecture

-   Provide for archive and access for digital geospatial data holdings,
    including dissemination to the public (involving an E-commerce
    solution)

-   Provide access to map products

-   Provide technical assistance on geospatial data issues to the USGS
    and its partners

-   Provide education and training related to the program activities of
    the NGPO

-   Conduct and sponsor research in geospatial information technologies
    and innovative solutions

-   Provide incentives to partners in developing technical solutions for
    geospatial activities

**A Budget for the Future**

To manage the NGPO as a single program, the USGS will seek authority to
restructure its budget to reflect the creation of the NGPO and to
incorporate appropriations from the former Cooperative Topographic
Mapping Program into a new line item. By bringing that funding and the
other elements of the NGPO into a single line item, the leadership role
of the USGS for national geospatial assets will be readily identifiable
in the Federal budget. A consolidated budget structure will also
facilitate DOI's Activity-Based Costing approach. The current Federal
budget climate also requires accounting for every dollar appropriated
and ensuring that it is invested wisely.

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**People---Analyzing Workforce Needs and Competencies**

To embrace the potential of its vision and the reality of its mission,
the NGPO will need a more flexible and differently configured workforce
with a greater mix of Government and contractor-provided personnel and
services. With an intent to send more dollars "out the door" to support
contracts, partnerships, grants, pilot projects, and other external
efforts, the goal will be to empower others to provide services and for
the USGS to play a greater role in leadership, facilitation,
coordination, and management. The initial step of a comprehensive
analysis and realignment of its workforce will be a preplanning or
scoping process that may become a full-fledged OMB Circular A-76
competitive sourcing study for the geospatial production and technical
services functions currently being performed by USGS Mapping Centers,
now incorporated into the NGTOC.

During the transition period to the workforce of tomorrow, the NGPO will
be cautious in its Government hires, recognizing that every new hire is
a \$1 million investment. Managers will need to justify hiring within
the Government rather than exporting a portion of that investment or
capability. Each employee who is hired or remains a part of the NGPO in
its post-transition structure will need to be equipped to meet the
challenges of the future as data brokers and managers of the Nation's
geospatial assets.

**Internal Governance**

In addition to providing a framework and structure of governance for the
Nation's geospatial assets and the implementation of the NSDI, the NGPO
will restructure and reorganize its internal governance, consolidate the
standards and operations of its various program components, transition
to common procedures and processes for all administrative functions, and
align its internal and external communications and outreach. Thus, the
NGPO will demonstrate to its external constituency its commitment to
implementing the NSDI and transforming Government into a new model for
the 21^st^ century.

**Schedule**

***When will the NGPO accomplish its priorities?***

The following timeline shows significant milestones of the NGPO,
beginning with its creation and looking ahead to future actions.

August 2004 NGPO created

January 2005 NGTOC created as operational arm of NGPO

February 2005 ESRI contract awarded to develop second generation
Geospatial One-Stop portal

March 2005 NGTOC Business Strategy presented to Associate Director

March 2005 NGPO Plan for Action presented to Director

April 2005 Continuing the Dialogue---Listening session with external
partners and presentation on NGPO ***Plan for Action***

Presentation of NGPO ***Plan for Action*** to internal stakeholders

May 2005 Strategic Priorities and Actions of NGPO ***Plan for
Action***---Public Comment Period (ends May 16)

June 2005 Future Directions Governance Report to NGPO and FGDC Steering
Group

June 2006 Processes of Government necessary to implement NSDI
transformed

December 2006 Tapestry of base content complete

March 2007 NGTOC recognized as a center of Government excellence for
geospatial information and innovation for key partners and stakeholders
of the NSDI

**Stakeholder Input**

***How the NGPO is gathering input from stakeholders***

**Listening Sessions**

The USGS Geospatial Information Office hosted a number of listening
sessions with stakeholders in various locations during the initial
90-day period after the creation of the NGPO in late summer 2004. The
term "stakeholder," as used in this plan, encompasses relationships from
that of invested partners to informed constituents to influential
customers. The realignment of the USGS geospatial program components,
each of which has a solid customer and partner base, into a single
program office was seen as benefiting stakeholders who have assets in
and are contributing to the development of the NSDI. Their input was
essential to developing the NGPO plan for action.

While the comments listed below were expressed primarily at a gathering
of stakeholders in early October 2004 in Washington, D.C., the messages
were repeated in other venues and by other voices. The October 2004
listening session was an opportunity to provide feedback on the creation
of the NGPO and input into future decisions about organizational
structure, functional alignment, role and scope, partnership
relationships, and future USGS products and services. Representatives of
Federal agencies, NonGovernmental Organizations, State and local
entities, academia, and the private sector were invited to submit
prepared remarks and/or to make a statement to the NGPO Core Team, all
of whom were present.

**Key Messages**

A review of the October 2004 listening session and other opportunities
in which the NGPO leadership engaged stakeholders reveals several key
messages:

-   ***Provide Leadership and Guidance***. USGS and DOI leaders are
    urged to provide strong, positive, visible support for the NGPO. The
    lack of a national-level champion for unified geospatial efforts is
    viewed as an impediment to the success of this effort.

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-   ***Expand the Stakeholder Base***. The NGPO is urged to focus on
    building a stronger, broader constituency to include DOI leadership,
    OMB, authorization and appropriations committees, the private
    sector, and user groups that benefit from USGS geospatial products
    and programs.

-   ***Provide Incentives***. Incentives for partnerships should be more
    than financial and should include being involved in setting
    priorities, establishing landscape personnel criteria and locations,
    and seeking stakeholders to be service providers and product
    distributors.

-   ***Support Problem-Solving***. The USGS is urged to view the
    development and timely delivery of products and services as a
    problem to be solved rather than to view a map as an end product.
    The products support the evaluation, analysis, and fusion of data
    and information to meet customer needs. NGPO products and services
    must be useful to decisionmakers.

-   ***Develop a Communication Plan***. The NGPO is challenged to
    develop a proactive communication plan that allows for personal
    interactions with both internal and external customers. All
    communication needs to be clear and consistent.

The messages from the listening sessions cut across all the components
of the NGPO and are additional drivers for its strategic direction. The
NGPO has accepted the challenge of providing leadership and is working
to define what is meant by "national capabilities" related to creating,
managing, sharing, and coordinating geospatial information. In
establishing the strategic priorities, we have relied on the resources,
both internal and external to the USGS, with the most accurate knowledge
to identify and build these priorities.

Our stakeholders support the NSDI and support building a structure of
practices and relations that facilitates data sharing and usage. Our
stakeholders want to understand the strategic priorities of the NGPO to
align their respective priorities. Our stakeholders want the NGPO to be
the national leader for geospatial information.

**Internal Engagement**

The creation of the NGPO has not been without a measure of upheaval and
anxiety for the employees of the program components and for the broader
USGS family. In a listening session with USGS employees in the fall of
2004, facilitated focus groups brought the following 10 recommendations
to the NGPO leadership:

-   Explain the overall plan and timeframes of action and show how these
    will address the issues of reducing redundancy and creating
    efficiency

-   Describe and show how the NGPO mission aligns with the USGS and the
    NSDI missions

-   Compare goals of the NSDI Future Directions and priorities of the
    USGS with the NGPO goals

-   Develop a mentoring program within NGPO to capture talent and
    institutional wisdom of those retiring and leaving

-   Develop a communications mechanism and a structure of outreach and
    liaison with USGS disciplines and programs

-   Meet for dialogue with data providers when NGPO leaders are
    traveling in the field and regions

-   Clarify the geospatial assets of NGPO. Clearly articulate what is
    within its portfolio

-   Develop an NGPO image or identity so that employees know they are
    part of the NGPO family

-   Increase contact with employees. NGPO leaders must be committed to
    pushing information to employees and communicating as a way of daily
    business

-   Tell the stories of NGPO successes. Help employees know and share
    what is happening and gain a sense of pride in the NGPO

The NGPO leadership takes to heart these messages from its employees and
is committed to addressing their issues and concerns. Without the
understanding and support of those who will carry out the strategic
actions, the NGPO cannot succeed. As the new structure and internal
governance of the NGPO is put in place, leaders and managers will ensure
that employees are well informed and equipped to do their jobs.

**Study Teams---Collaborators in the Creation of the NGPO**

In early November 2004, the NGPO leadership commissioned a number of
Study Teams to investigate key areas of national geospatial assets. A
Core Team member was a sponsor of each of the teams. The Study Teams had
an extremely tight timeframe in which to produce reports with
recommendations to the NGPO. The contributions of the Study Teams in
conducting their investigations, interviews, and deliberations have been
invaluable to the NGPO leadership, and their reports were drawn upon
heavily for this plan and will continue to be used as springboards for
future actions. While the Study Teams will not continue in their
existing incarnations, the NGPO will continue to seek their advice.

The Study Teams, their charters, and leaders are described below. Each
Study Team was given a context that identified issues or concerns to be
addressed and asked that their recommendations provide action plans for
resolution. Some of the Study Team names track directly to Strategic
Priorities in the plan for action; in other instances, the broad nature
of the Study Team's charter, such as Geospatial Technology Integration
and a Unified NSDI Web Presence, encompassed all of the strategic
priorities.

**Unified Geospatial Enterprise Architecture**

*Core Team Sponsor: Ivan DeLoatch*

[Leads]{.underline}: Timothy Haithcoat, Program Director, Geographic
Resources Center, University of Missouri-Columbia; Ryan Cast, Geospatial
Information Officer, Office of the CIO, Department of Homeland Security;
Kevin Gallagher, USGS Chief Technology Officer; Kevin Hope, USGS
Enterprise Engineering

**Context**

-   Enterprise Architecture for NSDI

-   Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA)

-   Enterprise Architecture in Federal and State agencies

**Charge**

Recommend an approach for unifying disparate geospatial architecture
efforts, aligning them with the FEA and accommodating the needs of the
non-Federal community.

**Geospatial Technology Integration**

*Core Team Sponsor: Hank Garie*

[Leads]{.underline}: Leslie Cone, Project Manager for Land and
Resources, Bureau of Land Management, DOI; Leslie Armstrong, Deputy,
Federal Geographic Data Committee; Ken Boyko, Chief, USGS *The National
Map* System Design Team

**Context**

-   Disparate, confusing systems

-   Customers need better service from systems

-   Redundant and duplicative systems are not economical

**Charge**

Develop a technical vision, a modernization blueprint, and a systems
integration plan for NGPO systems.

**Partnership Offices**

*Core Team Sponsor: Stan Ponce*

[Leads]{.underline}: Dennis Gorham, State GIS Coordinator, State of
Utah; Stan Ponce, USGS Senior Advisor for Partnerships and External
Coordination; and Anne Frondorf, USGS Geospatial Information Office
(**Note**: the existing NSGIC-NACO/*The National Map* partnerships team
was already in place and working on similar issues, and its membership
and interests were brought into the Study Team. Those members, in
addition to the leads identified are Dan Cavanaugh, USGS; Beth Duff,
USGS on detail to the Office of the Secretary, DOI; Bonnie Gallahan,
USGS; Matt Heller, National Geographic Society; Vicki Lukas, USGS;
Cheryl Morris, USGS; Virginia Peterman, State of Maryland; Zsolt Nagy,
State of North Carolina; Tom Sturm, USGS; Dick Vraga, USGS; Leslie
Wollack, USGS; Mike Domaratz, USGS; and Leslie Armstrong, FGDC.)

**Context**

-   Existing USGS Mapping Partnership Offices

-   Expanding expectations

-   Landscape is where things happen

**Charge**

Develop a plan for restructuring and rescoping USGS Mapping Partnership
Offices and the mapping liaison function to represent the full portfolio
of NGPO activities.

**Unified NSDI Web Presence**

*Core Team Sponsor: Bob Pierce*

[Leads]{.underline}: Karen Klima, USGS Enterprise Web Manager; Susan
Fagan, Program Analyst for Policy, Communications, and Resource
Management, U.S. EPA; and Alison Dishman, USGS

**Context**

-   Current Web presence lacks coherence

-   Potential of the Web yet to be realized

**Charge**

Develop a plan to unify Web activities of the individual entities of the
NGPO and create a unified Web presence.

**Measuring Geospatial Investments**

*Core Team Sponsor: Mark DeMulder*

[Leads]{.underline}: Brenda Smith, Geospatial Information Officer, U.S.
EPA; Mike Domaratz, USGS; Kathy Covert, USGS; and Sal Majied, USGS

**Context**

-   Recent questions and findings from the GAO, OMB, and so on.

-   Responsible to taxpayers and stakeholders

**Charge**

Develop a proposal for how the NGPO can assist OMB in measuring
geospatial investments and developing an investment strategy for the
Federal Government.

**USGS Geospatial Products and Services**

*Core Team Sponsor: Mark DeMulder*

[Leads]{.underline}: Tim Miller, USGS Chief, Office of Water Quality;
Lorelei Weitzel, Acting Director, Texas Natural Resources Information
System; and Kari Craun, USGS Chief, Mid-Continent Mapping Center

**Context**

-   Proud history of products and services

-   Continued and changing demand

-   Managing customer expectations

**Charge**

Develop recommendations for a suite of 21^st^ century geospatial
products and services that USGS is uniquely positioned to offer.

**Other Stakeholders**

Others whose advice, criticism, and counsel were sought or thrust upon
the NGPO are too many to list here. They include several reports from
the National Academy of Sciences National Research Council, reports from
the GAO, input from Congress, suggestions from the private sector, and
comments from interested users from all walks of life. The NGPO leaders
took the new message of the NGPO out on the road within weeks of the
announcement of the creation of the office. There have been countless
presentations and discussions with professional societies, trade and
industry groups, State and Federal Government officials, nonprofit
organizations, and private sector companies. The trade press has
followed the development of the NGPO, and there have been frequent
articles and interviews. This plan of action incorporates those voices
as well, and the broad mission of the NGPO was developed to reflect a
commitment to everyone who has a stake in the tapestry of place.

**Engagement for the Future**

Vigorous and continuous engagement with stakeholders inside and outside
the USGS will be essential if the actions in this ambitious plan are to
be successful. Each of the NGPO leaders has committed to keeping the
lines of communication with stakeholders open and active. The calendar
of opportunities at conferences, trade shows, and meetings in the months
ahead is full. Planned town hall meetings and other opportunities to
engage USGS employees are part of many of those venues as the leaders
take the message of the NGPO out to stakeholders.

The developing NGPO Web presence (http://www.usgs.gov/ngpo) will be a
critical communication tool. The unified Web presence for the NSDI, in
which the various components of the NGPO and of broader NSDI customers
and partners will be brought together, will become the framework that
leads to opportunities to explore geographic information services for
activities, data, and people to use in mapping, managing, and
understanding their world.

**Communications Strategy**

***How will the NGPO inform its stakeholders?***

Communication is embedded as a key component of the success of each of
the Strategic Priorities in the NGPO ***Plan for Action***. To keep
employees, stakeholders, partners, and customers involved in the
implementation of the Plan and the overall success of the NGPO, it is
critical to keep them informed through a wide range of communications
activities.

**Background**

The communications strategy for the NGPO is the foundation from which
annual plans for specific program components will be derived. The
outward expression of the NGPO is critical to its successful
transformation into a position of leadership for the Nation's geospatial
assets and the implementing agent for the NSDI; however, that
transformation must also be embraced inside the organization. The
employees of the NGPO, the USGS GIO, and others within the Bureau need
to feel they are a part of the success of the enterprise. The NGPO
communications strategy recognizes the importance of instilling a
culture of involvement from the inside of the organization outward to
external audiences. A great deal of organizational change has gone on
within the USGS in the formation of the NGPO within a relatively short
period of time. The dynamics and processes of that organizational
change, and the needs and interests of employees, are being addressed in
a comprehensive communications planning effort that is being
cooperatively developed by communications practitioners in the NGPO and
the USGS Office of Communications.

**Overall Strategy**

Engage employees, key stakeholders, and partners in the success of the
NGPO and in the implementation of the NSDI through effective
communications in which they feel informed and, therefore, proactively
involve themselves in supporting the purpose of "providing leadership to
place geographic knowledge at the fingertips of the Nation."

**Program Goals**

-   Provide leadership and guidance for key stakeholders of national
    geospatial assets.

-   Implement key components of the NSDI.

These are the two major components of the NGPO mission. The first
focuses on leadership and the prominent role of partners and
stakeholders in the success of the endeavor, and the second on the
operational aspects and technical services to be provided that will
ensure the implementation of the NSDI. A commitment to strategic
communications at every opportunity and at every level of the NGPO and
throughout the staff of the USGS wherever they are located will ensure
these goals will be met.

**Communication Objectives**

-   Create an expectation for action in implementation of the NSDI.

-   Engage and involve employees, partners, and stakeholders at all
    levels of government and in all communities of interest and practice
    as supporters of the NGPO and of NSDI implementation.

-   Demonstrate leadership of the NGPO for national geospatial assets.

-   Instill a partnership culture for successful implementation of the
    NSDI.

-   Enlist support of NGPO employees and other USGS staff as ambassadors
    and champions in the implementation of the NSDI and the success of
    the NGPO.

**Key Messages**

All stakeholders have a role to play in building the NSDI.

-   The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. All levels of
    government and all interested parties need to work together to
    communicate and collaborate to build the NSDI.

-   Build once; use many times. Complying with standards saves time,
    money, and staff resources.

-   Don't reinvent the wheel---the geospatial data you need may already
    be available.

Geospatial information gives decisionmakers the complete picture.

-   Here's how it benefits the Nation...

-   Here's how it benefits you...

-   Here's how business and government use these data in their decisions
    to...

    -   Locate new business, hospitals, schools, new communities

    -   Respond to emergencies, natural hazards, and homeland security
        threats

    -   Plan transportation routes and other critical infrastructure

    -   Make the world a better and safer place

National geospatial programs and resources provide valuable information
to meet local needs.

-   Combining local data with national data aids decisionmaking.

-   Sharing geospatial information across boundaries helps improve
    delivery of services to customers and citizens, and reduces costs.

-   Being a part of the governance of national geospatial assets turns
    them into shared resources.

The Power of Place is a shared asset of everyone, everywhere.

-   The ability to relate places with events is priceless.

-   Everything happens somewhere.

-   Seeing is believing...the ability to visualize geospatial
    information makes it more real and accessible.

-   Geospatial data aid decisionmaking.

The system of systems is a roadmap of access and discovery for everyone.

-   A single look and feel and single portal of access to national
    geospatial assets will enable everyone to share in the investment.

**Target Audiences**

Because geospatial information is important to every sector of society,
it is easy to say that all audiences are targets for NGPO
communications; however, it is important to prioritize and define
communication plans and activities to ensure that the messages reach the
most critical audiences first. The broad reach of the NGPO and the
message of the NSDI are captured below.

**Internal Audiences**---Employees of the NGPO, the GIO, other USGS
disciplines, programs, regions, and field centers who are important
players in the use of geospatial assets and who can champion the
benefits of integrating geospatial assets for their individual programs
and customer needs. Special note is made of the need to involve the USGS
employees who are liaisons in the field in support of the NSDI, who have
been reconstituted as NSDI Partnership Liaisons and who will need the
tools and materials to tell the story of the NGPO and how the NSDI will
be implemented.

**External Audiences**---The Federal community, including DOI, other
Federal agencies, Federal data stewards, and OMB; elected officials,
authorizing and appropriating committees and staff, the Congressional
Research Service, and GAO; nongovernmental organizations and nonprofit
groups; the academic community and its associated organizations; State
and local governments and community leaders; the private sector, not
only in the geospatial realm but other sectors of business, industry,
and commerce who use and need geospatial information; the news media,
including daily press, trade publications, scholarly journals, and other
communication vehicles of professional societies and commercial
publishers; and community and citizen interest groups, as well as
individual citizens.

**Communication Opportunities and Tactics**

The following communication opportunities and tactics represent some
first steps that need to be taken. Successful tactics will become part
of a communications toolkit of best practices for others to use.

**Introduce the NGPO as the leader and implementing force for the
NSDI.**

-   Enlist the support of NGPO employees and other USGS employees as
    champions for the unified portfolio of national geospatial assets
    and the implementation of the NSDI.

-   Provide communications training for employees who are on the front
    lines of telling the NGPO story.

-   Develop communication materials and toolkits to assist USGS internal
    champions in addressing external audiences.

**Provide general NGPO information to customers.**

-   Bring the various and disparate audiences for *The National Map*,
    the FGDC, Geospatial One-Stop, the DOI Enterprise Geospatial
    Information Management activity, and other component programs into a
    unified body of support for the NGPO and its implementation of the
    NSDI.

-   Continue to engage in listening sessions and other opportunities to
    listen and learn from others.

-   Use partners and customers to validate new outreach and information
    products.

-   Reach out to new constituencies.

Develop an annual calendar of opportunities for communications that
includes all venues and all vehicles.

-   Develop a list of target constituencies to identify their
    communication vehicles and venues.

-   Target one or more new venues (conference, trade show, publication)
    in FY 2005 that reach a potential new constituency.

-   Institutionalize the calendar and the opportunities that it presents
    as the basis of annual development of a communications plan.

-   Leverage resources for outreach at conferences and trade shows by
    planning how program components will support a unified message and
    presence.

-   Institute communications planning and outreach opportunities as part
    of NGPO budget planning and resource allocation.

Promote partnerships as an essential component of the NGPO and
implementation of the NSDI.

-   Identify constituencies, audiences, and venues that build and
    nurture partnerships.

-   Engage USGS NSDI Partnership Liaisons in communicating the
    partnership message in their communities and States.

Engage the media.

-   Develop contact lists for media, external newsletters, and trade
    publications.

-   Sponsor a kickoff trade media roundtable event.

Engage elected officials and policy makers.

-   Sponsor a series of congressional briefings to introduce the NGPO
    and its programs.

-   Sponsor a National Geospatial Conference.

-   Participate in the USGS 2005 Congressional Briefing Series.

Provide communications training and preparation for NGPO employees and,
in particular, NSDI Partnership Liaisons.

-   Develop a toolkit of brochures, fact sheets, talking points, and
    other hands-on aids to prepare them to engage internal and external
    audiences as NGPO and NSDI champions.

-   Train Liaisons in basic communications techniques to help them
    deliver key messages, match messages and appropriate venues to
    target audiences, and handle interviews effectively.

-   Ensure Liaisons are part of communications planning, receive all
    messages quickly and consistently, and transmit messages
    appropriately suited to audiences and vehicles.

Tailor information products to reach desired audiences and ensure
understanding of the Nation's geospatial assets as a unified portfolio
under the leadership of the NGPO.

-   Develop a look and feel for NGPO information products.

-   Create a unified approach to establish brand-name recognition of the
    NGPO as the leader for the Nation's geospatial assets.

Use the Web as a primary means of communication and customer engagement.

-   Enhance the Web presence for the NGPO.

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-   Become the link of choice for the geospatial community.

Repurpose and, where appropriate and affordable, redesign materials of
component programs into a unified NGPO approach to outreach.

-   Organize a panel of internal and external participants to review
    existing products and materials; review for accuracy, effectiveness
    of messages; update as appropriate.

-   Design new products as needed for publications, fact sheets,
    promotional items, and exhibits.

-   Develop a budget and process for the development of outreach
    materials.

**Strategic Priorities and Communication Tactics**

As part of the development of the Strategic Priorities and Actions in
the NGPO Plan for Action, communication tactics were outlined to provide
a means to communicate with stakeholders, partners, and customers about
each Priority. As Actions for each Priority take shape, these tactics
will be refined, and others will be added.

**Geospatial Enterprise Architecture**

-   Use the venues on the 2005 NGPO events calendar (under development)
    and other communication vehicles, such as Web pages and information
    products, to foster a climate of acceptance for a geospatial
    enterprise architecture.

-   Identify and coordinate educational, informational, and training
    resources specific to geospatial enterprise architecture.

-   Facilitate communications with other agencies and external partners
    about national issues, programs, policies, and budget initiatives
    relating to geospatial enterprise architecture.

**Governance Structure for the 21^st^ Century**

-   Use upcoming events of interested parties and organizations to
    discuss needs of governance and problems that need resolution.

-   Maintain contact information database being created as part of the
    Future Directions work and use this for future interaction.

-   Develop a targeted communication plan to promote its recommendations
    when the June 2005 report is released.

-   Provide briefings to key leaders on the governance recommendations.

**Incentive-Based Partnerships**

-   Develop a partnership outreach strategy that highlights each new
    partnership, promotes "best practices," and markets the suite of
    incentives available to partners.

-   Provide briefings and discussions at NSGIC midyear and annual
    conferences.

-   Meet with interested organizations to introduce them to NGPO
    leadership and staff and establish contact and regular
    communications on progress of the incentive-based partnerships.

-   Communicate regularly with constituent groups, highlighting NGPO
    activities of interest, contacts in each State, and ways to
    participate.

-   Provide NSDI Partnership Liaisons with information on
    incentive-based partnerships to use in communicating with their
    existing partners and in identifying new, prospective partners.

-   Feature partnership activities in the unified NSDI Web presence.

-   Hold regular conference calls with NGPO and stakeholder staffs to
    discuss progress, identify pitfalls, and establish next steps.

**Tapestry of Base Content**

-   Mark milestones as framework components of the tapestry are
    completed.

-   Use national conferences and other venues to show the strengthening
    and enriching of the tapestry---a continually enhanced exhibit that
    visibly becomes that tapestry of base content.

-   Showcase the tapestry of base content when it is completed in
    December 2006.

**Geospatial Information System of Systems**

-   Develop a marketing plan to introduce and promote the system of
    systems concept.

-   Feature new stewards in various communication venues.

-   Promote the system of systems within USGS to highlight opportunities
    to integrate with other systems.

**National Geospatial Investments**

-   Explore communication vehicles and venues of Federal partner venues
    to build trust. (Use caution to mitigate any concerns that
    investment approaches might affect their budgets.)

-   Build tactful and diplomatic relationship with OMB on the best
    approach to a national investment strategy.

-   Develop and foster an open communication culture and practice. NGPO
    will need to operate with an open book approach to its own
    investments if others are expected to follow suit.

-   Explore producing joint publications or other joint ventures with
    another Federal agency or agencies that would highlight the
    coordinated approach to a national investment strategy.

**Revitalized Suite of USGS Products and Services**

-   Speak and act with pride about the products and services of the
    future. The USGS accomplished something that few can equal in
    completing the 1:24,000-scale topographic map series.

-   Recognize and champion shared ownership of the mapping future with
    customers and constituents.

-   Promote access to map products, in the USGS role as the provider of
    products and services rather than the producer. Build on the brand
    recognition and heritage of USGS-produced products with new
    customers and services as the producers.

**Appendixes**

In addition, the report of the National Research Council of the National
Academy of Sciences, "Weaving A National Map," can be found at

<http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10606.html>

The reports of the NGPO-commissioned Study Teams have been posted as
Microsoft Word documents on the following page:

<http://www.usgs.gov/ngpo/ngponews.html>

-   **Study Team Reports** (Microsoft Word)

    -   [Unified Geospatial Enterprise Architecture]{.underline}
        (1328kb)

    -   [[Geospatial
        Investments]{.underline}](http://www.usgs.gov/ngpo/documents/gi_report.doc)
        (895kb)

    -   [[Unified NSDI Web
        Presence]{.underline}](http://www.usgs.gov/ngpo/documents/uwp_report.doc)
        (34kb)

    -   [[NSDI Partnerships
        Offices]{.underline}](http://www.usgs.gov/ngpo/documents/part_report.doc)
        (598kb)

    -   [[Products and
        Services]{.underline}](http://www.usgs.gov/ngpo/documents/pns_report.doc)
        (1061kb)

    -   [[Geospatial Technology
        Integration]{.underline}](http://www.usgs.gov/ngpo/documents/gti_report.doc)
        (671kb)

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