FEDERAL GEOGRAPHIC DATA COMMITTEE PHONE: 703-648-5514

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 590 NATIONAL CENTER FAX: 703-648-5755

RESTON, VIRGINIA 20192 HTTP://WWW.FGDC.GOV EMAIL: GDC@USGS.GOV

July 1997

Standards of the Federal Geographic Data Committee

The Federal Geographic Data Committee is tasked to

develop geospatial data standards that will enable the

sharing of spatial data among producers and users and

support the growing National Spatial Data

Infrastructure (NSDI). Acting under the Office and

Management Budget (OMB) Circular A-16 and

Executive Order #12906, FGDC subcommittees and

working groups, in consultation and cooperation with

state, local, tribal, private, academic, and international

communities, develop standards for the content,

quality, and transferability of geospatial data.

The FGDC standards program operates under a few

basic guiding principles. FGDC standards are:

developed through a structured process; integrated

with one another to the extent possible; are supportable

by the current vendor community but are independent

of specific technologies so they may evolve as

technology and institutional requirements change; and

they are publicly available.

At present, the FGDC has formally endorsed four

geospatial data standards. They are the Spatial Data

Transfer Standard (SDTS), Content Standard for

Digital Geospatial Metadata, Cadastral Data Content

Standards and Classification of Wetlands and

Deepwater Habitats of the United States.

STANDARDS WORKING GROUP

The primary responsibility of the Standards Working

Group (SWG) is to support the various FGDC

standards activities. The SWG provides guidance on

FGDC standards policy and procedures and

coordinates standards projects within the FGDC and

between the FGDC and other standards bodies, such as

the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and

the U.S Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to the

International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

The SWG reviews and approves all standards proposals

submitted to the FGDC and reviews all standards for

compliance to FGDC policy and procedures.

Development of standards mostly occurs in the

subcommittees and working groups of the FGDC, but

the SWG may sponsor the development of standards

that crosscut the thematic subcommittees.

FGDC STANDARDS REFERENCE MODEL

The FGDC Standards Reference Model provides the

guiding principles for the FGDC standards program. It

defines the expectations of FGDC standards, describes

the different types of geospatial standards, and

documents the FGDC standards process, including the

role of the SWG. Additional guidelines are given

through a set of Directives that document specific

procedures within the many areas of standards

development. Current directives include the 

development and approval process, completing a

standards proposal, and conducting a public review.

Additional directives are under development.
STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT AND APPROVAL PROCESS

FGDC standards follow a five stage development and

approval process to ensure they are created in an open

and consensus driven manner, with the widest possible

participation by the non-federal community, and that

they are integrated with other FGDC standards. At the

Proposal Stage the SWG reviews and approves

proposals submitted by any FGDC or other

organization to adopt or adapt an existing or create a

new standard. During the Project Stage a development

work group is formed and the development

methodology and schedule are established. During the

Draft Stage a working draft and then a committee

draft for public review is generated. At this stage, input

is received from as many interested parties as possible.

The Review Stage consists of a series of public and

internal reviews of the standard by the SWG, the

FGDC Coordination Group, and the public. The

standard undergoes revisions based on these reviews

and the document is prepared for final approval. In the

Final Stage, the standard receives formal endorsement

by the FGDC Steering Committee.

HOW TO GET MORE INFORMATION

The SWG home page on the World Wide Web contains

information on the SWG and on all approved FGDC

standards projects. On the home page you will find the

SWG charter, membership list, membership policy,

yearly work plans, meeting schedules, and meeting

minutes. You will also find the FGDC Standards

Reference Model and a current list of all FGDC

standards, along with their status in the development

and approval process. Links are provided to the home

pages of other FGDC subcommittee and working

group, to other related standards activities, such as

ANSI and ISO, and to specific standards documents.

The SWG home page is accessed either through the

FGDC home page at url: http://www.fgdc.gov/ (then

select Standards), or directly at url:

http://www.fgdc.gov/SWG/swg.html. Comments and

requests may be sent by e-mail to gdc@usgs.gov.