SIDEBAR
FGDC STANDARDS PROCESS (Steps 7-10 may be iterative.)

1. Define the need for, scope, and applicability of a standard (FGDC Coordination Group/
Subcommittee/Working Group, or other appropriate organization’). Document the applicability, purpose, and
scope of the standard.

2. Identify existing related standards and assess their adequacy and shortcomings (FGDC Coordination
Group/Subcommittee/ Working Group, or other appropriate organization).

3. Propose adoption of the existing standard, adaptation of an existing standard, or development of a new draft
standard, including identification of the organization responsible for maintaining’ the standard (FGDC
Coordination Group/ Subcommittee/ Working Group, or other appropriate organization). Propose the target
authorizing body(ies), such as the FGDC, National Institute for Standards and Testing, American National
Standards Institute, or International Standards Organization.

4. Submit the proposed draft standard to the FGDC Secretariat for distribution to the FGDC Coordination
Group and for discussion at the next Coordination Group meeting (FGDC Coordination Group/Subcommittee/
Working Group, or other appropriate organization).

5. Review the proposed standard and return it to the submitting organization for additional action or submit it
to the FGDC Secretariat for announcement (FGDC Coordination Group).

6. Announce intent and a request for comments in the Federal Register, in professional journals, and on the
Internet (FGDC Secretariat).

7. Conduct presentations about the standard at public meetings and conferences, including those involving state
and local governments, and the private sector (FGDC Coordination Group/Subcommittee/Working Group,

Secretariat, or other appropriate organization).
\

8. Incorporate comments on the standard (FGDC Coordination Group/Subcommittee/ Working Group, or
other appropriate organization). Prepare a provisional version of the standard.

9. Test the provisional standard (FGDC Coordination Group/Subcommittee/ Working Group, or other
appropriate organization oversee testing process, but the standard should be tested in as many sectors as

possible).

10. Revise the standard as needed based on tests and prototypes, prepare a final version, and submit it to the
FGDC Secretariat (FGDC Coordination Group/Subcommittee/ Working Group, or other appropriate
organization).

11. Submit the final proposed standard to the FGDC Coordination Group for discussion and concurrence
(FGDC Secretariat). As appropriate, formally submit the standard to external authorizing bodies.

12. Review the final standard and return it to the submitting organization for additional action or recommend
adoption based on a majority vote to the FGDC Steering Committee (FGDC Coordination Group).

13. Submit proposed final standard to the FGDC Steering Committee with a recommendation for adoption
(FGDC Secretariat).

14. Approve as an FGDC Standard based on a majority vote of the FGDC Steering Committee, with signature
by the FGDC Chair.

3 _ Needed standards may be suggested to an FGDC component by any member or organization within the spatial data community.

4 _ The organization that becomes the "maintenance authority” promulgates the standard, and provides resources for education,
assistance, implementation, and maintenance of the standard, and aligns the standard with existing related standards as appropriate.

13


Recently, the Clinton Administration identified creation of the NSDI as one of the initiatives
necessary to "reinvent government." Within Vice President Gore’s National Performance
Review report, the development of the NSDI, based on partnerships with non-federal sectors,
was recognized as key to minimizing redundancy in the creation of geospatial data and
facilitating means of access to these data for solving critical problems. The FGDC was
recognized as the federal entity responsible for helping to guide development of the NSDI.
The President is expected to sign an Executive Order to help further efforts to develop the
NSDI in the near future. This plan addresses a variety of activities that must be carried out
by the FGDC, by federal, state, and local government agencies, and by members of the non-
public sectors to fully develop the NSDI.

RECOMMENDATIONS

To achieve the vision of efficient production, easy access, and shared use of vast stores of
accurate geospatial data requires coordinated action on the part of organizations,
associations, companies, and individuals.

A. Identify, establish, and/or utilize various forums to facilitate discussions,
interactions, and actions necessary to evolve the NSDI.
Forums for communication may be formally structured activities such as associations,
councils, committees, or other organizations; or less formal as in conferences,
workshops, and task forces. These forums must provide an environment to debate
issues and establish agreed upon procedures, policies, and standards to facilitate
geospatial data sharing, production, and use.

ACTION DATE RESPONSIBLE
PARTY
1. Form or strengthen existing state Ongoing State and local
GIS or geospatial data coordinating government agencies,
councils. National States

Geographic Information
Council, National
Governor’s Association,
other state and local

organizations
2. Establish lines of communication Dec 94 State organizations and
between state councils and the FGDC the FGDC
and identify responsibilities.
3. Develop a report outlining options March 95 FGDC sponsored
for and costs in the formation of a contract

national council, alliance, or other
organization to facilitate NSDI
activities. Detail responsibilities.


significance. Examples include wetlands, soils, geology, land cover, and
socioeconomic data.

1. Identify requirements for specific Dec 94 FGDC Coordination
themes of data. Group, Subcommittees
2. Prioritize data collection activities Jan 95 FGDC Subcommittees

for themes of data.

3. Establish standards for collection Vary FGDC Subcommittees
and production of thematic data.

4. Identify mechanisms for funding Dec 94 FGDC Coordination
thematic data development based on Group

cooperative partnerships and

incentives.

5. Produce key thematic data layers Ongoing Data production

for the nation. cooperatives.

E. Develop an educational curriculum and training programs that ensure the

availability of sufficient trained personnel for geospatial data activities in the

future.
Programs to explain the concepts of geospatial relationships and the use of technology
for analyzing and managing data about the Earth will begin in grades K through ‘12

and continue throughout professional development.

1. Promote the development of Ongoing Academic Institutions,
education and training programs on NCGIA, Federal
geospatial data concepts and agencies

technology for multiple levels of

instruction.

F.

Identify options for fostering productive partnerships among all sectors for
coordination of geospatial data collection, management, and use.

Many ideas for developing the NSDI have been discussed and offered by experts in
all sectors. Much of the discussion has taken place at the meetings of professional
associations and in "town meetings." These meetings have been extremely useful in
starting dialogue with the broad geospatial data user community. The next steps will
involve further collaborative actions to effect and implement partnerships.
Opportunities must be explored and acted upon for pooling knowledge, resources, and
research capabilities for geospatial data production, management, and use to benefit

all sectors.


b. Develop guides and Begin March FGDC Secretariat

templates for use of the 94, ongoing contract for support
Spatial Metadata Standard. services

ec. Conduct training seminars Ongoing FGDC Secretariat and
to foster use of Spatial Contractor(s)
Metadata Standard.

d. Submit the Spatial March 94 FGDC Secretariat

Metadata Standard to the
National Institute of
Standards and Technology for
potential FIPS approval.

2. Create a National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse to allow for querying, searching,
and accessing geospatial metadata across electronic networks.

a. Evaluate the Clearinghouse April 94 Clearinghouse Working

prototype and alternative Group, prototype

approaches for data access. participants, other
interested parties

b. Conduct training and Ongoing FGDC Secretariat,

education activities to foster Contractor

Clearinghouse use.

c. Establish Internet access August 94 Federal agencies
for major geospatial data Ongoing All

producing programs to

provide access to

documentation and/or

inventories of geospatial data.

d. Establish procedures and August 94 Federal agencies
policies to ensure that new

data collected are documented

using the Spatial Metadata

Standard and made available

to the Clearinghouse.

e. Implement procedures to Dec 94 Federal agencies
begin documenting new data.

f. Establish means for public Feb 95 Federal agencies, FGDC
access to geospatial data
through the Clearinghouse.


4. Conduct open discussions about
NSDI activities at national, state, and
local GIS and other spatial data
meetings.

5. Establish guidelines and criteria
for the formation of regional councils
(eg. multiple states, ecosystems,
watersheds) to encourage
communication and data sharing and
to promulgate standards. Sanction
proposed groups.

6. Establish regional councils
according to FGDC guidelines.

7. Establish electronic lists on the
Internet to conduct discussions, and
sites to provide information access
relative to NSDI. (see Appendix C)

8. Plan a May 1995 GeoData Forum
to review NSDI development and to
highlight NSDI partnership
opportunties.

Ongoing

June 94

Ongoing

Mar 94

Ongoing

FGDC Secretariat,
FGDC Members,
Subcommittee and
Working Group Chairs,
other participants in
NSDI activities

FGDC Coordination
Group, FGDC Steering
Committee

Representatives of
federal, state, and local
governments and other
sectors.

FGDC Secretariat

FGDC, GIS/LIS

B. Ensure effective means for finding, accessing, sharing, and using geospatial data.

The evolving National Information Infrastructure (NII) provides a critical means for
- sharing information electronically. The geospatial data community will take

advantage of the NII to communicate about the availability of geospatial data and to
identify potential partners for data development. The NII is based on the concept of a
"distributed" approach to information management that relies on data producers and
suppliers to document their data and make it available over electronic networks.
Organizations not connected electronically to the network will have access to
geospatial data through sites such as the Earth Science Information Centers

(1-800-USA-MAPS).

1. Complete work on the Spatial Metadata Standard to provide a consistent approach

to documentation of geospatial data.

a. Officially endorse Spatial
Metadata Standard

March 94

FGDC Chairman


1. Formulate a plan to establish a
national network of global
positioning system (GPS) differential
base stations that agencies at all
levels of government will cooperate
in maintaining and using.

2. Working with the community of
data users and producers, define
basic framework content for national
and local applications. (see
Appendix F)

3. Identify needed standards for
producing framework geospatial data
sets.

4. Recommend priorities for
framework data production.

5. Identify responsibilities for and
contributions from various sectors
for development to national

standards of framework data sets.

6. To aid the collection of the 2000
Census, complete the initial
production of the transportation,
hydrology, and boundary elements of
the national digital framework data
sets. (Much of this will be based on
availability of digital ortho imagery,
accurate geographic referencing, and
in some instances, elevation data and
cadastral reference data.)

7. Recommend comprehensive
schedules for the continuous update
and disposition of framework data in
the NSDI, including purging data
that are no longer current, and
retaining, archiving, and ensuring
access to all data having continuing
value.

June 94

Oct 94

Oct 94

Oct 94

Oct 94

Jan 1998

Oct 94

Federal Geodetic Control

Subcommittee

Framework Working
Group

Framework Working
Group

Users, Framework
Working Group

Framework Working
Group, major data
producers

Data production )
cooperatives

Framework Working
Group

D. Develop thematic data sets that meet critical national needs.
Although certain geospatial data traditionally are not used to develop other data sets
(such as the framework data), they are critical to answering questions of national


THE 1994 PLAN
FOR THE NATIONAL SPATIAL DATA
INFRASTRUCTURE

Building the Foundation of an Information Based Society

MARCH 1994

Federal Geographic Data Committee
590 National Center

Reston, Virginia 22092

Internet: gdc@usgs.gov

Phone: (703) 648-5514

FAX: (703) 648-5755


SIDE BAR

CHALLENGES

The global information revolution has created an unprecedented demand for access to digital
data. Optimizing the ability to use geospatial data requires action to address the following

challenges:

Digital geospatial data do not exist at needed levels of accuracy or currentness for
large areas of the nation and globe.

Requirements for positional accuracy, information content, and geographic coverage
of geospatial data vary significantly among users.

Geospatial data often are not collected or automated to standards that would make the
data useful in multiple applications. Local, national, and international standards are
often in conflict.

New techniques for collecting and technologies for managing digital geospatial data
are changing the requirements for and uses of data.

Existing geospatial data often are difficult to find. Adequate indexes and directories
are not available.

Geospatial data often are documented poorly and inconsistently .
i

Where geospatial data sets do exist, they sometimes are difficult to use because of
how they are packaged or formatted, and difficult to integrate due to varying extents,
positional accuracies, referencing systems, and classifications.

Processes for updating digital geospatial data sets, for conducting transactions, and for
managing historical records are poorly defined or do not exist.

Demands for digital geospatial data are increasing much faster than budgets for data
collection and management.

In some organizations, digital geospatial data are being treated as a commodity,
raising many questions about public access, data fees, copyrights, liability, right-to-
know, and appropriate use.

The number of personnel educated and trained to make use of digital geospatial data
is inadequate to meet the demand. Relatively few programs exist to provide
appropriate education and training.

M1


1. Explore opportunities for
Cooperative Research and
Development Agreements (CRADA)
and other innovative partnerships
with the private sector to develop
cost-effective approaches to
geospatial data production and
maintenance.

2. Identify federal assistance
programs (grants, cost-sharing,
technology transfer, and work-share)
related to geospatial data that are
available to non-federal agencies.
Examine means to coordinate these
programs.

3. Initiate Competitive Cooperative
Agreements Program to foster
creative partnerships.

4. Develop a document outlining
strategies for maximizing
participation of non-federal sectors
in the NSDI.

5. Develop a document identifying
organizations nationally and
internationally with responsibilities
and authorities for geospatial and
global change data standards.
Identify strategies for encouraging
coordination as feasible.

Ongoing

Jan 95

March 94

March 95

Sept 94

10

Federal agencies, private
sector

FGDC Contract

FGDC Secretariat

FGDC Chairman, FGDC

FGDC Standards
Working Group,
Interagency Working
Group on Data
Management for Global
Change


g. Develop a schedule and Feb 95 Federal agencies, FGDC
plan for documentation of
existing data.

h. Establish policies to ensure Feb 95 Federal agencies
that the Clearinghouse is

searched prior to new data

collection activities

i. Continue expansion of Ongoing All
clearinghouse activities and

policies to non-federal

geospatial data producers and

users.

j. Conduct research into Ongoing FGDC Contracts, NSF,
optimal approaches to use and NCGIA, Research
indexing of information within community

the Information

Infrastructure.

3. Establish means to interoperate electronically against multiple format databases in a
distributed applications context.

a. Complete a draft Sept 94 Open GIS Foundation
specification of a geodata (OGF)
interoperability standard and

submit to the FGDC

Coordination Group as part of

the FGDC Standards Process.

b. Implement the Geodata Ongoing Software vendors,
Interoperability standard. FGDC, OGF

Cc. Through partnerships and based on standards, produce a framework of national
digital geospatial data from which other data sets may be derived or to which
other data sets can be referenced, both on and off-shore.

These framework data are likely to include digital ortho imagery, geographic and
cadastral reference systems, and spatial representations of geographic features such as
transportation and hydrologic networks, terrain (elevation), and administrative and
sociopolitical boundaries such as counties. These data are required and produced at
different levels of accuracy and resolution in different geographic areas.
Applications and available budgets affect data collection accuracy and the levels of
attribution.


activities. Many data collectors and technology users have little knowledge about geospatial
data or about standards for data collection. Often times new data are generated with little
understanding of accuracy or attribution requirements.

Mechanisms, procedures, and technologies that stimulate sharing high-quality digital
geospatial data have become essential. In the federal government, the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) has created the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) through
Circular A-16 and charged the FGDC with the responsibility to coordinate various surveying,
mapping, and spatial data activities of federal agencies to meet the needs of the Nation.
Major objectives of Circular A-16 are to avoid duplication and minimize costs in mapping
and spatial data activities, which involves establishing standards and providing wider access
to geospatial data. The FGDC also has been charged with coordinating geospatial data
related activities with other levels of government and other sectors.

The rapid evolution from paper maps to digital analysis of geospatial data for solving
complex spatial problems has created a knowledge void. Many public and private sector
agencies are discovering they do not have skilled workers who understand how to use the
technology or what data may be required for analyses. The pace of technology
implementation in many organizations is constrained by a lack of trained personnel.

THE NATIONAL SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE

The Mapping Science Committee (MSC) of the National Research Council has defined the
NSDI as the "means to assemble geographic information that describes the arrangement ‘and
attributes of features and phenomena on the Earth. The infrastructure includes the matetials,
technology, and people necessary to acquire, process, store, and distribute such information
to meet a wide variety of needs." '

The FGDC has described the NSDI as an umbrella under which organizations and technology
interact to foster more efficient use, management, and production of geospatial data. The
NSDI consists of policies, standards, agreements, and partnerships among a variety of sectors
and disciplines that will promote more cost-efficient production, ready availability, and
greater use of high quality geospatial data. The NSDI also consists of a framework of basic
digital geospatial data required for registering and analyzing most other geospatial data, as
well as thematic digital geospatial data sets of national interest.

The major objective of the NSDI is to foster enhanced use of geospatial data through better
management of existing geospatial data and through more efficient collection and production
of new geospatial data in ways that maximize data usefulness for multiple data users. The
NSDI will promote development and maintenance of and access to data sets that are needed
for national, regional, state, and local analyses.

The NSDI currently exists in an ad hoc way, with standards and partnerships in various
stages of development, large volumes of analog geospatial data (paper maps), and numerous
collections of non-standardized, incomplete, often out-of-date digital geospatial data.

' »Toward a Coordinated Spatial Data Infrastructure for the Nation", 1993. National Research Council,
Mapping Science Committee, National Academy Press.


SIDEBAR
Workshops and Presentations on the

National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse &
Content Standards for Spatial Metadata
as of March 1994

9th Annual GRASS GIS User’s Conference and Exhibition
March 16, 1994, 8:30am-12pm and 1:30-5:00pm - Reston, Virginia - Clearinghouse/Metadata
Workshops

Montana GIS Conference
April 6, 1994, 9:30-11:00am - Kalispell, Montana - NSDI/Clearinghouse Presentation
April 7, 1994, TBD - Kalispell, Montana - Clearinghouse/Metadata Workshop

Geographical Information Systems for Transportation Symposium '94
April 11-13, 1994, TBD - Norfolk, Virginia - Clearinghouse Presentation [as part of Ground

Transportation Subcommittee Meeting]

U.S. Hydrographic Conference ‘94
April 18, 1994, 1:00-5:00pm - Norfolk, Virginia - Clearinghouse Presentation [as part of Marine GIS

Workshop]

1994 ASPRS/ACSM Annual Convention and Exposition
April 28, 1994, 8:30-4:00pm - Reno, Nevada - Clearinghouse/Metadata Workshop

Mid-America GIS Symposium
May 2, 9:00am -12:00pm - Kansas City, Missouri - Clearinghouse/Metadata Workshop

14th Annual ESRI User Conference :
May 23-27, 1994, TBD - Palm Springs, California - Clearinghouse/Metadata Workshop ,

GIS in Business ‘94
June 5-8, 1994, TBD - San Francisco, California - FGDC Exhibit with Clearinghouse Demonstration

Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) ‘94

August 7-14, 1994, TBD - Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Clearinghouse/Metadata Workshops

Federal Geographic Technology ‘94
September 26-28, 1994, TBD - Washington, D.C. - FGDC Exhibit with Clearinghouse

Demonstration

GIS/LIS "94
October 23-24, 1994, TBD - Phoenix, Arizona - Clearinghouse/Metadata Workshop

14


BACKGROUND
Evolution of technology

Information technology is rapidly changing the way that governments and the private sector
conduct business. A growing reliance on the use of computers for processing information is
dramatically increasing demands for electronic data. In no area is this more true than in the
use of technology to collect, analyze, manage, and disseminate geographic information.
Geospatial data, or data tied to a location on the earth, are critical to solving today’s complex
environmental, economic, and social problems. The use of geographic information system
(GIS) technologies for digitally analyzing spatial problems has become pervasive and in the
process, created a demand for vast amounts of digital geospatial data

Increasingly complex analytical needs are resulting in requirements for digital geospatial data
that define the characteristics of geographic space, are current, and are of known quality.
These data must be easily accessible and have the ability to be integrated, generalized, and
manipulated with known or predictable results. Meeting all of these requirements is not
possible today. The intent of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure is to create the
environment to respond to today’s requirements for geospatial data.

Concurrent with the evolution of GIS technologies has been a revolution in communications
and electronic networking. Increasingly, individuals are using electronic networks to
communicate with others both within and outside of their own organizations. Computing
capability has evolved from primarily centralized mainframe processing, to within-agency
distributed processing, to a current state of multi-nation, multi-organization "virtual"
processing. The evolution of networking capabilities is changing forms of communication |
and the nature of working relationships. These changes are likely to have profound effects
on current organizational structures.

Discussion lists involving a few to thousands of individuals are rapidly developing to share
ideas and information on topics of common interest. The community of geospatial data users
has established several communication forums on the global Internet network, including
discussion lists such as GIS-L and MAPS-L. The continued development of the National
Information Infrastructure will provide the backbone and capacity for communicating among
millions of individuals, interacting with multiple distributed data sets, and electronically
transferring vast amounts of data. Many organizations anticipate using the network to
distribute digital geospatial data.

Organizations and Personnel

The technology revolution is enabling many organizations to collect and integrate digital
geospatial data independently, rather than relying on single or centralized data producers.
These organizations also have the ability to broadly disseminate data rapidly and at low cost.
Thousands of organizations are now creating, using, disseminating, and sharing digital
geospatial data. A recent Office of Management and Budget data call estimates that federal
agencies alone are spending $3 billion annually to collect and manage domestic geospatial
data, and an additional $1 billion annually on global geospatial data activities. However, few
agencies have the mission or necessary resources to collect all data required to support GIS


THE 1994 PLAN
FOR THE NATIONAL SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE:
Building the Foundation of an Information Based Society

VISION
Current and accurate geospatial data will be readily available
to contribute locally, nationally, and globally
to economic growth, environmental quality and stability,
- and social progress.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) is conceived to be an umbrella of policies,
standards, and procedures under which organizations and technologies interact to foster more
efficient use, management, and production of geospatial data. The NSDI requires and will
facilitate cooperation and interaction among various levels of government, the private sector,
and academia. The major components of the NSDI currently under development include a
basic framework of digital geospatial data to act as a foundation for numerous other data
collection activities; known quality thematic data sets of critical national importance;
standards to facilitate data collection, documentation, access, and transfer, and the means to
search, query, find, access, and use geospatial data. Strategies to build the NSDI include
establishing forums for communication, facilitating access to data, building framework and
thematic data sets, developing educational and training programs, and fostering partnerships
for data sharing. Key actions underway are developing and implementing standards for
framework and thematic data; producing framework and thematic data; implementing
standards for geospatial data documentation and transfer; establishing procedures to use
electronic networks to search for, access, and use geospatial data; and cooperating in the
development of state and regional councils and private sector agreements to accomplish these
actions. The Clinton Administration has tasked the Federal Geographic Data Committee
(FGDC) to provide the federal leadership for evolving the NSDI in cooperation with state
and local governments and the private sector. The success of the NSDI will hinge upon the
ability to build and maintain partnerships among these entities to carry out the actions of this
plan.


SIDEBAR

PARTNERSHIPS

Many states have recognized the value of coordinating geospatial data use, production, and management
activities within their boundaries. Requirements and resources for developing geospatial data vary significantly
across states and among state, local, and federal governments. A recent report’ by nine national state and local
government public interest groups, recommends that each state form a “coordinating council" of state, local,
regional, and federal government representatives, as well as academic and private sector interests. These
councils, particularly if recognized formally by the governor or state legislature, can address issues of
coordinated funding for data development, standards, data sharing policies, and data maintenance responsibilities
on a Statewide basis. Several of these councils are currently coordinating activities with the FGDC. Some
states, such as Wisconsin, are making use of real estate transaction fees to support development and
coordination of geospatial data at the local government level. These locally developed data comply with
standards and can be aggregated for use regionally or statewide.

There is great diversity in approaches to developing and using geospatial data within local governments. These
requirements for data accuracy may vary significantly from state or nationwide needs. Means for funding data
activities are a major concern, with many local agencies turning to the sale of data and GIS services to finance
system development and maintenance. Some local governments have established strategic partnerships with
private companies or utilities to develop basic parcel level data bases.

The state, local, and federal government agencies that form intra- and inter-agency committees and
intergovernmental councils and task forces often share an interest in common geography. Other organizations,
such as the Intelligent Vehicle Highway System (IVHS) of America, the American Congress on Surveying and
Mapping, the American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, and the Urban and Regional
Information Systems Association have interests in specific data themes, types of analyses, or sectors of users of
GIS. Private hardware and software vendors have other concerns related to the availability of data for use their
technologies. All of these entities have roles to play in fostering the use of, creating, and disseminating
geospatial data. A major challenge is identifying constructive means for building partnerships among these '
entities to help collect, maintain, and share geospatial data.

The United States also functions as part of a global information infrastructure, and increasingly, because of the
need for understanding global processes, activities related to geospatial data must be coordinated in a larger
context. Activities of the FGDC and state and local governments must be conducted in consonance with
international geospatial data developments to provide data that can be analyzed globally. To this end,
organizations such as the International Standards Organization (ISO), the International Cartographic Association,
the International Hydrographic Organization, the International Geographical Union, and others must be kept
informed of U.S. activities. Conversely, agencies and organizations in this nation must be aware of and
consider the need for addressing international standards.

Partnerships to foster cooperative responsibilities for data production, maintenance, integration, and
dissemination must be cultivated for the overall good of local and global communities. Agreed upon policies
and standards for creating digital data that can be widely used, for protecting privacy, and for providing access
to data, are needed within the community to continue to enhance the use of geospatial data for intelligent
decision-making. These partnerships, procedures, standards, policies, and the framework and various themes of
required digital geospatial data comprise the National Spatial Data Infrastructure.

2 "Statement by the Workgroup on State and Local Partnership with the Federal Geographic Data Committee”,
1993. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.

12