Stages of the Geospatial Data Lifecycle 

pursuant to OMB Circular A–16, sections 

8(e)(d), 8(e)(f), and 8(e)(g) 

A-16 Supplemental Guidance Stages of the Geospatial Data Lifecycle is maintained 

on the FGDC Website under “Supplemental Guidance Reference Materials.” These 

reference materials are considered part of the guidance but may be updated as a result 

of Work Group efforts, FGDC Coordination Group and should be revised and approved 

by either the FGDC Coordination Group or the FGDC Steering Committee. 

This section of the Supplemental Guidance describes the Geospatial Data Lifecycle stages that agencies 

should use when developing, managing and reporting on National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) 

Datasets under the auspices of OMB Circular A–16. The matrix establishes a framework of standard 

terminology and processes for seven Geospatial Data Lifecycle stages. Figure B1 below summarizes the 

Geospatial Data Lifecycle stages, which are Define, Inventory/Evaluate, Obtain, Access, Maintain, 

Use/Evaluate and Archive. 

The stages associated with the management of the data lifecycle allow stakeholders to assess whether 

NGDA data production activities meet business requirements and utilize best practices that enable shared 

or common services. The Geospatial Data Lifecycle is not intended to be rigidly sequential or linear. The 

quality assurance and (or) quality control (QA/QC) functions for the data should be included at every 

stage of the Geospatial Data Lifecycle. 

Business requirements drive what needs to occur at each stage. This concept is illustrated in Figure B1 by 

the purple arrows that point from the business requirements circle to each lifecycle stage. The orange 

arrows that point to the business requirements circle represent the feedback loop that needs to occur at 

each stage to reassess the business requirements. 

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 1 
Figure B1. The Geospatial Data Lifecycle 

The expected outcomes of adopting this framework include:

• Timely and high-quality geospatial data to support business processes and operations; 

• Stronger partnerships across all levels of government and, when appropriate, the private sector, 

to increase cost efficiency and return on investment; and 

• Improved strategies for completing and maintaining nationally significant themes and datasets 

associated with OMB Circular A–16 to enhance services to citizens. 

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 2 
Table B1. Stages of the Geospatial Data Lifecycle 

Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details Stage 1 Define Definition Characterization of data requirements based upon business-driven user needs User The following steps occur when defining data needs: requirements • Define user requirements 

o Identify user or business needs 

 Review organizational documentation (many organizations publish information on  Evaluate internal and external needs  Identify available funding and resources  Review current collaboration efforts  Review and evaluate existing knowledge base  Identify business data quality requirements (including both locational and position

measures for the attribute information associated with the geospatial features) 

o Conduct formal requirements collection process, including business process modeling or o Identify agency or program requirements 

 Determine the levels of government involved  Identify sources for requirements 

• Examples: FGDC standards, existing program and project requirements, 

conferences, town hall meetings, annual meetings, discussions with subje

 Determine if requirement is annual or recurring versus one-time (for example, a s On a case-by-case basis, determine the user requirements for the following: 

• Resources (human, capital, financial, and technical) • Resource availability • Project schedules 

o Evaluate available funds or sources of funding for supporting identifying business needs 

requirements 

o Document business needs and agency or program requirements 

• Define high-level business process work flows 

o Document business process work flows o Define update cycle for documenting business process work flows o Define roles and responsibilities for documenting and maintaining business process work

• Define information workflows and data requirements for business processes at a high level 

o Identify sources for information workflows and data requirements o Capture and document information workflows and data requirements o Develop a data dictionary and/or interface dictionary 

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 3 
Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details 

Stage 1 De e fin 

o Develop an entity relationship diagram 

• Define data needs, conduct formal data modeling and document data needs assessment 

o Determine appropriate feature types o Identify attributes needed o Determine data schema o Identify accuracy levels for individual attributes and for the dataset as a whole o Determine status of data timeliness (that is, how current are the data) o Determine data format needs o Determine appropriate resolution or scale of data o Identify any seasonal concerns with data collection, acquisition, or production o Determine data specifications (that is, raster or vector, infrared, or black and white) o Sample method 1: business process reengineering to determine data needs 

 Complete a series of process modeling sessions to document the business proce Determine what information flows are generated as input for data needs  Determine what information flows are generated as output data  Create a logical data model of those information flows to describe data needs  Develop use cases for the business areas identified 

o Sample method 2: GIS analysis 

 Perform use case analyses to determine actual data requirements  Define data in geospatial terms of features and attributes 

• Define data standards1

o Data standards refer to the name, definition, presentation, and business rules governing d

known data requirements, are set by the stakeholders who need the data and can cross o

o Define data standards for production of data layers using logical, physical or other data mo Data standards should be defined before data are collected. Advantages to having a stan

include the following 

 Ensuring users have the right data to accomplish the task  Knowing what the data are once they are collected  Having the ability to reproduce the data and collect additional matching data at a 

analysis 

1 For more information about data standards, please refer to ISO/IEC 15288:2008, 2008, Systems and software engineering -- System lifecycle processes (Editio

Organization for Standardization (http://www.iso.org)available from: http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=43

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 4 
DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 5 

Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details Stage 1 De e fin 

o Document and publish data standards 

• Evaluate past data uses for programs and projects and verify that past data products met user bus

o Example: project driven reports that take place over a 2- to 3-year span o Identify geospatial data that can fill those needs o Consider data schemas that will allow for change analysis over time; standards based on 

flexible to adapt to changing physical environments 

o Address potential integration issues (that is, quality, consistency, and compatibility) befor

standards, geo id and datum, positional accuracy, classification system (scheme), in situ enumeration logic, metadata collection, address matching, and privacy issues 

• Determine if data required contain any information governed by the Privacy Act of 1974 

o Conduct and document a Privacy Act assessment 

• Determine if data required will be of a sensitive nature and require any special handling 

o Sensitive data may include: 

 Data that can be collected but that should not be shared with the public [for exam

personally identifiable information (PII)] 

 Data that must be generalized before release  Data that may not be sensitive by itself but which may become sensitive when co Records requirements which may determine whether data will become a dataset o

o If data are of a sensitive nature, conduct and document sensitivity evaluation o Define and document roles and responsibilities associated with a re-evaluation 

• Define and develop quality assurance and (or) quality control (QA/QC) measures 

o Develop QA/QC measures to match the business requirements for the dataset o Define processes and measures on datasets that will ensure QA/QC including certificatio

• Identify dataset ties to the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) Business Reference Models (BR

(DRMs) 
Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details 

Stage 2 Inventory/Evaluate Definition The creation and publication of a detailed list of data assets and data gaps (both internal and external) as they rela

needs 

• Identify available data sources both internal and external to the organization that may met the defined dat

assets first; research external assets second) 

o Catalog data that may meet defined standards o Inventory list should be regularly maintained 

• Take the following steps to search for defined requirements and create an inventory matrix 

o Define the area(s) of interest (AOI) for the data o Locate viable resources for required data (including internal and external sources) o Identify internal resources that may need conversion o Review dataset descriptions, metadata records, attributes, domains, etc. o Address accuracy issues and tiers of accuracy o Review date ranges and currency of the dataset(s) and identify limitations o Include restrictions, licensing, and copyright status of obtained datasets documented in a matrix o Identify closely matched datasets 

• The results of the inventory will be a matrix of available geospatial data, which helps users to 

o Exhaust all possible means to identify existing data 

 Examples: 

• Preliminary list of available data and their characteristics (GIS Inventory System, • www.statelocalgov.net (site for finding data inventories) 

• Data centers provide points of contacts for sources and base maps 

o Identify attributes and domains 

 Determine if data meet the identified business requirements  Determine if data are missing requirements 

o Assess the suitability of data for meeting the business requirements identified and perform a QA/Q

 Reject metadata as unsuitable or incomplete  Request additional metadata information 

o Identify suitability of dataset to meet business needs 

 Evaluate free datasets  Obtain datasets  Perform a QA/QC evaluation  Document whether not data are acceptable and, if not acceptable, find alternative solutio

o Evaluate datasets for price and develop a financial plan 

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 6 
Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details 

Stage 2 Inventory/Evaluate 

 Review datasets carefully against business requirements  Check with other sources, previous users, technical expert specifications, and so forth, to 

the requirements 

 Example: cost of imagery acquisition or cost of LiDAR acquisition 

• Determine the limitations of what is found against the requirements to ensure that the data can be integra

o Evaluate data to ensure it can be integrated o Evaluate whether data should be made available for public distribution or limited distribution (for 

classified data, public domain data, and so forth) 

• Assess conversion, transformation, or modification of closely matched datasets to meet requirements 

• Recommend specialized procedures or protocols to acquire datasets that meet the specified requirement

o Develop feedback process(es)/loop(s) for refining data to meet data needs 

• Perform a metadata evaluation 

o Identify or define the metadata standard for use o Document the metadata evaluation 

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 7 
Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details 

Stage 3 Obtain Definition The collection, purchase, conversion, transformation, sharing, exchange, or creation of geospatial data tha

business needs is identified 

• Review method(s) used to obtain, create, change or acquire datasets necessary for meeting prog

o Include methods used to obtain data in the feedback loop 

• Follow the process below to obtain data: 

o Develop and document a plan to obtain data and review results with the program or projec

requirements 

 Complete writing of dataset specifications and statements of work (SOWs)  Identify and review similar contracts and SOWs from the immediate agency  Utilize agency expertise to review contract specifications  Ensure that geospatial requirements boilerplate language is included in planning  Establish a plan for reviewing results of the process used to obtain data 

o Identify the appropriate contracting officer’s technical representative (COTR); that is, one 

allow for appropriate QA/QC of the dataset 

o Ensure that metadata meet the requirements of the organization; that is, make sure that a

just the mandatory metadata elements (sections 1 and 7) 

 Develop a metadata template  Evaluate/review metadata 

• Reject metadata that are unsuitable or incomplete • Request additional metadata information as needed 

 Where appropriate, expand beyond FGDC metadata standards 

o Use inventory lists to identify agencies or entities that have needed data to see if you can 

acquisition costs and activities 

 Document return-on-investment of partnerships 

o Review agreements that may limit or enhance the sharing and exchange of information 

 Define and document roles and responsibilities for reviewing agreements  Document review of agreements  Agreements may include the following: Memoranda of understanding and service

• Interagency agreements • Military interagency purchase requests • Multiagency purchase requests • Cost-sharing activities • Collaboration activities 

• Free exchange sites 

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 8 
Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details 

Stage 3 Obtain 

• In-kind services 

• Adhere to existing data standards2

• Define and document data collection specifications and update/refresh cycle 

• Obtain datasets necessary to meet program or project needs in one of the following four ways: 

1) Purchase 

o Identify outside sources or other government agencies that currently have (or have acces

o Acquire and assess the suitability of data (using a decision tree) and perform QA/QC eval

 Identify required data items that are essential for acquisition of the dataset 

o Use QA/QC measures established during the Define stage to perform measurements of th

 Determine the data format; geospatial data will be in an agreed upon format (for 

and so forth) 

 Complete the metadata with respect to contract specifications  Check to see that the required metadata sections are populated; the content mus

staff to assure compliance 

• Complete mandatory metadata sections 1 and 7 (recommended is 1 through • Complete intermediate requirements for the specified sections • Obtain full FGDC compliance in all sections 

o Establish database schema validation, including the following: 

 Dataset name and organization  Attributes and relationships  Domains, topology, and so forth  Ability to automate based on database schema required and organizational busin

o Determine projection (spatial reference) and ensure that the coordinate system is fully def

o Ensure that the metadata meet the requirements of the organization; that is, make sure th

o Consider the level at which the data are certified 

 Verify the certification level of the data  Evaluate the data against the information required by the Information Quality Act  If data are not certified, establish a certification plan 

o Review licensing agreements and any restrictions on release of the information (the Freed

into play here) 

2 For more information about data standards, please refer to ISO/IEC 15288:2008, 2008, Systems and software engineering -- System lifecycle processes (Editio

Organization for Standardization (http://www.iso.org). Available from: http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 9 
Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details 

Stage 3 Obtain 

 Examples of purchased data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Center for Earth R

(EROS) satellite imagery, aerial photography 

 Vehicles of Procurement: request for proposal (RFP), License, request for inform

Administration (GSA) Schedule, grants, SLAs, best practices 

 Review agreements to share the data (see Geospatial LoB grants and contracts 

2) Modify, convert, or transform legacy data Modify

o Identify missing requirements and correct the following: 

 Attributes – add necessary attributes  Domain – populate or modify  Status of data timeliness – if not current, update as necessary  Completeness – fill in or add additional feature types, as needed 

o Review the quality and suitability of data for use by geospatially knowledgeable staff and p

 Use QA/QC measures established during the Define stage to perform measurem Establish the data format – geospatial data will be in an agreed-upon format (for 

and so forth) 

 Complete or revise the metadata with respect to contract specifications  Check that the required sections are populated; have the content validated by kn

compliance 

• Complete mandatory metadata sections 1 and 7 (recommended is 1 throu• Complete intermediate requirements for the specified sections • Obtain full FGDC compliance in all sections 

o Establish database schema validation including the following: 

 Dataset name and organization 

 Attributes and relationships  Domains, topology, and so forth  Ability to automate based on database schema required and organizational busin

o Determine projection (spatial reference) and ensure that the coordinate system is fully def

Convert/Transform

o Review format, data storage method, and data field information and determine what items 

transformation 

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 10 
Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details 

Stage 3 Obtain 

o Evaluate the extract, transform, load (ETL) hardware or software3o Evaluate the conversion and (or) transformation tools for compatibility with data formats o After conversion/transformation, determine if legacy data will meet user needs 

o Review the quality and suitability of the data for use by geospatially knowledgeable staff a

 Use QA/QC measures established during the Define stage to perform measurem

suitability 

 Establish the data format – geospatial data will be in an agreed upon format (for 

and so forth) 

 Complete or revise the metadata with respect to contract specifications 

 Check to see that the required sections are populated; have the content validated 

compliance 

• Complete mandatory metadata sections 1 and 7 (recommended is 1 throu• Complete intermediate requirements for the specified sections • Obtain full FGDC compliance in all sections

o Establish database schema validation, including the following: 

 Dataset name and organization  Attributes and relationships  Domains, topology, and so forth  Ability to automate based on the database schema required and organizational b

o Determine projection (spatial reference) – coordinate system is fully defined 

3) Share/Exchange with others 

o Identify agencies or entities that have needed data

o Review agreements that may limit or enhance the sharing and exchange of information (so Consider how the data are organized and how the data relate to user business needs o Identify the data sharing method as distinguished by the OMB 

 Data exchanges 

• Determine permissions involved for one or more persons to input informa

information system 

• Update data in real-time as the entries are made • Access permissions made to the individual per agreement between and a

 Data-sharing 

3 ETL hardware/software assists in the process of defining and applying algorithms to change data from one form or domain value set to another domain value 

architecture

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Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details Stage 3 Obtain 

• Establish permission for each party to retain its own database or applicati

permitted to read the information 

• Give access rights to individuals from the other organization but on a “rea• Allow for agencies to do one-time-only data collection yet use information 

o Review the quality and suitability of the data for use by geospatially knowledgeable staff 

 Use QA/QC measures established during the Define stage to perform measurem

suitability 

 Establish the data format – geospatial data will be in an agreed upon format (for 

etc.) 

 Complete or revise the metadata with respect to contract specifications 

 Check to see that the required sections have are populated; have the content va

assure compliance 

• Complete mandatory metadata sections 1 and 7 (recommended is 1 throu• Complete intermediate requirements for the specific sections • Obtain full FGDC compliance in all sections 

o Establish database schema validation, including the following: 

 Dataset name and organization  Attributes and relationships  Domains, topology, etc.  Ability to automate based upon the database schema required and organizationa

o Determine projection (spatial reference) and ensure that the coordinate system is fully de

 Reject the dataset  Accept the dataset 

4) Create 

o Using the inventory matrix from the Inventory/Evaluate stage, determine which datasets m

project 

o Create new geospatial datasets from analog maps, printed reports, archived resources, e

 Evaluate requirements for collection of data 

• Scheduled timeframe for collection of data • Certifications, user needs grants and contracts language, etc. • Frequency of collection (that is, recurring versus special use)

 Evaluate internal and external funding resources for the collection of data  Enter data – digitize, key entry, scan, and etc. 
Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details 

Stage 3 Obtain 

 Complete or revise metadata (recommended sections 1 through 7) 

o Review and acceptance of data by geospatially knowledgeable staff and by program or p

Figure B2: Considerations for acquisition of datasets

Source: Bureau of Land Management data stewardship training

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 13 
Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details 

Stage 4 Access Definition Making data produced known and retrievable to the community through documentation and discovery mechan

their business requirements 

• Review plans for community at large user access

o Develop a User Access Plan for dissemination/access that indicates who should have access 

disseminated 

o Document roles and responsibilities around determining where data are offered 

• Review structure for access, user groups and individuals

o Develop a high level CRUD (Create, Read, Use, Delete) type matrix showing who should hav

or delete data 

o Perform access management review o Create and publish a records schedule 

1) Publish – Publication Plan 

• Determine and document where to publish the data or offering of services 

o Consider the user community and determine if the data should be made available in hard cop

or other portals, provided to a clearinghouse, and so forth (for example, GOS existing, planne

o Review user needs and business requirements o Review Geospatial LoB grants and contracts language for publishing restrictions or requiremeo Review regulations for requirements 

 Example: Executive Order No. 12906, section 3(c) (April 11, 1994) mandates that eac

procedures to make geospatial information available to the public 

o Include financial commitments as part of the publication plan 

• Determine the format in which the data will be published (for example, shape files, E00 format, data st

Language (XML), Generalized Markup Language (GML), etc.) 

o Include formatting requirements as part of our QA/QC plan and feedback loop 

• Comply with any formatting requirements, including the following: 

o Metadata standards (recommended minimum 1 through 7) o Attribution for legacy data migration that links back to source o Agency requirements o FGDC requirements o Federal guidelines o Executive Order 12906 requirements o OMB Circular A–16 requirements o GOS guidance 

• Determine where partnerships might exist to meet interagency and other stakeholder needs 

• Comply with electronic data management requirements for the following regulations and any others th

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Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details Stage 4 Access 

o Determine what effects the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)4 and the Privacy Act5 may hav

o Perform a privacy impact assessment (PIA)6

o Perform Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) review.7 All data must have a 

categorized (that is, establish security controls that prevent harm or protect integrity and confi

o Determine type of records that may be produced from data according to the National Archives 

(NARA)8

2) Disseminate –Dissemination Plan 

• Consider data organization for dissemination • Perform records management review (create and publish a records schedule) • Evaluate data steward data completeness 

o Determine if agencies have a dissemination plan for internal and external stakeholders o Determine if agencies have a format for dissemination o Determine if data completeness changes with stakeholders o Review Web feature services, specific requests, and agency restrictions (for example, if an ag

or has security restrictions) 

o Determine nonproprietary and proprietary formats (many agencies must disseminate nonprop

proprietary) 

o Review Web feature service/Web mapping service and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) c

• Review dissemination requirements including: 

o 508 compliance (enables those with visual disabilities to access the information and understa

metadata, and so forth) 

o Agency requirements o FGDC requirements 

• Determine internal versus external dissemination and access levels including: 

o Security o Copyright 

4 The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Title 5 United States Code, section 5525 The Privacy Act of 1974, Pub. L. 93-579, 88 Stat. 1897 (Dec. 31, 1974), codified in part at 5 U.S.C. §552a6 Section 208 of the E-Government Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-347, 44 U.S.C. Ch 36) requires that OMB issue guidance to agencies on implementing the privacy 

Government Act.

7 The Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 is the primary legislation governing Federal information security. FISMA was built upon and was a

legislation and added particular emphasis to the management dimension of information security in the Federal Government. FISMA establishes stronger lines oresponsibility for information security and provides for substantial oversight by the legislative branch. It is also called the Electronic Government Act of 2002, T

Government Act of 2002, The Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002, FISMA, E-Government Act of 2002, and E-Government Act of 2002.

8 NARA Regulations are published in the 36 CFR Chapter XII; Electronic Records Management is published under PART 1234 of the 36 CFR Chapter XII
Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details 

Stage 4 Access 

o Licensing agreements 

• Document where and how your data are available and accessed 

• Identify and document user groups • Identify partnerships that may impact dissemination schedule 

• Evaluate the dissemination plan for your data steward’s requirements • Include financial commitments as part of your dissemination plan 

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 16 
Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details 

Stage 5 Maintain Definition Ongoing processes and procedures to ensure that the data meet business requirements 

1) Maintenance Plan

• Use the steps below to help build a maintenance plan for data and services 

o Determine hardware and software needed to effectively maintain both data and services 

o Determine other resources available to maintain the data 

 Establish a strategy to track funding  Establish a strategy to track and evaluate partnerships  Develop a financial plan for supporting maintenance 

o Determine requirements including: 

 Records 

• NARA requirements9

• Business requirements 

 Retention schedule 

• NARA requirements • Other Government or agency requirements 

 Snapshots requirements 

• NARA requirements • National Environmental Planning Act (NEPA) requirements 

o Develop a records plan, retention schedule, and snapshots plan o Review accuracy of the data, including attributes, to see that they met the business needs of t

 Make additions, deletions, and updates to the database in a tightly controlled environm

and integrity 

o Create a data QA/QC plan for the dataset 

 Establish controls for edits and updates  Create review cycles for periodic review of the data against the established QA/QC m

Define stage 

 Complete reviews and measures with a random sampling of the data or by creating a 

posting the data to the dataset in final form 

o Obtain material from the ground (that is, by way of field data collection) and roll up the informao Establish standards for maintenance that can be updated to keep data in line with user needs 

o Establish a standard process for version control 

9 36 CFR Chapter 12, electronic records managementDRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 17 
Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details 

Stage 5 Maintain 

 If needed, implement manual version control to facilitate dataset maintenance  Create static snapshots of the dataset at key critical points (for example, updates, mo

format changes, attribute additions or modifications, and so forth) 

 Define and document roles and responsibilities associated with version control 

o Develop and document a strategy for updating the process of maintaining the data 

 Review responsibilities for maintenance, including the following: 

• Theme Lead roles • Data steward roles • MOUs between agencies and partners (outline an agreed-upon process) • National and State stewardship plans 

 Assign specific maintenance responsibilities  Update financial plans as part of this strategy  Notify stewards and end-users of updates 

o Define and develop performance expectations for SLAs as part of service-oriented architectur

o Establish a feedback process to obtain information from users and incorporate feedback into fo Establish a strategy to retain knowledgeable, experienced and trained staff and make sure tha

standards and guidelines 

 Document stewardship roles and responsibilities 

 2) Store and manage

• Develop a plan to store and manage data and services (for example, coverage, map, image services g

applications) including funding plans, system support plans, etc. 

o Determine the frequency of updates (may vary by dataset or by service) 

 Determine if updates are reoccurring or performed on an as needed or as requested b

 Establish a point of contact and responsibilities for updates (this is especially importan Use metadata to identify data that may need to be updated in a proactive manner 

o Evaluate resources based on the projected frequency of the updates 

o Determine resources available, including the following: 

 Cost and available funding  Staffing available 

 Existing or potential partnerships 

o Determine internal and external storage and management access needs, including the followi

 Level of access (classified versus unclassified)  Availability appropriate to the user community 

o Determine container for data storage and management [for example, databases, compact dis

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 18 
Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details 

Stage 5 Maintain 

 Evaluate internal storage versus external storage  Evaluate internal management versus external management  Evaluate partnerships in management and storage 

o Establish process for version control (manual, automated, hybrid, and so forth) o Evaluate decision points on data or services that can become key considerations in storage oo Evaluate storage and management plan against the FEA Geospatial Profile Version 2.0 or oth

architecture guidance 

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 19 
Stage Data Lifecycle Stage Details 

Stage 6 Use/Evaluate Definition The ongoing assessment, validation, and potential enhancement of data to meet user needs and business req

• Provide education to users including, but not limited to 1) proper metadata documentation; 2) most effi

security requirements, or sensitivity evaluation education; and 4) data effectiveness 

• Perform the following steps to help ensure efficient and effective use of geospatial assets: 

o Review requirements to see that use of the asset meets the requirements and intended outco

 Include costs for this activity in your financial plan 

o Validate and verify that the data continue to meet business requirements and user needs 

 Was information provided in a timely manner?  Are attributes meeting user needs?  Are domain values appropriate and current?  Did the information help the user?  Did the user need to modify the information for his or her use?  Was the information used to geo-enable other business data?  Did or can the information contribute to business process engineering or reengineerin

o Evaluate the data as a part of common services across lines of business 

 Can data stewards engage in outreach and communication efforts across agencies?  Can data be used in other agencies or organizations?  Do applications that help others use and re-use the agency data currently exist? 

o Evaluate how resources are being utilized and tracked as the data are used 

 Do you measure data usage? How?  Do resources used meet expectations? 

 Did the user take advantage of SOA approaches and SLAs? 

o Determine the availability or development of user groups to do the following: 

 Share tools  Identify and develop services  Encourage partnerships and resource sharing  Encourage feedback between user and producer of the data 

o Establish a feedback loop (an important element of data stewardship) between end users and 

assist in the evolution of the dataset by communicating how they use the data 

 Determine the availability or development of user groups to share tools, identify and d

partnerships, etc. 

o Enter analysis information and incorporate it into the feedback loop 

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 Periodically evaluate if the data remain useful  If data are becoming obsolete, determine why and if action needs to be taken 

o Perform QA/QC reviews 

 Evaluate the data against the quality measures established during the first (Define) an

stages of the data lifecycle 

 Review the measures established during the first (Define) and second (Inventory/Eva

lifecycle if the business requirements have changed 

 Define QA/QC process, roles and responsibilities and schedule

 Document QA/QC reviews 
Stage Working Stage Details 

Stage 7 Archive Definition Required retention of data and the data’s retirement into long-term storage 

 Develop a written policy for data disposal in accordance with National Archives and Records Administr

NARA is mandated to archive for all agencies 

o Review requirements for archiving information 

 Records management practices established in the Federal Records Act  36 CFR 1200  FGDC requirements  Agency requirements 

• Document/maintain documented agency archiving policies and requirements 

o Archive both internally in the organization responsible for the data (offline storage) and extern

o Provide time-stamped versions of copies of data to NARA for long-term preservation in a susto Work in conjunction with agency IT and records officers to create and implement an archival p

 Define and document archiving process, roles and responsibilities and schedule

o Identify business needs for archiving: 

 Isolate datasets to archive; decide whether archived datasets will be composed of the 

subsets of the data 

• Review business requirements and business needs identified in the first stage • Review plans to obtain and maintain data as established in the third (Obtain) a

data lifecycle 

 Identify available funding and resources  Develop a method for transferring permanent data to NARA  Dispose of data identified (tied to the plan developed in the Maintain stage) 

o Determine technical requirements including: 

 Create data schema to accompany transfer  Select sustainable format to store data (tied into original decision about data in the Ob Establish preservation procedures  Sample to make sure that the data are readable 

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010 22 
Differences between the ISO System Lifecycle and the Data Lifecycle 

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) system lifecycle and the Geospatial Data Lifecycle 

are both necessary. These two lifecycles are not the same or interchangeable, but are complementary. The 

ISO system lifecycle provides the framework on which to build a specific application that supports the 

collection, maintenance, and delivery of data to users. It is physically oriented (focused on computer 

hardware and software) and has a technical lifespan that requires upgrading and eventual replacement because 

of its dependency on programming and technical specifications. The data lifecycle uses many of the same 

concepts but focuses specifically on the data, which may exist within a system or be maintained by one or 

more specific applications. The data and the data lifecycle should be platform and system independent so 

that the data can evolve or be migrated to a new platform or application as the business requirements change. 

Unlike an interface, which may change in response to future developments, the data may change in form but 

not necessarily in content; the data should be multiple-use (that is, the data should be able to be accessed by 

multiple users, on multiple systems, for multiple purposes). 

DRAFT A-16 SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDANCE MARCH 31, 2010

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