Modernization Roadmap for the 

Geospatial Platform

Version 4.0

March 2011

 

 

US Department of the Interior Federal Geographic Data Committee
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 2

Contents

1. FOREWORD.......................................................................................................................................... 1

2. PREAMBLE ........................................................................................................................................... 4

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...................................................................................................................... 6

4. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 8

5. PILLARS OF THE GEOSPATIAL PLATFORM ...............................................................................16

6. BUSINESS MODEL .............................................................................................................................19

7. IMPLEMENTATION AND PERFORMANCE GOALS .....................................................................26

Appendix A. Common Data, Services and Applications, June 2010.............................................................................29

Appendix B. Shared Infrastructure, June 2010 ...........................................................................................................35

Appendix C. Segment Architecture, June 2010...........................................................................................................38

Appendix D. Governance, June 2010 ..........................................................................................................................42

Appendix E. Portfolio Management, June 2010 .........................................................................................................48

Appendix F. Federal Geographic Data Committee Structure and Roles......................................................................51
1

1. Foreword

We are pleased to share version 4 of the Modernization Roadmap for the Geospatial Platform (Roadmap). This final 

version of the Roadmap follows a stakeholder engagement process intended to share the vision for the Platform and 

gather feedback from the geospatial community regarding concepts discussed in the Roadmap. Feedback on the 

Roadmap to date has been positive, while at the same time identifying some challenging issues and questions that 

will be addressed as implementation occurs. 

Developing the Roadmap has been an evolving process that began in February 2010 with the release of the 

President‘s 2011 Budget, which provided initial direction to develop the Geospatial Platform. An earlier draft 

Roadmap (version 3), was approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on November 10, 2010. That 

document, prepared by member agencies of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), received broad 

Federal review and upon OMB approval set the stage for a more robust stakeholder engagement process.

The geospatial community at large has been engaged in providing feedback on the Roadmap over the past several 

months through a variety of mechanisms that include:

 Review and feedback from the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC), a Federal Advisory 

Committee that provides advice to the Federal government on geospatial matters;

 Presentations and discussions at geospatial conferences and related professional meetings; and

 Development of an IdeaScale Web-based forum for gathering input and feedback through the Geospatial 

Platform Web page (http://www.geoplatform.gov).

These outreach mechanisms resulted in valuable feedback that can be broadly categorized into questions and 

comments related to the following areas:

 Policy and management;

 Governance;

 Lessons to be learned from other model programs, and;

 Clarification of concepts. 

The Geospatial Platform team has listened to the insights, ideas, and concerns expressed by geospatial stakeholders 

and offer the following summary of the approach for addressing each these areas of feedback as the Geospatial 

Platform moves into implementation throughout 2011 and beyond. This final Roadmap document does not fully 

address all of the issues identified through the stakeholder engagement process. Some of the issues raised through 

the outreach process will be addressed through the implementation process for the Platform.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 2

Policy and Management

As the Geospatial Platform begins to take shape there are uncertainties about issues that may include authorities to 

operate the Platform, the selection of a Managing Partner and its roles and responsibilities, and the funding model. 

These and other critical issues identified during this initial period are difficult to address adequately in a planning 

document like the Roadmap. Throughout 2011, the Geospatial Platform leaders will develop specific position 

papers and strategies to address concept of operations, a business plan, and other relevant guidance documents to 

steer Platform implementation.

Governance

Comments on the Roadmap identified questions about the approach for governing the Geospatial Platform. We 

envision a governance process that includes representation from both Federal and non-Federal stakeholders. The 

Geospatial Platform leadership and the NGAC Intergovernmental Subcommittee are working to develop an 

inclusive governance model while the identification, roles, and responsibilities of the Managing Partner are being 

developed by executive leadership of the FGDC.

Lessons to be learned from other model programs

A number of existing programs have been suggested as successful models that can offer insights to assist the 

implementation of the Platform. These programs often share common elements that are important for sustainable

participation of partners and stakeholders. Organizational models and programs identified through the stakeholder 

engagement efforts are currently being evaluated to document best practices and lessons learned, and will be 

considered for applicability for the Geospatial Platform.

Clarification

Version 4 of the Roadmap attempts to incorporate ideas and feedback that result in a more clear presentation and 

description of the ideas contained in the Roadmap. As implementation of the Geospatial Platform occurs, 

components (or ―pillars‖) that appear independent in the Roadmap will become more closely interrelated, providing 

a dynamic environment that will continue to grow and change as information is gathered, the offering is developed, 

and lessons are learned.

Next Steps 

Version 4 of the Roadmap provides a framework document that describes the concepts and goals of the Geospatial 

Platform. This final version concludes the upfront planning process for the Platform and paves the way for 

implementation activities. 

Over the past several months, the Federal geospatial community has made a number of advances that positively 

affect implementation of the Geospatial Platform. While some of these issues are not fully addressed in the 

Roadmap, they will be integrated into future implementation plans for the Platform. Three examples include: 

 As the FGDC Geospatial cloud computing test-bed initiative progresses, the lines between common 

services and shared infrastructure become softer as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) becomes a reality. 

 OMB‘s release in November 2010 of the OMB Circular A-16 Supplemental Guidance (A-16 Supplemental 

Guidance) provides a method for implementing a geospatial portfolio management process for Federal 

geospatial data investments. 

 The Administration has enhanced Data.gov as a public capability for citizens, business, and governmental 

agencies to gain access to government data. Geospatial data comprise the majority of the data in Data.gov, 

and based on public feedback of the importance of place-based data and visualization, Data.gov and 

Geospatial One-Stop (GOS) are being integrated. 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 3

In addition, the time boxes found in version 3 of the Roadmap have been removed from version 4. While the time 

boxes provided an initial course of specific actions, the next versions of tasks and deliverables for the Platform will 

be documented in implementation plans.

In the future, the concepts and approach put forth in the Roadmap will be further clarified and refined by 

supplemental documents that may include, but are not limited to; implementation plans, business plans, technical 

documents, project plans, and best practice examples.

In closing, the Platform team thanks all who shared ideas and comments, as well as those who put in countless 

hours to develop, communicate, and support the Geospatial Platform. The input from the geospatial community has 

been invaluable in developing the Platform approach; and we look forward to continued dialogue and ongoing 

involvement of our stakeholders as the Geospatial Platform moves into its next phase of development. 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 4

2. Preamble

The Need for Geospatial Capabilities 

The challenges this Nation faces are multifaceted and complicated; they require diverse information, innovative 

analysis, and collaboration to solve. These challenges also have one other common characteristic – they occur in 

places. 

Consider some of the most devastating events in recent United States history: the terrorist attacks on September 11, 

2001, Hurricane Katrina, the mortgage crisis, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Internationally, consider the earthquake in Haiti. Responses to such events require national and international 

coordination, information sharing and analysis, and deployment of operational capabilities, all of which rely on 

knowledge of place. 

Some complex questions raised by such events are evident in last year‘s Gulf oil spill:

 How can we best see, understand, track, and monitor the existing, pending, and future impacts of this 

event? 

 Where do we mobilize and apply resources to provide the greatest good, prevent the greatest harm, and 

protect the life, health, and welfare of citizens? 

 How do we synthesize vast information assets of the Federal, State, regional, local, and Tribal governments, 

the private sector, academia, and citizens to provide the on-the-ground situational awareness required to 

make wise decisions? 

 How do we determine where proactive steps can be taken to prevent or minimize future impact such as 

identifying Gulf Coastal communities where aid will be required? 

In addition to responding to emergencies, many of the day-to-day activities of government and citizens rely on 

information linked to places and communities. Geospatial capabilities and analyses help government decision 

makers target agency investments, measure progress towards program goals and measure performance across 

regions or communities. In addition, displaying results through interactive maps helps communicate complex ideas

clearly. For citizens, geospatial capabilities and analyses help answer questions and solve problems related to 

commuting to work, choosing where to live and raise families, protecting our natural resources, planning vacation 

destinations, and juggling busy schedules, because all require knowledge about place. 

Using place as an information management framework allows decision makers to leverage government databases, 

visualization techniques, and geospatial analysis tools to rapidly recognize patterns in large amounts of data and 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 5

make better-informed decisions. This ―place-based‖ framework is consistent with Administration Priorities for 

place-based budgeting1and society‘s increasing demand for and reliance on geo-enabled products and services. 

The Case for the Geospatial Platform 

Geospatial assets are already an integral part of many government and private day-to-day operations. While the 

business needs of stakeholders vary, there are many instances where different operations require the use of similar 

assets. Because geospatial information often involves a significant investment of resources (i.e., human, financial, 

etc.), many governments already coordinate their efforts to produce cost-savings, improve quality of services, and 

increase efficiency, although more could be done. 

Coordinating the development and delivery of the Nation‘s geospatial assets is a complicated task, but the geospatial 

community has come together to create an initiative that does just that. The Geospatial Platform is the culmination 

of these efforts. The partner agencies of the FGDC are developing the foundational plans for the Geospatial 

Platform to leverage the geospatial expertise, and existing geospatial data, services, applications, and infrastructure to

enhance the Nation‘s management of—and access to—all things geospatial. It will promote sharing across the 

geospatial community and provide opportunities to view and conduct business in new and innovative ways.

Under the basic premise ―build it once, use it many times,‖ benefits already realized through coordination will be 

enhanced and expanded when implemented on a larger scale through the Geospatial Platform. The Platform will 

provide the means to enhance and expand these capabilities by offering an operational focal point for delivering 

access to trusted geospatial data, services, applications, and infrastructure. 

The Platform will promote interoperable, effective and efficient problem solving tools spanning across 

organizations, thereby reducing the cost associated with developing independent geospatial capabilities while 

providing effective and timely information to decision makers. 

 

1OMB Memo 09-28 is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/memoranda_fy2009/m09-28.pdf
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 6

3. Executive Summary 

The Purpose of the Geospatial Platform

The Geospatial Platform (Platform), an initiative based in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 Presidential Budget, with the 

goal of ―ultimately increasing access to geospatial data,‖

2

is designed to become a component of the National Spatial 

Data Infrastructure (NSDI). 

The Platform will offer access to trusted geospatial data, services, applications, and infrastructure assets. By 

delivering access to geospatial assets that are ―built once and used many times,‖ the Platform will increase 

information sharing across various levels of government and the private sector, allowing for the reuse and 

adaptation of geospatial assets. This multi-purposing and availability of assets can lead to cost-savings, wider use of 

geospatial capabilities, and higher quality assets. 

The Geospatial Platform will fundamentally improve access to and management of geospatial assets through a focus 

on five key components, or Pillars:

 Common Data, Services and Applications.

 Shared Infrastructure.

 Segment Architecture.

 Governance.

 Portfolio Management.

The Geospatial Platform will build upon the successes of ongoing interagency geospatial initiatives by identifying 

and allying with programs that have resulted in (1) successful sharing of assets, (2) efficiencies in developing 

collaborative programs, and/or (3) development of a standard national dataset through intergovernmental 

coordination. The Platform will complement current Administration initiatives for openness and transparency of 

government information and data, such as Data.gov, that have led to new thoughts and innovative approaches for 

delivering Federal information technology (IT). 

The Business Model

The Platform will utilize a Business Model that outlines the business institution, identifies potential customers, and 

begins to consider a financial approach for managing the Platform and its assets. 

The Business Model places emphasis on managing a Partner Network of providers. Customers may include Federal 

agencies and their partners in State, local, regional and Tribal governments, non-profit organizations, academic 

institutions, industry, and citizens. The Business Model approach represents a fundamental shift from managing 

 

2 President’s Budget, Fiscal Year 2011, "Analytical Perspectives, Special Topics, Information Technology” (p. 325)
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 7

geospatial assets on a volunteer or ―other duties as assigned‖ basis to creating sustainable support for a Managing 

Partner. 

Implementation and Performance Goals

In the coming months, the Managing Partner will engage in a number of foundational activities as part of the 

Geospatial Platform‘s phased implementation. The path forward includes ongoing collaboration with stakeholders 

and leveraging select, existing geospatial efforts in all levels of government and the private sector.

To assess how well the Platform meets its goals and creates value for customers, the Roadmap outlines preliminary 

performance targets.

The contents of the Roadmap v4 describe the vision for the Geospatial Platform and its offering of data, services, applications, and 

infrastructure. Concepts and approaches put forth in the Roadmap will be further clarified and refined by supplemental documents that 

may include, but are not limited to, implementation plans, business plans, technical documents, project plans, and best practice examples. 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 8

4. Introduction 

“In 2010 and 2011, Federal data managers for geospatial data will move to a 

portfolio management approach, creating a Geospatial Platform to support 

GeoOneStop, place-based initiatives, and other potential future programs. 

This transformation will be facilitated by improving the governance framework to 

address the requirements of State, local and tribal agencies, Administration policy, 

and agency mission objectives. 

Investments will be prioritized based on business needs. 

The Geospatial Platform will explore opportunities for increased collaboration with 

Data.gov, with an emphasis on reuse of architectural standards and technology, 

ultimately increasing access to geospatial data.”

FY 2011 President’s Budget3

The Geospatial Platform will contribute to finding solutions to information management challenges of the Nation 

by organizing and sharing geospatial assets needed to solve the problems of the 21st century. In today‘s world, 

problems are multifaceted and complex, and require diverse information and collaboration to solve. One common 

feature of issues and events is that they occur in places and often impact surrounding neighborhoods, cities, regions, 

or global communities. Geospatial tools and the maps they display, widely popularized through Google Maps, 

Microsoft Bing, and personal global positioning systems (GPSs), can serve as the basis for understanding complex 

issues and relationships among multiple sources of information. Geospatial tools do much more than place locations 

on a map. These tools, working in concert with quality geospatial and tabular data of all kinds, provide an 

unparalleled ability to synthesize information, visualize patterns, and clearly communicate complex ideas. Geospatial 

tools greatly enhance data sharing, decision making, and functional collaboration across organizational and

programmatic information silos. Information visually portrayed or communicated through maps promotes

understanding and facilitate collaboration among decision makers, their partners, and the public. These unique 

features make geospatial assets among the most important strategic information assets for the Nation.

 

3 President‘s Budget, Fiscal Year 2011, "Analytical Perspectives, Special Topics, Information Technology‖ (p. 325) 

(www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2011/assets/topics.pdf)
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 9

Governments at all levels and private sector businesses use geospatial technology to meet a wide range of

programmatic, decision making, and business needs. Federal agencies and their State, regional, local and Tribal 

partners spend hundreds of millions of dollars on geospatial assets. Many governments garner the most value from 

their investments by finding ways to reuse or repurpose geospatial assets and reduce redundancy through 

coordination with partners. Two examples of existing cross-government geospatial 

cooperation include:

 The Department of Homeland Security, the National Geospatial-Intelligence 

Agency, the US Geological Survey (USGS), and the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency leverage their collective buying power to purchase 

commercial imagery that enable them to protect the Homeland and the 

Nation‘s precious natural resources at a reduced cost. 

 To efficiently create an accurate National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), 

USGS, the Environmental Protection Agency, the US Forest Service, and the 

Bureau of Land Management coordinate efforts to avoid duplicative data 

collection. These agencies also foster a State stewardship program to 

facilitate the inclusion of detailed data collected by State governments into 

the NHD. This coordination supports higher quality data and reduces costs. 

The Geospatial Platform will encourage coordination and strategically manage

existing geospatial assets as a portfolio to maximize their value and increase their potential to solve problems and

support everyday business needs in a manner that increases accountability and transparency. 

As directed in the President‘s FY 2011 Budget language, the Geospatial Platform will advance geospatial asset 

management and access to geospatial data, services, and applications by:

 Establishing a portfolio management approach for geospatial assets that promotes sound management 

practices and prioritizes cross-government investments based on business needs and return-on-investment 

(ROI) to improve the overall quality of geospatial assets.

 Creating a functional, standards-based approach to deliver geospatial assets that become the foundation on 

which mission critical components are built once, then shared to support place-based and other initiatives.

 Expanding the geospatial governance framework to address the requirements of State, regional, local and 

Tribal agencies, Administration policies and Federal agency mission objectives.

 Building off the successes of Data.gov and Geodata.gov to promote reuse of architectural standards and 

technology.

4.1 Purpose of this Document

The purpose of this document is to serve as a roadmap for development of the Geospatial Platform. This

document:

 Introduces the Geospatial Platform.

 Establishes a vision for the Geospatial Platform.

 Describes the key elements of the Geospatial Platform.

 Presents an initial vision for a Business Model (Section 5), which describes the business institution, potential 

customers, and a financial approach. 

4.2 Vision of the Geospatial Platform

The vision for a fully implemented Geospatial Platform is that customers have access to geospatial assets including 

data, services, applications, and infrastructure that meet their business needs.

Examples of Government 

Geospatial Coordination

 The National Map

 Mortgage foreclosure 

tracking

 The Multi-Resolution Land 

Cover Consortium

 The Geospatial Line of 

Business

 Homeland Infrastructure 

Foundation-Level Data

Working Group

 Imagery for the Nation

 Digital Coast
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 10

For government customers, it is envisioned that the Geospatial Platform offering will support reuse and multipurposing of existing assets, economies of scale, and implementation of standards to meet mission goals and 

implement business processes. Governments at all levels will be able to better manage resources for efficiency and

improve and validate assets through repeated use, stakeholder collaboration, and customer feedback. The Platform 

will serve as a vehicle to leverage the geospatial expertise and assets within individual organizations to meet the 

needs of customers resulting in improved efficiency and programmatic outcomes, increased savings, and enhanced 

geospatial capacity and utilization. Through efficient management of geospatial assets, the government will serve its 

citizenry with the capability to access, visualize, and analyze information and performance measures needed for a 

transparent government.

4.3 Purpose of the Geospatial Platform

The purpose of the Geospatial Platform is to:

 Provide the technology and organizational framework necessary to support missions and Administration 

priorities (e.g., Data.gov and Place-Based Policy initiatives) with timely and accurate geospatial data and 

spatial analytical capabilities.

 Promote sustainable governance and collaboration by promoting sharing of geospatial assets and engaging 

and supporting communication across stakeholders.

 Enhance interoperability.

 Ensure accountability and transparency of geospatial and related investments through portfolio 

management.

 Attain cost-savings and economies of scale through collaborative acquisition, development, and 

management of geospatial assets.

 Support and implement standards and processes that establish data quality and information assurance as 

criteria for assets included in the Geospatial Platform portfolio.

4.4 Definition of the Geospatial Platform

The Geospatial Platform will offer access to a suite of geospatial assets including data, services, applications, and 

infrastructure that will be known as the geospatial Platform offering within this document. The Geospatial Platform 

will support an operational environment, www.GeoPlatform.gov, where customers can discover, access, and use 

shared data, services, applications, and when appropriate, infrastructure assets. 

The Geospatial Platform is underpinned by: 

 A segment architecture, aligned with the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA4), that emphasizes reuse of 

open and interoperable standards and technology, and supports increased access to geospatial assets. The 

Geospatial Platform will aim for a service-oriented architecture based upon common, secure, and scalable 

open-standards based technologies and may include cloud computing. 

 Collaborative investment and portfolio management processes that enable partners and customers to 

leverage resources and share the costs of shared geospatial services.

 Policies and governance structures to ensure sound management practices and effective partnerships that 

address the requirements of Federal, State, regional, local, and Tribal organizations, Administration policy, 

and agency missions.

 

4 For more information about Federal Enterprise Architecture visit www.whitehouse.gov/omb/e-gov/fea/ 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 11

 A Managing Partner that services as a government focal point responsible and accountable for coordination 

and provision of data and services provided by the Geospatial Platform.

Geospatial Platform assets will be managed as a portfolio driving toward a scenario where the following 

characteristics are present:

 High quality and timely geospatial data, services, and applications are easy to discover and obtain.

 Customer needs are identified, planned, budgeted, and met in a geospatial context.

 Long-term costs of geospatial asset development, delivery, and access are reduced, duplicative efforts are 

minimized, and new business markets are developed.

 Effective commercial off-the-shelf systems and contractual business support operations are acquired more 

efficiently to replace legacy geospatial applications. 

 Partners leverage non-geospatial assets with the goal of integrated information sharing.

 Collaborative management of geospatial assets occurs across all levels of government.

 Adaptable, proactive, and inclusive interactions are promoted among all stakeholders. 

4.5 A Culture of Transformation: Changing the Game

Over the past decade, stakeholders in the geospatial community have witnessed the mixed success of numerous 

Federal initiatives designed to help improve, coordinate development, and manage geospatial assets. An important 

question now being asked is ―What is different about the Geospatial Platform?‖ The following transformations 

differentiate the Platform from past efforts and will help fulfill the vision of the Geospatial Platform.

Toward Shared Leadership

A key strategy will be the ongoing outreach, consultation, and shared decision making with external stakeholders to 

develop a shared vision and shape and implement the Geospatial Platform. The Roadmap identifies a variety of 

roles for stakeholders in the Geospatial Platform initiative.

The Managing Partner is committed to a collaborative governance approach. Stakeholders will be engaged

continuously through in-person meetings, teleconferences, and social media (i.e., ―Government 2.0‖ tools) to 

support the building of relationships, sharing of assets, as well as development and implementation of the Platform. 

The Geospatial Platform will educate other communities about the power of geospatial tools and engage other, new 

communities of interest. Therefore, the Managing Partner is also committed to including Chief Information Officers 

(CIOs), Chief Financial Officers, government leadership, and elected officials in Geospatial Platform planning and 

implementation. 

Toward a Business Perspective and Common Management Practices

Governments at all levels have an opportunity, through the Geospatial Platform, to manage the operations and 

delivery of geospatial assets using business-like practices. A business approach described in a Business Model 

(Section 5) will lead to:

 A focal point for accountability and management of geospatial assets (Managing Partner).

 Identification of customer requirements and a clear definition of the Geospatial Platform offering.

 A plan to finance the operations of the Geospatial Platform.

Closely aligned with the development of the Business Model will be implementation of consistent management 

processes across the Geospatial Platform. These processes will include:
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 12

 Portfolio Management of geospatial assets where investment priorities are set based on customer business 

requirements. 

 Project Management where each Platform implementation phase is managed as a project, utilizing 

industry accepted project management processes and techniques.

 Partner and Customer Relationship Management where partners will be treated as business partners 

with clearly defined and agreed upon expectations, requirements, and benefits. Customers will have the

opportunity to express their needs and shape the offering. Both partners and customers will be encouraged

to evaluate and offer feedback on the scope and performance of the Geospatial Platform.

Toward Sufficient and Stable Resources

The Geospatial Platform strategy includes moving away from managing and coordinating development of geospatial

assets on a volunteer, ad-hoc, or ―other duties as assigned basis‖. The Managing Partner will aim toward financial 

sustainability by identifying dedicated staff, funding, and revenue streams, and focusing on developing an offering 

that maximizes user benefit, cost-avoidance, and ROI. The Business Model begins the process of identifying the 

costs and funding/revenue streams associated with the Geospatial Platform. 

Toward Open Government, Transparency and Accountability

Geospatial technologies provide an effective means to increase transparency and accountability not only by visually 

presenting information, but also by improving the ability to engage citizens, evaluate alternatives, and understand 

complex interactions. Implementation of the Geospatial Platform readily supports key Administration Open 

Government initiatives that emphasize government-to-citizen communication, accountability, and transparency

including Data.gov, Apps.gov, Recovery.gov, and Place-Based Policy initiatives. Geospatial tools can be integrated 

into an electronic-government (E-Gov) environment, providing citizens with around-the-clock access to 

information about governmental activities, and facilitating opportunities to provide feedback and two-way 

communication. The Geospatial Platform will also deliver online services to provide access to information via 

interactive maps that allow direct access to useful government data. These interactive maps can aggregate 

information from disparate sources, facilitating rapid analysis for users. Maps, visual displays, and geo-enabled5

dashboards can play valuable roles in monitoring, evaluating, tracking, reporting, and supporting decision making. 

Toward Addressing Administration Priorities

Under the umbrella of Federal IT directives, the President‘s FY 2011 Budget6identifies a number of IT funding 

priorities, including the Geospatial Platform. Many goals of the Geospatial Platform are complementary to the goals

of IT priorities: to reduce fragmentation, to streamline operations, transform customer service, and maximize the 

ROI from IT. The Geospatial Platform will contribute to attaining these goals by aligning with several 

Administration IT priorities in the following ways:

 The Platform will be linked to Data.gov and Geodata.gov to provide a source for shareable, reusable, and 

trusted geospatial data.

 Establishing a portfolio management approach for geospatial data, services, applications, and infrastructure 

as called for in the FY 2011 Budget provides a means of effectively selecting and tracking investments in 

geospatial assets as suggested in ―Managing the Federal IT Portfolio.‖

 

5 To geo-enable is to apply geospatial capabilities to a business process in order to establish the authoritative spatial location of 

business data, and enable contextual spatial analysis. 

6 http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2011/assets/topics.pdf
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 13

Place-based Policies

“Place-based policies leverage 

investments by focusing resources 

in targeted places and drawing on 

the compounding effect of wellcoordinated action. Effective placebased policies can influence how 

rural and metropolitan areas 

develop, how well they function as 

places to live, work, operate a 

business, preserve heritage, and 

more. Such policies can also 

streamline otherwise redundant and 

disconnected programs ” 

- From Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) Memorandum 09-28 

 The new FEA will follow an improved model of development that will, “...redesign IT in key business 

areas from the ground up, based on central Federal platforms... [and will] provide an interoperable, 

secure, and cost-effective Federal IT enterprise.‖ 

 Cloud computing, web-based data, services, and applications, and infrastructure made available through 

the Geospatial Platform will support efforts to consolidate Federal data centers or help reduce the need 

for new data centers.

 The Platform can help eliminate fragmented purchasing of IT and leverage the Federal Government’s 

buying power through Enterprise License Agreements (ELAs), Service Level Agreements, and other 

vehicles that promote sharing of and access to reusable geospatial assets.

 The Geospatial Platform will be focused on customer service and finding solutions to large and small 

problems that affect the Nation. Transparency, accountability, and interoperability are keys to effective 

decision-making, clear communication, and timely response.

 Broadband Access for Americans will be incorporated into the Platform.

 Information sharing networks must be secure and protect privacy. Some of the recommendations laid out 

in the Shared Infrastructure Pillar (Appendix B) reflect these ideas, specifically relating to the ―Identity, 

Credential and Access Management (ICAM) Roadmap and Implementation Guidance.‖

Toward Matters and Places of National Importance

In August 2009, the White House instructed the heads of Federal agencies to 

begin developing effective Place-Based Policy initiatives for the FY 2011 

Budget. The Administration has identified the use of place-based planning as a 

priority in its efforts to guide economic development, preserve natural 

resources, minimize government duplication or contradictory policies, and use 

geospatial technology for the benefit of the Nation. A focus on metropolitan 

areas, ecosystems, or regions can create synergies across government programs 

that allow agencies to share information and coordinate in ways not previously 

thought possible. 

Emerging national issues, such as climate change, health care, or childhood 

obesity can also be understood and managed using place-based approaches. As 

geospatial solutions are developed to address key issues, the Geospatial 

Platform can be used to share and leverage technical approaches, solutions, and 

lessons learned.

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. The 

Geospatial Platform will serve as the focal point to tap the potential of issues, places and users.

4.6 Challenges and Keys to Success 

The time is ripe for a successful Geospatial Platform:

 The President‘s FY 2011 Budget identifies the development of a Geospatial Platform as a priority IT 

initiative for Federal agencies. This recognition engages the Office of Management and Budget to develop a 

plan (the Roadmap) under the auspices of the Department of the Interior (DOI).

 Technology and standards exist to develop and deliver the vision of the Geospatial Platform. Infrastructure, 

including the Internet and cloud computing, has matured to support the sharing of geospatial assets across 

multiple organizations. There is a wealth of robust geospatial assets being developed across all levels of 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 14

government and the private sector. Industry IT and open and interoperable geospatial standards are 

available to allow sharing and reuse of assets. 

 Past geospatial coordination efforts, including NGAC and the National States Geospatial Information 

Council (NSGIC) efforts, GOS, the Geospatial Line of Business (Geo LoB), and the Digital Coast have 

developed a clear path that enables us to move forward. The Platform is the logical next step in the 

evolution from dispersed governmental, private, and academic geospatial assets into a cohesive NSDI. 

Spurred by this evolution and innovation and an ever-growing acknowledgement of the value of geospatial 

information, the Platform represents a valuable contribution as a component of the NSDI. Still, the Geospatial 

Platform will face challenges similar to those experienced by other initiatives. 

Challenges

The success of the Geospatial Platform will depend on strong and dedicated leadership that can overcome a number 

of challenges associated with the development of the enterprise. Likely challenges and potential mitigation strategies 

are described below. 

Identifying Requirements

There are many different, and sometimes conflicting, requirements among customers. One challenge will be clearly 

identifying and documenting various business requirements so that the Geospatial Platform offering meets those 

requirements. The Managing Partner will put forth maximum effort to connect with stakeholders and potential 

customers to identify requirements, and to ensure that their requirements are met through the Platform offering. 

Using automated tools, the Managing Partner will conduct initial and ongoing market surveys and needs assessments 

to understand what offerings are most desired by customers. The Managing Partner will remain nimble to assess and 

meet changing or evolving customer requirements over time. 

The Managing Partner is committed to gathering and staying current on existing and evolving requirements of nonFederal governments, while appreciating the constraints resulting from differences in fiscal years and budget 

processes. 

Evolution of Technology

As technology advances, customer requirements will quickly expand and change. The Managing Partner will quickly 

react to changing requirements and adapt to, utilize, and offer new tools. 

Identifying Solutions 

The Managing Partner may find it challenging to identify assets or solutions that meet customer needs. The 

Managing Partner will conduct a capabilities assessment of potential partners to understand potential assets to meet 

customer requirements and will work to engage and incentivize partners to share assets through GeoPlatform.gov. 

Once an offering is available through the Geospatial Platform, the Managing Partner will work to ensure that 

partners continue to manage their data, services, and applications, innovate, and remain actively engaged with the 

Geospatial Platform to continue meeting customer requirements. 

Licensing and Sharing Constraints

Licensing and sharing constraints may exist in some government and private organizations, creating difficulties to 

leverage and share geospatial assets. The Managing Partner is committed to working through these challenges to 

promote sharing and efficiency.

Leadership
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 15

Leadership should not only come from within the Managing Partner, but also from agency political leadership in 

order to provide the full scope and level of support Platform activities. Some agencies may be reluctant to adopt 

new policies, procedures and funding plans. In order for the Platform to achieve tangible results, leadership must 

receive stakeholder buy-in by demonstrating benefits (e.g., ROI, optimization of resources, etc.) and providing 

incentives for participation (e.g., marketing, hosting, etc.). Finally, at all times, the Platform leadership must focus on 

the measurable results of ongoing activities to maintain user and stakeholder trust in the effort. 

Financial Sustainability 

Another crucial component for determining Geospatial Platform success is the long-term financial strategy. Unless 

the Managing Partner determines a sustainable long-term financial approach, the Geospatial Platform offering may 

not be able to meet stakeholder expectations. If the incentives and/or offering are not compelling, stakeholders may 

not be willing to invest in the Geospatial Platform activities and the Geospatial Platform may prove to be unviable 

in the long-term.

Keys to Success

The Geospatial Platform is a highly ambitious yet achievable initiative. Realization of the vision is largely within the 

capacity of the geospatial community. In order to achieve the vision of the Geospatial Platform, the community 

must:

 Act as one to develop, articulate, and commit to a shared vision.

 Set aside past differences and work together toward common goals.

 Develop a business plan that includes strategies and incentives for sharing and partnerships.

 Establish a governance approach that provides for meaningful input and consultation with all stakeholders.

 Initiate outreach and communications using both traditional and new media to include and educate 

stakeholders. 

This initiative will also require upfront and ongoing support of the Administration including:

 Designating and empowering the Managing Partner.

 Providing political leadership to support the FGDC enterprise.

 Providing resources:

o For hosting content as a primary incentive for participation by partners. 

o Long-term financial support through appropriations starting in FY 2012 for infrastructure, new 

offerings, and Platform management.

 Creating a supportive policy environment that encourages agency participation (e.g., finalization and 

enforcement of A-16 Supplemental Guidance, geospatial segment architecture, grants and contracts 

language).

 Developing and maintaining structures for accountability. Developing a strong organizational relationship 

between the Geospatial Platform and other priority IT initiatives including Data.gov.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 16

5. Pillars of the Geospatial Platform 

In June 2010, the Geospatial Platform was envisioned (via the Roadmap) as five inter-related components (Pillars)

are depicted in a conceptual model shown in Figure 1. The organization of the Platform can be logically grouped 

into two discrete categories:

Offering – The suite of assets delivered through the Geospatial Platform that comprises the Geospatial 

Platform Portfolio: 

 Data, Services, and Applications.

 Infrastructure.

Supporting Processes – The business controls necessary to ensure the Geospatial Platform offering is 

delivered: 

 Segment Architecture.

 Governance.

 Portfolio Management.

Appendices A-E provide details of each Pillar as envisioned in June 2010. The March 2011 working definitions of 

the Platform components are provided below. 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 17

Figure 1. Geospatial Platform Conceptual Model

5.1 Pillars Defined

Offering

The Geospatial Platform offering is defined as the suite of geospatial assets delivered to customers through 

GeoPlatform.gov, including geospatial data, services, applications, and infrastructure. When viewed together, this 

suite of assets can be viewed and managed as a set of inter-related portfolios.

Data: includes individual datasets, integrated data (such as base maps), or other products derived from multiple 

datasets. These assets will provide foundational geospatial data that can be trusted, used reliably, and shared across 

organizations. Data can be provided by governments at all levels or non-governmental organizations. 

The Geospatial Platform web based services will help customers discover desired geospatial data, through an 

interface with Data.gov or other similar data portals/registries. 

While all data will be discoverable, the Geospatial Platform will promote only data that meet the Platform portfolio 

inclusion criteria (to be developed). Data that are included in the portfolio will be ―tagged‖ as trusted Platform 

assets. The Platform portfolio data, and all Platform assets, will be managed using life cycle management practices. 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 18

Services: provide a consistent result to all users (e.g., geocoding, metadata editor). The Geospatial Platform will offer 

access to services that can be used by multiple agencies as stand-alone capabilities or as building blocks to develop 

applications. Services offered to customers will include technical geospatial services as well as support services (e.g., 

acquisition, requirements development).

Applications: consist of a set of tools or capabilities that enable a user to select how they utilize the tools and 

capabilities to perform geospatial visualization or analysis to achieve their results. Applications may leverage one to 

many different services to conduct analysis and return a result to the user. The Geospatial Platform will offer access 

to applications that can be downloaded, customized, and used to meet customer business needs.

Infrastructure: includes both physical and logical components of IT that can be leveraged by multiple customers. The 

physical shared infrastructure includes (but is not limited to):

 Data centers and data repositories, including the cloud. 

 Networks, including Internet and intranets.

 Host platforms for data, services, and applications, including portals and services.

The logical shared infrastructure includes (but is not limited to):

 Network routing services.

 Access control and security.

Supporting Processes

Segment Architecture: provides a process-driven approach to designing and deploying large computing components in 

the context of a broader enterprise, which results in a design that can be readily deployed in an actionable solution 

architecture by partners that collaborate on geospatial data and services.

Governance: Processes by which parties with a stake in the Geospatial Platform are afforded an opportunity to shape 

its structure, functions and capabilities. The ultimate vision is to be a national system with shared governance. 

Portfolio Management: establishes a set of processes by which the Geospatial Platform will manage geospatial assets 

contained within the offering. The Geospatial Platform will strategically manage existing geospatial assets as a 

portfolio to maximize their value and increase their potential to solve problems and support everyday business needs

in a manner that increases accountability and transparency. 

For Federal agency partners, portfolio management pertains to the management of investments in geospatial data, 

services, applications, and infrastructure7 assets. This includes setting priorities and selecting assets, and then 

allocating resources to asset development/acquisition, management, and evaluation to maximize enterprise value

and obtain the best possible strategic impact of each investment. 

For non-Federal partners, portfolio management is more limited to such areas as defining criteria for inclusion of 

assets on the Platform, brokering partnership agreements, and customer relationship management.

 

7Detailed information on data portfolio management can be found in the OMB Circular A-16 Supplemental Guidance 

www.fgdc.gov
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 19

6. Business Model 

As described in Section 4, the Geospatial Platform will offer access to geospatial assets through 

GeoPlatform.gov. The Platform will function according to a Business Model in order to maximize value to 

customers and minimize expenses to ensure that customer requirements are met cost-effectively.

The Geospatial Platform Business Model includes the following components:

 Business Institution – the organizational elements and processes that support the Geospatial Platform.

 Customers – the consumers of the Geospatial Platform offerings.

 Financial Approach – the anticipated costs of and potential approaches for financing implementation 

and ongoing management of the Platform.

The business components of Geospatial Platform are portrayed in Figure 2.

 Figure 2. Geospatial Platform Business Componenets

6.1 The Business Institution

The Geospatial Platform Business Institution will contain related elements that include:
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 20

 Managing Partner that will coordinate the Platform‘s activities and develop, deploy, operate, and 

manage the offering. 

 Partner Network that will be comprised of providers of data, services, applications, and infrastructure

and coordinated by the Managing Partner. 

 Governing Organization that will be comprised of partners, customers, and other stakeholders from 

all levels of government and non-governmental organizations to ensure that stakeholder voices are heard 

and that customer requirements are met.

The Business Institution for the Geospatial Platform can be viewed in Figure 3 as a network of providers 

(partners) and business processes that are brokered and managed through the Managing Partner.

Providers of 

Infrastructure

•Networks

•Storage

•Archival

Managing 

Partner

Providers of 

Geospatial Assets

•Data 

•Applications

•Services

Administrative 

Servicing

•Accounting

•Legal

•Personnel

Governance and 

Portfolio Management

•Federal

•Intergovernmental

•National

Figure 3. The Geospatial Platform Business Institution

Managing Partner

The Managing Partner will coordinate the Platform‘s activities and develop, deploy, operate, and manage the 

offering. The Managing Partner needs full-time resources to carry out its functions. Important functions of 

Managing Partner will include, but are not limited to, establishing and managing relationships with partners;

facilitating requirements analyses and developing the offering; managing the portfolio; customer relationship 

management; and outreach and marketing efforts. 

The Managing Partner will serve as the broker and manager of the Partner Network and the primary interface 

with customers.

Until a Managing Partner is selected, the role will be met in the following way:

 DOI will serve as the interim Managing Partner.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 21

 The Chair of the FGDC (or designee) will serve as interim Executive Sponsor of the Geospatial 

Platform.

 An interim Project Manager will be donated by one of the Federal agencies.

 The FGDC Secretariat and Federal member agencies will provide interim staff support to the Geospatial

Platform. 

A process for selection and oversight of the longer-term Managing Partner will be developed in consultation with 

OMB and the FGDC Chair and Steering Committee. Initial criteria for a successful Managing Partner should 

include:

 Ability to negotiate and manage formal partner relationships (e.g., contractual agreements, service level 

agreements, etc.).

 Capability to conduct geospatial requirements analyses.

 Credibility with the geospatial stakeholder community.

 Portfolio management capabilities.

 Customer relationship management capabilities.

Partner Network

Partners provide content (i.e., geospatial assets including data, services, applications, and infrastructure) to the 

Geospatial Platform. They may be governmental or non-governmental organizations. 

Initially the Managing Partner will focus on identifying customer requirements and identifying organizations with 

assets available to meet those requirements. The Managing Partner will reach out to these organizations to 

encourage them to become a member of the Partner Network and share their assets through the Geospatial 

Platform. 

The Managing Partner understands that some organizations have geospatial assets that can be quickly shared 

with few added resources to the partner, while other desirable assets will require more resources. Explicit and 

achievable incentives will be defined to help encourage partnerships that might include, but are not limited to

hosting capacity, technical support, and exposure of partner services to the broader community, or 

reimbursement for services. 

For instance, State organizations might find that database-hosting services offered by the Platform are a valuable 

incentive to provide services. In essence, States may be willing to manage and share key geospatial data sets if the 

Platform provides hosting services in return. Also, for some private sector organizations exposure of their value 

added applications might serve as an incentive to offer services to the Platform.

When assets are shared with the Geospatial Platform, they will become part of the Geospatial Platform portfolio 

and benefit from the Geospatial Platform portfolio management processes and marketing. 

Once providers become partners, they will be required to meet ―rules of engagement‖ included in negotiated 

contractual, license, or service level agreements, to continue their partner status. These ―rules of engagement‖ 

and business processes will be clearly defined and monitored for compliance and performance reporting. 

Governing Organization 

The Managing Partner is committed to managing Platform operations through a collaborative approach that 

includes all stakeholders.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 22

The Geospatial Platform will develop a shared governance model that involves non-Federal entities. The 

President‘s Budget direction notes that the Platform will be ―facilitated by improving the governance framework 

to address the requirements of State, regional, local, and Tribal agencies, Administration policy, and agency 

mission objectives.‖ 

As a first step, the FGDC supported the establishment of an NGAC Intergovernmental Subcommittee to 

provide ongoing advice and feedback to the Managing Partner. The NGAC Intergovernmental Subcommittee 

includes representatives from a broad cross-section of the geospatial community, including members from 

governmental, private sector, non-profit, and academic organizations. 

The Managing Partner will develop a process for long-term stakeholder engagement and shared governance of 

the Geospatial Platform in collaboration with stakeholders and in consultation with OMB.

6.2 The Customers

The customer drives business requirements and Platform offerings. Key customer segments may include: 

 Federal Government.

 State, regional, local, and Tribal governments.

 Private sector.

 Academia.

 Non-profits.

 Citizens.

Customers can also be categorized as:

 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) professionals.

 Executives. 

 Managers.

 Scientists.

 The general public.

During early implementation, the Geospatial Platform will focus on government customers. 

The Managing Partner will act as the primary interface between the Geospatial Platform and its customers. The 

Managing Partner will conduct a market survey /needs assessment to better understand the target market and 

identify customer groups. These interactions will also help the Managing Partner to develop the processes of 

ongoing customer interactions and feedback. 

The anticipated major categories of customer interactions are depicted in Figure 4.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 23

Figure 4. Major Categories of Customer Interactions

6.3 The Financial Approach 

The financial approach for the Geospatial Platform considers both the costs to develop and manage the offering

and the sources of funds and other resources that will be used to cover the costs.

Costs/Expenses

Start- Up Costs 

In the first stages of the Geospatial Platform development, capital investments will be necessary to ensure 

smooth implementation. Capital investments will include infrastructure, processing capabilities, and asset 

migration. The Geospatial Platform will utilize the resources of similar initiatives, such as cloud computing, data 

center consolidation led by the Federal CIO Council, and Electronic Capital Planning and Investment Control 

System. 

The Geospatial Platform will leverage existing assets. Sharing the tools and technology developed by other 

agencies or partners not only reduces costs, but also speeds implementation of the Platform and builds upon 

already established best practices. Over time, however, these investments will reduce the government-wide cost 

of geospatial technology by decreasing redundancy, increasing efficiency, and improving the tools and data 

available for executing agencies‘ core business processes.

Business Institution Costs 

The Business Institution is the component of the Platform that creates expenses; these include both direct costs 

and overhead costs. Platform expenses, grouped by the core elements of the Business Institution, include:

Managing Partner 

 Salary and benefits for Program Manager.

 Staff and/or contractual services for: 

o Customer relations and support.

o Partner relations.

o Geospatial technical oversight and management.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 24

o Administrative and financial management.

o Marketing (e.g., promotion, pricing, product development, and research).

o Outreach and communications.

o Government accountability (e.g., budgeting, performance management, reporting).

 Office hardware and software to support Program Manager and staff.

Partner Network

 Provisioning of technology infrastructure for hosting.

 Acquisition of content (data, services, and applications) from partners/providers.

 Technical support and training for partners.

Governing Organization

 Staff and/or contractual services for stakeholder input and portfolio management.

o Meetings.

o Communications.

o Portfolio management process development and application.

Geospatial Platform Source of Funds and Other Resources 

The Geospatial Platform is considering using four major methods to cover the costs of operations. These 

include:

―Common Good‖ Funding.

 Direct appropriations and/or reinvestment of cost-savings.

 Across the board assessments (e.g., Geo LoB, GOS).

 Reimbursable agreements under the general authority of the Economy Act.

Incentive-based Partnerships.

 Intergovernmental partnerships that involve a government entity providing no-cost data, services, 

applications, or infrastructure to the Platform in return for receiving commensurate benefits.

 Intergovernmental partnerships that involve government entities sharing the cost of data, services, 

applications, or infrastructure in return for receiving commensurate benefits.

No-Cost Contributions from Partners.

 Partners providing content as a part of filling mission requirements to create public domain geospatial 

formation (e.g., National Wetlands Inventory, The National Map).

 In-kind contributions from partners who are willing to cover the full cost of a dataset, application or 

service because the marginal costs beyond meeting their mission obligations is minimal (e.g., Palanterra).

 Donations of data, services, applications, or infrastructure from government agencies or their partners. 

Income from Customers of Services.

 Metered services (e.g., geocoding costs charged per transaction).

 Subscription fees. 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 25

In summary, the Geospatial Platform Business Model places new emphasis on managing a Partner Network of 

providers to deliver valuable and trusted geospatial assets that meet the needs and requirements of key 

customers. 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 26

7. Implementation and Performance Goals

The Geospatial Platform is building upon multiple ongoing and related efforts, including Geo LoB activities, The 

National Map, development of the segment architecture, collaboration with Administration activities (e.g., Data.gov, 

Apps.gov, etc.), and development of related programmatic initiatives (e.g., development of a business plan and budget 

request for the Imagery for the Nation initiative). This section describes the strategic path forward for development and 

implementation of the Geospatial Platform and preliminary thinking on performance measures. The Platform 

implementation approach will be informed by several key principles:

7.1 Long-term Vision

This document provides a conceptual vision, to be refined based upon collaboration and consultation with Geospatial 

Platform stakeholders. The vision of the Geospatial Platform is consistent with the Geospatial Segment Architecture,

builds upon the portfolio management practices outlined in the A-16 Supplemental Guidance and aligns with the 

Administration‘s goals for ensuring transparency, democratizing public-sector data, and driving innovation.

7.2 Phased Implementation

The Geospatial Platform will be developed in a phased approach, with a bias toward action that will provide immediate 

improvements and useful products and components for customers. This incremental development approach will 

provide a steady stream of valuable offerings for customers. Development of the Platform will be informed by ongoing 

and frequent interactions with stakeholders, and will work to incorporate new requirements, feedback, and 

recommendations at each phase. 

7.3 Collaboration with Stakeholders

The Geospatial Platform effort will involve substantial outreach and consultation with external stakeholders to reach a 

shared vision and develop a collaborative governance approach. The Geospatial Platform aims to provide valuable 

assets for use by all customers. Over the coming months, the Managing Partner will engage with stakeholders and 

potential partners through a variety of means, including the following:

 Consultation with the NGAC.

 Social media approaches.

 Capabilities assessments.

 Targeted sessions with key stakeholder groups.

 Dialogue and discussion at industry and professional meetings and conferences.

7.4 Project Management

The Geospatial Platform will be managed using best practices of project management, including a ―time box‖ approach 

to phased implementation. Time boxing is a project management technique often used in planning projects and in rapid 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 27

application development software development processes, where an implementation schedule is divided into a number 

of separate time periods (i.e., time boxes), with each period having its own deliverables and deadlines. The initial 

implementation of the Geospatial Platform focuses on incremental implementation of existing components and 

capabilities using dedicated teams organized around the time box goals.

7.5 Measuring Performance

Performance measures are an integral part of understanding how the Platform meets customer needs, identifies 

successes and gaps, and provides insight into ROI. In addition, performance measures extend transparency and enhance 

accountability among both internal and external stakeholders. The Managing Partner is committed to finding the right 

blend of performance measures that will provide a practical, yet holistic look at the Platform and its offerings. 

Performance measures link overarching goals of the Platform to the day-to-day operations and resources (human, 

intellectual, financial, and organizational), and answer key questions about performance, outputs, and outcomes 

including:

 Are the right people involved and are those with responsibilities meeting those responsibilities?

 Are stakeholder needs clearly defined and efficiently addressed? 

 Are investments showing returns and value? Are resources measured and maximized? Are there opportunities 

for partnerships or collaboration?

 Are the right assets (i.e., data, services, applications, infrastructure) available and of high quality? Are the 

appropriate selection criteria in place? Are there opportunities for collaboration or consolidation?

 Does the infrastructure function as intended? Is access available when needed and to the right people? 

 Are priorities selected efficiently? Are priorities organized and addressed appropriately?

 Are best practices and lessons learned captured? 

 Have reporting mechanisms (e.g., dashboards, maturity models, etc.) and timetables been established? 

Financial Performance and Investments

Financial performance metrics provide indicators highlighting the health of the Platform and can show ROI for assets 

within the Platform Portfolio (i.e., data, services, applications, infrastructure) as well as investments made in human 

capital that allow the Platform to address stakeholder needs. 

 Cost avoidance in dollars from ELAs.

 ROI calculations for data investment.

 Cost-benefit analyses for services.

 Investment collaboration reviews for data, services, applications, and infrastructure or to set Platform-wide 

investment priorities.

 Opportunity cost analysis of partnerships.

Operational Performance Metrics

Operational performance metrics highlight the day-to-day operations and maintenance goals of the Platform and 

provide information on what data, services, or applications are available on the Platform as well as when, and what 

people are seeking/using within the Platform. Some examples of operational performance metrics might include:

 Number of partnerships established or partnership opportunities identified.

 Quantity of data, services, and applications available through the Platform. 

 Number of downloads/site visits.

 Percentage of users who are repeat customers. 

 Number of Federal, State, regional, local, or Tribal users.

 Average server or request response time.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 28

 Percentage of time the Platform is online and available to users.

Customer Service Performance Metrics

Similar to operational performance metrics, customer service performance metrics highlight day-to-day Platform usage; 

however, unlike operational metrics above, these metrics focus on who is using the Platform and whether the Platform 

is meeting stakeholder business needs. Examples of customer service performance metrics might include:

 Number of customers.

 Number of downloads/website hits by user group (e.g., Federal, State, regional, local or Tribal government, 

private sector, academic, or citizen users).

 Ease-of-use or customer satisfaction survey scores.

 Number of listening/feedback sessions or number of comments received.

Governance and Compliance Metrics

Governance and compliance metrics relate to the degree to which Platform assets meet requirements and standards 

issued by authoritative bodies (e.g., International Organization of Standardization (ISO) Standards, FGDC metadata 

standards) or the degree to which stakeholders meet agreed upon roles and responsibilities (e.g., Platform stakeholder 

rules of engagement, leadership responsibilities, etc.). Some examples of governance and compliance metrics include:

 Percentage of data that are ISO/FGDC Standards compliant.

 Percentage of data with FGDC metadata compliance.

 Percentage of Federal data that are A-16 Supplemental Guidance compliant.

 Performance of each stakeholder in implementing roles and responsibilities.

 Participation by agency or participation by State.

 Percentage compliance with rules of engagement.

Portfolio Management Metrics

The Geospatial Platform portfolio will be measured and reported based on the following: 

 Data maturity based on maturity model scores.

 IT dashboards.

 Investment review criteria and investment review scores.

 Implementation of roles and responsibilities specific to portfolio management (e.g., roles and responsibilities in 

the A-16 Supplemental Guidance for data portfolio management).

Platform Implementation Metrics

Geospatial Platform implementation will occur in a phased approach based on Platform priorities, funding, and 

partners‘ ability to implement standards, requirements, roles and responsibilities, and funding model. In order to track 

implementation progress, Platform implementation metrics will evaluate: 

 Cost (baseline and variance).

 Schedule (baseline and variance).

 Scope (baseline and variance).

Performance against targets for metrics will be specific to each phase of implementation.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 29

Common Data, Services 

and Applications: 

A single solution, utilized by two or 

more agencies/partners, to meet: 

1. A common requirement between 

agencies, or 

2. Meet different requirements 

across agencies

One solution – multiple uses

Appendix A. Common Data, Services and 

Applications, June 2010

A.1. Definition

Common data, services and applications are recognized as official or 

trusted resources with a Federal lead agency steward (for data, ―Dataset 

Manager‖ per A-16 Supplemental Guidance). The Federal lead agency 

verifies and vouches for the quality and reliability of the resources, which 

may include commercial resources. (Examples include TIGER data, a

geocoding service, and commercial GIS software.) Common assets are 

managed as part of the Geospatial Platform portfolio and therefore must 

meet portfolio inclusion criteria (for data, see A-16 Supplemental 

Guidance). 

Common Geospatial Data, Services and Applications are:

 Used by two or more entities to meet one or more geospatial 

business requirements (i.e., provide a common solution).

 Registered and discoverable through the Geospatial Platform 

portfolio.

 Provided in a standardized form, format, or process.

It is important to note that the term ―common‖ as defined herein does not define the distinctions between 

authoritative, official, trusted, validated, or best available information. This will be taken into account through the 

metadata, data/services/applications registry and user interface components of the Geospatial Platform and be 

determined by an evaluation of the source, content, quality and intended use.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 30

Common Data, Services and Applications

Data

• Download

• Access 

• Web 

• WMS

Services 

• Requirements 

development

• Acquisition 

• Computing Cycles

• FTP Services

• Data Production

• Training

• “How To” Manuals

• Archiving services

Applications 

• Geocoding

• Basemap Service 

• Routing 

• Geoprocessing

• Software

Figure A.1. Common Data, Services and Applications Offerings

Common Data

The common data component of the Geospatial Platform portfolio includes any geospatial data selected by the 

Managing Partner because they meet inclusion criteria outlined in the A-16 Supplemental Guidance and one used by 

two or more Federal agencies and partners to meeting their business requirements. Common data for the Geospatial 

Platform will provide the foundation for meeting a broad spectrum of customer business requirements and are often 

created or acquired in response to a need. 

Geospatial data are developed and managed to meet specific format, content and structural requirements that are based 

on the intended use. As new requirements are identified by the national geospatial community, or new data identified 

that meet defined requirements, the format, content, structure and even the number of datasets required may change. 

For example, a roads dataset may be used to perform vehicle routing by one agency and the same dataset used as a base 

map by another agency. In either case, there is a single dataset utilized by multiple agencies

Common data include access to either original source data or data, which have been integrated to meet requirements for 

consistency. The Census TIGER/Line files are an example of a single formatted dataset that is used across multiple 

agencies to render demographic information. There are many types of access methods to geospatial data including 

online web services, data download and all other data access methods.

Common Services

The common services component of the Geospatial Platform portfolio includes all other types of geospatial services 

that provide a consistent capability to users (i.e., tools and services that support the execution and management of 

geospatial business processes and offline services). While peripheral to the analysis capabilities that form the core 

execution of the Geospatial Platform‘s function, these common services are key underlying and complimentary efforts 

that must be included as part of the overall Geospatial Platform portfolio.

Examples of the types of support services include requirements development and tracking tools, system computing 

cycles and file transfer protocol (FTP) services. Examples of offline administrative services include acquisition services 

(such as the Geospatial SmartBUY for geospatial software established through the Geo LoB), data production services 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 31

and training. It is also envisioned that a hosting service will be one of the Geospatial Platform services offered for those 

agencies without the required capacity to host or that have security concerns about hosting all of the data that are

required by other agencies, stakeholders and partners. 

Common Applications

The common applications component of the Geospatial Platform portfolio includes any computer-based set of tools or 

capabilities that enables a user to perform geospatial visualization or analysis, including software, online applications and 

geo-processing required by two or more agencies/partners/customers. 

This category of applications includes a broad spectrum of analytical support generated to facilitate the government‘s 

delivery of services to citizens. Applications may leverage data services to conduct analysis or computations and return a 

result to the user or they may provide the user interface between and with other services. The utilization of open 

standards will allow these various components to communicate and interoperate effectively.

A base map visualization service from rendered and cached geospatial data, a routing tool, a geocoding service and

geographic information system (GIS) software are all examples of common applications. A potentially high-impact 

common application for the Geospatial Platform is a consistent, standards-based metadata editor. As all Federal 

agencies must comply with the FGDC metadata standard and create metadata for every geospatial dataset, it makes 

sense to develop one common metadata editor and deploy it across agencies. Agencies can avoid duplicative software 

development by using a common application that allows for easy compliance. If desired, agencies can implement a 

customized style for the metadata editor tailored to their individual needs. 

Data.gov is an example of a successful common application through which Federal geospatial data are made available to 

the public. Data.gov was established recognizing that data are assets of the Federal Government and its citizens and

provides public information for the public good. Efforts are underway to add additional geospatial functionality to the 

Data.gov infrastructure enabling users to view their selected data in a map. 

A.2. Objective/Purpose 

The objective of Common Data, Services and Applications is to ensure that data, services and applications are 

discoverable, accessible, usable and obtainable by all. The Geospatial Platform will expose and leverage existing 

resources, providing a means to identify and eliminate redundancies among agencies, and at the same time enabling a 

geospatial market by opening up these common services and requirements. 

Common data, services and applications are achieved when:

 Standards are adopted and implemented by providers of data, services and applications.

 Publication of the data, services and applications follow a common protocol for registry, publishing and

discovery.

 The full spectrum of data are published with fully compliant metadata removing any debate about the most 

authoritative/appropriate dataset.

 Common applications are developed using core requirements of multiple agencies upon which user interface 

and branding can be modified if necessary to better meet customer requirements. 

A.3. Approach/Strategies

The Geospatial Platform will meet business needs of its customers, support transparency and access to information,

and empower the Nation‘s citizens through access to a range of geospatial data, services and applications. Federal 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 32

leadership must assist in lowering the barrier to publish data, services and applications by ensuring a common method 

and approach is adhered to by the community. The Geospatial Platform will implement an open government approach 

to standards based services publication and will adopt and enforce the use of open and interoperable standards to

simplify discovery, access and dissemination of data, services and applications. The Geospatial Platform will then be 

populated with common data, services and applications. As the Geospatial Platform matures, a number of guidance 

documents and how-to manuals will be produced to encourage participation by all members of the national geospatial 

community in the effort.

To achieve the Geospatial Platform objectives, the processes and frameworks will be developed to:

 Endorse and enforce standards.

 Identify/inventory/catalog available geospatial data, services and applications.

 Identify common business requirements they meet or are utilized to support.

 Identify new or evolving common business requirements that can be supported by geospatial assets.

 Identify the functions, the services and applications performed.

 Identify those data, services and applications that are utilized by multiple agencies to meet common business 

needs. 

 Establish the mechanisms to govern, operate, evaluate and service the common components.

A.4. Priorities

The Geospatial Platform priorities with respect to common data, services and applications include:

 Discovery of geospatial data, services and applications.

 Initial inventory and selection of geospatial data, services and applications (also see Portfolio Management 

objectives and priorities).

 Endorsement and enforcement of standards.

 Identify priorities for new common data, services and applications.

Discovery of geospatial data, services and applications

A fundamental goal of the Geospatial Platform is to enable providers and customers to contribute, access and leverage 

data, services and applications, and provide a clear method for discovering valuable resources. Common and 

discoverable data, services and applications are often the starting point for identifying data, services and applications 

that have broader value to multiple partners and may be included in the Geospatial Platform portfolio and delivered as 

common resources. One Geospatial Platform service will include evaluating the data, services and applications, and the 

requirements they are designed to fulfill.

While not all data, services and applications will be included in the Geospatial Platform portfolio, all Federal 

investments in geospatial data, services and applications should be discoverable and inventoried as part of the national 

strategy. The Geospatial Platform will encourage all Federal agencies and partners to share and leverage their geospatial 

assets

Federal Executive branch agencies should publish metadata for all geospatial datasets and applications to Data.gov, the 

authoritative repository for Executive branch data. Another system service will be developed for non-Executive Federal 

and non-Federal data and applications as part of the Geospatial Platform. These systems will work together to ensure 

that all geospatial data and applications are discoverable to customers.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 33

An initial asset inventory and selection of geospatial data, services and applications for the Geospatial Platform 

portfolio, will need to occur in order for the Managing Partner to know what geospatial data and applications exist and 

how they support the business requirements of the Federal Government and its partners. The registry developed using 

Data.gov and its counterpart (for non-Executive Federal and non-Federal data and applications) will serve as the initial 

government wide inventory of geospatial data, services and applications. This initial inventory activity will be conducted 

to create a baseline Geospatial Platform portfolio, which will be routinely maintained on at least an annual basis.

From this initial inventory, geospatial data, services and applications will be selected for inclusion in the Geospatial 

Platform portfolio. Processes for data selection are outlined in the A-16 Supplemental Guidance, whereas similar 

processes for selecting services and applications will need to be developed (see Portfolio Management priorities).

Initial inventory and selection of geospatial data, services and applications 

To select assets for the Geospatial Platform portfolio, the Managing Partner must know what geospatial data and 

applications exist and how they support the business requirements of the Federal Government and its partners. The 

registry developed using Data.gov and its counterpart (for non-Executive Federal and non-Federal data and 

applications) will serve as the initial government wide inventory of geospatial data, services and applications. This initial 

inventory activity will be conducted to create a national geospatial inventory, which will be routinely maintained on at 

least an annual basis. 

From this initial inventory, geospatial data, services and applications will be selected for inclusion in the Geospatial 

Platform portfolio. Processes for data selection are outlined in the A-16 Supplemental Guidance, whereas similar 

processes for selecting services and applications will need to be developed (see Portfolio Management priorities). 

Endorsement and enforcement of standards (also see Segment Architecture) 

An open government approach to standards based services publication will fuel the demand for more geospatial data 

and robust application development as more and more location-based services are developed. Through the FGDC, the 

Geospatial Platform will adopt and enforce open and interoperable standards to leverage the work already 

accomplished by national and international standards organizations. Standards will simplify discovery, access and 

dissemination of data, services and applications through the Geospatial Platform. Shared standards that shall be 

formally evaluated for adoption by the Federal Government include, but are not limited to:

 Geospatial data publication standards as described by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), the 

International Organization of Standardization (ISO), the International Committee for Information Technology 

Standards (INCITS) L1 committee that deals specifically with geospatial standards, and the FGDC including 

but not limited to the Web Services (features, map, processing, coverage, etc.), Location Services, Metadata, 

Registries, Data Quality and other applicable standards specifically dealing with geospatial data; and

 All published data, services and applications shall include an open Application Programmers Interface (Open 

API). At a minimum the API shall allow searchability by the domain of geospatial search properties (e.g.,

contains, contained within, near, intersects etc). 

Identify priorities for new common data, services and applications

Initially, the Geospatial Platform will leverage The National Map requirements study and the Geo LoB surveys to provide 

priority recommendations for new common data, services and applications. Geospatial Platform priorities are further 

supported by specific studies conducted by the National Research Council (NRC), selected Federal agencies and the 

National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC). The results of these studies and surveys are outlined in 

Table A.1 below.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 34

The Geo LoB surveyed agencies to identify geospatial services and applications required to meet business needs. The 

Geospatial Platform will leverage that survey and aim to provide the identified priority applications. The highest priority 

identified by 42% of agencies was a metadata editor that is FGDC compliant, web enabled, flexible and customizable. 

Also highly desired were a map tracker (33%) and an interactive mapping service (30%). 

Table A.1. Potential opportunities for common data, services and applications 

(TNM) The National Map Customer Requirements: Findings from Interviews and Surveys, OFR 2009-1222, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. 

Geological Survey, December, 2009

(CSWG) Common Services Work Group Survey of Federal Agency Geospatial Requirements, Summary of Results, February, 2010

(NGAC) National Geospatial Advisory Committee, Summary of key decisions/recommendations, November, 2009

(LLR) National Geospatial Advisory Committee Messaging Committee Lessons Learned and Recommendations

Geospatial Data Citation 

Reference

Immediate Mid Term

Imagery TNM, NGAC, LLR TNM-Imagery IFTN

Elevation/LiDAR TNM, CSWG, 

NGAC, LLR

TNM-NED NEEP

Public Streets and Roads TNM, TIGER

Surface Water TNM, TNM-NHD

Civil Boundaries TNM,

Parcels TNM, NGAC, LLR

Land Cover TNM, NLI

Geographic Names TNM, TNM-GNIS

Public Land Survey System TNM,

Vertical and Horizontal Control TNM,

Federal and Native American Land 

Boundaries

TNM,

Address Points TNM, CSWG

National Wetlands Dataset USFWS

Geospatial Platform Services

Cloud Computing CSWG

GPS receivers CSWG

Geocoding Service CSWG, TNM X

Instruction/Guidance/How-to manual How-to manual

Common Data Access URL X

Remotely Sensed Land Cover Change X

Strategy for Service Discovery X

Geospatial Applications

Land Cover Change CSWG,

Map Viewer/Visualization CSWG, TNM PalanterraTM

Meta Data Editor CSWG

Map Viewer for Mobile Platform TNM X

Coastal Communities X

Tightening Mortgage Practices X

Cities in Transition X
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 35

Appendix B. Shared Infrastructure, June 2010

B.1. Definition

The Geospatial Platform shared infrastructure refers to joint development, operations, maintenance and/or other uses 

of the same IT components and investments by multiple Federal departments and agencies. Shared Infrastructure 

supports the hardware, networks and Platforms that common data, services and applications operate from, including 

portals.

A shared infrastructure for IT includes both physical and logical components that can be leveraged by multiple Federal 

agencies. The physical shared infrastructure includes (but is not limited to):

 Data centers and data repositories. 

 Networks, including Internet and intranets.

 Host Platforms for applications, including portals and services.

Logical shared infrastructure includes (but is not limited to):

 Network routing services.

 Access control and security.

The foundation for defining a shared infrastructure is the Federal Geospatial Segment Architecture (FGSA), which is 

based on the Federal Segment Architecture Methodology (FSAM). The FGSA describes the overall governing 

architecture for Federal geospatial investments, including business, technology, data, services and performance 

reference models. The Geospatial Platform shared infrastructure identifies those components of the FGSA that can be 

leveraged, reused and shared by the geospatial missions of agencies and partners. 

B.2. Objective/Purpose 

The objective of a shared infrastructure for the Geospatial Platform is to reduce costs while improving efficiency for 

geospatial information sharing. A shared infrastructure allows multiple agencies and partners to leverage common 

investments. In addition to reducing costs, a shared infrastructure can simplify access control requirements while 

improving overall security by reducing the number of physical components needed to perform operations. Other 

benefits of shared infrastructure include enhancement of collaboration and services. The future state of shared 

infrastructure would support federated databases, which allow partners to contribute their data to larger, shared 

repositories where many users are able to combine and leverage them. These federated databases, for example, would 

create a ―quilt‖ of parcel data for the Nation by combining content from State and local partners. Key drivers for this 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 36

activity are identified in the Fiscal Year 2011 Budget of the United States Government, Analytical Perspectives, Section 

19, Information Technology (page 321). These drivers include:

 Modernizing Federal and national IT infrastructure to be efficient and effective.

o Centralize provisioning of IT services for non-military agencies.

o Implement cloud computing.

o Consolidate data centers.

 Transparency and Participation in Governance.

o Data.gov.

o Broadband access for Americans.

 Security and Privacy.

o Securing government systems.

o Identity management.

o Protecting privacy.

In addition, the Geospatial Platform will support the President‘s Information Sharing Environment (ISE). The goal of 

the ISE is to assure that all authorized users can access all required data and information at any time from any 

authorized device. 

B.3. Approach/Strategies 

The Geospatial Platform will leverage common services, guidelines and strategies developed under the auspices of the 

Federal Chief Information Officers (CIO) Council and OMB. These include the Federal Identify Credentialing and 

Access Management (FICAM) Roadmap, the Sensitive But Unclassified/Controlled But Unclassified Information 

(SBU/CUI) Interoperability Initiative Segment Architecture and activities to consolidate data centers across the 

government enterprise. Whenever possible, the Geospatial Platform will rely on shared Federal IT infrastructure to

assure it is a part of the Federal mainstream IT. 

Geospatial data developed by the government have broad use across a wide, interdisciplinary range of missions and 

needs. To be effective the Geospatial Platform needs to recognize different needs and capabilities between customer

segments, in particular, how data, services and applications are to be used. For many customers, simple view only 

capabilities may be required, in other cases, download of very large datasets and access to high level computing power 

may be required. The Geospatial Platform shared infrastructure will address key customer segments.

B.4. Priorities

The shared infrastructure of the Geospatial Platform will develop a shared infrastructure that:

 Is robust and reliable to host and deliver common data, services and applications.

 Provides geographic information system (GIS) capability for agencies that need geospatial tools but do not 

have access to them.

 Provides role-based access; for example, implementing FICAM guidance for access control, including the PIVI standards for non-Federal users, is a key priority to assure data security and support the SBU/CUI 

information sharing environment.

 Maximizes the value of cloud computing. The Cloud Computing Model is a major component of the Federal 

Government‘s effort to achieve efficient and effective IT. The FGDC is currently working with the Federal 

CIO Council to develop guidance for the implementation of cloud computing.

 Supports GIS capability for offices that have integrated tools in a collaborative inter-agency mission.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 37

 Supports the direction of the broader government IT community, including but not limited to Data.gov, 

USASpending.gov, Broadband for Americans, identity management, data center consolidation and National 

Information Exchange Model (NIEM). 

The Geospatial Platform will develop an understanding of ―as-is‖ geospatial infrastructure and user needs to help define 

―to-be‖ infrastructure.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 38

Appendix C. Segment Architecture, June 2010

C.1. Definition 

Segment Architecture, as promoted through the Federal Segment Architecture Methodology (FSAM) is a processdriven approach to designing and deploying large government computing components in the context of a broader 

agency or government enterprise architecture. The Geospatial Platform requires such a methodology to design an

―actionable‖ solution architecture that can be readily deployed by agencies that collaborate on geospatial data, services

and applications. The draft Geospatial Segment Architecture Guidance8 document uses the FSAM to explore the as-is 

and to-be Federal environment and identifies opportunities for the Geospatial Platform. The draft Geospatial Segment 

Architecture Guidance will serve as the key resource for guiding the Geospatial Platform segment architecture. 

The Geospatial Platform will coordinate the architectural  ̳blueprint‘ for a common geospatial data environment defined 

by business requirements. The architecture documents common business requirements that drive the identification of 

service and data resources of the Geospatial Platform to support mission needs of many agencies and stakeholders. The 

resulting solution architecture should be implemented by agencies using common, secure, interoperable and scalable 

open-standards based technologies. 

The description and documentation of the Geospatial Platform‘s Segment Architecture is intended for three different 

audiences, Executives, Architects and Stakeholders. The Roadmap provides Federal executives and decision makers 

with a common understanding of the Geospatial Platform architecture goals and principles and outlines initial activities 

to begin to transition to the target environment. Future documents are envisioned to leverage and apply the resources 

of the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA). The Geospatial Profile and the draft Geospatial Segment Architecture 

Guidance document the needs of agency architects and stakeholder agencies, respectively, in response to Geospatial 

Platform requirements.

C.2. Objective/Purpose 

The Geospatial Platform requires a segment architecture activity to identify solution engineering requirements from 

Geospatial Platform requirements into a consolidated, interoperable and open standards-based technical architecture, 

based upon the Foundational Principles listed below. The target technical architecture will be adopted and deployed by 

providers for the discovery and exchange of standards-based geospatial data, services and applications. 

 

8 The draft Geospatial Segment Architecture Guidance is available at: http://www.fgdc.gov/geospatial-lob
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 39

C.3. Approach/Strategies 

Foundational Principles that form the basis for an efficient and cost-effective Geospatial Platform architecture include:

 Agreement on a common architectural style (i.e., a service-oriented architecture).

 Support for open standards for data content, format, protocol and service accessibility.

 Commitment to a design process that can be readily deployed by agencies as a solution architecture, while 

allowing partners to choose their own development methodology.

 Transparency of design, deployment and operation.

The Geospatial Platform segment architecture common engineering solution approach will:

 Facilitate the design, development and deployment of an effective and efficient Geospatial Platform segment 

architecture.

 Document common business process, service component, technology (standards), and data and performance 

requirements.

 Enable the execution of a practical and operational community geospatial segment architecture based on 

common principles as solution architectures within broader agency architectures.

The target Geospatial Platform architecture will be established as a services-oriented architecture (SOA) based on 

fundamentals of business focus and alignment using common, secure, interoperable and scalable open-standards based 

technologies. It will be designed to provide common geospatial capabilities for data, services, applications and 

infrastructure in support of stakeholder missions, business needs and citizen access. Using the Geospatial Segment 

Architecture Guidance document, the Geospatial Platform architecture will address each of the five reference models of 

the Federal Enterprise Architecture – Business, Data, Technical, Service Component and Performance – through 

application of the FSAM. When applied, these common engineering solutions provide efficiencies and economies 

within the respective agencies as well as contribute to the federated Geospatial Platform. 

Segment Architecture activities shall support relevant current Federal priorities including accountability and 

transparency, Data.gov and the ISE, in the context of FEA guidance and methodologies. 

Figure C.1 provides a logical view of the anticipated Geospatial Platform architecture development process. Geospatial 

Platform requirements are processed and integrated following the methodology presented in the Geospatial Segment 

Architecture Guidance. This process will help develop documented consensus on the common business processes, data 

and service requirements relevant to supporting the full Geospatial Platform. 

An architectural blueprint can then be developed that formalizes the agreements on standardized data, services, 

applications and process definition that can be translated into tangible service offerings (solution architectures). The 

proposed architecture exists within a broader multi-tier context. The Platform focus is on the Platform tier, which is 

underpinned by standardized infrastructure tier capabilities (network, storage, security, provisioning) and is accessed by 

clients in the application tier. It is anticipated that the Geospatial Platform may define suites of standardized operations 

(shown by the purple horizontal line) that bundle specific requirements for infrastructure, data, process and services 

into service patterns that support shared business processes and can be deployed or procured in multiple locations, as 

needed. Examples of this may include geocoding services, catalog/registry services, visualization and data access 

services.

One of the core principles of a coordinated geospatial architecture, formalized in the FEA and FSAM, is the 

identification and adoption of relevant technical geospatial standards within the community. Specifying common 

standards for adoption within the Platform context include these benefits:
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 40

 Identified standards are developed by voluntary consensus standards organizations with a commitment to 

maintenance and review;

 Standards organization membership and requirements reflect the interests of the government in geospatial 

interoperability;

 Adoption of standards by industry and government increases the availability of deployed, compatible, software 

solutions; and

 Adoption of common standards facilitates immediate geospatial data exchange between agencies and between 

the government and its stakeholders.

Standards are defined in the FEA Geospatial Profile and Architecture Guidance Document annexes to specify 

documentation of data content and structure, metadata, format, and web service protocols for maximum 

interoperability within the Platform environment.

Figure C.1. Geospatial Platform conceptual architecture and role of FEA

C.4. Priorities

The Geospatial Segment Architecture Guidance provides a context, or rubric, through which all Geospatial Platform

requirements can be coordinated, resulting in a notional architecture that can be readily deployed by agencies. Potential

activities/opportunities that are central to the shared architecture include:

 Formal endorsement and approval of the Geospatial Segment Architecture Guidance.

 Requirements-based identification of common, high priority geospatial business activities and processes (i.e.,

data, services and applications) for inclusion and/or development of the Geospatial Platform Initial Operating 

Capability.

 Review and update the as-is technical architecture defined by the Geospatial Segment Architecture Guidance 

and develop a common to-be federated infrastructure based on a SOA approach.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 41

 Review and update the necessary geospatial open standards from the Geospatial Segment Architecture 

Guidance reference annexes that are required to deploy the Geospatial Platform.

 Assure that the technical architecture design supports deployment of geospatial data, services and applications 

using a cloud computing model as a major part of the strategy to achieve efficient and effective geospatial IT.

 Develop consensus and publish formal data content models for national geospatial data assets, including 

preparation of a data dictionary, data types and standard metadata to promote data acquisition, publication, 

conversion and use.

 Determine how the quality of data, service, or application, as defined by the customer, can be represented and 

used within the technical architecture.

 Document requirements for Data.gov to support registration, discovery, evaluation and visualization of 

geospatial data in the context of operational needs of the Geospatial Platform.

 Address requirements of Geospatial Platform data, services and applications with respect to Federated Identity, 

Credential and Access Management (FICAM).

 Accommodate architectural support for common applications compatible with the multi-agency Common 

Code Base Initiative - i.e., migrate Palanterra-based geospatial client/service functionality to a services-based 

approach to foster efficiency and reuse.

 Drive and anticipate geospatial capabilities in Data.gov to include geospatial and temporal search, index and 

cataloguing capabilities currently in Geodata.gov but required for the common USASearch.gov environment.

 Drive and anticipate augmentation of Data.gov capabilities to support standards-based service and applications 

documentation and discovery coupled with registered and approved geospatial data resources.

 Support development of an IT Dashboard (e.g., http://it.usaspending.gov) for alignment and reporting of 

cost/schedule/performance as part of the Geospatial Platform program management oversight and 

transparency to the geospatial community.

 Support quantification of stakeholder business demand for Geospatial Platform data, services and applications 

through monitoring the use of Geospatial Platform-affiliated data, services and applications.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 42

Appendix D. Governance, June 2010

D.1. Definition

The governance structure for the Geospatial Platform is the process by which Geospatial Platform stakeholders, 

including customers, are afforded an opportunity to shape its structure, functions and capabilities. This governance 

structure includes people, policies and operational processes.

D.2. Objective/Purpose

The goal of creating a defined governance structure is to provide a standardized means to increase value to the national 

geospatial community, the programs across all levels of government and ultimately the American citizens who are 

customers. The governance structure will involve a phased implementation approach, which will parallel phased 

implementation of the Geospatial Platform itself, designed to eventually engage all stakeholders and fulfill the 

overarching vision of the Platform. Over time, the number and variety of stakeholders involved in governance will grow 

as new phases are pursued. Each phase will address a specific capability with a unique set of challenges and may have 

Business Models that vary across phases. Over time, the phases will lead to a modular approach to fully building out the 

overall vision for the Geospatial Platform, which will have the broadest practical governance structure.

There are two primary objectives in creating the Platform governance structure. The first objective is to outline the 

requirements to successfully implement the governance of the Geospatial Platform in a coherent and sustainable way. 

After the requirements for successful governance are identified, the primary objective will shift to operationalizing the 

approach by engaging Federal, State, regional, local and Tribal government stakeholders. To satisfy these objectives, a 

clearly defined governance approach and roles for implementation must be developed so that stakeholder groups 

understand the governance structure and their roles and responsibilities within the structure at each phase of its 

development. 

The governance structure includes drivers that are crucial to developing the Geospatial Platform:

 Improving the framework to address the requirements of Federal, State, regional, local and Tribal agencies.

 Prioritizing investments based on the most widely shared and most significant business needs of government.

 Enhancing interagency cooperation.

 Enhancing intergovernmental cooperation.

 Saving taxpayers money through more effective leveraging of intergovernmental activity.

 Increasing transparency and accountability.

 Creating an integrated place-based framework for addressing public policy challenges.

 Acknowledging and aligning varying roles, capabilities and interests of parties with a stake in the Geospatial 

Platform.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 43

 Building and maintaining credibility, trust and relevance amongst non-Federal stakeholders.

D.3. Approach/Strategies

Scope of Governance: Platform implementation and sustainment

The first objective of the governance structure will be to outline the necessary governance requirements to successfully 

implement the Geospatial Platform. To that end, it will be important to identify and define components where 

governance applies. The governance structure will ensure that aspects of Geospatial Platform work requiring 

governance activities are clearly defined and that the proper governance structures are in place to ensure success.

One aspect of effective governance will be to define the ―rules of engagement‖ for the Geospatial Platform. As all 

participants and stakeholders may be both partners and customers, ensuring compliance is critical to Platform success. 

Topics requiring compliance assurance may include:

 Data Content Standards.

 Metadata Standard.

 OMB Circular A-16 and A-16 Supplemental Guidance (Federal agencies only).

 Expectations with respect to data sharing/reciprocity.

 Expectations with respect to donating expertise within the community to achieve common goals.

 Standards for cyber security/access protocols/credentialing of Platform users to protect legitimate users.

 Managing relations with other NSDIs.

 Division of labor with respect to managing operations and maintenance of the Geospatial Platform.

While disclosure of non-compliance may often be sufficient to induce the desired behavior, the governance structure 

will need to define the consequences of non-compliance and the means for ensuring commitments. As such, it will be 

necessary to develop mechanisms to ensure that partners adhere to the agreed upon standards and ―rules of 

engagement‖ included in negotiated contractual, license or service-level agreements. 

To maximize effectiveness, the Geospatial Platform will leverage current interagency and intergovernmental initiatives 

such as Data.gov, the Geodata.gov portal and Geo LoB products and processes. Identifying and evaluating best 

practices and lessons learned from these initiatives will help to inform and strengthen governance of the Geospatial 

Platform. 

After the initial governance requirements for implementing the Geospatial Platform are outlined, the primary focus will 

be to create a governance framework to effectively define and engage all members of the stakeholder community. This 

framework will help to foster more effective intergovernmental geospatial priority setting. The communities of interest 

to consider include:

 Federal agencies.

 State agencies.

 Regional government organizations.

 Local agencies.

 Tribal governments.

 Academia/Non-profit organizations.

 Private sector organizations.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 44

As with other components of the governance structure, this process will unfold through a phased approach. The 

ultimate vision is to be a national capability with shared governance. Suggested ways to engage non-Federal entities 

include:

 Establish an interim Intergovernmental Subcommittee with diverse participation/representation until a full 

intergovernmental governance approach is developed.

 For each phase, identify means to engage specific non-Federal communities of interest with a clear stake in the 

phase in question. For instance, the first phase is likely to involve the current Gulf of Mexico oil spill, so the 

Geospatial Platform could work to engage coastal states in the Gulf of Mexico, academics, etc.

 Create appropriate means to gather customer requirements for each phase that will include targeted nonFederal participation. This could potentially be coordinated through the National Geospatial Advisory 

Committee (NGAC).

Outcomes include:

 Better public policy decisions.

 Faster public policy decisions.

 Better integrated public policy decisions.

 More efficient use of government funds. 

Implementation of Governance: Implementation strategy

A phased governance approach will be developed and implemented to build toward the Geospatial Platform‘s

overarching vision. Each phase will contribute to reaching the overarching vision like independently created modules 

that nonetheless fit together because each was conceived with the broader vision in mind. Each phase may address a 

different problem with a unique set of challenges so that different Business Models could be developed and deployed to 

address the problem. Eventually, enough different problems will be identified and means to address those problems will 

be developed to lead toward a unified intergovernmental governance solution to manage the realized overarching 

vision. Generally, each phase should be progressively more ambitious so that lessons learned from previous phases can 

inform the risk management approaches in the next phase. The end goal is to incrementally develop a Platform

capability that adds value in a wide variety of circumstances. Generally, each phase would:

 Define an offering that produces or delivers something to solve a specified business problem.

 Define the business institution that actually produces and manages the offering.

 Define the customers of the offering.

 Provide for internal management of the business institution to comply with applicable Federal IT, acquisition, 

performance, human resources and financial policies and reporting.

 Comply with the intent of the President‘s 2011 Budget language.

Outcomes include:

 Overarching vision for the creation of the Geospatial Platform.

 Phased approach to reach the vision for the Geospatial Platform.

Governance Approach: Governance strategy principles

Because the Geospatial Platform describes new processes for interactions within the community, a clearly defined a 

strategy for these interactions is an important component of success. This section discusses concepts that are important 

to follow in creating the Geospatial Platform governance structure, including specific roles and responsibilities.

First, the Geospatial Platform will operate under the federated approach. While this approach necessarily respects 

agency-specific statutory authorities, it nonetheless sets expectations that agencies will exercise their discretion within 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 45

statutory parameters consistent with the rules of engagement for the Platform, so as to increase the overall efficiency 

and effectiveness of the Federal Government. It also allows for joint funding to meet operational needs. An example of 

this approach is the Alaska Elevation data effort, which is a joint effort of the Department of the Interior (U.S. 

Geological Survey and Bureau of Land Management), Department of Defense (U.S. Northern Command and National 

Geospatial-Intelligence Agency), U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

and the State of Alaska.

Second, the Geospatial Platform, initially, will capitalize on existing geospatial institutions and clearly define the future 

roles of existing governance bodies. The primary focus areas of Geospatial Platform governance will be to address 

geospatial policy, operation and coordination with Federal and non-Federal stakeholders. To those ends, the FGDC 

Steering Committee will serve as the primary policy body. The FGDC Executive Committee will serve as the senior 

management operational and coordination authority for that policy body. The Intergovernmental Body (Section 5) will 

serve as the primary external advisory body to establish a mechanism for non-Federal intergovernmental coordination.

Third, the governance strategy must be ―workable‖ and allow for performance-based evaluation (Section 5.6) of 

geospatial production against formal requirements. The Geospatial Platform will identify the criteria for performancebased evaluation. Having performance-based evaluation criteria compared to an established baseline allows for more 

informed identification of needs and performance for all managers within the community. 

Outcomes include:

 Clear understanding of how each agency relates to the governance structure of the Geospatial Platform.

 Explicit expectations of each agency with respect to compliance with Platform rules of engagement.

 Federal, State, regional, local, and Tribal governments are identified and satisfied to the extent possible.

 Degree of compliance with intent of the President‘s 2011 Budget language to address the requirements of State, 

local, and Tribal governments.

Governance Roles: Entities 

A key component of the Geospatial Platform governance structure will be clearly defined roles and responsibilities for 

stakeholder groups. The Geospatial Platform represents a new business institution, which will require the dedication of 

full-time support staff, as well as other forms of contribution. This section identifies geospatial communities that will 

facilitate the updated Geospatial Platform governance structure approaches and strategies.

FGDC Steering Committee/Executive Committee

The FGDC Steering Committee will serve as the primary policy body. The FGDC Executive Committee will serve as 

the senior management operational and coordination authority for that policy body.

FGDC Coordination Group

The FGDC Coordination Group will help shape the requirements for the Geospatial Platform based on agency-specific 

needs and priorities and will assess technical feasibility of proposed offerings. The FGDC Coordination Group will be 

the primary operational representatives to ensure their agencies are fulfilling their roles.

Geospatial Platform Managing Partner

Because the Geospatial Platform represents a new business institution, new capabilities will be required to support the 

new institution. A new body, the Geospatial Platform Managing Partner, will implement direction, recommend and/or 

assign resources and create and track performance metrics for upward reporting for the Platform. The focus of the 

Geospatial Platform Managing Partner needs to be aligned with the mission and vision of the Geospatial Platform as 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 46

described in the Roadmap and be answerable to the FGDC Steering Committee, its Executive Committee and 

ultimately OMB.

Intergovernmental Subcommittee

The to-be state of the Geospatial Platform is a national effort with participation from State, regional, local, Tribal and 

non-government stakeholders. Therefore, the Geospatial Platform will quickly establish an intergovernmental 

subcommittee with representation from all stakeholder groups. This is an interim solution, and will be replaced by an 

appropriate end-state entity as a framework for regular and ongoing coordination with these external partners and 

stakeholders is developed.

Outcomes include:

 Clear policy or charters for each entity involved in governance of the Platform.

 No ambiguity or misunderstanding of the roles and responsibilities for each stakeholder community.

D.4. Priorities

The first priority of the governance structure will be to establish the requirements to implement the Geospatial 

Platform. After the requirements for successful governance are outlined, the primary objective will shift to working to 

fully engage Federal, State, regional, local and Tribal agencies and with private and non-profit stakeholders as 

appropriate. The priorities for the governance structure are:

 Platform implementation and sustainment

The initial priority will be to establish the requirements necessary to implement the Geospatial Platform. In 

order to do this, the overall vision for the Platform needs to be developed. Once the overall vision for the 

Platform is developed, the phases that will build into that vision need to be developed. This will also entail 

defining in advance how the different phases will eventually integrate with one another before they are built.

After the development of the initial vision for the Geospatial Platform and implementation plan, the focus will 

shift to other necessary governance infrastructure for implementation such as identifying ―touch-points‖ with 

other Platform Pillars, defining the rules of engagement, identifying means for leveraging intergovernmental 

initiatives and defining a funding model for the Platform.

 Federal and non-Federal involvement in the Platform

Once relevant parties have defined initial requirements to implement the Geospatial Platform, the second 

priority will be to organize Federal partners (through the FGDC Steering Committee and Executive 

Committee) and non-Federal partners (which the FGDC Steering Committee would facilitate through NGAC, 

National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC), National Association of Counties (NACO), etc.). 

After organizing stakeholders, exploring options for an intergovernmental needs assessment will be the next 

priority. To carry out the needs assessment, the governance structure must establish common terms and 

definitions and enforce consistent adherence to those terms. Only with such intergovernmental consistency will 

a survey of the intergovernmental geospatial community be useful. A qualitative assessment in FY 2011 using 

focus groups or doing an analysis of the data available through the 50 States Initiative will provide some initial 

information. After the definitions of a more robust set of terms are established, a quantitative survey would be 

conducted in FY 2012 and regularly maintained thereafter. In order to define the Federal agency needs, it may 

be necessary to modify OMB Circular A-11 so that it is for the first time possible to track Federal geospatial 

financial obligations through the object class structure in Federal agency financial systems.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 47

Outcomes include:

 Organization of Federal partners.

 Engagement of non-Federal partners.

 Integration of Geospatial Platform priorities into FY 2012 budget cycle.

 Improved understanding of intergovernmental needs.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 48

Appendix E. Portfolio Management, June 2010

E.1. Definition 

Definition

Geospatial Platform portfolio management is defined as the set of processes used to prioritize and select assets, and 

allocate resources of the Geospatial Platform. This process also supports management and performance evaluation 

of geospatial assets to which resources are applied to help ensure the appropriate combination of assets are available 

to best accomplish organizational goals and objectives of customers. The Geospatial Platform portfolio

management process supports investment decisions for four categories of geospatial assets: data, services, 

applications and infrastructure. 

Scope

The Geospatial Platform portfolio consists of geospatial assets that are deemed ―significant/critical/necessary‖ for 

meeting crosscutting (i.e., common mission needs) of the Federal Government or its State, Tribal and local partners

and stakeholders. Assets are selected (or rejected) for inclusion in the Geospatial Platform portfolio through a 

portfolio management process that includes the application of selection criteria to assess how the assets meet 

common requirements and business needs across customers, and how well the assets support the strategic goals and 

objectives of the Geospatial Platform. 

E.2. Objective/Purpose 

The overarching objective for the Geospatial Platform portfolio management process is to maximize enterprise 

value by investing in the right assets at the right time and thus obtain the best possible strategic impact of each 

investment.

Geospatial Platform portfolio management will support senior level decision making by: 

 Guiding the priority setting, selection, and balancing of portfolio assets to ensure that the overall 

investments align with the strategic goals and highest organizational priorities of the enterprise and partners.

 Allowing timely assessments of asset selection, prioritization, and performance, as well as the identification 

of any portfolio-level issues and/or risks that might impact performance. 

 Enabling transparent, timely and consistent communications to decision makers and the public on the 

progress for completing the Platform, any changes to the Platform, and impacts of these on the Geospatial 

Platform portfolio.

Specific objectives for the portfolio management process are:
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 49

 Objective 1: Adopt a portfolio management framework that enables the Managing Partner to select assets 

that will best support projected Geospatial Platform needs, capabilities, and projected outcomes and 

disinvest in assets that do not support the desired outcomes for the Geospatial Platform.

 Objective 2: Identify the most important crosscutting strategic endeavors and outcomes for the Geospatial 

Platform.

 Objective 3: Identify and adopt a series of best practices and tools for each step of the portfolio 

management process.

 Objective 4: Discover and adopt appropriate measures to control, monitor, and evaluate performance of 

existing and/or planned assets within the Geospatial Platform portfolio. 

 Objective 5: Determine the most appropriate maturity, investment and readiness models to use as part of 

the Geospatial Platform portfolio management process.

 Objective 6: Acquire/adapt a portfolio management system for enterprise level management and as a 

common service available to individual assets for tracking. 

 Objective 7: Apply a portfolio management process framework so an initial Geospatial Platform portfolio 

is chosen and subsequently controlled and monitored for performance. 

 Objective 8: Evolve the content of the Geospatial Platform portfolio over time as available asset maturity 

increases and adjusts to strategic goals and events necessitating change. 

Portfolio Management Drivers

Drivers for developing the Geospatial Platform portfolio management process include:

 Improving management of Geospatial Platform capabilities and assets to meet the business needs of the 

customers, including using resources more efficiently in an era of decreasing budgets across all levels of 

government.

 Providing access to critical geospatial data, services and applications currently inaccessible or difficult to 

obtain.

 Responding more promptly and accurately to inquiries made to Federal agencies on the scope, cost and 

completion progress for completing the NSDI.

 Incorporating portfolio and performance management approaches to leverage resources and better support 

outcomes for mission-based goals, transparency and accountability. 

 Ensuring compliance with the transparency, open government and effective and efficient information 

sharing initiatives.

E.3. Approach/Strategies 

Establishing a portfolio management process gives the Geospatial Platform a clear structure for transforming 

current business priorities into a portfolio of assets needed to support mission execution. The Geospatial Platform 

portfolio management process will adhere to best practices and will utilize management tools that can be adapted to 

reflect the organizational governance of the Geospatial Platform. In addition, the portfolio management process will 

include a geospatial investment review process through which the FGDC Steering Committee considers existing and 

planned assets while assessing future initiatives and changing business drivers.

All portfolio asset investments will follow a lifecycle management approach (for data, view the A-16 Supplemental 

Guidance; for services, applications and infrastructure, the OMB Circulars A-11 and A-130). Geospatial asset 

selection criteria are critical for effectively and efficiently identifying the components of the Geospatial Platform 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 50

portfolio and should be reflected in a lifecycle management framework from the inception of the Geospatial 

Platform.

In addition, best practices and associated decision tools will be established and adopted for each step of the 

portfolio management process and the lifecycle management approach. Geospatial Platform asset capability, 

maturity, readiness and performance measures will also be developed, reflecting the desired outcomes of OMB, 

Platform partners and customers and the FGDC Steering Committee.

To the greatest extent possible, Geospatial Platform portfolio management will utilize existing portfolio and lifecycle 

management frameworks, maturity models, best practices and tools, as well as dashboard and balanced scorecard 

approaches. Used in tandem with standard management approaches, these tools and analysis processes can help 

evaluate and manage the health of the Geospatial Platform portfolio assets. Examples of existing standards for 

project, program and portfolio management as well as best practices, tools, standard operating procedures and IT

investment dashboards that may be adopted and/or adapted for use in the portfolio management include: 

 Requirements within Exhibit 300/Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) for Select, Monitor and 

Evaluate.

 OMB Circulars A-16, A-11, A-130.

 Processes outlined within the A-16 Supplemental Guidance.

 The Performance Institute Standard for Portfolio Management (ANSI/PMI 08-003-2008).

 Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL).

 The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) IT investment management maturity model.

E.4. Priorities

The portfolio management priorities include:

 Formal endorsement and approval of the A-16 Supplemental Guidance.

 Initial inventory and selection of geospatial data, services and applications (See Common Data, Services and 

Applications priorities).

 Acceptance, adoption and implementation of A-16 Supplemental Guidance lifecycle management process 

and reporting for National Geospatial Data Assets (NGDA).

 Complete proposals for services, applications and infrastructure portfolio management processes and gain 

FGDC Steering Committee concurrence (see Common Data, Services and Applications priorities). 

 Improve the alignment of the FGDC cross-agency investments to Administration priorities and Federal 

agency high value mission objectives. 

 Research and consider the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard for Portfolio 

Management as the Geospatial Platform framework for portfolio management governance.

 Support Administration priorities for openness, transparency and participatory government.

 Complete readiness assessment of various components so that the Geospatial Platform optimizes 

investments.
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 51

Appendix F. Federal Geographic Data Committee 

Structure and Roles

F.1. Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) and Work Group Structure 

The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) is an organized structure of Federal geospatial professionals and 

constituents that provide executive, managerial, and advisory direction and oversight for geospatial decisions and 

initiatives across the Federal Government. In accordance with OMB Circular A-16, the FGDC is chaired by the 

Secretary of the Department of the Interior with the Deputy Director for Management, OMB as Vice-Chair. The 

FGDC‘s structure is represented in Figure F.1. 

The acronym FGDC is often used interchangeably to refer to the Steering Committee; the Office of the Secretariat 

(OS); or the committee structure as a whole, causing confusion. The Federal Geographic Data Committee is the 

Steering Committee, which is made up of senior Federal agency officials, and directs, approves, and oversees the 

activities of all the supporting groups, subcommittees, and work groups. The FGDC OS is an office hosted in the 

U.S. Geological Survey that provides staff support for myriad FGDC activities and initiatives, and fulfills a number 

of key supporting roles.

Steering Committee

The FGDC is governed by a Steering Committee, which is the policy-level interagency group whose central focus 

is to provide executive leadership for the coordination of Federal geospatial activities between, among, and within 

agencies by establishing policy and providing guidance and direction to the member agencies. The Steering 

Committee is responsible for overseeing OMB Circular A-16 related activities and the implementation of the 

National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). The FGDC Chair and Vice-Chair lead this committee, which is made 

up of Senior Agency Officials for Geospatial Information (SAOGIs) and has representatives from Federal 

organizations, including the Executive Office of the President and Cabinet-level and independent Federal agencies.

Executive Committee

The FGDC Executive Committee is a subset of the Steering Committee and provides advice and guidance to the 

FGDC Chair and the Vice Chair on major Federal geospatial priorities and initiatives. The FGDC Chair and ViceChair lead this committee, which has representation from OMB and the seven Federal agencies with the largest 

investments in geospatial technologies. 

Coordination Group

The FGDC Coordination Group provides advice on the day-to-day business of the FGDC to facilitate interagency 

coordination and implementation of the NSDI at the operational level. The Coordination Group oversees and 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 52

provides the functional leadership for the FGDC subcommittees and working groups, as well as the Geospatial Line 

of Business (Geo LoB) Work Groups. The Coordination Group is Co-Chaired by the Executive Director of the 

FGDC Office of the Secretariat (FGDC OS), and an elected Federal member of the Coordination Group. NonFederal collaborating partners participate in most of the Coordination Group meetings and work on subcommittees 

and work(ing) groups.

Figure F.1. FGDC Structure

FGDC Subcommittees, Working Groups, and Geospatial Line of Business Work Groups

The FGDC structure includes agency-led working groups and subcommittees and Geo LoB Work Groups. 

FGDC Thematic Subcommittees - OMB Circular A–16 (2002) identifies 34 data themes of national significance and 

assigns responsibility for each of the data themes to one or more Federal agencies. FGDC thematic subcommittees 

are established for nine of the data themes to address data theme issues. Federal agencies have responsibility for, and 

lead, the thematic subcommittees.

FGDC Working Groups - FGDC working groups crosscut the subcommittees and focus on issues common to, or 

supporting the NSDI data themes, such as standards and common services.

Geospatial Line of Business Work Groups - The Geo LoB Work Groups were developed to support this electronic 

government (E-Gov) initiative. The FGDC has been assigned responsibility for these work groups by the OMB. 
Geospatial Platform Modernization Roadmap v4 Final - March 2011 53

The Geo LoB Work Groups focus on cross-agency geospatial issues related to geospatial policy, business 

requirements, and business management processes.

National Geospatial Advisory Committee

The National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC) was established under the Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA) and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The NGAC is an advisory body that provides 

advice and recommendations on Federal geospatial policy and management issues and is a forum to convey views 

representative of partners in the geospatial community. NGAC membership includes representatives from 28 

Government and nongovernmental organizations. The committee holds public forums to discuss geospatial 

activities and solicits input from State, Tribal, regional, and local governments, academic institutions, and the private 

sector.

FGDC Office of the Secretariat (FGDC OS)

The FGDC OS is an office located within the U.S. Geological Survey in the Department of the Interior. The FGDC 

OS staff provides support for all components of the FGDC structure. The FGDC OS is not a policy making body 

but rather supports the efforts of the Steering Committee, Executive Committee, and Coordination Group. The 

FGDC OS staff has numerous roles and performs numerous tasks in support of the FGDC. The FGDC OS:

 Acts as Managing Partner for the Geo LoB, E-government initiative, on behalf of DOI.

 Is the Designated Federal Official for the NGAC FACA committee.

 Provides staff support for the FGDC Chair, Vice-Chair, and their designees.

 Initiates, participates, and or leads FGDC committees, subcommittees and working groups.

 Drafts policies and procedures for consideration and approval by the Coordination Group, the Executive 

Committee, and the Steering Committee.

 Provides support to the NGAC and its subcommittees.

 Provides project management support for FGDC initiatives.

 Administers the FGDC standards program.

 Administers the NSDI Cooperative Agreements Program (CAP).

 Administers the FGDC International Spatial Data Infrastructure program.

 Manages the NSDI training and outreach program.

 Maintains the FGDC website and membership lists.

 Manages all administrative requirements associated with scheduling and conducting meetings.

 Undertakes staff analysis, technical development, and other activities on behalf of the Coordination Group.

Collaborating Partners

The FGDC solicits the involvement of public interest groups who participate within the committee structure to 

ensure that their needs are included in the developing NSDI. These collaborating partners include State, Tribal, and 

local governments; academic institutions; and a broad array of private sector geographic, statistical, demographic, 

and other business information providers and users. The NSDI strives to build upon local data wherever possible. 

Collaborating partnerships are open to public, private, and nonprofit organizations whose missions are 

complementary to the mission of the FGDC.