NSDI Future Directions Initiative

Towards a National Geospatial Strategy 

and Implementation Plan

Submitted by the NSDI Future Directions Planning Team

Commissioned by the Federal Geographic Data Committee

June 15, 2004
Executive Summary

The purpose of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Future Directions

Initiative was to craft a national geospatial strategy and implementation plan to further 

the development of the NSDI. Drawing on the collective insights and contributions of 

the geospatial community at-large, three overarching action areas emerged that provide 

the context for the goals and objectives enumerated in this document. 

(1) Forging Partnerships with Purpose: A governance structure that includes 

representatives of all stakeholder groups guides the development of the NSDI.

The NSDI cannot be maintained and enhanced by a single organization. A wellcoordinated, concerted effort inclusive of the private sector, academia and all levels of 

government led by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), is needed to 

leverage resources, minimize redundancies and collaboratively solve problems to

achieve the NSDI vision. A governance structure that fosters collaboration and shared 

responsibilities among stakeholders is critical to ensure success of this effort. Essential 

elements for achieving the objectives are a bottom-up approach and partnerships

forged to achieve a common goal.

(2) Making Framework1 Real: Nationally coordinated programs that include

collection, documentation, access, and utilization of data are in place for

generating framework data themes.

Standardization of framework themes is critical to the achievement of interoperability

among diverse geospatial data suppliers and users. The national acceptance and 

utilization of American National Standards (ANSI) for framework data themes is the first 

step toward interoperability. Expansion of the current framework layers to encompass 

more themes of national, regional, local or topical importance is an FGDC priority.

(3) Communicating the Message: The NSDI is recognized across the nation as the 

primary mechanism for assuring access to reliable geospatial data.

The geospatial community must be able to communicate the benefits and value of the 

NSDI beyond the current user and supplier communities. The development of the

business case, a strategic communications plan and training programs that support

NSDI implementation will contribute to reaching this goal.

 

1

 Framework data themes: The most commonly used set of base geographic data - specifically geodetic control, 

orthoimagery, elevation and bathymetry, transportation, hydrography, cadastral, and government units.
NSDI Future Directions Report - June 15, 2004/Revised June 30, 2004 2

Towards a National Geospatial Strategy and Implementation Plan

The National Geospatial Strategy lays out a context for action and guides the

development of partnerships, core datasets, and a common direction to address the 

needs of the geospatial community. It is based on communication, cooperation, and 

partnerships and is designed to be a catalyst for coordination with the power to

transform attitudes, policies and services. It reflects a comprehensive and integrated 

approach to provide access to critical geospatial data and products. The strategy

recognizes the need of the geospatial community to communicate the value of the

National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) beyond the current user and supplier

communities.

The intent of the National Geospatial Strategy is to move this community forward by

pursuing a shared vision supported by common goals and objectives. It is the product 

of more than twelve months of consultation across the geospatial community. It

promotes efforts to change the way we currently conduct business and will have a

significant impact on our business practices. It is ambitious because the geospatial 

community believes we cannot delay the work and investments needed to establish the 

spatial data infrastructure for this country. 

As conceived, the National Geospatial Strategy requires a variety of organizations and 

individuals to become involved and share the responsibility for implementation. It

emphasizes coordination of resources and appropriate technical services at all levels of 

government – federal, state, local, and tribal, as well as the academic community and 

the private sector. At the same time, the strategy focuses on achieving interoperability

with a renewed effort to comply with and adopt framework standards.

The Goals and Objectives are built on past successes and provide the blueprint for 

collective action. The commitment of the partners to work together to achieve the goals 

and objectives is key to the success of the strategy.

The Action Plans, which accompany this report, more concretely outline procedures for 

achieving each objective and will serve as a starting point for leaders and teams to 

address the issues. Working Groups, Action Teams and Task Forces will be chartered 

to address each of the thirteen objectives.

In summary, the foundation of the National Geospatial Strategy is identification of

common critical issues, a collaborative and inclusive approach to addressing those

issues, and a strong emphasis on internal and external communications.
NSDI Future Directions Report - June 15, 2004/Revised June 30, 2004 3

Introduction / Purpose of the Project

In 2003 the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Secretariat was charged by 

the FGDC Steering Committee to pursue the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) 

Future Directions Initiative. The purpose of the initiative was to craft a national

geospatial strategy and implementation plan to further the development of the NSDI. 

FGDC Staff Director Ivan DeLoatch established the Future Directions Planning Team in 

October 2003 and hired a consultant team from LEAD Alliance to direct the effort. The 

Planning Team consisted of members from the FGDC Secretariat staff and

Coordination Group.

Ideas and perspectives for the Future Directions Initiative were solicited and collected 

through interviews, Coordination Group meetings, workshops, forums, staff meetings,

and conferences held between December 2003 and April 2004. FGDC staff members 

and Coordination Group members contributed valuable insights and committed a

considerable amount of time to this initiative. The 1997 NSDI Strategic Plan and the 

FGDC May 2000 Design Study Team Report served as the foundation documents for 

this initiative. Participants from the National Association of Counties (NACo) GIS

Committee, National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) Mid-Year 

Conference, the Professional Organizations Forum2 and the Environmental Systems

Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) Federal Users Conference provided input into the vision 

description, national goals, and roles of partners. The goals and objectives that

emerged represent the collective thinking of many, but not all, segments of the national 

geospatial community. 

Three key actions heard repeatedly – Forging Partnerships with Purpose, Making

Framework Real, and Communicating the Message – provide the structure for the

goals, objectives and the strategic action plans of this initiative. 

Profile of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI)

Executive Order 12906 defines the NSDI as “the technology, policies, standards, and 

human resources necessary to acquire, process, store, distribute, and improve

utilization of geospatial data.”

As detailed in OMB Circular A-16, the NSDI “assures that spatial data from multiple 

sources (federal, state, local, and tribal governments, academia, and the private sector) 

are available and easily integrated to enhance the understanding of our physical and 

cultural world.”3The FGDC is designated as the coordinating entity responsible for

developing and implementing national strategies to advance the goals of the NSDI. 

 

2

 Participants included: ACSM, ASPRS, GDT, GITA, MAPPS, MSC, OGC, STIA, UCGIS, and URISA, 

3

The revised version of OMB Circular A-16 is available at 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a016/a016_rev.html#4#4
NSDI Future Directions Report - June 15, 2004/Revised June 30, 2004 4

In 1994 and again in 1997, the FGDC, with the cooperation of public and private sector 

stakeholders, developed strategic goals to implement and advance the NSDI. These 

strategic planning efforts focused primarily on public outreach, standardization of

procedures, developing a national geospatial data clearinghouse and building

institutional relationships to create a community of data-sharing stakeholders.

Since the mid 1990s, the NSDI has served as an overarching vision for the geospatial 

community. Beginning as a conceptual construct, the NSDI has evolved into a

complementary set of actions implemented by a range of programs dealing with

geospatial data and application activities. These programs are managed by

government agencies participating in the NSDI and dedicated to achieving the goals of 

the NSDI as defined in OMB Circular A-16. The Federal Geographic Data Committee 

(FGDC), Geospatial One-Stop (GOS), and The National Map (TNM) are three examples 

of separate but interrelated activities, contributing to the development of the NSDI.4

• Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) – coordinates and facilitates the 

implementation of the NSDI and related geospatial data activities.

• Geospatial One-Stop (GOS) – “implements the basic elements of the NSDI by 

providing an Internet portal (www.geodata.gov) to facilitate data sharing for 

decision support systems and by encouraging partnerships across 

organizations.”

• The National Map (TNM) – “integrates base geographic data in partnership with 

content producers at all levels.” 

Other current initiatives and programs are designed to facilitate advancement towards 

the vision of a robust spatial data infrastructure. The initiatives listed below represent 

only a small sampling of the growing list of programs contributing to the NSDI

development. 

• HAZUS – a program sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency 

(FEMA) to develop methodologies and software tools to model and estimate 

potential hazards from natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and 

hurricanes. 

• National Integrated Lands System (NILS) – a partnership between the Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest 

Service to “develop a common data model and software tools for the collection, 

management, and sharing of survey data, cadastral data, and land records 

information.”

• Regional Crime Analysis Geographic Information System (RCAGIS) – an 

initiative spearheaded by the Department of Justice and the City of Baltimore to 

develop spatial data and application tools for the regional analysis of crime 

patterns. 

Many key initiatives exist, with varying degrees of partnership, at all levels of 

government, the private sector, and academia. 

 

4

 Quotes taken from http://www.geospatial-online.com/geospatialsolutions/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=89953
NSDI Future Directions Report - June 15, 2004/Revised June 30, 2004 5

Trends, Challenges and Opportunities

Ongoing developments in the public and private sector require the active leadership of a 

cross-cutting entity to effectively articulate a larger national vision, as well as to guide 

and coordinate geospatial activities in a manner that best serves national and public 

interests. Increasing demands for immediate access to accurate and documented

geospatial data across agencies and sectors are pushing open-source and

standardization initiatives. Decision support systems that rely on geospatial information 

have proliferated over the past few years and are increasingly embedded in the

operations of government at all levels. 

Societal demand for wide-ranging and accurate geospatial data that can be quickly

integrated with other data sets is rising. This places a premium on effective geospatial 

data coordination and sharing. Achieving more cost-effective use of geospatial data 

requires concerted and creative efforts to adopt common standards and interoperability 

across agencies and sectors.

Since the advent of the Internet, the Federal government has pursued electronic

Government (e-Gov) as a means to more effectively serve the public through electronic 

information dissemination and web-based services. The nation’s post-9/11 homeland 

security efforts have added new urgency to the need for widespread and accessible 

geospatial data that conforms to uniform interoperability standards for search,

discovery, access and metadata documentation. There is concern among stakeholders 

that many of these initiatives may never reach their full potential without more effective 

data sharing and coordination within the entire geospatial community - public, private, 

academic, military and intelligence sectors.

Stakeholders voiced a need for a level playing field in the design and implementation of 

the NSDI, with an emphasis on true equity and interdependence within the network of 

NSDI participants at all levels. A corollary to this view is that the FGDC should play the 

role of a neutral facilitator and convener of stakeholder interests, ensuring that all

relevant points of view are accounted for as the NSDI evolves. 

The successful development of the NSDI is threatened by the lack of an effectively

communicated shared vision and a clear business case for stakeholder participation. 

Incentives that are misaligned with the needs of stakeholders and the goals of the NSDI 

can also pose challenges to its development. The continuation of “isolated” geospatial 

programs, and the need for agencies at all levels of government to support their specific 

mission goals, pose an additional challenge to the development of a vital NSDI. 

Key factors for ensuring the continued vitality of the NSDI include: a strong business

case, accessibility of data and standards, a clear statement of the interrelationship

among participants, and a collaborative, open environment. 
NSDI Future Directions Report - June 15, 2004/Revised June 30, 2004 6

NSDI Vision Statement

The NSDI Strategic Plan (1997) states, “Current and accurate geospatial data will be 

available to contribute locally, nationally and globally to economic growth, environmental 

quality and stability, and social progress.” Contemporary interpretation of this

statement has led to the following collective vision description of the NSDI in 2010.

Federal, state, and local government agencies, the private sector, academia, and others 

engaged in an unprecedented national project to design, build, and maintain a highly 

accurate, distributed, and consistent geospatial framework during the first decade of the 

21st century. This revolutionary partnership continues to leverage resources,

technologies, and investments to create the geospatial framework that supports the 

national information infrastructure and enables informed decision-making at all levels of 

society.

A distributed network of core foundation layers serves as the building block for the 

seamless mix of government and commercial geospatial data holdings available to the 

consumer for information access and decision-making. The coordinated development 

of NSDI is enabling a new awareness of and accessibility to the fundamental

interrelatedness of people, places, and things, and is driving an unprecedented market 

expansion of geospatially-enabled activity. Visualization, navigation, and spatially

enhanced query tools help cost-effectively serve a larger information infrastructure.

Spatial intelligence is pervasive and ubiquitous, and is now accessible to all via widely 

distributed geospatial technology. 

The NSDI continues to evolve and is fueled by new ideas, technologies, applications, 

and services. Coordinated research and development along with training, education, 

policy and standards add value to the many services provided. Relevant, dependable 

geographic data, services and analysis tools are available 24/7 to the user. Instant and 

universal access to data is inexpensive, seamless, reliable and valuable. NSDI has

become an integral part of work and recreational activities. Behind the scenes and 

invisible to the user are the partnerships, people, framework, and technologies bound 

together by a common vision. 

Many factors contribute to the growth of the NSDI, including a collaborative approach to 

solving problems, increased awareness and understanding of the benefits of the NSDI, 

commitment and accountability of partnering organizations, realistic goals to further the 

implementation roadmap, and leadership support at all levels.

Goals to Focus a Geospatial Strategy for the Nation

The goals and objectives that have emerged from the workshops, conferences and

forums fell into three major action areas and provide the focus for the National

Geospatial Strategy.
NSDI Future Directions Report - June 15, 2004/Revised June 30, 2004 7

Forging Partnerships with Purpose

By 2006, a governance structure that includes representatives of all stakeholder 

groups guides the development of the NSDI.

1. By 2005, options for restructuring the FGDC to make it more effective and inclusive 

are identified, evaluated and acted upon.

2. By 2005, agreements are in place to facilitate participation of the private sector and 

utility industry in building the NSDI.

3. By 2006, twenty tribes are engaged and contributing to the development of the 

NSDI.

4. By 2006, fifty state coordinating councils are in place and routinely contributing to 

the governance of the NSDI.

5. By 2006, ten non-geospatial national organizations are engaged in and contributing 

to the NSDI.

Making Framework5 Real

By 2007, nationally coordinated programs that include collection, documentation, 

access, and utilization of data are in place for generating the framework data 

themes.

1. By 2005, American National Standards (ANS) for framework data themes are 

approved, adopted, and implemented.

2. By 2005, FGDC member organizations use FGDC−accepted metadata standards 

and publish to the Geospatial One-Stop portal.

3. By 2006, consensus-based standards and Web protocols for access to framework 

data are adopted and used by Federal, state and local agencies.

4. By 2006, 50 percent of the 133 urban areas6 have data for all framework themes.

5. By 2008, American National Standards (ANS) for additional data themes of national 

significance as identified in revised OMB Circular A-16 are adopted by the Federal 

departments and independent agencies.

 

5

 Framework data themes: The most commonly used set of base geographic data - specifically geodetic control, 

orthoimagery, elevation and bathymetry, transportation, hydrography, cadastral, and government units.

6

 As identified in 1996 by NIMA’s (NGA) 133 Cities Project
NSDI Future Directions Report - June 15, 2004/Revised June 30, 2004 8

Communicating the Message

By 2007, the NSDI is recognized across the nation as the primary mechanism for 

assuring access to reliable geospatial data.

1. By 2005, a comprehensive business case that demonstrates the value of geographic 

data to government, business and academia is compiled and articulated.

2. By 2005, a strategic communications plan is developed and implemented.

3. By 2006, training and education programs are in place to support implementation of 

framework standards and national initiatives to develop the NSDI.

Summary

The goals and objectives serve as the foundation of a national geospatial strategy. They 

build on past successes and serve as a roadmap toward the future. The successful

development of the NSDI will be dependent on FGDC leadership and support for

building partnerships and coordinating efforts among federal and non-federal partners. 

Partners must work collaboratively to solve problems and to develop realistic action

plans to accomplish the goals. Implementation and progress monitoring will be key to 

the success of this effort. 

The continued development of the NSDI requires that the private sector, academia, and 

the utility industries as well as state, tribal and local governments play a major role. It 

demands the commitment of all sectors and a governance structure that is

representative of all stakeholder groups. 

The renewed focus on implementation of framework standards will be supported by the 

collaborative efforts of staff members, participating agencies and organizations, and 

partnerships to deliver the training and support. 

The development of the business case, a strategic communications plan, and training 

programs that support implementation will lead to the recognition of the NSDI as the 

primary vehicle for assuring access to reliable geospatial data.

The convergence of geospatial technology and community needs requires the

geospatial community to think nationally, model regionally and act locally. A distributed 

network that assures accurate, reliable, and valuable geospatial data from multiple

sources requires a coordinated, concerted effort among all the partners. It also requires 

a commitment from the partners to work together toward these common goals. If we, as 

partners, can commit to making it happen, the vision that was described for 2010 may 

indeed become reality. 
NSDI Future Directions Report - June 15, 2004/Revised June 30, 2004 9

Acknowledgements

Future Directions Planning Team

Ivan B. DeLoatch (FGDC)

Alison Dishman (FGDC)

Bruce McKenzie (FGDC)

Kathy Covert (FGDC)

Tim Trainor (Census)

Barry Napier (FEMA)

Jon Sperling (HUD) – Writing Team

Matthew Sheppard (DOT/BTS) – Writing Team

Tricia Gibbons (LEAD Alliance) – Writing Team

Major Contributors:

Charles M. Croner (HHS)

John Moeller (STIA)

Bill Burgess (NSGIC)

Jeff de La Beaujardiere (NASA)

Coordination Group Members

FGDC Secretariat and GOS Staff Members

Representatives and participants from the following organizations:

American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM)

American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS)

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI)

Geographic Data Technology (GDT)

Geographic Information and Technology Association (GITA)

Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS)

Mapping Science Committee (MSC)

National Association of Counties (NACo) GIS Committee

National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC)

Open GIS Consortium (OGC)

Spatial Technologies Industry Association (STIA)

University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS)

Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA)

Participants from the following sessions:

FGDC/GOS Staff Meetings

FGDC Coordination Group Monthly Meetings

NSGIC Mid-Year Conference

ESRI Federal Users Conference

NACo GIS Committee Meeting

Professional Organizations Forum