Issue link: https://resources.esri.ca/i/1313392
50 | GEOSPATIAL STRATEGY ESSENTIALS FOR MANAGERS MATTHEW LEWIN Chapter 9 Implementing Geospatial Governance: Design Approach A design-based approach to building your geospatial governance model I n a previous chapter, I discussed the role and importance of governance for delivering an effective geospatial program. The premise was that governance, when done right, acts as a "system of accountability" that coordinates the decisions and decision rights associated with an organization's geospatial investments. Organizations investing in governance quickly realize the value of "good governance" in terms of establishing accountabilities and coordinating decision making across the people, process and technology that comprise their geospatial program. The previous chapter described a basic framework to understand geospatial governance. The framework defined six core domains: Strategy, Platform, Data, Workforce, Delivery and Investment. Under each domain is a set of processes that represent the key decision areas that most organizations need to focus on to run a robust and effective geospatial program. The framework provides a method for understanding governance. However, it doesn't describe how an organization would apply it to their own unique situation. The question remains: how does an organization operationalize geospatial governance? Here's how. In these next two chapters, I describe a flexible approach to developing a geospatial governance model for organizations of all shapes and sizes. Here in Chapter 9, I present a scenario concerning a mid-size city government and describe an approach to designing the governance model. In Chapter 10, I walk through defining the structure and processes of the governance model itself. The Situation The CIO of a mid-size city government was reflecting on the state of her organization's geospatial program. The city, like many across North America (and globally), was undergoing a significant digital transformation and slowly recognizing the value and importance of geography in this pursuit. For years, their GIS had been central to many city functions. This included asset management, city planning and public works programs. However, with the emergence of new innovations such as mobile data collection, automated feature extraction, location analytics and the mandate for open data, new demands for geospatial tools and information had emerged. More was being asked of GIS than ever before. Sadly, the CIO felt her city's geospatial program was not up to the task. The findings from a recent assessment revealed many tell-tale signs of a sub-par geospatial program. This included: redundant technologies and datasets, a lack of data sharing across city divisions, siloed decision making, duplicate software purchases, large skills gaps across the geospatial team, under-utilized technology investments, a slow and complex procurement process and a service model that was not expanding to meet the needs of the future.