DRAFT 1.1

WEST VIRGINIA STATEWIDE GIS STRATEGIC PLAN

EXCERPTS FOR REVIEW BY STEERING COMMITTEE

Note: Please provide comments to Peter Croswell by 3/19/2010. Comments can be provided in any of the following ways:

1. Digital mark-up of this document: Please highlight your comments or changes using MS Word Track Changes or some other way to highlight (e.g., different font color). Please change file name to include your last name.

2. Scanned hardcopy mark-up emailed to Pete at

3. Email summary of comments (be sure to cite specific parts of this excerpt)

4. Fax hardcopy mark-up to Pete at 502-848-8827 (a phone greeting will be heard first but the fax will automatically transmit after the greeting)

Call Pete if you have any questions (phone numbers below)

Prepared by:

Peter Croswell, President

Croswell-Schulte IT Consultants

406 Winners Circle

Frankfort, KY40601

(502) 848-8827

(502) 320-9055 (cell)

(502) 848-8827 (fax)

March 9, 2010

SECTION 3:STRATEGIC FOUNDATION

3.1 Business Drivers for Statewide GIS

A business driver is a major need, program, service area, or challenge faced by organizations that may be impacted or supported by GIS technology and data. Business drivers may reflect strategic or operational goals of the organization, user or customer service needs, legal or regulatory requirements, external conditions (economic, social, political) or other business factors. Business drivers that are impacted or supported by GIS technology and data establish a very strong, strategic foundation for the GIS program. The main GIS business drivers in West Virginia are identified in Table x below.

Table X: West Virginia GIS Business Drivers

**Steering Committee: These business drivers have been derived from input at the Steering Committee brainstorm session last October and survey responses from last Fall’s statewide GIS community (Web-based survey managed by Kurt). Please examine these business drivers and suggest changes in wording, new business drivers, and any comments (in the 2nd column) that elaborates on a business driver
Business Driver / Comments/Elaboration
Improved collaboration among state agencies
Enhancement/increase in inter-organizational partnerships and collaboration (different levels of government and public/private partnerships)
Improvement in the quality, consistency, and ongoing update of geographic data
Improved access to geographic data for decision making
Response to public demand for information and services
Enhancement of health and quality of life for West Virginia citizens
Cost containment for public agencies
Better leveraging of innovative funding and resourcing mechanisms
Need to monitor and map landscape changes from mining, forestry and urban development
Increased economic development and tourism
Efficient emergency planning and response
Tracking public land transactions (acquisition, sale, lease)
Response to more stringent environmental and safety regulations
Effective energy policy and development of energy resources
Efficient transportation planning, development and maintenance
Improved public health and service provision
Broadband communications assessment and mapping
Transportation and utility infrastructure improvement and maintenance

3.2. Vision andMission Statements for Statewide GIS

**Steering Committee: The draft Vision, Mission, and High-level Goals are based on input at the October meeting and review of other state GIS strategic plans. Please review the Vision and Mission statement and suggest wording changes. Please take a look and suggest wording changes or the addition or deletion of specific goals. The main objective is to identify concise goals that touch on technical and non-technical areas for action under this strategic plan. In a subsequent section of this plan, there will be a number of more specific “strategic initiatives” that address specific work areas relating to one or more of these goals

The Vision and Mission statements establish a foundation for the strategic plan. The vision statement paints a picture of the future. The mission statement articulates what will be done to reach that vision. These brief statements encapsulate the strategic plan by providing a clear description of the intended results and a summary on how the results will be achieved to meet goals for West Virginia’s statewide GIS program. West Virginia’s GIS vision and mission statements presented below have been prepared with input from representatives of the statewide user community.

Statewide GIS Vision:
A robust, efficiently maintained GIS infrastructure that encourages collaboration and delivers cost-effective geographic data and services to all organizations and individuals in West Virginia.
Statewide GIS Mission:
With sound leadership, effective management, and active participation from the statewide GIS community, we will build on past achievements to enhance GIS assets and services for the benefit of all West Virginian’s.

3.3 High-Level Statewide GIS Goals

A critical element of the strategic foundation is a set of high-level goals (sometimes referred to as “strategies”) which identify key areas for action to accomplish the stated mission. These goals address important development or operational areas that are critical for long-term GIS development, coordination, and operation in West Virginia. The goals frame the overall intent of the plan and give a high-level basis for implementation initiatives (see Section xx) that address more specific work areas over the 5-year period of this plan.

The goals, of West Virginia’s Statewide GIS program are:

  1. Enhance and strengthen the governance structure and improve management practices of the statewide GIS program
  2. Increase awareness of the benefits of GIS technology and data and expand GIS access and use for all parts of the statewide GIS community
  3. Identify and secure new funding sources and establish improved financing strategies for GIS development and operation
  4. Encourage and improve collaboration and coordination through increased sharing of geographic data, technology transfer, and project partnerships
  5. Improve the quality and statewide coverage of existing Framework geographic data, develop new GIS data sets, and put in place effective mechanisms for data maintenance to support the statewide GIS user community.
  6. Support the development and maintenance of important, non-Framework geographic data
  7. Encourage and enhance programs and opportunities for training, education, and professional development for GIS staff, management, and users.
  8. Continue to improve system infrastructure and technical practices to augment access to and delivery of GIS data and services to the statewide GIS user community.

Possible Changes/Adjustments to the Organizational and Governance Structure for West Virginia’s Statewide GIS program

**Steering Committee:There have been a number of potential changes discussed that impact the organizational structure, leadership/management/coordination roles, and various policies for GIS governance and management. The table below identifies potential changes and adjustments to the statewide GIS governance, management, and operations. These have not been examined. Please take a look at these and provide comments, elaboration, or any additional ideas for GIS program organizational structure and governance
GIS Organizational/Governance Change / Comments/Elaboration
Strengthen/expand role of GIS Coordinator to oversee and enable GIS-related initiatives in the state
Clarify role of GIS Coordinator’s Office to better define authority and organizational relationships (administrative home in WVGES and responsibilities for overall GIS coordination)
Formalize role and modify membership of GIS Steering Committee (by-laws, adding/changing Committee seats)
Define and strengthen role, involvement of GIS Council (by-laws, possible membership changes, increase in oversight/authority role)
Improve and put in place more formal relationship with the State Technology Office and CTO
Establish governance structure for formation of Standing Subcommittees and Work Groups under the Steering Committee1
Work with the State Technology Office to define a process for GIS standards and policy development and approval
Create a State Agency User Group (to include only state government representatives) to encourage better GIS collaboration and technology sharing among state agencies
Clarify/define the role of the WV Association of Geographic Professionals (WVAGP) relative to the GIS Coordinators Office, Steering Committee, GIS Council
Clarify and possibly realign role, duties, resources of the GIS Technical Center

1Standing Sub-committees and Work Groups are effective organizational tools to engage representatives from the GIS community to accomplish work in specific areas identified in the strategic plan. Standing Subcommittees are more or less permanent and address ongoing work areas. Work Groups (aka: Task Forces, Project Teams) focus on a more specific work area (e.g., specifications for a database development effort) and have specific objectives and timespans (and they are disbanded when to work objectives have been met). The Steering Committee (and the GIS Council (acting through the Steering Committee) would have the authority to form a sub-Committee. Members of Subcommittees and Task Forces can come from any segment of the state GIS community (i.e., they may include Steering Committee members but also representatives from any GIS stakeholder group)

West Virginia Statewide Strategic Plan – Excerpts for Review, 3-9-2010p. 1

West Virginia Office of the GIS Coordinator with support from Croswell-Schulte IT Consultants