[GSDI Technical] Uptake of GI standards among GSDI members (Modified by Allan Doyle)

[Paul C. Smits]

This message is being posted on behalf of ISO TC/211's Focus Group on 
Data Providers.


In an increasingly global and complex world, standards are a vital part 
of
life. Various pieces of research have proved that they bring benefits,
including significant economic benefits, to all stakeholders in a 
community,
and to the community in its entirety (research in Germany, for 
instance, has
quantified the annual benefit of standards to the national economy as 
being
$15 billion). What is vital, however, is that the standards produced are
appropriate, in particular that they meet the needs of the sector, are
workable, and are produced and revised in a timely manner. This requires
ongoing liaison with all stakeholders.

The development of standards in the area of geographic information has 
been
ongoing for some years now, with a considerable number of standards in 
the
ISO 19100 series developed by ISO/ Technical Committee (TC) 211 and
published since 2000 (for more information on iso/tc211, visit
http://www.isotc211.org). A key current focus for ISO/TC211 is the data
provider community, and the Committee last year set up a Focus Group on 
Data
Providers. The Group's workplan includes the development of suitable 
support
material, including guidance notes and good practice case studies, for 
data
providers, thus supporting wide use of the standards by data providers, 
and
therefore realising of the benefits arising from the use of standards.

As a first stage, the Group needs to confirm the requirements, and 
current
state of standardisation, of data providers. To enable this, the Group 
has
developed a web-based questionnaire. To enable this, the Group has 
developed
a web-based questionnaire. The survey is based on previous surveys 
developed
by DGIWG, USGS and the Environmental Information Systems (EIS)-Africa
programme (2003). The contribution of these organisations is gratefully
acknowledged.

We would be very grateful if GSDI's members could take some time (we
estimate that about 20 to 30 minutes will be required) to complete the
questionnaire. In return for them completing the questionnaire, the 
Group
will provide respondents with a copy of the summarised results from the
questionnaire and will keep them informed of relevant developments in
ISO/TC211.

To ensure a broad base of responses, we are keen to get a good number of
returns, so we kindly ask you if you could please forward this message 
to
the members of GSDI or other relevant contacts. Responses received by 
20 May
2005 would be particularly helpful.

We apologise if, in our attempts to ensure a broad base of responses, 
you
have received this e-mail more than once.

For your convenience, a printable version of the questionnaire is 
available
at

http://www.isotc211fgdp.info/docs/print_survey_1.htm.

Although respondents can use it to prepare their answers, we kindly 
request
that the on-line questionnaire be used for submitting answers. The 
on-line
questionnaire is available at the following web address

http://www.isotc211fgdp.info/survey/index.php?sid=1

Many thanks, in advance, for your support of this work.

On behalf of the ISO/TC211 Focus Group on Data Providers,

Cordially,

Paul Smits

http://www.isotc211fgdp.info


-----------------------
Paul C. Smits
European Spatial Data Infrastructure (ESDI) Action
Institute for Environment and Sustainability
European Commission
Joint Research Centre, TP262
I-21020 Ispra (VA), Italy

t +390332785279
f +390332789803
e paul.smits at jrc.it