Management Strategies: Ensuring a Smooth Transition from Implementation to Operational Status

Author: Christopher Eckstein
Organization: Grand River Conservation Authority

400 Clyde Road, P.O. Box 729
Cambridge, N1R 5W6
Ontario, Canada

Phone: 519-621-2761
Fax: 519-621-4844
ceckstein@grandriver.on.ca

The Grand River Conservation Authority is a watershed management agency representing the joint interests of 48 municipalities in the Grand River watershed, the largest in southern Ontario, Canada. In 1995, this agency invested in GIS technology as part of a major reengineering process to improve data and information management activities. Implementing GIS technology into an organization is only half the challenge. Making it operational and sustainable requires strategic planning and foresight. This paper addresses a series of management strategies that other agencies may find beneficial to ensure a smooth transition from implementation to operational GIS status.