INHERITING AN EXISTING MUNICIPAL GIS

How to Make it Work

by

Gustavo J. Roman

GIS Coordinator

City of College Station

ABSTRACT:

Being assigned the task of managing an existing Geographic Information System can be overwhelming, especially if it is a system that is unfamiliar to you. This paper presents the methodology that was followed by the City of College Station GIS in a 2 year reorganization effort of an eight year old existing system. It is designed to serve as a way to allow a municipal geographic information system to stay in operation, while correcting previous oversights.

Philip J. Quigley, former CEO of Pacific Telesis, said "If we were to go back in time 100 years and ask a farmer what he'd like if he could have anything, he'd probably tell us he wanted a horse that was twice as strong and ate half as many oats.  He would not tell us he wanted a tractor.   Technology changes things so fast that many people aren't sure what the best solutions to their problems might be."  Sometimes it is up to you to find the best solution for their problem.

This is where GIS comes into play.  If you empower your users, make them responsible for their own data, they will utilize the incredible technology of the GIS not only to create maps, but as an analytical tool.

BACKGROUND

GIS in City of College Station began in early 90’s, where it was bounced from Department to Department.  In 1994, the decision was made to go with Esri products.  Shortly thereafter, a flyover was completed in 1995.  In the Fall of 1997, the existing GIS staff (3 people) left.   The current GIS Coordinator was hired in March 1998 and a GIS Technician shortly thereafter.  We had a

Needs Assessment and 5 year Implementation Plan Completed in August of 1999.

The first thing we did when we took over the City of College Station GIS is to take inventory of what we had with regards to data, software, hardware, users and applications.   We created a data structure (file system) that was more intuitive and user friendly.  We organized the files into seven categories that group together the Arc View shapefiles that share related themes and are loosely associated with the functions of the City Departments.  Access was restricted to the original ArcInfo coverages, with the exception of the Central GIS Staff.  

We have set up the City of College Station GIS as an Enterprise-wide GIS.  The best way to explain it is as a large wagon wheel, with each different department being a spoke on the wheel, with the “Central GIS” as the hub.  The majority of the data existing in the GIS is maintained by the individual departments.  No one knows their data better than the folks that use it everyday. The data is in turn feed back to the Central GIS, where it is added to the GIS Users Directory as well as updated in the Database Dictionary by the Central GIS.  If a specific department has information that they want to be able to analyze with the GIS System, then we coordinate the “creation” of the layer, either in-house, or contract a third party to create it for us, and then we “hand over” the newly geo-coded data to the department for them to maintain.

For example, Development Services has an Excel spreadsheet that they use to track  Conditional Use Permits (CUP’s).  They request that the 500+ permits be accessible through the GIS, so we took that data, geocoded the records, and added the layer to the GIS. Once the layer was created, it was given back to Development Services for them to maintain.  Now, whenever a new CUP is created, they add it to the layer.  Now, every user of GIS in the City can utilize the Conditional Use Permits layer, and all the related information.

STEPS TO SUCCESS

1.      Inventory your GIS data layers, software, hardware, applications, and users.

2.      Talk to you customers, get their expectations.

3.      Update/Create a Database Dictionary, logical naming conventions, procedures.

4.      Complete a Needs Assessment/Implementation Plan.

5.      Place the GIS in a neutral department to avoid "monopolization" - service  center ideal.

6.      Empower your users, provide training, create custom applications, projects.  No one knows the data better than the folks that use it on a daily basis.

7.      GIS user's group, internal, external.

8.      Have highly visible successes.  Have achievable Goals.  Pat yourself on the back.

9.      Customer service is the key.

1.     Inventory

The most critical first step in assessing a Geographic Information System is to take a good, hard look at what makes up your GIS.  Don’t limit it to software and hardware.  Remember to quantify existing applications, data layers, users, internal and external customers.  

2.     Talk to your customers

Know what your customers, both internal and external, expect from the GIS.  What are there past experiences, be they bad or good, and what is the end product that they need from the GIS.  Always be on the lookout for specialized GIS applications that individual departments could benefit from, and make sure to follow through on the effort.  In other words, don't just buy them a piece of software and then expect them to make it work with the GIS.  Set individual projects up, and make them feel the need to take possession of the data layers being utilized. 

3.     Documentation

It is critical that an accurate and up to date database dictionary is maintained.  If one does not exist, create one, if anything, to assist you in getting things organized.   Also be sure to have the processes in place to maintain it.  It will be of no use if it is not regularly maintained. For the City of College Station, the documentation provided for each Shapefile is composed of two parts.  The first part is the Shapefile Facesheet that provides the basic information of the Shapefile.

SAMPLE SHAPEFILE FACESHEET

(see explanation following)

“PARCEL”

Description:                                       The PARCEL Shapefile contains tax assessor land parcels.  Assessor parcels are specific areas or spaces for which a single tax bill is issued.  They are also a basis for building permit activity and regulation.

                                                              The Shapefile specifies the tax assessor assigned identifier     number (R#) and certain parcel related information.

Data Source:                                      Brazos County Appraisal District

Feature Class:                                     Polygons

Items:                                                    Tax Assessor’s Parcels (32,000), October 1998

Associated Data Sets:                         None

Precision:                                             Double

Projection:                                            State Plane, NAD-83, Texas Central,  Zone5376, Feet, Spheroid, GRS1980

Responsible Department:  GIS

EVENT HISTORY LOG:

Explanation of Individual Shapefile Facesheet

Shapefile:                               Name of Shapefile(s) with which this table is associated.

Group:                                    The main group in which the Shapefile is organized.  The possibilities are: Master, Infrastructure, Administration, Government Entities, Safety, and HOK.

Category:                               Main category under which the individual Arc View Shapefiles fall.       

Theme:                                   The central theme(s) of the Shapefile. 

Description:                            A short description of the theme contents.

Data Source:                          Source of the raw data/date of last known update.

Feature Class:                        The feature classes or subclasses specified for the theme.  The possibilities are: polygons, lines, nodes, points, regions, routes, sections, or annotation.

Items:                                     The elements defined and number of  items in Shapefile.

Associated Data Sets:           Other digital data sets (i.e. images) associated with the information represented in the Shapefile.

Precision:                                The level of precision associated with the Shapefile

Projection:                              The Coordinate System and/or map projection used. 

Responsible Department:     The department within the City responsible for maintaining the Shapefile. 

Event History Log:                A record of modifications, changes or additions to the Shapefile, what was done, by whom, and the date completed.  Due to the lack of metadata from the previous GIS personnel, the log is effective as of October 1998. Prior to that date, unless otherwise stated, it is unknown as to what was done to the data to get it to its present state.

The second part of each Shapefile’s documentation includes one or more data dictionary templates that define the feature attribute tables and related tables associated with the Shapefile.  The feature attribute table templates are themselves comprised of three parts:  header information, Feature Attribute Table, and Feature Attribute Table description.  The header provides the general information about the feature attribute table such as the Shapefile name, the table name, and the original source of the data.  The feature attribute table provides item specifications such as item name, columnar position, and item definition.  Also included, where relevant, are definitions of redefined items and general notes and comments

“SAMPLE” SHAPEFILE ATTRIBUTE

TABLE TEMPLATE  (FACESHEET)

While the set up of the Database Dictionary will be cumbersome and time consuming, it is worth the effort. 

4.     Needs Assessment/Implementation Plan

Either in-house, or if funds are available, bring in a third party to do a needs assessment and implementation plan for your GIS.  If anything, it will give you "muscle" with your “powers that be” to request additional funding for application development, data collection, training, etc.  Getting an unbiased, third party opinion of your existing GIS, while painful, can set your GIS project on the right path.

The needs assessment should include interviews with City Staff from upper management to those out in the field.  Also, be sure that the Implementation Plan has attainable goals and a realistic timeline.

5.     No departmental monopolization