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Track: GIS Management & Implementation
Todd Bacastow
Penn State University
128 Land and Water Building
University Park, PA 16802
Telephone: 814-863-0049
Fax: 814-865-3378
E-mail: bacastow@gis.psu.edu
Joy Drohan
PaMAGIC: A Recipe for Revolution in Pennsylvania
Defining Issue: Pennsylvania is in the middle of a revolution. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the disappearance of traditional boundaries between organizations, and increased client expectations are making obsolete the way government, business, and academia go about doing their work. The Pennsylvania Mapping and Geographic Information Consortium (PaMAGIC) is a newly formed organization that is leading the revolt against the old geographic structure and rules. PaMAGIC has organized to examine state-wide operations and begin a fundamental radical redesign of the processes that deliver geographic information in Pennsylvania. This paper discusses the approach and methods used to create a GIS management organization that crosscuts literally hundreds of public and private entities and balances their unique interests. Methodology: Organizing PaMAGIC required key stewards, functional experts, and state-wide program managers to participate in a reengineering process. The full participation of these
"stake holders" was essential. While the need to involve many interests was well recognized, it was also realized that productivity of the newly forming organization could suffer. As such, Decision Support Groupware (DSG) was used as an enabler to define and solve organizational issues in a direct and efficient manner. The electronic support offered by DSG allowed over two hundred individuals to participate independently and concurrently, and reach their full potential and productivity. Electronic discussions were democratic and open minded because all individual were heard and contributed without fear of retribution. Further, an exact record of the meetings was available to subsequent working groups and the board for detailed review and action. The use of DSG cut years off of the process of forming a geographic information coordination entity in Pennsylvania. Software: Decision Support Groupware was used to aid in the formation of PaMAGIC. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the methodology
and use of electronic meeting software, such as DSG, as a means to achieving consensus in the arena of GIS coordination.
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