Nearly all government information has a geographic dimension--a street address, a transportation corridor, a river, a city line. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offer unique opportunities to analyze and compare these disparate types of information, opening up new opportunities to deliver both information and services. The value of GIS and spatial data can be seen most dramatically in applications that promote economic development, public health and safety, and environmental quality. Moreover, these applications share many common information needs.

Experts estimate that up to 80 percent of the cost of GIS is tied to the collection and creation of spatial data. Often, however, data created by one organization can be used by other organizations with similar needs, so sharing can yield considerable efficiencies.

The New York State GIS Cooperative Project, initiated by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), was designed to address some of these issues. The project demonstrated the depth and variety of existing human, technical, and data resources in New York State. It showed the extent to which spatial data needs overlap among key policy and applications areas. It also examined how data sharing strategies can reduce the cost and increase the value of geographic information systems at every level of government and in the private sector. The project identified and examined existing barriers to data sharing and coordination and developed specific recommendations for overcoming those barriers. Finally, the project created a new spatial data resource for New York State, the prototype NYS Spatial Data Clearinghouse.

This paper provides the practical perspective of studying government information technology issues. It is one of two papers that served as the background for discussions at an applied research workshop hosted by CTG in October 1997.

This paper provides the research perspective of studying government information technology issues. It is one of two papers that served as the background for discussions at an applied research workshop hosted by CTG in October 1997.

Substantial opportunity exists to share spatial data, knowledge, and other resources across programs in the public and private sectors. This report discusses the mechanisms for evaluating public sector geographic information systems (GIS).

Coordinating geographic information collected by different agencies and local governments can help promote three program areas of vital importance in New York State: economic development, environmental conservation, and public health and safety.

The New York State Geographic Information System (GIS) Clearinghouse Cooperative project was undertaken to show the extent to which spatial data needs overlap among key policy and applications areas. This report demonstrates how data sharing strategies can reduce the cost and increase the value of GIS.

Developing the New York State (NYS) Geographic Information System (GIS) Clearinghouse prototype required the adoption of standards and an effective search mechanism. This report presents how these were implemented in the NYS GIS Clearinghouse project.

The New York State GIS Cooperative Project demonstrated the depth and variety of existing human, technical, and data resources in New York State. It showed the extent to which spatial data needs overlap among key policy and applications areas and examined how data sharing strategies can reduce the cost and increase the value of geographic information systems at every level of government and in the private sector.

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation initiated this project with several specific questions to be answered. The project provided the agency the following lessons:

The prototype GIS metadata clearinghouse, built in 1994-95, demonstrated the first attempt in New York State to build a common repository of information about spatial data and make it accessible over the Internet.

Today, the official New York State GIS Clearinghouse is part of a comprehensive statewide GIS Collaboration program. Available on-line through the NYS Office for Technology Web site, the Clearinghouse provides access to both meta data and many spatial data sets. It also contains comprehensive information about New York's Statewide GIS initiative as well as links to GIS tools, education and training opportunities, and GIS resources of the federal government and other states.

• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
• New York State Division of Budget
• University at Buffalo, National Center for Geographic Information Analysis

• Erie County Water Authority

• The New York State Forum

• Applied GIS, Inc.
• Aule-Tek, Inc. now known as Unified Technologies
• Blue Moon Training Systems
• Digital Equipment Corporation, now known as Hewlett-Packard
• Documentation Strategies, Inc.
• Full Circle Communications
• Harlan Wallach Graphic Arts
• Intelegis Corporation
• Sun Microsystems
• Xyplex, Inc., now known as MRV Communications, Inc.

• Anthony Cresswell, Faculty Fellow, School of Education
• Sharon Dawes, Director
• Ann DiCaterino, Manager, Project Support
• Sally Goodall, Administrative Assistant
• Winsome Hérard, Assistant Project Coordinator
• Fazal Ilahi, Graduate Assistant, Department of Computer Science
• Kristine Kelly, Research Associate
• Anne Miller, Graduate Assistant, Department of Geography and Planning
• Theresa Pardo, Project Coordinator

This project was funded by a portion of CTG's New York State budget allocation plus in-kind contributions of professional services, hardware, software, and communications provided by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, other state and local government agencies, and ten corporate partners.

A partnership between the University at Albany's Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy and New York State to develop a professional learning community focused on intergovernmental effectiveness. Program goals are to capture and share knowledge about how successful intergovernmental work occurs.

New York State's official GIS Clearinghouse and GIS Coordination Program, operated by the NYS Office for Technology

A component of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). The Clearinghouse provides a pathway to find information about geospatial or spatially referenced data available from the US Geological Survey.

A 19 member interagency committee responsible for developing the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) in cooperation with State, local, and tribal governments; the academic community; and the private sector. The NSDI comprises policies, standards, and procedures for cooperative production and sharing of geographic data.

The University at Buffalo is home to one of the three sites of the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA), an independent research consortium devoted to basic research in geographic information science and technology.

Center for Technology in Government
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