Tim Haithcoat wrote:
> My two cents worth:
>
> I've followed this exchange and I feel that I need to weigh in as well.
> I'm of the belief that the Geospatial Profile and a NGEA are two coupled
> pieces that both must be accomplished for the goals of utility, value,
> and actionable. I see them as VERY different elements of an overall
> strategy to integrate and leverage geospatial components across and
> among government.
> (01)
Agreed, but I think that the cavalier use of the term "NGEA" is not
helpful to this end. It has come up numerous times that we need
resources that will satisfy the needs of the Profile and its users -- as
well as a broader set of evolving how-to resources as you describe them. (02)
The term Enterprise Architecture is already one needing definition,
context, and introduction to newcomers. To say we are creating a
Geospatial one-of-these for the nation is misleading. The wording
suggests we are creating an architecture that is set apart from 'core'
EA practices -- which is what the literal interpretation of the words
behind NGEA. Words should always be selected carefully, so let's think
of what this broader initiative or resource bank is called. Is it
largely a governance facility led by an interagency board of directors,
as originally proposed? Is it an arbitration support system? I'd hope
not on both counts, though there may be call for such a group at some
point, it should not be synonymous with an *GEA. (03)
So let's think about the objectives of this geospatial EA resource bank
and give it a meaningful name. Here are some suggestions that relate to
your expectations: (04)
EA practices toolkit for geospatial capabilities
Geospatial best practices for Enterprise Architecture
Best practices for the geospatial component of EA
EA implementation resources for geospatial capabilities (05)
or is it something else? None of these are amenable to a clean acronym
but I believe that clarity in definition and scope is quite an important
precursor to adoption and understanding. (06)
As we build the Profile we are beginning to stockpile this resource pool
that you suggest -- of greater practical interest to a different
audience than the Profile itself is intended for. (07)
Doug. (08)
> The closest analogy that I can think of (and I'm not good at this!) is
> that the Geospatial Profile is, for all intents and purposes, an owners
> manual that describes new features available and why you might want to
> use them, how they should interact with other components, how you should
> be able to assess if it is working correctly, what fuel types it can run
> on, and how you may have access to these functions. It paints the broad
> picture with the intent of convincing someone to make use of the new
> features or at least allowing someone to determine / assess the impact
> of not using. It acknowledges the existing categories and tries to
> bundle / present this overview in annotated outline form to communicate
> breadth, depth, and how integral these geo-components are to a
> functional government - regardless of the level.
>
> The NGEA on the other hand are the tools, techniques, standards,
> management practices, etc., etc., etc. that we as geospatial
> professionals know and have in our tool box but for the most part are
> not know by the CIO's or other IT professionals and certainly not many
> management personnel. These tools need to be documented, formatted, and
> presented to the larger community of potential adopters / implementors
> (many of whom are DBAs) who need to know / have guidance on the details
> of how to integrate, leverage, and spatially enable their data and
> systems. This is the level at which the NGEA components have their
> greatest value - enabling change within and among the data systems of
> government and business. It is not about making a map or even
> visualizing a data set, but rather at the atomic level it is allowing
> the query for geospatial aspects of information and that information's
> possible relationships in space that are otherwise hidden.
>
> In my view, if we just do the Profile and generate the interest at the
> top of the process but fail to do the second, which is translate what we
> know to paper and make it available, we loose. Possibly even bigger
> than if we didn't try at all! If we say we are not going to strive to
> organize the tool box (NGEA) then I think that ultimately what we will
> have accomplished is them knowing how it should work but not equipping
> them to make it work.
>
> Thanks for the soap box.
>
> Tim
>
> At 11:42 AM -0400 7/15/05, Doug Nebert wrote:
>
>> Feinberg, Daniel, CTR, OSD-ATL wrote:
>>
>>> All -
>>>
>>> I would also suggest as additional agenda items for the "NGEA
>>> Learning Event":
>>>
>>> + What is the NGEA in relation to the UGEA?
>>> + What is the NGEA in relation to the FEA Geospatial Profile? How are
>>> they similar or different?
>>> + What is the role of the FGDC in shaping and sustaining the NGEA?
>>> + What is the role of the NSDI, GOS, and the National Map in relation
>>> to the NGEA, UGEA, and FEA Geospatial Profile?
>>>
>>
>> I have some suggested answers below.
>>
>>> This would go a long way to help clarify the sometimes confusing
>>> relationship between these various federal and national "geo"
>>> initiatives and investments.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Dan Feinberg
>>> Defense Installation Spatial Data Infrastructure (DISDI)
>>> Chief Architect
>>> Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Installations and Environment,
>>> Business Transformation Directorate
>>> DUSD/I&E(BT)
>>> 703.604.4616
>>>
>>
>> In practice it appears that the *GEA terms are somewhat Overtaken By
>> Events in our Community of Practice discussions. There may be a
>> notional set of patterns that we might recognize nationally as a
>> Geospatial Enterprise Architecture, but it fact we are recognizing
>> that there are not, rationally, Geospatial EA's that are isolated from
>> the agency and program EAs. To this end we have adopted the approach
>> of building a Geospatial Profile of Enterprise Architecture to appeal
>> to all levels of government, and all aspects of business-oriented EA,
>> with a specific (but not exclusive) audience being FEA architects and
>> CIO staff.
>>
>> I would humbly suggest that we retire the use and promotion of NGEA
>> and UGEA in deference to providing geospatial guidance to EA practices
>> -- a symmetric approach to the other FEA Profiles.
>>
>> The FGDC's role is one of supporting intergovernmental coordination of
>> all things geospatial, and as such has assumed the responsibility to
>> convene and underwrite document collation and facilitation support on
>> this task. The CoP is recognized as an FGDC Working Group to increase
>> awareness and involvement by FGDC members. It is also convened under
>> the CIO Council AIC for visibility by the non-geospatial IT managers
>> in the federal government.
>>
>> What is the role of the GOS, National Map, and NSDI in these efforts?
>> The Geospatial One-Stop is made concrete through its search and
>> visualization services of community geographic data and services at
>> geodata.gov. As such, the adoption of Geospatial profile practices
>> will increase visibility into and access to available resources of
>> domestic interest. The National Map is a key set of data layers backed
>> by map and data services of national scope that will be managed and
>> advertised using the Geospatial Profile guidance. The NSDI is the
>> fuzzy, umbrella activity that overlies all these geospatial efforts
>> that is realized through coordinated efforts by all participants. The
>> NSDI benefits by having adopted practices and standards as would be
>> espoused in the Profile and promoted through groups like the FGDC,
>> NSGIC, NACO, NASCIO and others who all have an interest in things
>> working well together.
>>
>> Doug.
>>
>> --
>>
>> Douglas D. Nebert
>> Geospatial Data Clearinghouse Coordinator, Information Architect
>> FGDC/GSDI Secretariat Phone: +1 703 648 4151 Fax: +1 703 648-5755
>>
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>
>
> (09)
-- (010)
Douglas D. Nebert
Geospatial Data Clearinghouse Coordinator, Information Architect
FGDC/GSDI Secretariat Phone: +1 703 648 4151 Fax: +1 703 648-5755 (011)
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