statewide gis strategic planning concepts and issues · statewide gis strategic planning concepts...

Statewide GIS Strategic Planning Concepts and Issues

Presentation at the February 5, 2008 meeting of the West Virginia Association of GIS

Professionals (WVAGP)


Presentation by:

Peter Croswell, PresidentCroswell-Schulte IT Consultants

Frankfort, KY(502) 848-8827

[email protected]

Issues and Challenges

• Efficiently gathering and input and ideas from large GIS community (all levels of government,

academia, not-for-profit organizations, private sector)

• Building consensus on key GIS goals and implementation initiatives

•• Capitalizing on past success and existing GIS resources and infrastructure

• Short-term and long-term resourcing

• Project management and execution


GIS Planning Philosophy

• Proper planning critical for project/program success

• Planning based on assessment of organization goals and business needs

• Planning exercise helps build consensus and understanding

• Strategic planning is foundation for business planning and implementation

• GIS is one part of overall enterprise IT architecture

Business Process Identification

Application Definition

Conceptual Design Organizationaland Staffing Needs

HW/SW Requirements/Conceptual Configuration

Organization Mission/Goals

Implementation Planning Budget ProjectionsCost/Benefit Assessment

Physical Database Design/Database Development

OrganizationalDevelopment

HW/SW Procurement

Development/Deployment


Strategic and Business Planning

� Strategic foundation gives vision, context, and long-term path for GIS program

G O A L S

Stakeholders/ User Community

� Business plan(s) focus on specific goals and projects to define how they will be enabled and accomplished

G O A L S

Vision and Mission

Strategic Foundation


Technology Trends Impacting Long-term GIS

� Digital connectivity proliferation—wired and wireless

� Web-based services and server-based configurations

� Geographic data capture and compilation advances� Geographic data capture and compilation advances

� Geographic data management and visualization

� Standards, open systems, GIS integration

� Heightened concerns and tools for system/network security management /disaster recovery


What is GIS Strategic Planning

• Process of aligning GIS implementation and operations with the organization’s business priorities

• Creating the long-term big picture—the target for GIS implementationfor GIS implementation

• Defining the role of the GIS within the entire organization and its information technology architecture


Common Components of Strategic Plan

• Summary of current situation (organizational and technical)

• Vision Statement (picture of long-term results)

• Mission Statement (brief statement defining action to achieve vision)

• Business Drivers**

• High-Level Goals (5 to 10 concise goals addressing clear end-results for organizational and technical initiatives)

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end-results for organizational and technical initiatives)

• Identification of Internal and External Stakeholders

• Objectives or Initiatives (under each goal)

• Incorporate or reference business case information

• General schedule

• High-level cost estimates

Stra

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Vision and/or Mission StatementVision Statement: Describes or “paints a picture” of the future GIS and geographic information management

Mission Statement: Concise statement (action-oriented language) about accomplishing the long-term vision

Sample Mission Statement from State GIS Program:

“To facilitate, coordinate, and promote the effective

development, sharing, and use of geographic information

within the state for the benefit of its citizens.”

*It’s OK but not necessary to have both a Vision and Mission Statement. Should at least have a Mission Statement


Sample Mission—Don’t Do this

Actual 1997 “Corporate Vision Statement” for a Actual 1997 “Corporate Vision Statement” for a

major banking/finance companymajor banking/finance company::

““To be a bank that doesn’t think like a bank. A To be a bank that doesn’t think like a bank. A ““To be a bank that doesn’t think like a bank. A To be a bank that doesn’t think like a bank. A

bank that knows that yesterday isn’t today….and bank that knows that yesterday isn’t today….and

that today becomes yesterday tomorrowthat today becomes yesterday tomorrow””


The Strategic Plan vs. the Implementation Plan

• The Strategic Plan paints the picture and gives the major goals and organizational context

10

• An implementation plan or business plan tells how GIS goals and objectives will be met and how work will be conducted

Geographically-oriented Business Processes

• Mining permit review and approval

• Zoning/Rezoning case review

• Construction project inspection

• Transportation plan development

Definition: Geographically-oriented business processes are actions carried by an organization (usually with a defined legal or policy mandate) which have a specific end result and which involve the collection, use, maintenance, or distribution of geographic information. Some examples include:

• Transportation plan development

• Facility inspection

• Road/Facility maintenance

• Development site review and selection

• Environmental impact assessment

• Property appraisal

• Emergency plan preparation

• Emergency dispatch/response

Relationship between Strategic Plan, Implementation Plans, Work Plans

Work

Plan

Work

Plan

Work

Plan

Work

Plan

Work

Plan

Work

Plan

Implementation/

Business Plan

Implementation/

Business Plan

Implementation/

Business Plan

Detailed work plans for project areas to support implementation and operations

Implementation plans defining overall tasks, schedules, resources for specific projects or Business Plan

Business

Case

Business Plan

Business

Case

Business Plan

Business

Case

Strategic PlanBroad, long-term picture and strategy to accomplish

GIS program goals and initiatives

specific projects or initiatives

Business cases to justify and launch specific projects and initiatives


What is a Business Case?

• Sometimes required to establish formal approval and support for project

• Concisely describes the nature and purpose of the project, overall approach, impact on business, and costs

• Effective tool for getting formal support and funding for project

• Helps in establishing clear leadership and allocation of resources• Helps in establishing clear leadership and allocation of resources

• Should be in the form of a clearly written report (with effective use of tables and bullet points) and accompanying summary presentation materials

• Sometimes includes summary of tangible and intangible benefits (may be a formal cost-benefit analysis)


Components of a Business Case

• Description of Objectives

• Strategic Linkage to Organization’s Plan

• Sponsorship

• Stakeholders• Stakeholders

• Project Structure

• Funding Plan

• Expected Outcome

• Risk Management


Strategic Planning Approach


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