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Presidential Initiatives

Geospatial Line of Business

Portfolio Manager

Dominic Sale

Managing Partner

Department of Interior (DOI)

Program Manager

Ivan DeLoatch, USGS

Description

The Nation’s interests are served, and the core missions of Federal agencies and their partners are met, through the effective and efficient development, provision, and interoperability of geospatial data and services.

To further refine the opportunities for optimizing and consolidating Federal geospatial-related investments to reduce the cost of government and, at the same time, improve services to citizens. Cross-agency coordination of geospatial activities can identify, consolidate, and reduce or eliminate redundant geospatial investments. Developing the Geospatial Line of Business (LoB) will result in a more coordinated approach to producing, maintaining, and using geospatial data, and will ensure sustainable participation from Federal partners to establish a collaborative model for geospatial-related activities and investments.

Progress to Date
  • Established the Program Management Office (PMO) at the USGS September 2007
  • Completion of FY08 Joint Business Case and Common Solutions/Target Architecture document
  • Establishment and designation of Senior Agency Officials for Geospatial Information (SAOGIs)
  • Development of common definitions for federal geospatial investments
  • Acceptance of the restructure for the Federal Geographic Data Committee - Federal Advisory Committee Act component

Initiative Goals

Begin implementation by executing the tasks identified in the FY09 Joint Business Case including:

  • Develop communications and outreach materials
  • Define and establish geospatial data steward life cycle responsibilities and performance measures for A-16 Framework data themes and Nationally Significant Data Themes
  • Expand smart-buy efforts for geospatial data and technologies and consider shared licenses
  • Develop requirements and make recommendations to ensure Federal-wide support for the technology and telecommunication infrastructure required to deliver geospatial services
  • Explore a broker service for data searching among agencies (peer to peer, service to service) which will build on and improve existing systems
  • Productive intergovernmental collaboration for geospatial-related activities and investments across all sectors and levels of government
  • Optimized and standardized common geospatial functions, services, and processes which are responsive to customers
  • Cost efficient acquisition, processing, and access to geospatial data and information
  • Completion and analysis of a Budget Data Request detailing federal geospatial investments
  • Reporting and analysis of plans for completion of OMB Circular A-16 data layers
  • Completion of Program Management Plan for the LoB initiative
  • Identification of National Geospatial Advisory Committee

Exhibit 300

Managing Partner Agency Exhibit 300


The Geospatial LoB has set forth ambitious and transformational goals to better serve the Nation’s interests. Building on the policy foundation of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-16 (“Coordination of Geographic Information and Related Spatial Data Activities”) and the President’s Management Agenda, the Geospatial LoB will establish a new and more citizen-centric collaborative model for geospatial-related activities and investments. This will create a framework for sustainable participation from non-Federal partners, and create a more coordinated and leveraged approach to producing, maintaining, and using geospatial data and services. Future cost savings and greater satisfaction of customer and business needs will be realized by optimizing, and where appropriate, consolidating geospatial assets and activities through enhanced performance accountability and compliance mechanisms and coordinated budget planning and cost avoidance strategies. Provisioning the Nation with easy to use geospatial capabilities will promote cheaper, smarter and more efficient government business, services and information.

The Geospatial LoB is focused on business-driven, common solutions(s) aligned with the Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) and guided by the FEA Geospatial Profile and the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) in order to support operations across the Nation and beyond. The common solution consists of three solution tracks. Each solution track plays a critical role in supporting the vision, goals, and objectives of the Geospatial LoB.

  • Enhanced Governance - Includes the development of a stakeholder centric governance model and robust performance, evaluation, accountability, and reporting mechanisms required to make the NSDI operational, and improve federal agency geospatial program coordination and performance
  • Planning and Investment Strategy - Incorporates, coordinated requirements analyses, planning and budgeting efforts across LoBs, standardized budget coding to allow automated evaluation and tracking of Federal geospatial assets and expenditures; and a common acquisition strategy that includes shared acquisition vehicles and services to reduce or avoid unnecessary costs
  • Optimize and Standardize Geospatial Data and Services - Utilizes known best practices and open standards to establish widespread, shared and re-useable geospatial asset discovery, access/delivery, analysis, training, and brokering services. It also includes mechanisms to standardize agency approaches to geospatial business, technology, services, and data

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