The next Wisconsin Geographic Information Coordination Council (WIGICC) meeting is scheduled for Thursday April 16th at the Holiday Inn & Conference Center (1001 Amber Ave) in Stevens Point from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The agenda is posted on the WIGICC Web site, or available in PDF format.
The Council last assembled via videoconference on February 11 to discuss progress and future initiatives. They established a new partnership with the Wisconsin Homeland Security Council, and offered their endorsement and support to the Wisconsin Regional Orthophotography Consortium (WROC). Together, these groups will be more effective in presenting statewide GIS issues that matter to the stakeholders in Wisconsin.
New partnership and endorsement
Chris Diller, WI Department of Military Affairs, addressed the Council about the WI Homeland Security Council statewide homeland security strategic plan and how WIGICC could have an integral part in the effort. One of the proposed goals of the plan addresses GIS activities in Wisconsin, and calls for WIGICC to develop a sustainable “land imaging” strategy. Two WIGICC members will attend the Homeland Security Council meeting on April 15th to discuss further involvement and collaboration between the two groups.
WIGICC members also gave their support to WROC and its mission of building and sustaining a multi-participant program to acquire digital orthoimagery throughout Wisconsin. WROC is led by the state’s regional planning commissions, with the goal of providing cost savings to consortium participants. The endorsement was preceded by much discussion about the relationship to other aerial photography initiatives, such as the National Agriculture Imagery Program, and the WI Department of Military Affairs’ Homeland Security grant proposal to fund a portion of a potential statewide 18” or 24” leaf-off product in 2010.
Proposed decision management tool
At their previous meeting, Council members expressed interest in developing a process to objectively decide which Council activities are likely to have the most positive impact on Wisconsin GIS stakeholders. Andy Swartz, City of Sun Prairie, and Curtis Pulford, Department of Administration, presented a decision-making tool entitled, “Development of a Structured Decision Making Tool for Screening and Documentation of WIGICC Issue Submittals.” This model was developed to help the Council identify priority issues brought forward from a Network Issue Submittal form.
Once an issue is presented, the Council will use the proposed flow chart to determine the course of action. The issue will start at the screening process and if passed will proceed to be voted on. The issue will only be advanced if a “yes” vote occurs; otherwise, the submittal is rejected or deferred until a revised submittal is received.
As a test, the process was implemented for the Interoperability Standards Project that Erik Mickelson and A.J. Wortley presented to the Council later in the meeting. The decision-making tool will be used again on April 16th for the proposed Spatial Data Repository Project. Though these projects are currently in the planning phases, the tool will determine the Council’s future involvement in the projects.
Ted Koch, State Cartographer, presented a new WIGICC brochure and a one-page flyer to the group. These new materials will be used to develop the network’s involvement with the Council while building visibility to others who are interested in statewide geographic information coordination. In addition, members of the Council are in the process of producing an external communications plan to improve the awareness and understanding of the Council’s mission.