NSGIC believes that the Roadmap document is too vague and not built on sound planning principles. Use the FGDC’s own guidelines developed for the Fifty States Initiative which are available at http://www.fgdc.gov/policyandplanning/revbpsp. Part of the planning process should identify the business requirements and drivers that affect local, state, tribal and Federal agencies, so that common needs can take the highest priority. The planning process should also identify programs that have in fact resulted in 1) successful sharing of data or technologies, 2) efficiencies in developing geospatial programs, or 3) a standard national data set through a local to state to federal flow of data. Following development of a strategic plan, the identified success factors can be used as planks of a nationwide platform to build a national spatial data infrastructure in an incremental fashion.
This planning effort must include the stakeholder community if the Federal government wants buy-in. It is not enough just to ask for comments on the Roadmap document. Specific details on each of the proposed activities must be available for review and concurrence by the entire geospatial community.
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