California Technology Agency

Transcription

1 NASCIO 2013 State IT Recognition Awards California Technology Agency The State of California GeoPortal Category: State CIO Office Special Recognition Project Initiation Date: February 1, 2012 Project Completion Date: December 1, 2012 Carlos Ramos, Secretary California Technology Agency Scott Gregory State Geographic Information Officer

2 Section 2: Executive Summary Many business or government policy decisions are made based on information about specific geographic areas. Quick and easy access to geographic data is essential to support accurate and timely decisions. Businesses can use this information to select the best place to open new facilities, analyze population areas, or even identify competition. Governments can use this information to allocate services and resources where they are needed most, such as positioning fire engines during the fire season. Citizens can use this information to choose the best place to live based on schools, weather conditions, or even access to recreation. State, federal and local governments, as well as tribal organizations, have been collecting geographic data sets for many years for a wide variety of reasons and applications. Until now, there has never been a centralized source to access this abundant and valuable information. The California Technology Agency (State CIO s Office) developed the GeoPortal an innovative, intuitive tool that allows quick access to extensive geographic data. The GeoPortal is a comprehensive catalog of thousands of data sources from several government systems, streamlining access to government derived data. This solution brings together not only state derived data but also over 11,000 state, federal, local and tribal data sets. The GeoPortal also allows organizations to securely manage their own geographic data. The system provides a robust set of tools that allow organizations to upload, catalog and maintain their information. Government officials, business owners and citizens now have quick access to thousands of geographic data sources like never before. In just a couple of clicks, a user with no technical background in geospatial information systems can find and analyze useful data. Information can be accessed in minutes to make critical decisions based on accurate and timely information. The project was developed using existing CTA resources. The applications use free and open source software and catalog tools, therefore all the costs associated with this project were existing staff. This application also significantly reduced operating costs, saving the state approximately $1 million annually by eliminating data, hardware and system redundancy and personnel costs associated with the maintenance and upkeep of like systems.

3 Section 3: Business Problem and Solution Problem Geographic data is a collection of location-based information that can be charted on a map. This wide array of data can be used a number of different ways. It can be data related to the location of schools, types of wildlife, fire conditions, weather any kind of information that can be given coordinates. State, federal and local governments, as well as tribal organizations, have been independently collecting geographic data sets for many years for a wide variety of reasons and applications. This abundant and valuable information is kept in disparate databases throughout state, federal and local organizations, not readily available to support informed decision making by businesses, citizens and government. Quick access to geographic data is essential to make accurate and timely decisions. The State of California has never had a centralized resource that collects, catalogues and manages geographical information from multiple sources. Anyone needing access to geographic information found it to be a difficult and lengthy process. For example, if an individual needed access to large volumes of demographic data for a portion of the state, the user would have to find and contact an organization that held the data, provide a portable storage device, wait for the data to be downloaded, and then put the information in the desired format. California once maintained a site called CalAtlas that provided some geographic data and information collected and maintained by the state, but its uses were limited. The site required a high level of technical expertise to find and interpret available information. Finding information held by the federal or local governments or by tribal organizations was also tedious. It often took numerous clicks to find needed information. Once gathered, the information would have to be integrated by the user. The tools available to access geographic data required skills that the average users of the data do not possess. In order for geographic data to be useful for decision-making, the data needed to be quickly available, accessible, and usable. Solution The California Technology Agency (State CIO s Office) solved this problem by developing an intuitive and easy-to-use tool for the search, discovery and use of geographic information. The State of California GeoPortal is an interactive, user friendly gateway that has transformed access to California s geospatial information and to thousands of geographic data sources around the country. Easy to use, secure and customizable, the State of California GeoPortal is a web-based, interactive catalog of geographic information providing access for businesses, citizens and government to search and use the state s vast and valuable geographic information to make an infinite number of informed, real-world decisions. For example:

4 Businesses can use this information to select the best place to open new facilities, analyze population areas, access raw materials or even identify competition. Citizens can use this information to choose the best place to live based on schools, demographics, weather conditions, natural hazards or even access to recreation areas. Governments can use this information to collaborate on joint projects, make policy decisions or allocate resources where they are needed most, such as positioning fire engines during the fire season. The GeoPortal provides: A simplified user interface that allows even those without a geographic information system (GIS) background to easily access relevant information in only two or three clicks. A gallery of available interactive, informational maps developed by government partners. A geographic based search function that allows the user to find information for a specific location. Integration with existing GIS software that allows other approved organizations to upload, catalogue and share their geographic information. A built-in web map that allows the user to create a customized map with information available through the GeoPortal. A one-stop-shop for thousands of data sources from government partners. The State of California GeoPortal is a comprehensive catalog of thousands of data sources from government systems, streamlining access to government derived data. Approximately 11,000 state, federal, city, county and tribal datasets are registered with the State of California GeoPortal. This tool increases efficiency in data management and access, as well as reduces redundancy in data development. This resource does not require technical expertise and can be used by anyone for many different purposes. Cost The GeoPortal was developed in house using existing CTA resources. The applications use free and open source software and catalog tools and no additional hardware was needed, therefore all the costs associated with this project were existing staff. The development of the GeoPortal took only nine months to complete. The return on investment to the State of California will be approximately $1 million annually. This

5 revenue is acquired by eliminating data, hardware and system redundancy and personnel costs associated with the maintenance and upkeep of like systems. Solution Architecture The primary components of the GeoPortal are based on the GeoPortal Toolkit; an open source software developed by Esri Inc. Web programming languages like JavaScript, JAVA, and Silverlight were used to develop components on both the client and backend portions of the application. Section 4: Significance The GeoPortal provides quick access to approximately 11,000 state, federal, city, county and tribal datasets of geographic data sources to ordinary citizens, businesses and government entities. Timely and relevant information allows users to make quick, informed decisions such as where to locate a business, the best place to live and raise children, or the best location for a government office. GeoPortal will also significantly reduce costs related to the management and acquisition of geographic data resources. The State of California will realize nearly $1 million in cost savings associated by leveraging and utilizing the GeoPortal as a data management tool. With the GeoPortal, users can now access information quickly and easily. Information that was once cumbersome and tedious to access and took days to gather from different sources can now be retrieved in a matter of minutes. Users no longer need to contact several different entities to gather data as the GeoPortal makes it available in one location for everyone to access with just a few clicks. Users can access the website from anywhere through any device, simply enter search terms, and the data is presented for the location of interest. The user then has access to the information in a number of different ways. The data can be downloaded, accessed via a web service, or the user can interact with it in the GeoPortal s map viewer. This system exemplifies how time and money can be saved in the search, acquisition and sharing of geographic data. Innovation and Transferability While other government entities have portals that allow access to geographic data, the State of California GeoPortal is innovative and unique and can be used as a model or other government entities. The GeoPortal is a foundation for data management and cataloging not just at the state level, but is an application that extends to the entire enterprise. It not only catalogues and accesses California state geographical information, it incorporates data sets from federal, local, tribal and education sources. California has created a one-stop shop for approximately 11,000 state, federal, city, county, tribal and education data sets. In addition to making geographic data easily

6 accessible, the GeoPortal provides free management tools for organizations to manage their geographic data more efficiently, allowing broad access to previously unusable data. Organizations can identify redundancy, catalog and manage their own geographic data all within GeoPortal. Alignment with state and NASCIO priorities The California State GeoPortal aligns with Governor Brown s priorities of making government more accessible and responsive to citizens and by using information as an asset. The GeoPortal aligns with Objective 3.1 of the California Information Technology Strategic Plan to Enhance transparency, accessibility and openness through online and mobile solutions to promote informed participating by the public. It aligns with Objective 4.3 to Enhance the value of state information through tools to increase the ease of collaborations and data analysis. The GeoPortal also aligns with multiple NASCIO priorities which include Consolidation/Optimization, Mobile Services/Mobility, Budget and Cost Control, and Shared Services. Section 5: Benefits The GeoPortal is a service offering by the California Technology Agency to state and local agencies and departments at no cost. It is a tool that can be leveraged by any organizations to catalog and manage their geographic data resources. Organizations are able to register their geographic data content on the GeoPortal and securely manage their information. It has a robust set of management tools that allow organizations to edit, upload and maintain geographic information. Anyone that needs access to geographic data to make informed decisions will benefit greatly from the California GeoPortal. With quick and easy access to relevant data, the GeoPortal transforms the way government entities, businesses and citizens make informed, real-world decisions. These entities no longer need to wait days or contact numerous organizations to retrieve needed information. The data is quickly gathered and integrated in just a few clicks. Stakeholder Benefits Businesses benefit because they can obtain important information that allows them to make decisions based on information such as customer base, resource availability, and a myriad of other factors. Citizens can make informed decisions such as where to live or work based on factors such as crime rate, schools, public transportation routes, availability of health care, environmental hazards and many more.

7 Governments can quickly make informed policy decisions, enhance the deployment of services, and collaborate on joint projects by leveraging the information retrieved through the GeoPortal. Entities that Collect Geographic Information benefit by being able to upload, catalog and manage their own information, making it more accessible and usable. Return on Investment The return on investment to the State of California will be nearly $1 million annually. This revenue is acquired by eliminating data, hardware and system redundancy and personnel costs associated with the maintenance and upkeep of like systems.