Kertas Kerja Symposium Sempena 100 Tahun Pentadbiran Tanah Moden Negara Brunei Darussalam The Challenges in the Implementation of Brunei Darussalam Spatial Data Infrastructure (BSDI) Prepared by Haji Mohammed Jamil bin Haji Mohammed Ali (email: jamil.ali@survey.gov.bn) Surveyor General Brunei Darussalam 11 November 2009
Contents Page Executive Summary 3 1. Introduction to Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) 5 2. Realing a NSDI to support e-government initiatives 6 2.1 E Map Applications 7 3. Overview of Brunei Darussalam Spatial Data Infrastructure (BSDI) 9 4 Vision 10 5 Governance 10 5.1 Role of Governance 11 5.2 IT Governance 11 6 System 6.1 System and Technology 12 6.2 Service Oriented Architecture SOA 12 7 Data 7.1 Data sets 13 7.2 Geo custody 14 8 Funding 14 9 Skills 15 10 Conclusion 15 References 17 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 2 of 17
Executive Summary The world of geospatial data and applications is progressing rapidly. Many government agencies around the world are continuing to discover the countless benefits of using Geographical Information System (GIS) as a framework for improving government services. Ministry of Development through Survey Department is recognised as leading agency in developing a spatial data infrastructure with a clear focus on the benefits it will deliver. A national Brunei Darussalam Spatial Data Infrastructure (BSDI) was launched on 23rd April 2008 by the Honourable Minister of Development. Refer to website http//www.bsdi.gov.bn. This is a key milestone for the emap project because the launching of BSDI includes portal, repository and Geographical Information (GI) analysis tool. This removes many of the technological barriers to the wide use of GI to support business and public services, building on a centrally-funded mapping agreement delivering mapping data ( basic data free and thematic data chargeable) at the point of use to all public servants. At present the main challenge of BSDI: its framework needs to be accessible, wellmanaged and user-friendly to all concerns. BSDI is opening up opportunities for expansion, it can raise profit of the businesses, to the benefit of everybody concern. The paper explores challenges in the implementation of BSDI. This includes the difficulty of attracting organizations and users accessing to BSDI and possible solutions. In order to appreciate the difficulty of the problem, the paper will start with introduction 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 3 of 17
to SDI, where we are, problems, try to explain the contributing factors of the following elements(but not limited to): Vision; Governance; Systems; - Data; Funding; and Skills There are many lessons that can be learned from BSDI s work to date, not least in the context of the national e-government directive requirements and the way forward to resolve the problems. 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 4 of 17
1. Introduction to Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) Many countries throughout the world are embarked on the work of specifying and delivering a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI). Some of these initiatives are being driven top-down; others are being developed bottom-up. Most are highlighting questions about what constitutes an SDI and how success in creating an SDI can be defined. SDI can be defined as the technology, policies, standards, human resources, and related activities necessary to acquire, process, distribute, use, maintain, and preserve spatial data. ( As defined by Ian Williamson et al, reference 2) It is the means to assemble geographic information that describes the arrangement and attributes of features and phenomena on the Earth. The infrastructure includes the materials, technology, and people necessary to acquire, process and distribute such information to meet a wide variety of needs. A successful SDI assures that spatial data from multiple sources (government agencies, local authorities, non government bodies, academia, and the private sector) are available and easily integrated to enhance the understanding of our physical and cultural world. An SDI must be more than a single data set or database; an SDI hosts geographic data and attributes, sufficient documentation (metadata), means to discover, visualize and evaluate the data (catalogues and web mapping), and some method to provide access to the geographic data. To make an SDI functional, it must also include the organizational agreements needed to coordinate and administer it on a local, regional, national or transnational scale. 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 5 of 17
2. Realizing a National Spatial Data Infrastructure to Support e-government Initiatives The Ministry of Development for Brunei Darussalam has long recognized the importance of spatial data in providing services to the country. Excellence in physical planning, geomatic services and land use management is one of its strategic goals. With the announcement of e-map in April 2007, the Ministry has begun the process to encompass the standards, technology, access systems and agency arrangements necessary to harmonize Brunei Darussalam s geospatial data and services, making them available on the Internet in a secure authorized environment. The objective of these on-line spatial services is intended to support the Government s drive towards e-government based on national goals and objectives for Brunei Darussalam. A synopsis with respect to the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) supporting these national initiatives can be accessed from http://www.bit.gov.bn. Sections that are of particular interest are: The Brunei Darussalam National Development Plan The Brunei Darussalam National IT Strategic Plan ( IT 2000 and Beyond ) The e-government Strategic Framework ( EG21 Governance and Services Online ) With these national initiatives in mind, the objectives of e-map are to integrated and implement services that will: 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 6 of 17
Effectively enable the Ministry of Development to improve its work practices in relation to its needs; and Deliver genuine benefits and savings to the Ministry of Development. 2. 1 E-Map Applications The primary stakeholders of e-map are the Ministry of Development departments of Survey, Land and Town and Country Planning. Together the departments have identified core processes that will realize e-map as an integrated solution supporting government policies. These processes, which will be elaborated below, include the implementation of: An e-map portal that will provide a point of entry for clients and employees; A National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) harmonizing spatial data within the country; An e-lis to support Land Information System applications within the Survey department; An e-ppt portal supporting land subdivision and consolidation process within the Survey department; An e-planning portal and GIS applications supporting business processes within the Town and Country Planning department; An e-land portal supporting business processes within the Land department. 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 7 of 17
Figure 1 - E-Map Applications In order to meet the objectives mandated by the Ministry of Development the e-map applications are intended to: Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of core processes through the provision of automated functionality with the implementation of workflow management and improved access via the Internet; Provide high quality information that is readily and efficiently maintained to support informed decision-making, evaluation and planning, and to enhance control and effectiveness through the provision of systematic reporting; Support e-government initiatives that are web-based, database driven and architecturally open allowing more efficient interactions between the Ministry, related government agencies and the public. 3. Overview of Brunei Darusssalam Spatial Data Infrastructure (BSDI) BSDI is the Brunei Darussalam version of global spatial data infrastructure at national level. BSDI is the mandatory requirement of emap project which is the flag of Ministry 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 8 of 17
of Development e-government project. Project emap was signed on 21 April 2007 and BSDI was launched 23 April 2008. It took a year for the vendor to initially complete the first production of BSDI. The BSDI is a comprehensive, decentralized geospatial information framework that facilitates decision-making at various levels by enabling access, retrieval and dissemination of geospatial data and information in a rapid and secure way. It enables interoperability between spatial data infrastructures developed for specific purposes that operate within government departments, among groups of agencies sharing common interests, and between other parties interested in leveraging the utilization of spatial data. The key features in BSDI include: Provision of a Clearinghouse that facilitates the discovery, viewing, and/or disseminating spatial data from numerous sources via the Internet; Establishing a metadata catalogue to support the geospatial clearinghouse data discovery portal. Metadata is designed to capture the basic characteristics of data (who, what, when, where, why and how) based on ISO TC211 standards; Establishing a geospatial warehouse to facilitate the use of core geospatial datasets based on national standards. The core datasets is consists of framework data that is comprised integrated geospatial data providing context and reference information for the country, such as road networks, hydrography, boundaries. 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 9 of 17
As a result of this, I consider six elements for a successful BSDI sustainably embedded by public and private sectors. The elements are Vision, Governance, System, Data, Funding and Skills and each element is explored further in the following sections. 4 Vision Strategy and vision must be agreed before an organisational structure is put in place. I believe that the same applies for the development of BSDI. The vision also needs to be sufficiently compelling to gain wide acceptance, and to gain willingness from people to change their approach so as to enable the successful development and implementation of BSDI. Suggested vision written below and yet to be agreed by the stakeholders should have the following factors: - Every Public Servant can access the appropriate (geographic) information in order to facilitate policy development and evaluation, administration and service delivery, at the desktop, in a seamless way; and The public can view Government held information in easy to understand ways. - The views, concerns and perception of other stakeholders will have to be taken into account for a successful vision of BSDI The vision should states that use of GI in the working life of public servants in Brunei Darussalam should be as natural as the use of Microsoft Office when writing a document. It is also important that a vision focuses on outcomes, or at least outputs, not just on inputs, and that it is set out in practical terms, not in a purely theoretical way. Currently the vision yet to be spell out in the BSDI web. 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 10 of 17
5 Governance Fig 1. Role of governance in channeling collective efforts 5.1 Role of Governance Governance is a steering' function, providing leadership and an enabling framework for collective decision making. However, as shown above, governance has become shorthand for the institutional arrangements that enable BSDI, and therefore includes functions such as co-ordination and management. These functions extend the scope of governance to include decision implementation. But the question arises, as shown in Figure 1, are these really governance functions,( Hence shown the sign question mark) and if not, what is their relationship to governance? Governance functions within organisations typically include setting strategic goals, supervising management and monitoring results. 5.2 IT Governance 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 11 of 17
Given the need for increased accountability, the rapid pace of technological change in business environments and the crucial role of IT in achieving business strategies, IT governance has become an increasingly important discipline with a wide range of tools, methods and approaches. At one end IT governance may be conceived as the organisational structures, processes and leadership that ensure IT supports organisational objectives. At the opposite end, IT governance can be viewed as a framework for assigning IT decision-making rights within organisations. 6. Systems 6.1 Systems and technology Another key component in delivering a sustainable SDI is the systems and technology to underpin it. The focus here is on system and applications delivery. A key component of the BSDI Strategy (Strategy yet to be formulated) has therefore been the delivery of web based BSDI, a thin client application that will enable all public sector users to access mapping and other spatial data, and perform a range of analysis queries on combinations of data. A key lesson learned was that almost all of the datasets supplied other than Survey Department did not have ISO-compliant metadata with them; the importance of metadata when using others data seems not generally to have been recognised by data suppliers. 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 12 of 17
Although the procedures in accessing BSDI. It should be world standard as required in the tender, but the question is Brunei Darussalam society at large understand the proper procedure? It could be a simplified version of the procedure is more desirable for Brunei Darussalam. Current procedure could be revised to adopt this. 6.2 Service Oriented Architecture SOA Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is adopted for BSDI (best practice internationally). The approach is to deal with heterogeneous IT assets under the control of different government agencies. SOA is about services: modular, interoperable chunks of functionality designed to meet specific business purposes and capable of being reused and combined in various ways to meet changing needs. However, SOA adoption requires radical changes in the way IT resources are developed and managed. This is where the problem lies? Can Brunei (government and private sectors) adopt SOA? The interdependence of services and numbers of people and roles involved in the design, operation and use of services implies the need for strong governance. 7. Data 7.1 Datasets The key questions around data for BSDI include BSDI flow: what datasets are required to deliver the vision of the BSDI? What are the priorities on providing and improving the datasets? Some data are chargeable others are not. It would be uneconomical if all data are free of charge.. Another key question is the quality required, which will determine whether existing data needs to be improved or not to meet the needs of the BSDI. Who are the custodians of the data? (Geo custodian will be explain in the next few paragraph). 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 13 of 17
In Brunei Darussalam where major progress based or centred on the public sector, the key focus should be on ensuring that key datasets used by the public sector will fit together effectively to meet user needs (this will often require combinations of datasets). For the basic data for example roads, cadastral, orthophots, Survey Department is providing this via BSDI. But there are other essential data such as flood data, planning applications keep by other stakeholders. A key component in developing an SDI, therefore, is to bring together a wide range of data (with its associated metadata)r access by users. This process also requires agreements to be in place as to what can (and cannot) be done with each dataset, the frequency with which it will be updated, and so on. These agreements, in the authors experience, can take considerably longer to put in place than the supply of the data itself. It is important, before making data combinations available; to consider the extent to which data will need to fit together to what extent can inconsistencies in coordinate base be allowed to exist within the different datasets what is fit for purpose? 7.2 Geo-custody Key to the operation of BSDI is the relationship between governance (in the collective realm) and the management and operation of BSDI capabilities (within individual organisations). This relationship is encapsulated in the notion of custody of geospatial information. Custody represents an assigned and accepted responsibility for an organisation to collect, manage and provide access to geospatial resources, effectively holding the resources in trust for the community. 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 14 of 17
However, in order to act as custodian the organisation requires approval at management and possibly governance level. If geospatial resources are being delivered via services such as web services, approval and operational support from IT governance within the organisation will also be required. On top of that when BSDI was initially implemented, ministry of finance was slow in providing payment gateway for this project. 8. Funding The cost of spatial data has long been perceived by many as a key impediment to the development of an SDI in many jurisdictions, and these issues should be the last to resolve. Continuous funding from government is vital to this project. In order to make this project sustainable some data will be charge. 9. Skills Once a clear vision is in place, systems, data, technology and funding are available, a final element remains necessary for the sustainability of BSDI. This is the availability of skilled staff especially in Survey Department (other agency like Land, Town Country Planning as well) to ensure that data is used and developed effectively to meet user requirements now and in the future. These skills are needed both to assist staff in using (and not abusing) spatial data, and also to ensure that data is brought together effectively within organisations (and then made available to others through platforms such as BSDI. 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 15 of 17
This is perhaps the area that is least fully developed in government agencies but continuously being address. There are a number of very capable GIS small teams of staff in different government agencies, but very few only. 10 Conclusions BSDI is not monolithic systems, but complex evolving interconnected networks, so that traditional management approaches based on the ability to command, control and resource activities are not appropriate. The task of coordinating BSDI capabilities under fragmented management presents a significant challenge. Although the co-ordination and management of specific elements of the BSDI can be delegated to individual agencies, these functions are a collective responsibility and should have clearly defined relationships to governance. Operation of the framework of governance also requires co-ordination and management. A key dimension of this is management of agreement artifacts such as business cases, policies, specifications and application schemas reflecting agencies/community consensus concerning SDI goals and the means for achieving them. These artifacts, particularly those describing technical agreements, must be managed throughout their lifecycles (from creation through revision to retirement) to ensure they can be discovered and used in the support of configuration and publication of new data and services. As elaborated in this paper, the six elements: vision, governance, system, data, funding and skills are the main factors for a successful BSDI. 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 16 of 17
Finally, BSDI governance is just like steering a flotilla of ships representing institutionally independent but functionally interdependent capabilities. To keep both individual vessels and the entire flotilla on course it is necessary to provide an unambiguous definition of the collective and individual responsibilities for decision making, implementation and evaluation, together with the mechanisms that enable these. Last but not least, the development of Brunei Darussalam Spatial Data Infrastructure BSDI is complex and challenging. What lies ahead is that at the moment is the lack of coordination among government and private sectors to fully make use of BSDI. Given the recommendations in this report, I strongly believe that BSDI will be fully in use by relevant agencies both in private and government sectors in the next two years to come. REFERENCES 1. Masser, I., 2007, Building European Spatial Data Infrastructures. ESRI Press, Redlands, California. 2. Williamson I, et al, Developing Spatial Data Infrastructure. From concept to reality. Taylor & Francis Group Press, UKittee, Washington DC, National Academy Press 3. Nebert, D., 2004, The SDI Cookbook. Available from http://www.gsdi.org/gsdicookbookindex.asp 11 dan 12 Nobember 2009 Page 17 of 17