The problems is... defining the problem!

Top five questions about BC Spatial (I've been asked them and I've been asking them myself):

1. What is it?
2. What problem is it intended to solve?
3. How will you do it?
4. How long will it take?
5. What will it cost?
   

A detailed response is the business of the Project Charter. Let me talk about item #2 for this post; it's a natural starting point and precursor to the other questions anyway. Sadly, it's also the most difficult to answer with real consensus.

Here's a brief hit list of problems that I've heard attached to the BC Spatial solution:

• Discrete and non-integrated sources of parcel data
• Incomplete or high-latency publication of member data
• Insufficient information about data (metadata) to determine fitness-for-use
  
• Overlapping contributions from adjacent jurisdictions
• Structural inconsistencies within and across datasets
• Absent notifications of (detailed) spatial changes

In thinking about these issues, the historical tendency has been to focus on the data-related components and jump towards fairly obvious solutions: one single compilation program for parcels, please! or let me have my own standards as long as my neighbors and I agree on our boundaries! While these approaches have their merits, let's consider:

1. Many of us have witnessed versions of these very good ideas planned and even initiated before - only to fall apart or not gain traction. They're either massive re-engineering tasks requiring substantial commitment, participation and reconciliation and fall down through the sheer enormity of trying to satisfy all business requirements, or they become overly insular in their approach and fail to provide significant value.
2. Whose problems do these approaches solve? Some or all ICIS members? Data producers, data consumers or both? If there is conflict, who decides on the priority?
   

Common denominators and low-hanging fruit:

It seems to me that a reasonable approach to all of these problems is to address the needs that are common to all members (consensus ensured!), to quantify problems that are anecdotal right now, and to improve and standardize existing services that are already being relied upon. These are the guiding principles of the BC Spatial phase 1 work plan, which includes:

1. BC parcel data assessment - where are there data quality, overlap or redundancy issues? When we can see it and count it, we will be in a better position to decide what to do about it.
2. Automate data processing - get member data in, up, stitched, packaged and distributed through repeatable automation. Pilot the automation with a subset of members and datasets to understand the automation effort.
3. Standardize the database - not just the ol' parcel layer, but its metadata - how complete is it, what is its integrity, etc. Pilot the data model through the automation pilot.
4. Plan. Let's review what we've achieved and target further development on real assessment of data issues and quantitative statistics of service improvements.

I know there's a lot of opinion out there and I look forward to hearing it!

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines!

Welcome to the BC Spatial blog where you'll find the latest news about ICIS' project to formalize, standarize and share the best available spatial data for members. For background information about BC Spatial check out the website at http://www.bcspatial.ca/.

Please feel free to make comments on any article in the blog. The project team will be using this area to inform everyone about the project but also provides you an opportunity to send us feedback. If you don't find what you are looking for then please contact me directly.