Are the semiprofessional users ready to handle geographic basic-data? This project focuses, on how the semiprofessional users gets in contact with and uses geographic basic-data. The starting point is the Government, Local Government Denmark and Danish Regions’ basic-data initiative, which tries to improve the use of basic-data in Denmark.
The project’s background analysis shows that the basic-data initiative mainly is regarding the production, optimization, improvement and distribution of basic-data. To elucidate another side to the use and handling of basic-data, the project’s analysis focusses on the semi-professional users and the organization they work in. How do the semi-professional users get in contact with data, how they use it and for what purpose?
By conducting field visits at three private companies, a municipality and a public agency information on the practical use of geographic basic-data was collected. The field visits showed that the majority of the organizations did not respond to how organization and the users’ skills affect the use of basic-data. There was generally a lack of structure around data, data use, metadata and quality assurance. Employees have a strong trial-and-error approach to data use, which in most situation is enough, but at the same time, the employees are not aware of errors, when they occurs.
In addition to field visits, a group of geodata interested and geodata dependent were invited to a workshop. At the workshop they were asked to generate ideas for the future management of geodata. Through the generated ideas, it was clarified which needs the participants currently sought to cover. Several of the participants wants clear standards for data, both in terms of uniformity of design, easier combination of different datasets and better ways to compare data. Other participants focused on a better overview of existing data and automation of data capture and data management.
A better use of basic-data can be ensured, if the direction and GIS managers takes a critical view on the use of geographical basic-data in their organization. By establishing a strategy for the organization, skills and technology and their interdependence, the great work that is already launched in the organizations can be steered in the right direction and thus improve the use of geographic basic-data.