ArcGIS Online Will Change How You Think About Mapping and GIS

48 Pages·2012·14.57 MB·English

ArcNews
Esri | Summer 2012 | Vol. 34, No. 2
Strengthening the GIS Profession Using Web Maps to Tell Your Story
David DiBiase, Director of Education, Industry Solutions, Esri
For centuries, maps have been telling stories—chronicling discovery and conquest, documenting
an understanding of the patterns and interrelationships that underlie human and natural systems.
Is GIS a profession? If so, what’s its relationship to other professions in the geo- But only in the past few years have new technologies and new media vastly expanded the potential
spatial fi eld? How can you tell if someone who calls herself a GIS profession- of maps to weave narratives.
al—or a GIS educator for that matter—knows what she’s doing? You might be Maps are now interactive. Th ey enable and refl ect data analysis; they’re constantly updated; and
surprised to learn that these are contentious questions in the United States and they’re enriched with multimedia content. Maps are newly supercharged by digital technologies:
other parts of the world. Th ey’re contentious because the demand for GIS work GIS, the web, the cloud, and mobile communications. Now, maps can take users from globe to
continued on page 4 street corner in seconds; they can dynamically show change over time; they can organize and pres-
ent charts, graphs, photos, and video. With the swipe of a fi ngertip across a tablet, map users can
compare one theme with another, ask questions of maps, add their own information to maps, and
ArcGIS Online Will Change How cast votes on maps.
continued on page 22
You Think About Mapping and GIS
Th is month, Esri offi cially released ArcGIS
Online for organizations. Th rough the purchase
of an annual subscription, an organization gets
a private instance of Esri’s secure, multitenant
cloud that’s scalable and ready to use. No addi-
tional hardware or software has to be purchased
or installed. It also gives users in the organiza-
tion access to tools, basemaps, and other con-
tent to make and share maps and applications.
City of Charlotte ArcGIS Online home
continued on page 15
page to match its own brand.
Study Ranks Esri US Demographic
Data Most Accurate
Many people assume that using accurate data is not a particularly important element of an overall
project; however, incorrect data can negatively impact the results of any analysis and have dramatic
The swipe tool helps users quickly compare different maps—in this case, obesity and
consequences for aff ected populations. Data inaccuracies may occur either by overestimating or
diabetes rates. Also, see the dramatic poster in the center of this magazine.
underestimating populations or households.
continued on page 20
$776 Million Saved During 18 Years
King County Documents ROI of GIS
Home to Microsoft, Amazon.com, and
Starbucks, King County, Washington, has a
population close to two million people. GIS is
critical to serving these citizens. Today, King
County’s GIS program supports an estimated
1,000 county employees in 42 agencies who use
GIS data and applications in their daily work.
An economist at the University of Washington
recently conducted a study measuring the re-
turn on investment (ROI) of the enterprise GIS
program, which the county has operated for
the past two decades. Th e study indicated that
the county has accrued net benefi ts between
$776 million and $1.7 billion during an 18-year King County’s My Commute map keeps
period, with costs of about $200 million. citizens up-to-date on road closures and
GIS applications help staff improve opera- traffi c conditions.
tions in a wide range of departments, including
the Department of Natural Resources and Parks almost 15 million hits a month from 150,000
(DNRP) and the Department of Community user sessions.
and Human Services. Citizens also use GIS In addition to traditional GIS applications,
frequently through public-facing maps like My the county uses GIS to support key campaigns
Commute, which shows road closures and traf- like the Equity and Social Justice initiative.
fi c conditions. Th e county estimates that its Th is agenda aims to ensure that the county
popular iMap, which allows users to create cus- This simulated aerial view over Seattle can provide King County planners with an eye in
tomized views of spatial information, receives the sky wherever they need one. (Created by Victor High, senior GIS analyst) continued on page 3
GIS Education Made Easy
More ArcNews—
Online-Only Articles
The Summer 2012 issue of ArcNews Online Amica Mutual Insurance Maps Real-
(esri.com/arcnews) presents the following Time Data, Providing Better Service to
special online-only articles: Policyholders
Florida’s Department of Transportation— Project Atlas Promotes Transparency and
District 4 Turns to GIS for Better Project Progress for Puget Sound Restoration
Management
A Conversation with Carl Steinitz
Charlotte Fire Department Links Live These days, conference travel and expenses are being slashed from budgets.
Data, Multiple Systems
Don’t fall behind on technology – attend our free webinars!
Upcoming Topics Include:
» What Would Steve Jobs Think About GIS Mapping Applications in the Mainstream?
» Top 10 Ways to Streamline the User Experience for Your Geospatial Application
» GIS-based Asset Management – From Citizen Request to Completed Work Order
Featured in This Issue
» GIS Program Maturity – Knock Down the Silos and Get to the Enterprise!
» Ensuring High-quality GIS Data and Workflow Standardization
1 Strengthening the 34 Geodesign in Practice » So Many Choices, So Little Time – Developing a Mobile Framework for Your Organization
GIS Profession » Cradle to Grave – Keeping your GIS and Spatial Applications Rock Solid
by David DiBiase
Visit webinars.timmonsgis.com to learn more.
24 Storytelling with Maps—
Poster
Regular Columns and Departments
866.635.6951 | [email protected] | www.timmonsgis.com
6 More Top News 42 “Geo Learning” from
Daniel C. Edelson
10 GIS Hero—Beth Timmons
42 Esri Partner Solutions
13 GIS Product News
43 “Managing GIS” from
26 GIS in Action
URISA
40 Community News
44 New Training and
Certification Offerings
41 “Crossing Borders” by
from Esri
Doug Richardson
45 Esri T-shirts Worldwide
41 URISA Announces
46 Career Opportunities
41 Esri Server Technology
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2 ArcNews Summer 2012 esri.com/arcnews
$776 Million Saved During 18 Years
King County Documents ROI of GIS
continued from cover
distributes services equitably and that all citi- versus without” approach. While costs for all
zens experience fairness and equal opportunity. years were available, estimating benefi ts for the
For example, GIS services help county leaders 18-year period was challenging. How opportuni-
determine whether communities have enough ty cost was calculated had a substantial eff ect on
parks and if social services are distributed the resultant ROI value. In addition, benefi ts are
fairly to all neighborhoods. GIS is also used to GIS ROI Versus Cost for 2010 measured in outputs that are quantitatively and
site waste transfer stations to ensure equity for qualitatively better with GIS, leading to increased
For the year 2010 alone, GIS cost
county areas by not overloading them with cer- demand for these outputs. Assigning a dollar val-
tain types of facilities. the county $14.6 million, yet its ue to these more useful outputs is diffi cult. Th ese
“Waste transfer station siting and disaster de- factors were expressed in the three estimates in
ROI was nearly $180 million. As
bris planning are important,” says Gary Hocking, net benefi ts between 1992 and 2010: a conser-
King County Information Technology service de- many as 1,000 county employees vative estimate of net benefi t of approximately
livery manager, who oversees GIS for the county. $776 million, a less conservative benefi t level of
use GIS data and applications in
Like Hocking, Greg Babinski, King County $1.76 billion, and the least conservative estimate
GIS Center fi nance and marketing manager, their daily work. (Source: An of almost $5 billion. (See the original report for
knows the GIS program provides value to users, a complete description of the methodology used:
Analysis of Benefit from Use of
the county government, and citizens, but he esriurl.com/KCROI.)
wanted to see numbers. Net Benefit Geographic Information Systems “It’s important in this day and age in govern-
ment to be able to validate your benefi ts and
Determining Value $180 million by King County, Washington by provide cost-benefi t analysis for investments,”
Babinski began talking with fellow URISA board Richard Zerbe and Associates.) says Hocking. “We had our own anecdotal evi-
member and Oregon geographic information dence of the value of GIS, but now we have solid
offi cer Cy Smith in 2008 about doing a return on evidence of that value.”
investment study with an independent econo- King County chief information offi cer Bill
mist to measure the ROI that has accrued as a Kehoe agrees and views the GIS service as a
result of the King County GIS program. trailblazer for IT-based county services. “Our
Th ose discussions led Babinski to the cost- GIS service is an example of a high-performing
benefi t analysis work of Dr. Richard Zerbe, IT service that is providing a large amount of
a renowned economist at the University of customer effi ciency for the investment,” he says.
Washington and director of the UW Benefi t- “Th e GIS service is a model that we want all our
Cost Analysis Center at the Evans School of services within King County IT to aspire to.”
Public Aff airs. Zerbe agreed to conduct an ROI Th e ROI study doesn’t just validate King
study on the county’s GIS program. He and his County’s investment in GIS; it also provides
associates studied the 18-year period from the Cost of GIS strong evidence other governments can use
beginning of the GIS program in 1992 until 2010, to show that GIS improves government opera-
$14.6 million
with Babinski participating in the study as the tions and delivers signifi cant value.
project manager. King County and the State of
Oregon cofunded the study. Smith explained To view the full ROI study, visit esriurl.com/
that an extensive literature review conducted understand the kinds of work GIS facilitates. Th e cost agencies to replicate their pre-GIS level of KCROI. For more information about King
for the study indicated that no such study to team then sent a survey to employees to deter- output with GIS technology as well as the cost County Information Technology, contact Gary
measure the accrued ROI for an enterprise GIS mine current production levels and the pre-GIS of replicating current GIS-aided production lev- Hocking, King County (e-mail: gary.hocking@
program had been done before. levels. One hundred seventy-fi ve GIS profession- els without GIS technology. kingcounty.gov), or visit www.kingcounty.gov/
To begin their research, Zerbe’s team met als and users responded to the survey. For 2010, for example, they determined that operations/it.aspx, or contact Chris Th omas,
with county staff . Th ey conducted face-to-face Th e savings in time and eff ort were mon- the cost of GIS was $14.6 million and the net ben- Esri (e-mail: [email protected]).
interviews with 30 county employees to gauge etized based on salary fi gures and full-time efi t was approximately $180 million. Th e study
the role of GIS in various agencies and to better employee statistics to determine what it would by Richard Zerbe and Associates used a “with
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esri.com/arcnews Cover Stories 3
Strengthening the GIS Profession
Positioning & Analysis & Software & Application
Data Acquisition Modeling Development
continued from cover
Professional Surveyors
has surpassed the demand for other kinds of thought, I became convinced something more
geospatial work, despite the fact that GIS is a rel- than competence is at stake. What’s at stake
atively new branch of the fi eld. Th e rightful roles in the professionalization of GIS is the right of
GIS Professionals
and qualifi cations of GIS pros are in dispute, and GIS practitioners—some of whom are my stu-
there’s competition for who gets to decide. dents—to work side by side as respected peers
Do you consider yourself a GIS professional? with other geospatial professionals.
Or are you thinking of becoming one? By GIS From the time that the US Department Geospatial Software Developers
professional, I mean someone who makes a of Labor Employment and Training
living through learned professional work (see Administration (DOLETA) showcased geospa-
table below) that requires advanced knowledge tial technology as a high-growth industry, it The work roles of three geospatial professions cross boundaries of the geospatial indus-
of geographic information systems and related warned that the absence of a coherent defi ni- try sectors and overlap one another. Each profession has a “center of mass” within one
geospatial technologies, data, and methods. If tion and public awareness of the fi eld posed sector. Not all geospatial professions are depicted.
that’s what you do, or what you might want to an obstacle to its growth. As the philosopher
do, then you have a stake in the dispute. Your Michael Davis said, “Just as nobody likes a wise US geospatial workers in 2010, and nearly more Th e GIS profession’s center of mass is analysis
right to make a living doing GIS work, your guy, nobody likes a defi nition” (2002). But to than one-third of new positions to be created and modeling. GIS professionals tend to be end
ability to be part of an open and innovative defi ne something is, in a sense, to create it. I by 2020. Estimates of the size of the geospatial users of geospatial data and software. Th ey’re
GIS community, and your chance to be part believe that the early crusaders and their suc- work force beyond the United States are harder employed in a wide range of allied industries,
of something big that’s making a diff erence in cessors have helped create a fl ourishing GIS to fi nd, but some reckon that there were about such as natural resources, government, and
the world all depend on how those contentious profession that is just now coming of age. two million professional GIS users worldwide in defense and intelligence. Th e character and
questions are answered. 2005 (Longley et al. 2005). geographic distribution of GIS employment
I’ve been interested in the professionalization Th e Geospatial Work Force Meanwhile, GIS employment prospects are diff ers from one industry to the next. However,
of GIS work since Bill “Hux” Huxhold and oth- Until recently, we had to be content with anec- good in many locations. According to Richard the core responsibility of most GIS profession-
ers raised these questions in the 1990s. Hux was, dotal evidence about the GIS profession’s size Serby, president of GeoSearch Inc., a leading als is to use specialized software technology to
and is, a respected member of the GIS old guard. and scope. Reliable estimates of GIS employ- personnel recruitment fi rm specializing in the render actionable information from geospatial
With his piercing blue eyes and close-cropped ment didn’t exist in the United States or most geospatial industry, employment opportuni- data. In addition, many GIS professionals also
white hair, Hux looks a bit like Mr. Clean with anywhere else. However, the anecdotal evi- ties in most sectors have already rebounded to acquire and process geospatial data (within the
eyeglasses. But unlike that cheerful ally of house- dence was enough to worry DOLETA and oth- prerecession levels in the United States, recov- constraints of government regulation over data
keepers everywhere, Hux was mad in the late ers that work-force needs were growing faster ering faster than most other industries. Serby collection activities that pose risks to public
1990s, and he wasn’t going to take it anymore. than the capacity of the geospatial education points out that Indeed.com, which aggregates safety and welfare). Others design and imple-
Hux was angry that there were no standards infrastructure. Good students tended to get job postings worldwide, listed more than 11,000 ment geospatial databases or develop custom-
to ensure the qualifi cations of GIS profession- good jobs. Th en confi dence waned somewhat geospatial jobs just for the period February 15 ized software applications.
als. “Can it be,” he asked, “that anyone can pass during the recession, when good jobs of every to March 15, 2012. Half of the geospatial jobs In this article, I defi ne GIS professional nar-
himself off as a ‘GIS professional’?” Hux also kind became much harder to fi nd and keep. had GIS in their titles, and all but a few jobs in- rowly, as one who makes a living doing GIS work.
railed at the absence of a formal quality control Th e size and scope of the GIS work force came cluded GIS in their requirements. Some object to scoping the fi eld so narrowly.
mechanism for GIS education. “Can it be that into sharper focus when DOLETA established Directions Media editor in chief Joe Francica
anyone can pass herself off as knowing what two new GIS occupations—geographic informa- Scoping the GIS Profession points out that “non-GIS people are becoming
to teach GIS students?” To fi ll these gaps, Hux, tion scientists and technologists and GIS tech- In 2010, DOLETA issued a Geospatial more ‘location aware’ and thinking spatially.”
Nancy Obermeyer, and a few others crusaded nicians—in late 2009 and when it identifi ed the Technology Competency Model (GTCM) that Gone are the days, Francica and others observe,
for a formal professional certifi cation program core competencies of geospatial professionals in identifi es the specialized knowledge and abili- when knowledge workers had to rely on “the
for GIS professionals. Hux convinced the Urban 2010. Along with the new occupation defi nitions ties that successful geospatial professionals map guy” to provide location-based informa-
and Regional Information Systems Association came the fi rst rough estimates of the size and possess. Th e GTCM is useful for geospatial tion. Now “everyone is becoming a ‘map guy.’”
(URISA) to establish a certifi cation committee growth of the US GIS work force. workers, who can use it to guide their continu- Even so, neither widespread access to mapping
to study the problem and recommend a solu- Th e employment estimates and growth pro- ing professional development plans. Employers capabilities nor crowdsourced or “volunteered”
tion. He also argued for a formal accreditation jections in the accompanying table don’t add up can use it for job descriptions and interviews. geographic information have displaced GIS pro-
program for GIS in higher education. because some estimates overlap. However, even Students can use the GTCM to assess what fessionals. On the contrary, as the employment
when the overlaps are accounted for, the esti- they know, what they need to learn, and which estimates above suggest, the demand for GIS
Creating the GIS Profession mates are still impressive: nearly 425,000 geo- educational programs fi t their needs. Educators professionals seems to be increasing even as lo-
I was an educator at Penn State University at spatial professionals were employed in 2010 in can use it to assess how well their curricula cation awareness proliferates.
the time, and these arguments made a strong the United States, DOLETA work force analysts align with work force needs. And certifi cation
impression on me. Like many other educa- say, and almost 150,000 additional positions will and accreditation bodies can use it as a basis for GIS as a Learned Profession
tors, I was skeptical about the potential of be created by 2020. Signifi cantly, the two GIS their requirements. Th e GTCM is freely avail- Not everyone agrees that a GIS profession exists.
certifi cation and accreditation to ensure com- occupations account for the largest share of able for use and reuse, without restriction, at Debates about whether GIS qualifi es as a true
petence and quality. But the more I read and those employment estimates—about half of all www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel. profession date back more than 20 years. Today,
In addition to 43 essential competencies however, by almost any defi nition, there’s not
common to most of the geospatial occupations, much room left for debate. Consider, for exam-
Occupation Estimated Projected Projected
the GTCM identifi es 19–24 essential competen- ple, the defi nition of learned professional in the
Employment Growth Growth Rate
cies for each of three industry sectors: position- US Department of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards
(2010) (2010–20) (2010–20)
ing and data acquisition, analysis and modeling, Act (FLSA). To qualify as a learned professional
Geospatial Information Scientists 210,000 51,600 3%–9% and software and application development. Th e under FLSA, a worker’s primary duties must
and Technologists* sectors represent “clusters of worker competen- require advanced knowledge, involving the “ex-
cies associated with the three major categories ercise of discretion and judgment.” Advanced
Geographic Information Systems 210,000 51,600 3%–9%
of geospatial industry products and services.” knowledge “must be in a fi eld of science or
Technicians*
Th e diagram above shows the scope of respon- learning” (comparable to the traditional profes-
Remote-Sensing Scientists and 30,000 13,300 3%–9%
sibilities for three geospatial professions in rela- sions of medicine, law, theology, accounting,
Technologists*
tion to the industry sectors and to one another. engineering, teaching, and others) and “must be
Remote-Sensing Technicians* 62,000 33,500 10%–19% Debates about the rightful roles of GIS profes- customarily acquired by a prolonged course of
sionals arise because their activities tend to over- specialized intellectual instruction.”
Precision Agriculture Technicians* 62,000 33,500 10%–19%
lap those of other geospatial professions. Overlaps
Geodetic Surveyors* 51,000 24,200 20%–28% cause tensions but also aff ord opportunities for Advanced Knowledge
Surveyors 51,000 24,200 20%–28% cooperation. J. Alison Butler, an experienced and Th e advanced knowledge that distinguishes the
outspoken champion of the GIS profession, points GIS profession is now well defi ned. Th e fi rst com-
Surveying Technicians 57,000 20,000 10%–19%
out that overlaps tend to be complementary. For prehensive attempt to specify the knowledge
Mapping Technicians 57,000 20,000 10%–19% example, professional surveyors and GIS profes- that characterizes the broad geospatial fi eld
sionals do many similar things but usually at dif- was the University Consortium for Geographic
Cartographers and 14,000 6,100 20%–28%
ferent geographic scales (“Surveyors work at a 1:1 Information Science’s (UCGIS) Geographic
Photogrammetrists
scale,” Butler says, in contrast with GIS profession- Information Science and Technology Body of
Totals ~424,000 ~148,700
als, who “work at smaller scales and do not need Knowledge (2006). Building on that founda-
*New occupations established in late 2009. The geospatial software programmer is not yet recognized as a distinct occupation. to be so precise.”). And although professional roles tional work, DOLETA issued the GTCM in 2010.
overlap, each geospatial profession exhibits a dis- As discussed above, DOLETA also provides de-
Estimated 2010 US employment for 10 geospatial occupations, along with projected
tinctive “center of mass,” or concentration within tailed descriptions of 10 geospatial occupations,
employment growth through 2020. (Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, available at
one sector (see diagram above). including geospatial information scientists and
onetonline.org)
4 ArcNews Summer 2012 esri.com/arcnews
3. Join and be actively involved in one or more
organizations that advance the interests of the
GIS profession. Wise employers will help sup-
port your participation. If you don’t enjoy such
support in your job, participate anyway and
look for a better job.
4. Be able to explain the nature of your profes-
sion, its history, and its code of ethics.
5. Cultivate respectful working relation-
ships with colleagues in kindred professions.
Participate in eff orts to increase cooperation
among the geospatial professions but stand up
for your profession when its legitimacy is chal-
lenged. Keep in mind that your adversaries are
usually not your professional colleagues but
rather the lobbyists and lawyers who stand to
gain the most by monopolistic regulations.
6. Volunteer for GIS activities that benefi t so-
ciety. Help increase public awareness on GIS
Day (www.gisday.com). Become a mentor
for a schoolteacher who wants to teach with
GIS (edcommunity.esri.com/geomentor).
technologists and geographic information sys- Certifi cation and Licensure in the shared beliefs and aspirations of mature Volunteer to serve on an industry advisory
tems technicians. Another distinguishing characteristic of profes- professions like medicine, the law, and even board for a GIS certifi cate and/or degree pro-
sions is specialized certifi cation or licensure. accounting. Darrell Pugh, the author so often gram at a nearby higher education institution.
Specialized Education We typically think of these as mechanisms to cited for his checklist of the defi ning traits of Encourage such programs to use the GTCM to
Formal, specialized education is commonly in- ensure that individual practitioners are com- professions, includes one he calls a “social ideal.” assess their curricula and students and to em-
cluded in GIS job requirements and is required petent and trustworthy. However, another way For Michael Davis, serving a shared “moral ide- brace accreditation.
for GIS professional (GISP) certifi cation. Many to think about certifi cation is as a road map for al” is a defi ning characteristic of all professions.
thousands of students now pursue specialized continuing professional development. GISCI Physician and ethicist John W. Lewis argues 7. Articulate a “moral ideal” for GIS that ex-
certifi cates and degrees in GIS at colleges and has conferred its GISP certifi cation on more that a profession’s “core product and service is presses your professional commitment to
universities worldwide. Some 7,000 colleges and than 5,000 professionals who document suffi - [its] pledge to put the interests of others ahead society.
universities worldwide—including over 85 per- cient formal education, experience, and contri- of [its] own while providing [its] specifi c ser-
cent of the institutions included in Th e Times of butions to the profession. To qualify for renewal vices.” At the 2012 Esri Partner Conference, Jack So, what’s your moral ideal?
London’s ranking of the top 400 institutions— of certifi cation, GISPs must document continu- Dangermond reminded attendees “we have
maintain low-cost education licenses of Esri’s ing formal education and contributions. Th ese a driving purpose to make a diff erence in the About the Author
ArcGIS software. And since Esri made free, one- requirements strengthen the profession by en- world.” David DiBiase is Esri’s director of education in-
year educational software licenses available for suring that professionals “keep current in the How can the GIS profession advance society’s dustry solutions. Before joining Esri in 2011, he
individual student use in fall 2005, over 450,000 fi eld through . . . professional development” (GIS interests? What is the GIS profession’s moral founded the Penn State Online master’s degree
students worldwide have requested DVDs or Code of Ethics Item II. 1.). ideal? For starters, here’s my suggestion: and certifi cate programs in GIS. As a member
downloaded the software. Th e availability of Unlike the state licensure required for pro- of URISA’s Certifi cation Committee, he helped
no-cost ArcGIS software that students can use fessional surveyors in the United States, GISP Th e GIS profession’s moral ideal is to apply design the criteria by which more than 5,000
on their personal computers has helped edu- certifi cation remains voluntary (though one geospatial technologies and spatial think- GISPs have been certifi ed. He is a past president
cational institutions off er advanced GIS edu- state, South Carolina, requires that surveyors ing to design sustainable futures for people of GISCI.
cation online for adult learners who can’t put who use GIS be licensed as “GIS surveyors”). In and places everywhere.
their lives on hold to participate in traditional part, this diff erence is due to the fact that GIS For more information, contact David DiBiase
campus-based education. is a much younger profession than surveying. Challenges (e-mail: [email protected]).
GIS seems clearly to qualify as a learned However, recent developments suggest that GIS Th e GIS profession is relatively young. It has
profession under the FLSA defi nition. Th e ad- certifi cation may not remain voluntary for long. weaknesses and faces some very real threats. References
vanced knowledge that distinguishes the pro- According to Max Baber of the US Geospatial Some critics question the profession’s legitima- Butler, J. A. (2008). “Redefi ning Who We
fession is well defi ned. Prolonged courses of Intelligence Foundation, the US undersecre- cy, citing the facts that GIS professional certi- Are.” Professional Surveyor Magazine, April.
specialized intellectual instruction are widely tary for defense intelligence has mandated a fi cation remains voluntary and that no formal www.profsurv.com/magazine/article.
available, attracting large and increasing num- formal policy for certifi cation of geospatial ana- GIS accreditation process is in place to hold aspx?i=2117.
bers of enrollments. lysts. Th e policy is to be in place at the National colleges and universities accountable. Others
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency by September seek to monopolize the use of GIS and related Davis, Michael (2002). Profession, Code, and
Professional Ethics in GIS 2012. Baber believes that GIS professionals in technologies through government regulation. Ethics. Burlington, VT: Ashgate.
Professions are more than just occupations, and the civilian side of government may be aff ected Given these challenges, GIS professionals need
the distinction involves more than just special- in the longer term. It appears that GIS certifi ca- to do everything we can—individually and col- GIS Certifi cation Institute. Code of Ethics and
ized knowledge and education. One of the dis- tion is fi nally taking root. lectively—to strengthen our profession. Rules of Conduct. www.gisci.org.
tinguishing characteristics of a profession is its
specialized code of professional ethics. GIS Professional Organizations Seven Th ings Every GIS Professional Can Do Lewis, John W. (2001). Ethics and the Learned
In the early 1990s, Will Craig—another pio- Another characteristic of GIS and other profes- to Strengthen Our Field Professions (white paper). Th e Institute for
neer of urban and regional information systems sions is specialized membership organizations 1. Become certifi ed as a GISP or its equivalent Global Ethics. www.globalethics.org/fi les/
and GIS—pointed out the need for a code for the dedicated to advancement of the profession. (depending on where you are and what you do). wp_professions.pdf/20.
GIS profession and set out to write one. Craig Such organizations typically aim to serve mem- Professional certifi cation is a public commit-
began by examining the existing codes in use bers through continuing professional develop- ment to competence, ethical practice, and con- Longley, P. A., M. F. Goodchild, D. J. Maguire,
in other fi elds. He found “surprising similarity” ment opportunities and through advocacy on tinuing professional development. (Technical and D. W. Rhind (2005). Geographic Information
among them. Most refl ected a “duty-” or “obli- their behalf in the policy arena. (A list of organi- certifi cations like Esri’s are valuable, too, but Systems and Science. 2nd ed. Chichester, UK:
gations-based” approach to ethics. “Obligations zations for geospatial professionals is available are no substitute for professional certifi cation.) Wiley.
to society,” he observed, “usually override other at edcommunity.esri.com.) Voluntary, active Formalizing that commitment, and fulfi lling it
considerations” in the codes he studied. At its participation in such organizations is one ex- throughout your career, is one of the most sig- Obermeyer, Nancy J. (2007). “GIS: Th e
founding in 2004, the GIS Certifi cation Institute ample of what GISCI means by “contributions nifi cant things you can do to strengthen your Maturation of a Profession.” Cartography and
(GISCI) endorsed the GIS Code of Ethics he to the profession.” profession. And the larger your GIS professional Geographic Information Science 34, no. 2: 129–32.
completed (with help from many members of community grows, the better your chances to
the GIS community) and later developed its Toward a Moral Ideal for GIS control your own destiny. US Department of Labor (revised 2008).
own complementary Rules of Conduct. To qual- Th e GIS fi eld has all the trappings of a profes- “Fact Sheet #17D: Exemption for Professional
ify for certifi cation as a GISP, applicants must sion, including a distinctive body of advanced 2. Map out a professional development plan Employees Under the Fair Labor Standards
pledge to uphold the code and rules. Coming to knowledge, specialized educational off erings, that includes continuing formal education and Act (FLSA).” www.dol.gov/whd/regs/
terms with its ethical challenges is another sign a code of professional ethics, mechanisms contributions to the profession. Whether you compliance/fairpay/fs17d_professional.pdf.
of a profession that is coming of age. for professional certifi cation, and specialized opt in to certifi cation or not, use the require-
membership organizations. What’s lacking is ments for renewal of GISP certifi cation—and
a certain ethos—a characteristic spirit evident the GTCM—as guides.
esri.com/arcnews Cover Stories 5
More Top News
Will Breadfruit Solve the World Hunger Crisis?
New Developments in an Innovative Food Crop
By Matthew P. Lucas and Diane Ragone, National Tropical Botanical Garden
Highlights NGO Non-Governmental
Organization
„ Using ArcGIS, monthly rainfall and
temperature data was represented low-maintenance life, breadfruit was spread
on maps. throughout the tropical Pacific by intrepid voy-
„ ArcGIS was used to create a map agers. Hawaii is one of the many island chains
indicating areas of the globe ripe where breadfruit, or ulu in Hawaiian, was cul-
for growing breadfruit. tivated as a major staple. It is fitting that now
„ The results can help guide potential Hawaii is home to the headquarters of an
breadfruit-growing countries organization devoted to promoting the con-
in planning and implementing servation and use of breadfruit for food and re-
planting projects. forestation around the world.
The Breadfruit Institute, within the nonprofit
A map can be a powerful visual tool, but can a National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG), is
map help solve world hunger, rejuvenate agri- a major center for the tree’s conservation and re-
cultural soil, and prevent mosquito-borne in- search of more than 120 varieties from through-
fections? Can a map help slow global warming out the Pacific, making it the world’s largest
and spur sustainable economic development in repository of breadfruit. As a result of this work,
tropical regions around the world? Perhaps a the institute has received requests from numer-
map alone can’t do these things, but a map can ous countries seeking quality breadfruit variet- Different varieties of breadfruit are conserved in the world’s largest collection of bread-
help display the real potential of a very special ies for tree-planting projects. To address this fruit at the Breadfruit Institute in Hawaii. (Photo credit: © Jim Wiseman, courtesy of the
tree, the breadfruit. need, the Breadfruit Institute has developed in- Breadfruit Institute)
Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a tropical novative propagation methods, making it pos-
tree originally from Papua New Guinea with a sible to produce and ship thousands, or even
rich and storied history. This starchy staple crop millions, of breadfruit plants anywhere in the
has been grown in the Pacific for close to 3,000 world.
years and was first introduced to other tropical These breadfruit tree-planting projects can
regions more than 200 years ago. The trees are help alleviate hunger and support sustainable
easy to grow and thrive under a wide range of agriculture, agroforestry, and income genera-
ecological conditions, producing abundant, nu- tion. Most of the world’s one billion hungry peo-
tritious food for decades without the labor, fer- ple live in the tropics—the same region where
tilizer, and chemicals used to grow field crops. breadfruit can be grown. However, as Dr. Diane
These multipurpose trees improve soil con- Ragone, author and director of the Breadfruit
ditions and protect watersheds while providing Institute, has learned, stating these facts and
food, timber, and animal feed. All parts of the illustrating them are two very different things.
tree are used—even the male flowers, which are A strong realization is made when a person
dried and burned to repel mosquitoes. Because sees the data from the United Nations Food
of its multiple uses and long, productive, and Agriculture Organization global map on
This Hunger map is based on the 2011
Global Hunger Index score displayed per
country.
world hunger (www.fao.org/hunger) coupled
with a map showing areas suitable for growing
breadfruit.
It was originally this type of powerful visual
aid Ragone wanted when she began working
with NTBG’s GIS coordinator and coauthor
Matthew Lucas. To create such a map, Lucas
began by constructing a model within ArcGIS
using WorldClim (www.worldclim.org)
30-second resolution global raster datasets of
interpolated climate conditions compiled from
the past 50 years (Hijmans et al. 2005). With
the GIS, monthly rainfall and temperature data
was condensed into total annual rainfall, mean
annual temperature, and minimum and maxi-
mum annual temperature. Then, the annual cli-
mate data was reclassified.
“Suitable” and “best” ranges of rainfall and
temperature were identified after referring to
the breadfruit profile written by Ragone for
Traditional Trees of Pacific Islands (Elevitch
2006). The best ranges in mean temperature
and rainfall were given a value of 2, whereas
Map showing zones of “best” and “suitable” growing conditions for breadfruit. suitable conditions were given a value of 1; con-
ditions that were deemed too low or high were
6 ArcNews Summer 2012 esri.com/arcnews
given a value of -10. ArcGIS was used to com-
bine all the reclassified climate datasets. The fi-
nal output resulted in a global dataset that now
displayed areas deemed unsuitable for growing
breadfruit as < 0, areas assumed suitable with a
value of < 4 and > 0, and best areas with a value
of 4. This data was displayed in combination
with 2011 Global Hunger Index scores entered
into a vector dataset of countries. The resul-
tant map helps the viewer see the real potential
breadfruit development could have for tropical
regions.
With this new visual aid completed, Ragone
and Josh Schneider, cofounder of Cultivaris/
Global Breadfruit, a horticultural partner that
propagates breadfruit trees for global distribu-
tion, attended the World Food Prize sympo-
sium in October 2011. The breadfruit suitability
map was shared with Calestous Juma, professor
of the practice of international development
and director of the Science, Technology, and
Globalization Project at the Belfer Center for
Science and International Affairs at the Harvard
Kennedy School. Juma has extensive experience
and contacts in Africa. Breadfruit is extremely productive, producing an average of 150–200 and up to as many as 600 nutritious fruits per season.
The map was also shared with the former
president of Nigeria, Obasanjo Olusegun. It
was at Olusegun’s invitation that Schneider vis- amount of area each country has that is suitable About the Authors Citations
ited Nigeria and met with government officials and best for growing breadfruit. Matthew Lucas is the GIS coordinator for the Hijmans, R. J., S. E. Cameron, J. L. Parra,
and researchers to discuss breadfruit planting It became clear that this map, the data, and Conservation Department at the National P. G. Jones, and A. Jarvis (2005). “Very High
projects. Due to the relatively fine scale (1 km) the ArcGIS methodology used to construct Tropical Botanical Garden. As a graduate of Resolution Interpolated Climate Surfaces for
of the original datasets, a more detailed map it provided not only a powerful visual aid but the University of Hawaii, Hilo, Department of Global Land Areas.” International Journal of
of Nigeria showing areas suitable for growing also a useful research tool. Armed with these Geography, Lucas hails from a conservation Climatology 25:1965–1978.
breadfruit, along with roads and cities, was an maps and the information they convey, Lucas background where he uses models and maps to
invaluable tool during discussions. and Ragone are continuing to pair what has guide more efficient decision making and prob- Ragone, D. (2006). “Artocarpus altilis (bread-
The World Food Prize meeting also spurred been learned about breadfruit cultivation with lem solving. Diane Ragone, PhD, is director of fruit).” In Traditional Trees of Pacific Islands.
other similar country-specific maps that ArcGIS to help understand and display future the Breadfruit Institute at the National Tropical Elevitch, C. R. (ed). Holualoa, HI: Permanent
have been created and shared with organiza- breadfruit potential. They are currently working Botanical Garden. She is an authority on the Agroforestry Resources, 85–100. Available at
tions and individuals working in Haiti, Ghana, on a climate change analysis that uses predict- conservation and use of breadfruit and has www.traditionaltree.org.
Jamaica, Central America, and China. The maps ed climate datasets of various future climate conducted horticultural and ethnobotanical
provide government officials, foundations, and models and scenarios in an attempt to quantify studies in more than 50 islands in Micronesia, Von Grebmer, K., M. Torero, T. Olofinbiyi, et al.

potential donors with clear information about areas that would have the highest likelihood Polynesia, and Melanesia. (2011). “2011 Global Hunger Index: The Challenge
the potential of breadfruit in specific areas. of sustainable breadfruit development. They of Hunger: Taming Price Spikes and Excessive
The maps have spurred the question, What are also working on publishing an online map For more information about the Breadfruit Food Price Volatility.” International Food Policy
other countries are best suited for growing displaying global breadfruit growing potential. Institute and NTBG, visit www.ntbg.org/ Research Institute, Bonn. Available at www.ifpri.
breadfruit? ArcGIS was used to combine the Finally, it is the hope of the Breadfruit Institute breadfruit. To help support the work of the org/sites/default/files/publications/ghi11.
breadfruit suitability data with a vector layer of and NTBG that future breadfruit development institute and breadfruit tree-planting proj- pdf.
country borders. This not only resulted in a list will be expanded and that ArcGIS will help ects, visit ntbg.org/breadfruit/donate/
of countries that could possibly grow breadfruit guide potential breadfruit-growing countries in plantatree.php. For more information on
but also made it easy to identify and rank the planning and implementing planting projects Global Breadfruit and how you can help, visit
of this very special tree. www.globalbreadfruit.com.
esri.com/arcnews More Top News 7
An Interview with Jack Dangermond
URISA at 50
URISA—the Urban and more commercial aura with a strong trade show
Regional Information emphasis. And as the GIS industry began to
Systems Association— shake out, the trade show business fell off , and
will celebrate its attendance also declined. Discussions shifted
50th anniversary at to planning, organization, implementation, and
the 2012 GIS-Pro policy issues. Likewise, the original core people
Jack Dangermond
Conference in Portland, who had founded or nurtured URISA as a venue
Oregon, September 30–October 4. Here, Jack for sharing ideas and best practices continued
Dangermond shares memories of URISA’s to come and dialog. I liked this. URISA gradu-
early years, as well as thoughts about its fu- ally became one of the homes where GIS profes-
ture. Dangermond earned URISA’s Horwood sionals could get together and discuss issues.
Distinguished Service Award in 1988.
URISA: Which URISA people come to mind
URISA: How and why did you get who really made a diff erence in the GIS fi eld?
involved with URISA?
Dangermond: URISA’s founder, Horwood, was a
Dangermond: I was a young graduate of the big infl uence on me. He was also a really fun guy.
Harvard Lab when Alan Schmidt advised me to Horwood liked the idea of using computational
attend the 1969 URISA meeting in Los Angeles. methods for doing transportation planning. He
I wasn’t really sure what URISA was, but I trav- especially liked getting people together to share about urban information systems. His think- methods within cities around the country. Th is
eled to the meetings for three days and met their experiences in urban information systems. ing, writing, and presentations led to a Housing got the private sector interested in selling hard-
many interesting people. It was there I fi rst met Dial was another key visionary and infl u- and Urban Development program that funded ware, software, and services to build these ex-
Ed Horwood, Tom Palmerlee, Bob Aangenbrug, encer. He pushed some of the early thinking experiments in implementing automated perimental systems.
Bob Dial, and other people who introduced me
to early concepts of urban information systems.
At that time, there were a lot of innovative
people and organizations thinking about urban
information systems in the Los Angeles area,
and many of them showed up at the URISA
meeting, for example, the Community Analysis
Bureau (CAB) in the city and the Southern
California Regional Information Study (SCRIS),
an outgrowth of the Census Use Study activities
sponsored by the Census Bureau in New Haven,
Connecticut. People I remember meeting were
Caby Smith, Matt Jaro, Ross Hall, Lee Johnson,
Al Evans, Ken Duecker, and Mike Kevany. Th ey
were playing around with everything from the
fi rst generation of ADMATCH address geocod-
ing and census DIME fi les to transportation
modeling. I realized this was a special meeting A HIGHER DEGREE OF
where public-sector people, private consul-
tants, and entrepreneurs were mixing and shar-
ing ideas about applications of computers and
information systems within local government. GIS CAREER SUCCESS
I discovered that URISA wasn’t just another
academic conference. It was a place where pro-
fessional relationships were established and
new concepts were discussed. In those days, the
atmosphere of the meetings was highly charged
and competitive. People were actively trying to
forward their vision, create business, and get
business. At least a third of the participants
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE
were consultants like me, who talked about
their off erings and wares in various sessions.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS ACCREDITED
I got one small computer mapping job for
the 1970 election campaign for George Leyland,
ONLINE
with whom I’d worked at Harvard and who
&
later became head of the Federal Emergency
FLEXIBLE
Management Agency.
ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE
AFFORDABLE
URISA: How did URISA evolve as the
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
GIS industry matured?
Dangermond: I liked URISA because it pro-
vided a forum of colleagues where a young pro-
fessional and entrepreneur like me could share
my work. People were genuinely interested and
would give me feedback. We talked about tech-
nology and approaches to the kinds of problem
solving that eventually became known as urban
GIS. Th is kind of open culture of sharing and
learning fl ourished, especially during the 1970s
and early 1980s. Around 1982 or 1983, URISA
decided to invite vendors to exhibit at the an-
nual meeting. At that point, the complexion of
URISA began to change.
By the late 1980s, URISA had become identi- 866.922.5695 l [email protected] l www.americansentinel.edu/ARCBSGIS
fi ed with local government GIS. Th e member-
ship grew dramatically into the thousands. But
at the same time, the association took on a
8 ArcNews Summer 2012 esri.com/arcnews
Dial was one of the fi rst to envision how the URISA: Why did URISA gravitate to GIS?
multiple fi efdoms in cities could share common
databases. I grabbed that notion personally Dangermond: URISA was, in a sense, one of
to drive some of the concepts of urban GIS in the birthplaces of information system technol-
the early days of ArcInfo, and it really worked. I ogy for local governments. Th is was a hot topic
credit Scott Morehouse for listening to my rants at the time—kind of like social networking is
and systematically implementing a toolbox today. Remember that the best computers we
of tools that could be customized (using ARC had were huge, very expensive mainframes, and
Macro Language) to build application views to a there really wasn’t much of a database manage-
common, shared database. We saw eager adop- ment technology at all. IMS [IBM’s mainframe
tion—by planning departments, public works, system] was a hierarchical data structure and
land records organizations, and environmental considered the best of breed. Th is technology
agencies—of this vision of sharing a common was designed primarily for accounting systems
GIS database. and fi nancial back-offi ce work. In those days,
Duane Marble was another early leader. if you put simple things like property records
Marble brought in systematic user needs as- into a database and could get lists of them, it
sessment methodology and later the whole was rocket science. So there was a need for a
concept of doing geographic and GIS research forum where people could come together and
in the academy. All this activity eventually led to share, because computers and information sys-
the National Center for Geographic Information tems were so new. Only a few people in trans-
Analysis at Santa Barbara, California; Buff alo, portation and urban planning were interested
New York; and Maine. Marble’s research think- in computational approaches and database ap-
ing, together with that of Aangenbrug and proaches. URISA brought these people together.
Roger Tomlinson, and others, helped balance When GIS began to emerge as a commer-
Left and above: Jack Dangermond produced these drawings by hand for the 1979 URISA
out the somewhat aggressive commercial forc- cial product in the late 1970s and early 1980s,
conference. Here he looked into the future with 1980 as a near-future milestone.
es that were pushing URISA along. it attracted more people from more organiza-
tions. Th ey were excited to discover that GIS
was a real information system just like an ac-
counting system or a fi nancial system or a
permitting system, all of which had already
been commercialized. So the introduction of a
commercial off -the-shelf platform for sale from
multiple vendors caused a stir and a lot of com-
mon interest. People and organizations wanted
to buy these products because they saw their
value, and there was lots of competition during
the 1980s and 1990s for brands from diff erent
vendors.
URISA: Do you think Esri’s
User Conference has aff ected URISA?
Perhaps. As more organizations purchased and
implemented this software, some of those who
attended URISA to help select a platform now
attend our conference because of its strong
emphasis on supporting users with technol-
Your most valuable assets walk in and out the door every day.
ogy refreshers and training. What the User
Conference does not replace is a forum for dis-
Send your GIS with them.
cussion of data policies, professional standards,
new methods, new approaches—the kinds of
conversations that URISA was known for.
The NeW TRIMBLe JUNO URISA: Looking ahead, URISA has proposed
a new emphasis on GIS management. What’s
your perspective on this potential new role?
IT NO LONGER TAKES A GIS EXPERT Dangermond: Today, GIS is maturing as a
TO ADD EXPERTISE TO YOUR GIS technology and as a profession, and GIS opera-
tions within organizations are maturing as well.
They may not be GIS experts, but with the new Trimble®
Th ere’s a need for a forum to bring together the
Juno® handhelds, your mobile workforce is your secret to
professionals who are responsible for manag-
multiplying GIS field expertise across your organization.
ing large, complex GIS operations. URISA is the
This rugged compact device replaces paper notes and logical place where managers come together to
sketches from various departments with GPS data and talk about how to use new technology and new
geotagged digital images in real time—improve the scope methods to make cities better places.
and accuracy of your GIS with every report. I have, year after year, supported URISA
because I believe it’s one of the best places
Simple and reliable, straight from the box, the new
where local government professionals can get
Juno handheld is the latest innovation from Trimble to
together and discuss their common interests
help you get more out of the field and into your GIS than
with respect to information system technology.
ever before.
It was certainly one of the birthplaces of urban
For product demo and pricing: Esri.com/trimbleoffers GIS and continues to have much to off er its
members.
During URISA’s fi rst two or three decades,
Be sure to visit Trimble at
Esri International User Conference 2012. there was perhaps a greater spirit of excite-
Booth #1615 ment when the meetings were held. URISA’s
number-one asset was its ability to get people
together to share ideas, renew old friendships,
have a chance to share their work, get acknowl-
edgment from friends, network, and also have a
great party. Th ese were the magical ingredients
that kept URISA alive through thick and thin.
© 2012, Trimble Navigation Limited. All rights reserved. Trimble, the Globe & Triangle logo, and Juno are trademarks of Trimble Navigation Limited, registered in the United States and in Reengaging that spirit is what’s needed. And
other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. MGIS-022
the 50th anniversary conference in Portland
this October is a good time and place to start.
esri.com/arcnews More Top News 9
A self-proclaimed volunteer freak,
GIS Hero
Timmons contributes to the Oregon
Framework Implementation Team
for Emergency Preparedness, the
Volunteering Is Heroic
Region 10 Regional Response Team
Beth Timmons for Oil Spill Response, and the West
Coast Regional Ocean and Coastal
Data Framework for Ocean and Coastal
Health. She also started a local GIS user
GIS professionals under- group. A few years ago, she got together
stand workfl ows, devel- with some other GIS users at the lo-
opment, and technology. cal pizza restaurant to talk about GIS.
Th ey are profi cient prob- Th is GIS social continues to be a regular
lem solvers who under- event that gives local users an opportu-
stand how to analyze nity to learn from their peers, share tips
and approach a project, and tricks, and get advice.
plan it, complete it, and Timmons enjoys her natural resource
educate others. Many of these on-the-job skills GIS day job but says that it is hard to
can be applied to helping a local organization or ask a job to be 100 percent fulfi lling. She
community better address its concerns and meet fi nds her volunteer work to be highly
its goals. GIS volunteers apply their talents in gratifying and encourages other profes-
ways that make huge diff erences. Esri acknowl- Beth Timmons is a GIS volunteer for the US Coast Guard. District 13 needed to identify its sionals to get involved locally.
edges the work of many volunteers by highlight- personnel in the event of an emergency, so Timmons digitized information from the Command Timmons off ered suggestions for get-
ing one of them, Beth Timmons, as a GIS Hero. Center’s three-ring binders. ting started as a GIS volunteer in a local
Timmons is a full-time GIS professional em- community:
ployed by GeoLogics as a contractor for Natural for map display. If the Coast Guard receives a create a geoenabled PDF so that staff can get
Resource GIS in Corvallis, Oregon. She also distress call, the user sees the location on a map accustomed to a GIS map using familiar Adobe • Join the US Coast Guard Auxiliary and be-
serves in the volunteer branch of the US Coast along with contact information about the near- Reader skills. Once they are comfortable, she come part of its GIS team.
Guard, where she donates her GIS expertise est volunteer to call and get visual verifi cation. moves them to ArcGIS Explorer or ArcReader. • Attend a city council meeting and listen for
an average of 50 hours per month. Along with Other key projects Timmons has created Th e next step is working with them to use GIS. opportunities to use GIS skills.
having expertise in soil and GIS, which is highly are a geoenabled PDF of tribal fi shing zones Coast Guard personnel move every few years. • Reach out to small cities that don’t have a GIS
valued by GeoLogics, Timmons has experience and a Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel loca- Timmons not only trains new people who ro- and off er assistance.
and is very interested in using GIS for emer- tor; the latter is used should members be in tate into a position; she also provides stability • Do a simple project, such as mapping culvert
gency response. She looked for opportunities a disaster area and need assistance. She also to the organization. Moreover, the people she locations using existing data. Create the PDF
with the Coast Guard to see if it needed her GIS mapped accidents and fatalities in inland lakes has trained take these skills to their next assign- and send it to the department’s manager.
skills. Th e answer was a resounding “Yes!” and waterways to show Coast Guard personnel ment. Th ey may even become GIS evangelists • Talk with the fi re department. Perhaps you
District 13 of the Coast Guard includes the most dangerous locations. Her crab trap at their next assignment, saying something like, can help improve its response system.
Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Th e project convinced people not to lower traps “In District 13 we could just turn on this layer • Check in with city or county park depart-
Coast Guard has an enterprise license agree- into the shipping lane. Traps get caught in pro- and do such and such.” ments. Put a department’s data layers over a
ment with Esri for ArcGIS but doesn’t have the pellers and rudders and jam steering mecha- GeoLogics, where Timmons works, also ben- basemap from ArcGIS Online and give park
trained staff it needs to take full advantage of nisms. Overlaying a nautical chart with Oregon efi ts from her volunteerism. “On my volunteer staff a planning map to post on a wall.
it. Rolling up her sleeves, Timmons began by Department of Fish and Wildlife data, she cre- projects, I get to do GIS the way I want to do
leveraging the existing datasets to create geo- ated a map that shows that the best crabbing GIS,” says Timmons. “Working on these proj- “I believe everyone should volunteer at some
spatial products that staff could use on their spots are actually outside the channel. ects has increased my GIS skills because I have level,” Timmons says. “We can use our GIS skills
desktops. For example, she worked with the Th e benefi ts to the Coast Guard staff extend had the freedom to explore other options and to do even a tiny project, such as overlaying
Citizens Action Network, a group of local vol- far beyond the maps Timmons has produced. come up with a better way of doing something. I fl ood zone data on the town’s topography and
unteers who have a view of waterways and can She has saved it money by explaining how to have learned what works and what doesn’t. Th is creating a PDF. It could make a big diff erence.”
confi rm problems that have been called into the use its existing system to solve a problem rather makes me a better employee. I can say, ‘I can do
Coast Guard. She digitized information from than buy new technology. One of her roles has that because I have already done it for a volun- For more information, contact Beth Timmons
the pages of the Command Center’s three-ring been to train staff members to use ArcGIS on teer project.’ Th e proof of concept has already (e-mail: [email protected]).
binder and turned these into a geospatial layer their desktops. Her teaching process is fi rst to been completed.”
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