YES
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The National Land Survey of Sweden has the responsibility to co-ordinate the development of a national spatial data infrastructure. In the field of geo-spatial data this task includes work with standardisation, establishment of metadata services, co-ordination with other producer's (e.g. the Geological Survey, the National Board for Shipping and Navigation, the National Road Administration and the municipalities) production plans and technical specifications for fundamental datasets, establishment of new forms for co-operation (mainly concerning efficient methods for up-dating geographical data) and establishment of efficient routines for data deliveries.
The NSDI is not – and will not – consist of one single solution, but of a network of supporting services. There is, for example, one national catalogue system, where metadata can be published, and a number of regional systems with more detailed information about regional datasets. There is also a clearinghouse for environmental data run by the Environmental Data Centre in close co-operation with the National Land Survey, the Environmental Protection Board and the Swedish Space Corporation. A similar solution is under establishment for road information in co-operation between the National Land Survey and the Road Administration.
The Swedish vision of the NSDI uses the concept of fundamental datasets to which other data may be linked trough common identifiers. In Sweden the NSDI core framework comprise geodetic information (the National reference systems – planimetric network, elevation network, gravity network – the geoid height system, mathematical and other relations, GPS data from SWEPOS –the network of reference stations), image information (aerial photos and ortophoto maps, both in digital and analogue form), topographic databases (basic geographic data 1:10 000 – 1:250 000 and corresponding cartographic data for the official maps), thematic data, such as the national road database, the Swedish Corine Land Cover database, and hydrographic databases. Also the Land Data Bank System with information on all properties, land ownership, buildings, addresses, restrictions and regulations, and assessed values is an important part of the core framework. These widely available data sets provide a current base on which to collect, register, or integrate other information. Thus, not only fundamental data sets but also a wide range of other thematic spatial data sets are being made available through the NSDI.
Access to spatial data is being provided through a number of different solutions, such as the Internet, other on-line services, or distribution on CD. There are also a number of regional information centrals working as clearinghouse nodes. These are built up by the National Land Survey in co-operation with other organisations, such as the County Administration, the municipalities, forestry agencies and companies, and other interested partners.
The main principle in Sweden is that all records in government offices – including the basic geographic information and the information in the Land Data Bank System – are open to the public for inspection free of charge. Copies of documents, extracts from registers and databases are however charged for. The fees include the actual costs for delivering the data, but also a contribution to the maintenance. The Governmental IT strategy says that fundamental data shall be obtained at the cost of extraction and delivery, if the Government otherwise decides. However, the Government requests the National Land Survey to obtain a cost recovery on its spatial data. Hence, the National Land Survey has to set a prize and market the data in order to meet the request (see also q9).
The National Land Survey compiles the main part of its geographic information. One division (Land and Geographic Information Service) has the responsibility for gathering, administering and making available basic land-related data, geoinformation and information on Sweden’s real properties. The responsibility for all kinds of basic information services lies on this division – archives, registers, maps, databases – but the division does not have production resources. The division prepares the technical specifications needed, procures the production from Metria (the commercial division of NLS) or from other providers, and co-ordinates the data collection. Land property data are daily maintained on-line from the local and regional authorities for property formation and land registration (the latter ones are the local courts).
During the last years much effort has been spent on establishing efficient routines for up- dating also other parts of the information directly from the ”source”. For example, the National Road Administration is delivering information on new or changed public roads, the municipalities are delivering information on local streets, and the National Environment Protection Board is delivering information on national parks etc.
The principles for pricing are decided by Parliament. Following those principles Government decides for each year to what extent the users of the basic geographic and land information shall contribute to the costs for maintaining the databases. In 1998 the users contribution is 100 million SEK, which is approximately 20 percent of the annual costs for the production and maintenance of the basic datasets. The users also pay for the actual costs for delivering the information.
In Sweden private commercial firms are involved in helping to build the NSDI in several and different ways. They can be contracted for development works or production works, but also as vendors. Normally, private commercial firms are making ”value-added” products out of core data. Those products are often tailored to suit a specific user group.
Many public domain spatial data sets are available. For instance, consult a web site such as Error! Bookmark not defined.. The public domain data is, however, normally either small-scaled data or covering small parts of the country. It is also often not up-dated.
The national database catalogue benefits everyone that might want to search for spatial data.
Today, work is in process for establishing a more efficient metadata service. So far, also a map service is available on the Internet. If you type a property designation number and your fax number you will get an A4 sized map at the scale of 1:5 000 with the centroid of the property in the middle. It is also possible to get a file in the most common formats.
All spatial data sets, provided on the web or by other means, are subject to the numerous privacy statutes and the common law of privacy of Sweden. All datasets containing such information that a person can be identified are legally regarded to be personal datasets and have to be handled in accordance with the data law. In the latest amendment, information on a specific person may only be published on the Internet if the person himself has given the permission to it.
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YES
If YES, please provide citations to those laws or orders.
If YES, to whom has authority been granted and for what tasks?
NO, but the ideas concerning the establishment of the NSDI have been described in governmental proposals and budgets.
YES
If YES, please describe the purpose of the funds and the amounts.
Rather small funds have specifically been allocated by the Government to establish the NSDI activities. Funds have been raised for fostering standardisation and for development of metadata services. The different governmental authorities have, however, spent substantial amounts of money on developing datasets, standardisation, establishment of efficient methods for delivering data etc.
This is a very wide question. However, important actors are the state authorities, the municipalities and the private companies taking part in the Swedish standardisation project within the Swedish Standards Institute. Today there are approximately 25 different organisations working in standardisation projects concerning the handling of geographic information. The National Land Survey has a leading role and holds, for example, the chair in the Project board.
Another important actor is the Swedish R&D Council for Land Information Technology (the Swedish acronym is ULI). ULI has some 125 different organisations (universities, state and local authorities, private enterprises) as members and work with giving support to an efficient use of geographic information in society. The activities include work with R&D-programmes, initiatives concerning standardisation, production of books for education and of reports of interest for the members.
A. METADATA YES
B. CLEARINGHOUSE YES
C. DATA STANDARDS YES
D. CORE DATA YES
A Metadata We have a national system and also regional systems with more detailed information. All data of interest for the users are, however, not described. The system itself is also under re-construction based on CEN ENV standard for metadata.
B Clearinghouse We have parts of the clearinghouse idea established. The new metadata service is supposed to improve the situation further.
C Data standards We have a new technical framework (based on drafts from CEN and ISO works) and a number of specific standards (e.g. for addresses, road and railroad networks), but a lot more must be done before we have a efficient NSDI. Sweden takes an active part in the un-going CEN- and ISO-works and we are also working with specific standards for different areas of activity.
D Core data We have a very good situation in Sweden concerning core data. But, of course, everything can be better. For the future, the most important issues will be to meet increased user needs concerning easily access to up-dated and quality marked information.
YES
If YES, please describe the types of projects that have been funded.
Yes, to some extent funds have been allocated for research related to standards development, demonstration projects (metadata, framework and clearinghouse development projects) and discussion workshops.
The strategy is to use standards and other solutions that already exist. The technical framework for the Swedish standardisation is based on:
Overview based on ENV 12009:1997 Geographic information – Reference model
Language for usage model based on ISO 10303-11 Industrial automation systems and integration – Product data representation and exchange – Part 11: description methods: The EXPRESS language reference manual (part of the STEP-standard). As an alternative the Stanli-notation can be used (STG/TK 80 N9.3:1994)
Spatial model based on prENV 12160:1997 Geographic information – Data description – Spatial schema
Quality model based on prEN12656:1997)
Spatial model for geodetic position based on prEN12762:1967)
Rules for development of usage models based on CEN-documents
Format/syntax for data exchange based on ISO 10303-21
Method for quality assurance of usage models based mainly on existing ISO documents
Concerning clearinghouse implementations the trend is to make use of World Wide Web technology and ”standard” commercial web browsers.
If YES, which datasets and how may access to these datasets be achieved?
No, but some of the most interesting links are shown.
NO, only in informal ways.
If YES, which initiative(s)?
The National Land Survey is engaged in MEGRIN projects. During several years the GDDD metadata service has existed. Today there is a new development going on. Besides we are engaged in the European and ISO standardisation work. We are also engaged in the environmental network run by the Swedish Environmental Data Centre on contract from the European Union.
YES
If YES, how may a copy be obtained?
A Governmental group (called REGGIT) published during 1996 a strategy document concerning the long-term vision for the Swedish NSDI. Important parts of the content were presented to Parliament in a strategy document (a government bill) for information technology in April 1996. This government bill set out the vision for the NSDI and gave priority to the work needed to establish an efficient infra structure for geographic information. No new funds were, however, allocated.
(As far as I know these documents are only available in the Swedish language.)
The establishment of an efficient NSDI is an on-going process. Even if the technical solutions needed for the NSDI must be further developed (concerning standards, clearinghouse functions, etc), I believe that the greatest challenges deals with administrative questions (concerning financing and pricing, responsibilities etc).
If brochures or other written materials exist describing NSDI efforts in your nation, please provide an address for requesting copies of these materials.
Numerous reports and brochures have been published (in Swedish).
If a user requirements analysis or cost-benefits analysis was undertaken to estimate the benefits of building a spatial data infrastructure for your country, please provide an address for requesting a copy.
As far as I know there has not been a complete survey on these matters in Sweden. There are, however, reports describing user requirements and possible cost-savings of building a NSDI (available in Swedish).