**********************************

THE NSDI ON-LINE QUESTIONNAIRE

**********************************

If your nation is not represented on our survey response web page and you feel you are an appropriate individual to provide a response for your nation's spatial data infrastructure development activities, please fill out the questionnaire below and forward it to onsrud@spatial.maine.edu

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by e-mail, phone or fax as indicated below. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Harlan J. Onsrud
Department of Spatial Information Science and Engineering and National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis
5711 Boardman Hall, Rm. 340
University of Maine
Orono, Maine 04469-5711 USA
Phone (207) 581-2175
FAX (207)581-2206
E-mail: onsrud@spatial.maine.edu

**********************************

SURVEY OF NATIONAL SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURES

**********************************

Background and Purpose of Survey:

Many national governments throughout the world are involved in developing spatial data infrastructures that will better facilitate the availability and access to spatial data for all levels of government, the commercial sector, the non-profit sector, academia and citizens in general.

"Infrastructure" is defined by the dictionary as 1. An underlying base or supporting structure. 2. The basic facilities, equipment, services, and installations needed for the growth and functioning of a country, community, or organization. 3. A governmental or administrative apparatus.

The goal of this survey is to gather baseline information on the nature and characteristics of the national spatial data infrastructures (NSDI's) currently being developed. The information collected will be used (1) to determine whether there are sufficient similarities among the national approaches being used to describe basic models of NSDI's and their characteristics and (2) to assess the need for global coordination or facilitation mechanisms.

*******************************

QUESTIONS

Please respond with the information requested and return by e-mail or fax as indicated at the end.

1. NAME OF NATION:

2. Name of Person Supplying Information:
Title (if any):
Mailing Address:
E-mail Address:
Telephone Number:
Fax Number:

3. Does your nation have an active or proposed initiative for developing a national spatial data infrastructure (or its equivalent)? <Please answer YES or NO>

If the answer is NO, please return the questionnaire now to onsrud@spatial.maine.edu

If the answer is YES, please respond to all remaining questions.

**** POLICY ISSUES ****

4. LEADERSHIP: Which agency or organization is coordinating or leading national spatial data infrastructure

(NSDI) development efforts in your nation? (If no single agency is coordinating, please provide a primary point of contact from whom we may learn more.)

Agency/Organization Name:
Mailing Address:
E-mail Address:
Telephone Number:
Fax Number:
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person:

5. AVAILABILITY: What are the primary types, categories or forms of spatial digital data being made available through your nation's NSDI?

6. MECHANICS OF ACCESS: Through what technical and organizational mechanisms are spatial data being made available through the NSDI?

7. LEGAL AND ECONOMIC FRAMEWORKS FOR ACCESS: What are the legal and economic constraints under which citizens, businesses or others may gain access to data available through the NSDI?

8. DATA COLLECTION COORDINATION: What parties are involved in collecting data for the NSDI and how is data collection coordinated?

9. PRICING: If charges are assessed for spatial data made available through the NSDI, what is the basis or method for determining the price of various forms of spatial data?

10. COMMERCIAL INVOLVEMENT: Please describe how private commercial firms are involved in helping to build the NSDI.

11. PUBLIC DOMAIN DATA SETS: Please describe those digital spatial data sets for jurisdictions within your nation that are available to anyone without any licensing or intellectual property restrictions imposed on the data sets and the data sets are available at no cost or little cost. How may copies be acquired of these public domain data sets?

12. PUBLIC GOODS ASPECTS OF NSDI: Please describe any additional services or goods provided by government in support of the NSDI for which individual users are not charged.

13. PRIVACY: Please describe how the information privacy of individual citizens is protected relative to data that may be accessed through the NSDI.

**** OPERATIONAL ISSUES ****

14. AUTHORITY: Do the laws or formal orders of any legislative or executive branches of government explicitly recognize the need to establish or further develop the NSDI? <Please answer YES or NO.>

If YES, please provide citations to those laws or orders.

If YES, to whom has authority been granted and for what tasks?

15. FUNDING: Have funds been specifically budgeted and acquired for NSDI activities? <Please answer YES or NO.>

If YES, please describe the purpose of the funds and the amounts.

16. INCLUSIVENESS: Please describe the types and extent of participants involved in building the NSDI and their roles.

17. COMPONENTS: Please indicate whether the vision of an NSDI for your nation incorporates the following components or concepts.

A. METADATA <Please answer YES or NO.>
B. CLEARINGHOUSE <Please answer YES or NO.>
C. DATA STANDARDS <Please answer YES or NO.>
D. CORE DATA <Please answer YES or NO.>

Definitions for these concepts are as follows:

Metadata - standardized data about spatial data sets that is used to document and catalogue the spatial data sets. Metadata describe the content, quality, condition, and other characteristics of spatial data sets. Clearinghouse - a distributed network of data producers and users that is used for discovery and access to standardized metadata and geospatial data. It might typically use the Internet, internationally accepted protocols and standard methods that enable spatial data discovery and access in ways not currently available through standard web engines.

Data Standards - standards for data content, classification and management that are available for the entire community of spatial data producers and users. These standards might be imposed on some producers, such as national agencies.

Core Data - common base sets of data with broad geographic coverage meeting specified standards that are important to a broad variety of users. Other themes of data are built upon or referenced to these framework data sets. These data sets might typically be available to all users through the networked clearinghouse with few or no restrictions.

18. RESEARCH: Have funds been specifically budgeted and spent on research projects to advance NSDI concepts?     <Please answer YES or NO.>

If YES, please describe the types of projects that have been funded.

19. LINKAGE TO GENERAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS - Which international or national information and communication technology standards has the NSDI adopted?

20. GLOBAL SPATIAL DATASETS: Does your NSDI provide access to spatial datasets with global coverage?
<Please answer YES or NO.>

If YES, which datasets and how may access to these datasets be achieved?

21. GLOBAL OR REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVES: Is your NSDI formally affiliated with or connected to any global or regional spatial data infrastructure initiatives? <Please answer YES or NO.>

If YES, which initiative(s)?

22. LONG TERM VISION OR STRATEGIC PLAN: Has a long term vision statement or strategic plan been developed for your country's NSDI? <Please answer YES or NO.>

If YES, how may a copy be obtained?

23. GRAND CHALLENGES: Name one of the most pressing challenges for NSDI development in your nation.

24. FURTHER INFORMATION: If an NSDI WEB SITE exists where information about NSDI efforts in your nation may be found in the future, please provide the web site address.

If brochures are other written materials exist describing NSDI efforts in your nation, please provide an address for requesting copies of these materials.

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.

****************************************

PLEASE RETURN YOUR RESPONSES BY E-MAIL TO

IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE PLEASE RETURN BY FAX TO 207-581-2206 (UNITED STATES) or return by mail to the address at the beginning of the survey.