Report on the Development of Supporting Structures and Capacity for Producing, Managing and Using Spatial Data

• What is the name of the programme or project in which you are involved, and what are its overall aims?

Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Control Branch of the Department of Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Agriculture in Zimbabwe in collaboration with the Regional Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Control Programme (RTTCP) covering SADC’s countries; Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi.

To promote the optimal use of resources to identify address priorities to achieve sustainable benefits by controlling tsetse-transmitted trypanosomosis.

• What is the geographical area within which the programme operates?

Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi.

• Identifying the major role-players in digital spatial data capture and maintenance and describing their roles within this geographical area:

• What government organisations capture digital spatial data, and what data do they capture? The Surveyor General Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, cartographic database development including all thematic layers.
• How is the private sector involved in digital spatial data capture? Training and systems development.
• Are any NGOs or academic institutions involved in creating, maintaining or managing digital spatial data, and if so, what are their activities? SADC Regional Remote Sensing Project (RRSP).
• Is there a lead agency or organization which co-ordinates the capture, maintenance and management of spatial information needed by the public sector? The Surveyor General Department of the Ministry of Agriculture

• Distribution mechanisms for digital spatial data :
• How is digital information distributed? Are any agencies involved in disseminating information and digital data on behalf of others? Is the Internet used for providing access to spatial information, either through a map viewing facility, or enabling users to download digital data? CD-ROM backup. No Internet

• Spatial Data Users:
• Are there users’ fora? Are there fora in which users can convey their needs to data producers? Yes GIS user group/committee of Zimbabwe

• Co-ordination mechanisms and support:

• Is there currently any formal or informal co-ordination of publicly funded programmes involving spatial information? If so, what is the lead agency or organization in coordinating or driving national spatial data infrastructure development efforts in your nation, and on what authority does it perform this function? Do the laws or formal orders of any legislative or executive branches of government within the region explicitly recognize the need to establish or further develop National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) or Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure (RSDI)? None
• Is there any funding available for SDI development and co-ordination? None
• Has a long term vision statement or strategic plan been developed for managing and developing the spatial data assets of the country or region through an NSDI or RSDI? None

• A description of the status and plans associated with the typical components of Spatial Data Infrastructure (if applicable): None

• The collection and publishing of metadata (i.e. standardized data about spatial data sets that is used to document and can be used to catalogue spatial data sets - metadata describe the content, quality, condition, and other characteristics of spatial data sets): has a standard format for recording metadata been adopted, how widely is metadata routinely captured and through what mechanisms is metadata made available to potential users of the associated data?

• The development of a "clearinghouse" facility (i.e. a distributed network of data producers and users that can be used for discovery and access to standardized metadata and / or geospatial data): what mechanisms are in place or being planned?
• The development of data standards - standards for data content, classification and management that are available for the entire community of spatial data producers and users: are there any formal or de facto data standards in operation? Are these standards imposed on some producers, such as national agencies? How do these standards relate to international or standards or standards applied in neighbouring countries?
• Is there a prescribed or commonly used horizontal datum for the georeferencing of spatial data? What about a vertical datum?

• Identification, state and availability of core data sets (i.e. 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.) : is there a clear picture of what these core data sets should be? Have there been any processes to date, or are any processes planned to determine these?

• Legal and economic frameworks for accessing spatial data and pricing policy: what are the legal and economic constraints under which citizens, businesses or government agencies may gain access to spatial data? None

• Liaison:

• Regional and Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Initiatives: Is there any formal affiliated with any global or (other) regional spatial data infrastructure initiatives, or is there informal networking with other initiatives? If yes, which initiative(s)?

• Other useful information, for example:
• Has any analysis of user requirements or cost-benefits analysis been undertaken to estimate the benefits of building a spatial data infrastructure within this geographical area? If so, please summarize, and provide details of how a full report may be obtained. None
• Particular challenges identified regarding NSDI / RSDI development within the region;

• Any web-sites or brochures where information relevant to SDI efforts in the geographical area within which the programme operates may be found. None