A process is certified when it carries the public trust. To carry the public trust a process must be able to pass an audit--an audit by a blue-ribbon panel that verifies engineers can document what they did, under what guidelines, that the process used can be repeated by others and that the process was appropriate.
At first it may seem difficult or impossible to certify GIS processes using these definitions. But that assumption overlooks the huge investment already made in process guidance. There is a vast legacy of guidance, some of it extremely specific, relating to managing military and federal facilities. Such guidance takes the form of building codes, environmental legislation and regulation, policies related to handling nuclear and hazardous materials, and dozens of other sources. This guidance comes from federal, state and local governments; professional organizations; and military and federal regulations, technical bulletins and policy manuals.
6. DIGITALLY REQUESTING A PROCESS
The process for generating trusted reports is close to being defined. In the near future, we can expect to see algorithmically expressed processes nominated for approval to the institutions empowered with regulation and enforcement. The algorithms can be expected to "guide" and 'force" GIS report generators to locate, address and comply with regulations and policies relevant to any report they generate. And these processes will be interoperable across all public facilities, because they will be expressed in terms of a common spatial data schema and access common compliance bulletin boards .
The technology for digitally representing complex processes is simple. The GIS "process" is embedded in a hierarchy or network of templates. Each template represents a step or a milestone in an extremely detailed work breakdown structure of the over all process. At the lowest level each template is composed of views into the information appropriate for the step at hand, together with ready-to-use procedure calls or ''macros'' designed to process information into the form needed for the subsequent steps. High-level templates are built from low-level templates and serve to guide the user inexorably toward completing the process. At the highest level is a single template, embodying all the others, which represents the whole process. The top template might present itself to the user as a button on the desktop labeled with the name of (or an icon for) the process it represents.
The importance of these digital representation tools is that they allow us to define the process we want to use. As a result, multiple participants in the process use the same methodology consistently, and process results can be audited if challenged.
7. CERTIFIED GIS: STAMPED FOR APPROVAL
Soon, standard processes will be interoperable across management authorities of cities, counties and states, as well as military and federal facilities. By certifying GIS information and processes, and employing technology to digitally represent standard procedures, decision makers can be confident that GIS reports are trustworthy. And the public knows a certified GIS report that has been approved by a decision maker is trustworthy as well.
8. VALUABLE REGULATIONS
GIS certification is being driven by one of the most urgent and complex movements in the U.S. government: the good stewardship of public facilities and renewable and non-renewable natural resources. The following regulations are intended to enforce good stewardship at public facilities.
1 American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978
2 Anadromous Fish Act, 1974
3 Archaeological Resources Preservation Act, 1979
4 Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA)
5 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, 1940 amended
6 Clean Air Act (CCA) and the 1990 CAA Amendments
7 Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1977 as amended
8 Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 as amended
9 Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liabilities Act
(CERCLA) of 1980 as amended by the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act
(SARA) in 1986
10 Department of Interior regulations
11 Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations
12 Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986
13 Endangered Species Act (ESA), 1973
14 Eagle Act, 1958
15 Environmental Safeguards on Activities for Animal Damage Control
16 Federal Compliance with Pollution Control Standards, EO 12088, 1978
17 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) as amended, 1972
18 Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA)
19 Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 1976
20 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, 196.~
21 Historic Sites, Buildings and Antiquities Act
22 Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 as amended
23 Migratory Bird Protection Act, 1929 as amended
24 National Emission Standard for Asbestos, 40 CFR Part 61, Subpart M
25 National Historic Preservation Act, 1966 as amended
26 National Monument Act, 1906
27 National Oil and Hazardous Substances Contingency Plan (NCP)
28 Noise Control Act (NCA) of 1972
29 Occupational Safety and Health Act, 1970 and implementing regulations
30 Office of Management and Budget Circular A-106
31 Oil Pollution Act of 1990
32 Pollution Prevention Act, 1990
33 Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment, EO 11593, 1971
34 Protection of Historic and Cultural Properties, 1979
35 Protection of Migratory and Insectivorous Birds
36 Protection of Wetlands, EO 11990, 1977
37 Public Buildings Cooperative Use Act of 1976
38 Reservoir Salvage Act of 1960
39 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976, as amended by the
Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendment (HSWA)
40 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), 1974 as amended
41 Sikes Act 1960 as amended
42 Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWED), 1973 as amended
43 The Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act, 1972 as amended
44 The Wilderness Act of 1964 as amended
45 Threatened and Endangered Wildlife and Plants, 1980
46 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), 1976
47 Water Quality Improvement Act (WQIA) of 1974
48 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, 1972 as amended