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General Management and Operations Study for GIS Prepared by: Boston, Massachusetts November, 2015 ---PAGE BREAK--- General Management and Operations Study for GIS November, 2015 Prepared by: Applied Geographics, Inc. 24 School St. Boston, MA 02108 AppGeo Team: Eric Ingbar, Project Manager Michael Terner, Principal in Charge Project Supervised by Ogden City, Information Technology Division Blake Wilkinson, Director Andy Lefgren, Operations Supervisor Griffin, Customer Account Coordinator ---PAGE BREAK--- Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 1. PROJECT OVERVIEW 3 2. EXISTING GEOSPATIAL CONDITIONS 5 Background 5 Current Conditions 5 3. WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS (SWOT) ASSESSMENT 10 Introduction 10 10 Weaknesses 11 Opportunities 12 Threats 13 Summary 13 4. VISION AND GOALS 14 Overarching Goals 14 Vision 14 5. RECOMMENDATIONS 15 Recommendation Define the departmental enablement model of providing geospatial services and articulate the “job description” for the IT/GIS team 15 Recommendation Ensure the GIS team has its full complement of 3 FTE 17 Recommendation Allow departments to have their own GIS positions 19 Recommendation Enable maximum self service to departmental end-users and the public 19 Recommendation Experiment with and potentially invest in new technologies, particularly cloud-based, geospatial Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings 21 Recommendation Inventory existing data resources and match them to business unit needs 22 Recommendation #7 Continue the governance role of the GIS Committee in guiding geospatial activity and assessing progress 22 APPENDICES ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 1 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 Executive Summary Ogden City initiated this geographic information systems (GIS) audit study to assess the city’s GIS program as a whole. The assessment was spurred by an earlier information technology management study, conducted by Plante Moran, which identified that the city’s GIS program lacked a clear focus and would benefit from a strategic plan. This audit study was carried out between September and November of 2015 and completed the following activities: Review of existing documentation on GIS as well as the Plante Moran findings New information gathering including conducting a geospatial end-user survey and completing interviews that involved 45 members of the Ogden City staff from seven city departments Assessing and the information gathered and producing a weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) assessment Conducting on-site workshops with Ogden City’s GIS Staff and GIS Committee to review the SWOT and refine preliminary recommendations Finalization of recommendations and preparation of the final report and on-site presentations of the findings and recommendations to the GIS Staff, GIS Committee and IT Steering Committee Key findings from the SWOT analysis included: to leverage o Strong understanding of the value of geospatial technology to city government o Strong GIS Staff o Strong geospatial data backbone that includes over 200 GIS data layers Weaknesses to address o Lack of a tactical plan o Increased volume and sophistication of end-user needs and a lack of adequate supply of “GIS service bureau” resources to meet requirement o Increasing customer dissatisfaction with GIS staff response times Opportunities to capitalize on o Ogden City staff are open minded to change and new approaches o New technology offers increased abilities to provide end-user self service for basic mapping and querying Threats to avoid o The appearance of departmental silos of data o Lack of evolution and change now that issues have been identified The following seven recommendations were put forward to help address the issues identified in this study: 1. The operating model for the Ogden’s GIS team should evolve from a “service bureau” approach to a “departmental enablement” approach. The GIS team should remain in the Information ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 2 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 Technology Division and this evolution should be codified by developing a “job description” for the adapted GIS team. The core functions of the GIS team under the enablement model are: a. Caretaking of the city’s geospatial infrastructure – both data and technical – and servicing public facing resources such as data dissemination. b. Assisting departmental geospatial activities, especially among the “power user” departments, by providing training and support of more technically challenging initiatives. c. Performing limited service bureau and special projects work for departments that do not have their own geospatial capacity. 2. Ensure that the GIS team has a complement of approximately 3 full time equivalents (FTE). In addition, reconfigure the GIS team so that one of the three current GIS is tagged as the GIS Coordinator and day-to-day leader of the team, reporting into the IT Division Operations Supervisor. 3. Allow city departments to have their own GIS positions. Larger departments with more geographically focused missions such as Public Services, Community and Economic Development and Public Safety should be encouraged to continue to make geospatial investments, including staff. In this manner, subject matter expertise and geospatial skills can be brought together to help fill the gap between geospatial needs and the existing capacity to meet those needs. 4. Enable maximum self service to departmental end-users and the public. Ogden City should acquire, or develop a strong, user-friendly viewer application that can be deployed to both city staff and the general public. Such a viewer should enable a large number of basic requirements – such as creating a PDF map of a property of interest – to be handled on a self-service basis. Increased self-service will help free geospatial staff resources for more challenging and higher value assignments. 5. Experiment with, and potentially invest in, new technologies, particularly cloud-based, geospatial Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS). There is new and strong innovation in the geospatial marketplace both with Ogden City’s existing software supplier, Esri, and with new suppliers. These new technologies offer Ogden the potential for increased capability at lower cost and the city will be well served by understanding the suite of options that are available. 6. Complete an inventory of existing data resources. As part of the evolution from service bureau to departmental enablement, Ogden City should complete a comprehensive data inventory and develop a data management plan. Such an inventory will help identify which data sets should be managed and maintained by the IT GIS Staff aerial photography) and which should be handled by departments utility systems). 7. Continue the governance role of the GIS Committee. With the departments making their own investments in geospatial staff, and the GIS team in more of an enablement role, the opportunity for dialog and two-way feedback provided by the GIS Committee is increasingly important. Ultimately, Ogden City has built a strong geospatial foundation and this plan and the slate of seven recommendations provides a practical and realistic path for further evolution that will help address some of the shortcomings that have emerged recently. ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 3 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 1. Project Overview Applied Geographics (AppGeo) was contracted by Ogden City (“Ogden”) to assess the city’s GIS program as a whole. The assessment was spurred by a management study in which all of the City’s Information Technology services were examined. This study, performed by Plante Moran, was completed in February, 2014 and made a series of recommendations about the management of information technology within Ogden City government. To date, the City has moved forward on all of the recommendations made in the study. One finding in the 2014 study was that GIS lacked a clear focus with regard to serving geospatial information “customers”, both within city government and external to it. The Plante Moran study recommended designating a GIS Coordinator, the creation of a GIS steering committee, and the creation of a separate GIS strategic plan for the City: The strategic plan should be a jointly produced document that is created by the GIS Coordinator, GIS and appropriate IT management, and the GIS steering committee to help guide the GIS staff through their priorities. Plante Moran “General Management and IT Operations Study”, 2014, page 28 The City went on to designate a GIS Coordinator within the Information Technology group (Andrew Lefgren) and formed a GIS steering committee (“the GIS Committee”) from multiple departments. The GIS Committee decided that before a strategic plan could be formulated, a more in-depth assessment of GIS needs and current operations would be helpful. A direct outcome of the Plante Moran management study is the city’s recent FY 2016 “Information Technology Strategic Master Plan” (March, 2015). This plan sets out short-term and long-term goals for Ogden City’s IT Services. Among the long-term goals is to insure that technology and staff are positioned to ensure better customer service (I.T. Strategic Goal paraphrased here). One of the actions to accomplish this goal is “An assessment of the purpose and positioning of GIS within the City…” In mid-2015, Ogden City requested proposals for a GIS “audit”. The audit was designed to provide a management and performance review of GIS operations. In addition to a review, the City sought specific recommendations for direction, change, and improvement of geospatial technology. While not a complete formal strategic plan, the City clearly sought and this study provides more than just a “report card” on GIS operations. After a competitive solicitation, AppGeo was awarded a contract to perform the study of the Ogden Information Technology GIS area. In addition to reviewing GIS operations as a whole (technology, budget, data management, procedures, policies), specific focus areas for the assessment include: ● Staffing and organization ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 4 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 ● Departmental GIS use across city government but outside of the Information Technology/GIS team (IT/GIS staff) ● Customer service performance; i.e., how IT GIS is doing from the customer’s perspective ● Task and project accomplishment by the IT GIS staff ● Integration of new technologies mobile) and new, collaborative data sources data sharing with the state and county) AppGeo began the study in August 2015 and it included the following activities: ● Review of city background materials, including management study documents, organization charts, guidance and procedures documents, data library lists, etc. ● Conducting an online survey that was distributed to all city staff. The survey collected responses from 34 individuals in nine different departments. See Appendix B for a listing of questions and summary responses from the survey. ● On-site interview were conducted at Ogden City on September 21-22, 2015. In-person interviews were held with individuals and at times with groups of people from different departments. A few phone interviews were conducted with staff who were not meet on-site. Appendix A lists the 55 staff interviewed during the course of this work. ● Once data gathering was complete, an assessment and of the information was conducted. The results were presented in a weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. The SWOT findings as well as draft recommendations were presented to Ogden City by AppGeo during a series of meetings with the IT management, GIS Committee, and the IT GIS groupon October 19-20, 2015. During these meetings both the SWOT and draft recommendations were further refined. This report describes the study findings, presents the SWOT analysis in further detail, and then makes several specific recommendations pertaining to GIS as a technology, the IT GIS group as a part of city government, and the use of geospatial information within Ogden City departments. The report is designed to help the city’s implementation of the Information Technology Strategic Master Plan by performing several actions called for within it. Most notably, this study provides the assessment of the value of GIS and geospatial technology to City business units and an evaluation of how the City can gain more from its existing investment in GIS tools and staff. ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 5 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 2. Existing Geospatial Conditions Background GIS software first began to be used in Ogden City government in the 1990’s. The power of geographic information systems for cartography and information management was the reason behind the rapid adoption of GIS in local governments at that time. As well, in the mid-1990’s the rise of graphical user interface operating systems and software applications using those interfaces made complicated, command-line driven software like GIS far easier to learn and use. Although still not easy nor straightforward, GIS replaced manual cartography and computer-aided design as the most efficient means to produce paper maps or digital map images. Ogden City’s use of GIS has continued to grow over the past 15 years. Currently, the City’s GIS group is housed within the Information Technology division. The City adopted an enterprise approach to data management around 2005, identifying and putting key datasets in to Esri ArcSDE geodatabases (using SQL Server as the native database). The city formed a GIS team, consisting of three FTEs. The GIS group has created nearly 200 enterprise datasets, over which they have stewardship. Around this same time, the city moved the GIS team’s leader to a database administrator position in Information Technology. This left two FTEs on the GIS team. Shortly after that, one of the staff members went on a 50% FTE work schedule for personal reasons. By about 2014, the GIS group was operating on less than 2 FTEs. By 2012, the demand for GIS services and geospatial data was growing more rapidly. Google’s readily available maps – both in web browsers (2005) and a few years later on mobile devices as applications – popularized the use of maps as information tools. Although geospatial information has always been (even in the paper map days) part of Ogden City’s operations, the popularization of online maps has fed greater demand and a new expectation that geospatial information could be integrated with core business systems. Put in personal terms, people have begun to wonder: “If I can navigate my personal car with a mobile device, shouldn’t I be able to see a map of all the open work orders at the office?” Current Conditions Staffing The IT GIS group is currently a part of the Information Technology part of the Management Services Department. The Operations Supervisor, who reports into the IT Manager, oversees the IT/GIS group as one of his portfolio of responsibilities. His “GIS Supervisor” role consumes approximately 25% of his FTE. In June, 2015, the IT/GIS group was able to hire an additional staff member bringing its staffing level to 2.5 FTEs. ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 6 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 Data The IT/GIS group, with the assistance of the DBA (who was formerly in the GIS group) stores and manages over 220 ArcSDE datasets with 17 different owners. Cartegraph software, used by the Public Services Department, also has geospatial data managed in Esri ArcSDE form. Less formally organized datasets are abundant. An audit of the network drives found 380 shapefile geo-datasets on the Planning Department’s shared drive and more than 1,600 shapefiles in the Planning Department’s internal GIS drive. The IT/GIS group noted that many of the 380 shapefiles found on the Planning Department shared drive may duplicate datasets stored in ArcSDE format. It is highly likely that many other departments have similar caches of GIS datasets stored locally in file-based formats. The City has a multiyear contract with Pictometry for acquisition of 3” imagery and LiDAR (Pictometry Accuplus products). It also pays for access for Pictometry online hosting of the city’s imagery. The first capture, performed in FY2014, has taken place. The second capture is due to occur in the spring of 2016. ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 7 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 Software The IT GIS group is well-versed in the technologies it has used for many years. These center around Esri desktop GIS software, SQL Server as the host for enterprise geodatabases, and Esri’s online services. The entire group attended the annual Esri User Conference in July, 2015. Ogden City has an “Esri small municipal and county government program enterprise license agreement” (ELA) which is aimed at jurisdictions with populations between 50,000 - 100,000 people. The licensing includes Esri CityEngine Advanced, 10,000 virtual campus training credits, 37,500 online service credits and technical support. Desktop GIS licensing is, essentially, unlimited. The City also licenses Esri Business Analyst, a low cost demographic and business-oriented tool that is not covered by the ELA. Staff who wish to have desktop GIS software will have it installed on their computer. However, many users who have GIS desktop software installed use it only infrequently. As is common, infrequent users tend to find desktop GIS software challenging and use gets reduced over time as skills get rusty. The IT/GIS group has held fairly regular training seminars on specific GIS topics to promote more use of GIS. End-user access Spatial information users who cannot, or do not wish to use desktop GIS software rely instead on consumer Google Maps or the Weber County GIS web site (for parcel data access). There is also departmental use of Google Earth and the IT/GIS group facilitates this use by supplying some users with KML format files Google Earth’s native data format). Many of the desktop GIS users said they also rely on Google Maps for “quick” views of the City and rapid address searches. ArcGIS Online is Esri’s cloud-based, end-user oriented mapping platform. Use of ArcGIS Online is paid for in “Esri credits” and the city gets 37,500 credits annually as part of its ELA. Currently, the IT/GIS group staff have created approximately 100 online maps. An FY16 audit document shows that 26 groups containing 194 named users currently have access to ArcGIS Online. The audit showed the city used approximately 2,900 of its 37,500 credit allocation in the previous fiscal year. The City publishes links to some of these browser-based map applications at maps.ogdencity.com (as pictured below). ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 8 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 While many maps exist, many are very basic and are aimed at narrow audiences and the general public The Christmas Village map story; or the High Adventure Recreation map). The project survey showed that there is relatively little use of the city’s web mapping applications by city staff. Respondents stated that they mostly used Google Maps, Google Earth, and Weber County’s online map viewer, GeoGizmo (http://www.co.weber.ut.us/gis/maps/gizmo/). Several users noted that GeoGizmo relies on Adobe Flash and therefore does not work on most mobile devices. Mobile geospatial usage There are no widespread line of business mobile applications in use at the present time. The IT/GIS group has created a few mobile applications for City departments using the Esri “Collector” application tools. These have been used for downtown inventories and other special projects. Public Services collaborated with the IT/GIS group on using iOS-based tablets iPads) as field tools. However, connectivity issues were a problem, data quality was variable and thus confusing to field users, and there was no easy mechanism for data to be updated directly from the field into the GIS library. Project collaboration and Service Bureau work The IT/GIS group works on both general data maintenance and specific projects with departments. This includes “traditional” (paper and digital) cartographic products for use by departments as well as ongoing data maintenance and update. At present, the IT/GIS group is hard-pressed to meet all of the demands made on it in its service bureau configuration the IT/GIS staff do work on behalf of a department and deliver final products). The combination of staff reductions in GIS, tasking of GIS staff for other non-GIS work, and increased demands for geospatial information and products has led to some responsiveness challenges. In addition, there are new, more challenging activities ahead such as ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 9 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 integrating GIS into routine business operations of the city and into transactional business systems permitting; billing; etc.). These challenges have led to a perceived decline in “customer service” by the IT/GIS group. Other non-IT/GIS group geospatial activity GIS and geospatial information use in other city departments is thriving but runs the risk of creating separate islands of spatial information that are disconnected and may be of unknown origins and quality. Interviews showed that Police, Fire, Community and Economic Development, and Public Services are both consumers and creators of geospatial information. The water utility, in the Public Services department has basically created its own GIS staff person who is knowledgeable about utilities, Cartegraph (used for work and issue management), and geospatial technology. Engineering, also in Public Services, has developed its own internal GIS proficiency in order “to get the job done”, even though GIS is not currently a part of anyone’s job description. Community and Economic Development (CED) have relied upon the IT GIS group for support and services. However, as the hundreds of file-based GIS datasets found on the City’s server shows, there is considerable activity directly within CED outside of the purview of the IT GIS group. ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 10 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 3. Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Assessment Introduction As gleaned from the interviews, the perceived weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of the Ogden City IT/GIS team are summarized below. It is important to note that the categorization of each item is not ironclad as every analysis proceeds from a particular perspective. Something categorized as a weakness to one observer may be seen as an opportunity when seen from a different vantage point. The SWOT analysis provided key information and insight that helped form the recommendations. In general a SWOT assessment provides ideas to help: ● Leverage ● Address weaknesses ● Take advantage of opportunities, and ● To steer clear of threats ● Given the maturity of Ogden City’s GIS program, city staff recognize the value of geospatial information and technologies. ● While the city’s geospatial program does not yet meet all needs, the city staff recognized that improvement is possible and desire better integration of geospatial information and technology in their daily workflows. In other words, there is strong recognition of the potential benefits of further geospatial investment. ● Ogden City maintains a strong technology backbone and generally IT support for city staff appears to be excellent. ● City staff are receptive to change and evolution in the geospatial / GIS realm. ● The individuals on the IT/GIS team are generally liked and respected for their expertise by their peers. ● The city recognizes the importance of collaborating with other greospatial partners such as Weber County. Weber County’s GIS is seen as a good source of data that is fairly current, and the county has a reasonably easy to use map viewer for specific queries: http://www.co.weber.ut.us/gis/interactive.php ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 11 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 ● The IT/GIS team is current on Esri technologies and is excited about the toolset. ● Some business units (Public Service, Engineering) have a few members of their own staff with strong GIS technical skills. That is, there is an existing departmental willingness to invest in building geospatial skills. Weaknesses ● The GIS team is perceived by some as too distracted by other, non-GIS tasks. ● Some GIS data are out of date, inaccurate, or partial from the perspective of some city departments including Planning, Public Service, and Engineering. ● Geospatial information usage is hampered by slow data update cycles and delays in requested map production. ● GIS technology – especially ArcGIS for Desktop – is far too difficult to use for most city staff, who have specific, but only periodic, GIS needs. In other words, “self service” capabilities are limited. ● Existing web-based applications created by the GIS team are rarely used by internal city staff. ● Some city departments have been “going around” IT/GIS to best meet their geospatial information needs. ● Staff in Engineering are performing GIS functions because IT/GIS is not able, or available to meet their needs. ● Staff in Public Service are caching local version of GIS information because they are not given edit rights to GIS datasets that are out of date or inaccurate. As such, when they report corrections from the field they are not seeing the corrections addressed in a timely fashion. ● Geospatial data are not integrated with many department workflows that are geographically oriented because of data currency and accuracy problems. In other words, data currency and accuracy issues were addressed there would be wider use of geospatial information. ● There is no strategic plan for geospatial information management and usage. Such plans typically look at workflows and information utilization comprehensively, and can help identify where GIS toolsets may be needed but are not yet utilized. ● IT/GIS has lost staffing over the past 5 years. Initially, the team leader of the original 3 person team was re-assigned to a database administrator (DBA) role (although she spends some time on geo activities via managing SDE datasets. Another GIS team member moved to a 50% FTE schedule. A recent new hire has brought in a less experienced GIS technician, bringing the current team staffing back to 2.5 FTE (not including time spent on non-GIS tasks). ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 12 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 ● There is some tension within the IT organization between the IT/GIS staff and IT project managers (CACs). The IT/GIS staff are viewed as unmanageable if they are brought in as a component of IT projects. The perception is they have little ability to specify tasks or milestones, and as a result the IT project managers are hesitant to engage IT/GIS in their project work. ● Enterprise Fund managers – who fund much of the IT/GIS team – are frustrated with what they see as inadequate access to reliable and current geospatial information that is well maintained. In short, they perceive that their level of investment is not commensurate to the value they are receiving. ● IT/GIS is seen by the business units as having a poor understanding of the “rules” by which the units do their work. For instance, IT/GIS is not considered to have a good working knowledge of utility data maintenance needs. It makes that the IT/GIS team doesn’t have the same extent of departmental domain knowledge, and this may imply that greater collaboration is required as opposed the the IT/GIS team taking on the detailed data work themselves. ● IT/GIS sees itself as the nexus (editor/distributor) for all geospatial information because of its expertise in GIS (as a technology). Given that IT/GIS is extremely busy this makes the team a potential choke point for geospatial data activities rather than an enabler of greater data use and better and more timely data maintenance. ● Technically proficient GIS users in Engineering and Public Service are spending time as GIS editors and cartographers when this is not their primary duty. Currently, they do this work to “get the job done” in light of delays in getting IT/GIS attention. ● Cartegraph (work ticketing) integration is only partial at the present time and again indicates a lack of business system and workflow integration with GIS. However, the City is probably moving off of Cartegraph in the near future to a different system. Opportunities ● Many users of geospatial information (and potential users) would welcome a simple interface “that meets the need” to simply display, query, and print a map based on city data. This indicates a large interest in using geospatial information on a more frequent, and self-service basis. ● City staff outside of IT/GIS understand how important geospatial information is to their work and are eager to make an effort to educate themselves, change workflow, and think in an innovative fashion about their spatial data work. ● Because IT/GIS has been operating as the GIS edit/distribution nexus, it may be well-positioned to change, becoming a core support unit for geospatial information edit and updates that emanate from the business units. The IT/GIS focus would evolve towards technical support, ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 13 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 training/coaching and data quality assurance to help departments become good data custodians. ● City departments are eager to take on edit/maintenance of their data at the “business” level with appropriate support from “experts” (presumably the IT/GIS team). ● City departments with strong GIS technical skills in a few individuals would like to leverage those skills to develop and have “GIS experts” in their own departments. ● More frequent and systematic data exchange between Ogden City and Weber County appears to be a feasible goal, including a defined update cycle for parcels and centerlines (county data). ● There seems to be wide agreement across virtually all city staff that a basic, self-service viewer that provides layer access and query and print capabilities and that is simple and easy to operate would have value. ● Ogden City is in a process of re-growth and redevelopment as the City comes out of the general economic downturn, so this is an opportune moment to increase access to geospatial information and geospatial analysis tools to support and increase the efficiency of planning and development activities. Threats ● Enterprise Fund managers are impatient with the IT/GIS team and may be ready to lobby for transferring the geospatial functions to their respective departments (fragmentation). ● Lack of trust in IT/GIS may lead to additional silos of data residing at the department level thereby making a citywide library less feasible and access to all city data more difficult. ● Key knowledge of the existing GIS datasets (>200 datasets) residing under IT/GIS stewardship may be lost if longstanding, experienced GIS staff leave city employment. Summary Ogden City has many, many, GIS and geospatial information The staff’s understanding of how geospatial information can be useful is very valuable because it opens up a pathway to improvement. IT/GIS has functioned as a traditional service bureau “GIS shop” and as described in the following sections should, instead, become geo-enablers, supporting geospatial information workflows in the primary business areas of: engineering, planning, utilities, and public safety. IT/GIS would thus have more time to meet the growing need for geospatial view / query / print capabilities (via web and mobile interfaces), while also supporting more complex data maintenance actions for complex data sets utilities). IT/GIS would also be able to take on defined projects with committed timelines and milestones. ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 14 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 4. Vision and Goals Overarching Goals The overarching goals for Ogden City are to have a geospatial operation that: ● Meets the city’s need for maps and geospatial information to support planning and decision making; and to provide citizens public safety and a high quality of life ● Provides geospatial capabilities in the most efficient and cost effective manner possible ● Maximizes the return on the city’s investments in geospatial technology and data ● Is able to grow and adapt as technology changes and as user expectations and needs evolve Vision As described in the SWOT, the city is currently facing a “supply and demand” challenge as the needs of departmental users have grown beyond the IT/GIS staff’s capacity to meet those needs in a timely fashion. As such, this study recommends adapting the overall vision of Ogden City’s geospatial operation within IT from a “service bureau” orientation to an “communal infrastructure and enablement” organization. The proposed vision statement presented below aims to reflect this kind “communal infrastructure and enablement” outlook: Potential enablement oriented Vision Statement Ogden City staff will have ready and easy access to the geospatial data and tools they require. City geospatial data and information will be readily available to the public and citizens of Ogden. City departments will have primary stewardship responsibilities for their geospatial data, contributing them to an authoritative data library maintained by the IT/GIS staff. The IT/GIS staff will enable and support city departments in their geospatial technology and activities and will provide data custodianship for communal data sets such as the base map and for maintaining access to third-party data parcels from Weber County) for the benefit of all. The recommendations presented in Section 5 below provide a means for initiating the move away from a service bureau orientation. ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 15 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 5. Recommendations Ultimately, Ogden has two choices for addressing the gap between the departmental demands for geospatial services and and the supply of “service bureau” resources: 1. Increase the capacity of the service bureau by increasing headcount 2. Re-factor the “service bureau” into a departmental enablement model Since option 1 is very straight forward, i.e., gaining organizational and funding support to increase headcount, the recommendations below are focused on what it would take to implement the departmental enablement model option Please note that a presentation deck summarizing the project and these recommendations, and presented to the city on November 19, 2015 is included as Appendix C. Recommendation Define the departmental enablement model of providing geospatial services and articulate the “job description” for the IT/GIS team In a services bureau model, requests are made by users and then the IT/GIS staff fulfills the request and provides the user an end product whether that is a map, an updated data set, or the result of an analysis. In a departmental enablement model, the IT/GIS staff provides baseline services to keep the city’s communal geospatial data and technology infrastructure in good working order; and, they provide supporting services that help departmental users apply geospatial technology effectively and end-user tools that provide self-service for basic mapping and querying functions. As such, the “departmental enablement model” is a variation of the old adage of: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” In the departmental enablement model it is equally recognized that the city has many communal assets - chief among them, data - and that departmental efforts need to be coordinated to help build an enterprise-wide data library. Indeed, each department will benefit from reliable access to the geospatial data from other departments. The CED benefits from having access to crime and utility data; just as the utility department benefits from access to zoning information. The vision is for strong departmental GIS efforts to work in close coordination with the IT/GIS team to provide and ensure: ● Strong, reliable communal infrastructure and activities, such as public data dissemination ● Strong mission-focused GIS work to develop needed end products and to keep data current In general, the refactored IT/GIS staff would have the following core responsibilities that are “communal” in nature benefit the city as a whole): ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 16 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 1. Active coordination and leadership of the city’s geospatial users across departments. a. Identification and promulgation of internal GIS standards and policies b. Identification and promotion of best practices that can be shared with departments 2. Maintenance of the city’s underlying geospatial technical infrastructure including hardware (including specialized tools such as large format plotters or scanners), software and connectivity. 3. Access to and maintenance of the city’s geospatial library including: a. Maintenance of the base map, aerial imagery and other general purpose data layers such as voting districts b. Working with departments to provide training and coaching in their maintenance of departmental data sets that will be housed in the library zoning, utility networks, crime incidents, fire districts, etc.) c. Coordination with other geospatial data providers such as Utah state government, Federal agencies FEMA for flood zones) and Weber County d. Providing active curation of the geospatial library including regular updates and quality control and review services to departmental contributions to the library 4. Maintenance of the public facing geospatial infrastructure of the city. This includes maintaining a public data access and download capability as well as a public facing geospatial viewer. 5. Conducting special projects and limited service bureau work. a. As geospatial professionals, the IT/GIS staff will have strong skills that can assist in rarer and more technically complex activities that are faced by departments. Examples might include, integrating a transactional business system permitting, work orders) with geospatial technology; or, conducting a one-time geospatial analysis viewshed calculations). b. In addition, there will be several smaller staffed city entities, including the Mayor’s Office and the Council that do not have their own geospatial staff and may have occasional geospatial and mapping needs that go beyond what can be provided on a self-service basis through a viewer. In these instances, the IT/GIS staff will work on a limited service bureau basis. The Venn diagram presented below provides an initial view of a “job description for a GIS program” that is consistent with the departmental enablement model and the five core functions described above. ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 17 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 Recommendation Ensure the GIS team has its full complement of 3 FTE As documented in the SWOT, while the geospatial team currently contains three people, it does not have access to three full time equivalents (FTE). Rather, one of the current staff is on a reduced, half- time schedule, and other members of the team are occasionally pulled into non-geospatial activities. Last, the Ogden City Database Administrator1 (DBA) was formerly part of the geospatial team. While currently she has no geospatial role or FTE allocation, it is important that the geospatial databases, especially those residing in ArcSDE, be actively managed. As such, it may be appropriate to consider allocating some portion of her time to geospatial DBA functions. Based on the “core responsibilities” and GIS Program “job description” presented above, it is strongly recommended that a team of 3 FTE be available to carry out these responsibilities, not including the estimated .25 FTE provided by the Operations Supervisor’s GIS related work. Especially, during the 1 Kathleen Kelly ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 18 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 transitional period from service bureau to enablement organization there will be continued service bureau volume while the new operations are initiated). The job description for the IT/GIS team above identifies three broad areas activity which could potentially be mapped to the recommended 3 FTEs: 1. Coordination and leadership 2. Technical infrastructure 3. End user support These are fulltime jobs and it will be important that the FTE be focused on these responsibilities and that personnel are not tasked with other, peripheral and non-geospatial work. The nature of the communal infrastructure and enablement work also implies a somewhat different leadership model. As per the diagram below, the person taking the lead on “coordination and leadership” should be retitled “GIS Coordinator” and should provide day-to-day leadership of the IT/GIS group. This person will likely perform a variety of activities, but given the increased coordination with other departments, partnering agencies the county) and with IT Project Managers there should be a clear group lead who reports into the GIS Supervisor and is held accountable for good communication and project delivery. ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 19 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 Ultimately, it continues to make sense for the IT/GIS Team to remain within the Information Technology Division (ITD). Ultimately, like email, geospatial technology is interdisciplinary and is used by almost all city departments. As such, and like email or network, it is best to have the communal aspects of geospatial activity managed by a service oriented, multi-disciplinary organization, like ITD. This is the main reason why most municipal GIS operations are housed within information technology organizations. When they are housed in mission-driven organization Public Works) there can be concerns and perceptions that the communal GIS team will still be “biased” towards serving its own requirements ahead of those of other departments, or the enterprise. Recommendation Allow departments to have their own GIS positions One of the key elements of the departmental enablement model is that some departments, particularly CED, Public Services, Engineering, Police and Fire have larger geospatial requirements, including the need to maintain particular data sets that are germane to their mission. These kinds of departments might be classified as “power users” and some of them already maintain staff who perform hands-on geospatial tasks as an important part of their job function. With the service bureau becoming less important, there will be concomitant increased activity at the departmental level. This increased activity is already happening and the new departmental enablement model makes clear that: 1. Departments with large geospatial requirements should be prepared to make investments in geospatial technology to meet those needs through staffing; or, contracting) 2. The IT/GIS staff will help make the departments more efficient by providing a reliable technical and data infrastructure; access to training and coaching; as well as taking care of data distribution activities to other departments and the general public; integrating data into departmental or public viewers and specific cartographic products. In other words, the departments can focus their geospatial talent and activity on the department’s business, and the IT/GIS staff help take care of the communal geospatial “grunt work” to keep the departments as efficient as possible, and to ensure that departmental data assets make it to the citywide data library and are available to the rest of the city. Recommendation Enable maximum self service to departmental end-users and the public One of the keys to diminishing the reliance on a service bureau approach is to empower as many end- users as possible with good tools for self service. While the city has deployed some end-user viewers, ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 20 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 the SWOT reports that use of these tools is not high and that some users use tools such as Google Maps as an alternative. In 2015, there are more and better options for providing high quality self service than ever before, generally through browser-based geo viewers. Many cities and counties provide both public viewers as well as login-based viewers that expose more data to city/county employees. In addition, these viewers are designed to function both at the desktop and in the field through mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. As such, a high-quality, self-service oriented viewer should be deployed for Ogden City as soon as possible. Such a viewer should have the following minimum requirements: ● Provide access to the city’s geospatial data layers including both a traditional and aerial photo base map ● Provide access to parcel and address data, including the ability to query by parcel information and address ● Ability to interrogate map features parcels) to obtain attribute information assessed value, land use; etc.) ● If possible, include access to Google StreetView which is available for all of Ogden City ● Ability to produce high quality 8”x11” and tabloid sized PDFs for printing ● Intuitive, mobile enabled supporting touch gestures) user interface that does not require training Ogden faces a potential “buy it” or “build it” decision for gaining access to this kind of self-service viewer. The following contrasts the two approaches: ● Build it ○ Likely using existing Esri technology such as ArcGIS Server ○ Likely by deploying one of Esri’s template applications ○ Properly licensed access to StreetView will require customization and a Google license ○ Any customization would be done by Ogden City staff, likely using Javascript ○ City will need to run and maintain ArcGIS Server ○ Self deployed applications can require some maintenance and effort during Esri version upgrades moving from ArcGIS Server 10.2 to 10.3) ● Buy it ○ There are an increasing number of Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings that provide the minimum requirements outlined above. These offerings come from both big suppliers such as Esri’s ArcGIS Online as well as newer, more focused suppliers that leverage new platforms such as CartoDB. ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 21 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 ○ These SaaS offering are typically delivered as cloud-based deployments with managed services and uptime service level agreements no need for direct maintenance from Ogden City staff) ○ Many of these offerings are highly customized to typical local government uses ○ Most offerings provide incremental improvements through new feature releases over time ○ Several of these offering included licensed access to Google StreetView ○ Offerings are often low cost and a fully, managed services deployment can be less than the annual maintenance cost of ArcGIS Server2 ○ There are no sunk software and hardware costs and if the city is unhappy with a service, the barrier to moving to a new service is very low It is strongly recommended that Ogden City deploy a strong, self-service oriented web viewer as soon as possible, and most likely through the “buy it” model. This can be done rapidly and affordably will provide an easy, visible win as a result of this geospatial planning effort. The key is to choose something that is very good and will result in significant uptake by both the public, and city employees. Having a viewer is not enough, the city needs a viewer that gets used extensively and increases departmental self service. Importantly, such a tool should help meet many requests for simple maps that currently need to be provided through the service bureau. This will help ease the transition to the “departmental enablement” model of geospatial operations. Regardless of which approach is selected, the city should capture and analyze web statistics on the utilization of the viewer. Such statistics will help in understanding the extent of utilization, and also the specifics of which data sets and which functions are used most often. Such statistics can help guide both education and massaging on the viewer’s availability and also on the roadmap for future feature development. Recommendation Experiment with and potentially invest in new technologies, particularly cloud-based, geospatial Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings As per recommendation #4 above, cloud-based technologies and PaaS and SaaS are becoming increasingly important and attractive. In addition to investing in a quality, public facing, self-service oriented viewer, the city should continue experimenting with other cloud-based approaches CartoDB for visualization and analytics; FulcrumApp for mobile data collection; etc.). This includes 2 It should be noted that ArcGIS Server is multi-purpose and may be used for more activities than hosting a self- service viewer. ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 22 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 continued work and exploration with ArcGIS Online for more focused, departmental uses or for StoryMaps. But it also includes experimenting with other cloud-based solutions from other suppliers as innovation is flourishing, costs are affordable and interoperability between systems is becoming routine. Regardless of the tools selected, experimentation and comparing and contrasting will be productive to building a strong Ogden City geo team. With rapid innovation, it is critical to understand all options and new opportunities. Recommendation Inventory existing data resources and match them to business unit needs The Ogden City IT/GIS staff has created an impressive library of geospatial datasets. At present, there are more than 200 geospatial datasets in ArcSDE alone. There are at least as many other geospatial datasets in shapefile, personal geodatabase, or file geodatabase formats. Performing a thorough inventory of the existing data library is an important first step in transitioning the IT/GIS team to an enabling role. The inventory process should include the following for each dataset: ● Verify the business units with expertise on the business value, and potentially the origins of each dataset ● Have the appropriate business units assist in assessing each dataset for: ○ Spatial completeness ○ Spatial accuracy ○ Attribute completeness/linkage to other business systems asset id numbers) ○ Attribute accuracy ○ Dataset priority (high, medium, low) Such an inventory will provide a basis for a geospatial data management plan as well as designing a strong data library that the refactored IT/GIS team will manage and maintain for the long term. The data management plan should be formulated after stakeholders, priorities, and abilities to maintain data within the business units are defined. Recommendation #7 Continue the governance role of the GIS Committee in guiding geospatial activity and assessing progress Ogden City should continue the oversight and guidance role of its current GIS Committee. This team, which consists of representatives from many departments, is important for several reasons. The Committee: 1. Is best-suited to measure progress in GIS services objectively. 2. Can continue to identify new needs at an inter-departmental level. 3. Can provide a mechanism by which resources are allocated per the guidance of the City’s Information Technology Committee. ---PAGE BREAK--- Ogden City Management and Operations Plan for GIS Page 23 AppGeo ~ November, 2015 One of functions the GIS Committee could provide is to perform an annual, or biennial survey of GIS use to identify unmet needs and to measure progress. The survey used as part of this study could be a good starting point for a simple questionnaire posted to all City staff. The survey is one of the tools by which future actions and resource allocations may be prioritized and justified. ---PAGE BREAK--- Appendix A On-site and Telephone Interviews ---PAGE BREAK--- Appendix A Interview List Table A.1 lists the departmental staff interviewed in person or telephonically as part of this work. Table A1. Ogden City staff interviewed during work. Department Person City Administration Mark Johnson Community and Economic Development Joseph Simpson Community and Economic Development Sara Meess Community and Economic Development Stuart Murray Community and Economic Development Jared Johnson Community and Economic Development Ward Ogden Community and Economic Development Jonnalynne Walker Community and Economic Development Terrence Bride Community and Economic Development Alene Evans Community and Economic Development Heather Gaisbauer Community and Economic Development Jon Greiner Community and Economic Development Steve Patrick Fire Department Matt Schwenk Fire Department Mike Mathieu Information Technology Blake Wilkinson Information Technology Kathleen Kelly Information Technology Andrea Roskelley Information Technology Kolt Wright Information Technology Andy Lefgren Information Technology Josh Jones Information Technology Griffin Information Technology Greg Martin Information Technology Jess McClelland Management Services Gregg Buxton Police Department Jason Christensen Police Department Eric Young Public Services Taylor Nielsen Public Services Justin Anderson Public Services Brady Herd Public Services Steve Porter Public Services David Daniels Public Services Kathy Renner Public Services Tyson Egbert Public Services Daniel Gillies Public Services Russell Eldredge ---PAGE BREAK--- Public Services Jay Lowder Public Services Kenton Moffett Public Services Perry Huffaker Public Services Amanda Gallegos Public Services Steve Clark Public Services Jeff Rich Public Services Ted Bullock Public Services Bill Simpson Public Services Steve Clark Public Services Vince Ramos ---PAGE BREAK--- Appendix B Online Survey Questionnaire and Summary Responses ---PAGE BREAK--- 47.06% 16 35.29% 12 32.35% 11 Q1 In what department do you work? Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Q2 If relevant, in what division or section of your department do you work? Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Q3 I use the following technologies to access the city's GIS (choose all that are applicable): Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Desktop GIS software City of Ogden online... City of Ogden online PDF maps PDF map (outside of... GIS web-site (other than... Cartegraph Mobile device Via another system that Request a product from... Public GIS/mapping... 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Desktop GIS software ArcGIS) City of Ogden online interactive maps City of Ogden online PDF maps 1 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 26.47% 9 47.06% 16 23.53% 8 23.53% 8 8.82% 3 5.88% 2 55.88% 19 32.35% 11 5.88% 2 8.82% 3 14.71% 5 20.59% 7 17.65% 6 Total Respondents: 34 Q4 How often do you access the city's GIS and/or utilize GIS data or maps parcel information, address information, zoning information, other location data)? Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 PDF map (outside of City of Ogden web site) GIS web-site (other than City of Ogden online maps; e.g., Weber County GeoGizmo) Cartegraph Mobile device Via another system that has an embedded map Request a product from another person Public GIS/mapping tool Google Earth, OpenStreetMap, etc.) Daily 2-3 times/week Weekly Infrequently during any... Never 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Daily 2-3 times/week Weekly Infrequently during any given year Never 2 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 11.76% 4 2.94% 1 14.71% 5 8.82% 3 35.29% 12 26.47% 9 Total 34 Q5 How often do you use GIS to perform ANALYSIS or as an ANALYTICAL tool? Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Total 34 Q6 Ogden's GIS is world class and highly effective Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Daily 2-3 times/week Weekly Infrequently during any... Never 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Daily 2-3 times/week Weekly Infrequently during any given year Never 3 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 5.88% 2 35.29% 12 47.06% 16 8.82% 3 2.94% 1 Total 34 Q7 Ogden's GIS has significant flaws and is ineffective Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 4 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 2.94% 1 8.82% 3 44.12% 15 41.18% 14 2.94% 1 11.76% 4 35.29% 12 38.24% 13 11.76% 4 2.94% 1 Total 34 Q8 I get everything I need and expect from Ogden's GIS Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Total 34 Q9 Ogden has the right GIS software and tools, and the right amount of them Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 5 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 5.88% 2 29.41% 10 55.88% 19 5.88% 2 2.94% 1 Total 34 Q10 Ogden would benefit from exploring new geospatial software and tools Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 6 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 5.88% 2 17.65% 6 73.53% 25 2.94% 1 0.00% 0 5.88% 2 29.41% 10 55.88% 19 8.82% 3 0.00% 0 Total 34 Q11 If you AGREE with the previous statement, please list the GIS software tools that the city should investigate Answered: 3 Skipped: 31 Q12 I have all the GIS data layers that I need Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Total 34 Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 7 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 2.94% 1 8.82% 3 55.88% 19 29.41% 10 2.94% 1 Q13 If you DISAGREE with the previous statement, please list the most important missing GIS layers Answered: 3 Skipped: 31 Q14 The quality of some of the City's GIS data is a problem Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Total 34 Q15 If you AGREE with the previous statement, please list the GIS layers which have quality problems Answered: 2 Skipped: 32 Q16 The City's aerial imagery is current and has the resolution/detail that I need Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 8 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 20.59% 7 26.47% 9 52.94% 18 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Total 34 Q17 If you DISAGREE with the previous statement, please describe whether the issues are with the currency of the imagery, or the resolution/detail of the imagery, or both. Answered: 0 Skipped: 34 Q18 The GIS datasets I need for my work are kept current and are well-maintained Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 9 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 8.82% 3 23.53% 8 61.76% 21 5.88% 2 0.00% 0 Total 34 Q19 I am clear about who has data maintenance responsibilities for the GIS data I use most often Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 10 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 14.71% 5 20.59% 7 44.12% 15 20.59% 7 0.00% 0 Total 34 Q20 If you maintain GIS data yourself, please list which layers you are responsible for: Answered: 2 Skipped: 32 Q21 My business data are effectively linked to the GIS CAMA system; Cartegraph, Billing system; Incident tracking system; CMMS; Computer Aided Dispatching; et al) Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 11 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 5.88% 2 23.53% 8 64.71% 22 5.88% 2 0.00% 0 Total 34 Q22 I have access to all the GIS technical support that I need Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 12 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 20.59% 7 47.06% 16 29.41% 10 2.94% 1 0.00% 0 8.82% 3 26.47% 9 38.24% 13 23.53% 8 2.94% 1 Total 34 Q23 The governance and management of the City's GIS is clear to me Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Total 34 Q24 The governance and management of the City's GIS makes organizational sense and is effective Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 13 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 8.82% 3 20.59% 7 58.82% 20 8.82% 3 2.94% 1 Total 34 Q25 Most of my GIS work is done by my own department Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 14 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 5.88% 2 17.65% 6 38.24% 13 29.41% 10 8.82% 3 5.88% 2 44.12% 15 35.29% 12 5.88% 2 8.82% 3 Total 34 Q26 Most of my GIS work is done on my behalf by the GIS group within Information Technology Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Total 34 Q27 I regularly direct other city employees and/or the public to use City GIS resources such as GIS downloads, GIS applications, and GIS web sites Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 15 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 0.00% 0 26.47% 9 47.06% 16 14.71% 5 11.76% 4 Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Total 34 Q28 There is significant duplication of effort and inefficiency in the City's GIS operations Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 16 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 82.35% 28 17.65% 6 0.00% 0 Total 34 Q29 If you AGREE with the previous statement, please list the inefficiencies and/or duplication of effort that you're aware of Answered: 0 Skipped: 34 Q30 I would like improved access to the City's GIS resources on my phone and other mobile devices Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 17 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 5.88% 2 38.24% 13 47.06% 16 8.82% 3 0.00% 0 Total 34 Q31 I think the GENERAL PUBLIC is well- served by our GIS data, PDF map and on- line mapping capabilities Answered: 34 Skipped: 0 Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 18 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- 0.00% 0 32.35% 11 58.82% 20 8.82% 3 0.00% 0 Total 34 Q32 What is the MOST important issue that the GIS Planning Study should look at? Answered: 16 Skipped: 18 Q33 What is the SECOND most important issue that the GIS Planning Study should examine? Answered: 12 Skipped: 22 Q34 If you could make one suggestion, or institute one change that would improve the City's GIS, what would it be? Answered: 12 Skipped: 22 Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Answer Choices Responses Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 19 / 19 Ogden GIS Study Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- Appendix C Final Recommendations Slide Deck ---PAGE BREAK--- 11/24/15 1 ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Ogden City General Management and Opera2ons Study for GIS Final Recommenda2ons Nov. 119, 2015 ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. © 2 0 1 5 A p p l i e d G e o g r a p h i c s , I n c . S l i d e 2 Agenda • What we did • What we heard (condensed) – Interviews and survey – Weaknesses, OpportuniDes and Threats • What we’re recommending ---PAGE BREAK--- 11/24/15 2 ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. 1. Survey: week spanning Sept. 7 15 a. Collect and assess findings 2. Interview trip (Eric): week of Sept. 21 a. Generate writeups & SWOT 3. Workshop trip (Michael): week of Oct. 19 a. Run recommendaDons/approach up the flagpole 4. Final presenta2on (Michael): Nov. 19 a. Roll-‐out final report and recommendaDons Where we are in the project ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Ac2vi2es • Background research – Plante Moran study – On-‐line survey taken by 34 geospaDal users • On-‐site, and phone interviews – 21 sessions – 55 people • and assessment – SWOT analysis – Preliminary recommendaDons • Report authoring – Dra] final submi^ed – MeeDng to explain recommendaDons ---PAGE BREAK--- 11/24/15 3 ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. leverage them Weaknesses: address and improve them Opportuni2es: seize and capitalize on them Threats: steer clear of them SWOT Findings ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. SWOT in a nutshell • – City understands the value of geo – IT has built a strong geo team – Ogden has a strong geo data foundaDon • Weaknesses: – No strategic or tacDcal plan for geo – Demanding departmental geo users have unmet needs – Ogden’s service bureau model has limitaDons • Current demand outstripping supply • Some users are unsaDsfied with Dmeliness of response and data update ---PAGE BREAK--- 11/24/15 4 ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. SWOT in a nutshell • Opportuni2es: – Ogden City geo team and departmental staff are open minded to change and new approaches – Technology change supports wider use of geo technology • More opDons for self-‐service for basics • Threats: – Some “lack of trust” on IT/GIS performance emerging – Silos of geo data apart from citywide library may emerge – Lack of change may exacerbate issues ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. TransiDon Ogden City IT/GIS Staff from a service bureau model to a “departmental enablement model” Recommenda2on in nutshell ---PAGE BREAK--- 11/24/15 5 ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. The alterna2ve • The alternaDve to “re-‐factoring” the team is to maintain the “service bureau” orientaDon – But, there is a need to grow capacity – New FTE/headcount – Is that realisDc? ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Poten2al Vision Statement Ogden City staff will have ready and easy access to the geospaDal data and tools they require. City geospaDal data and informaDon will be readily available to the public and ci2zens of Ogden. City departments will have primary stewardship responsibili2es for their geospaDal data, contribuDng them to an authorita2ve data library maintained by the IT/GIS staff. The IT/GIS staff will enable and support city departments in their geospaDal technology and acDviDes and will provide data custodianship for communal data sets such as the base map and for maintaining access to third-‐party data parcels from Weber County) for the benefit of all. ---PAGE BREAK--- 11/24/15 6 ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Recommenda2on #1 Define the departmental enablement model of providing geospa2al services and ar2culate the “job descrip2on” for the IT/GIS team “The vision is for strong departmental GIS efforts to work in close coordination with the IT/GIS team to provide and ensure: • Strong, reliable communal infrastructure and activities, such as public data dissemination • Strong mission-focused GIS work to develop needed end products and to keep data current” ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Recommenda2on #1 Five core responsibili2es 1. AcDve and coordinaDon and leadership of city GIS users – Playing point on external partnerships 2. Maintenance of city’s geospaDal technical infrastructure 3. Access to, and maintenance of city’s geospaDal data library 4. Public facing geospaDal infrastructure – Data download – Public viewers 5. Special projects and limited service bureau work ---PAGE BREAK--- 11/24/15 7 ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. © 2 0 1 5 A p p l i e d G e o g r a p h i c s , I n c . S l i d e 1 3 Coordination & Leadership Technical Infrastructure End User Support Leadership, Outreach, Communication • Senior Management Team • Internal (other departments) • External partners (e.g. County) & contractors • Coordination with Departmental GIS staff Data Custodianship • Data stewardship • Communal base data • Assisting departmental custodians Applications • Public web viewers • City staff end-user viewers • Public data distribution Limited on-request service, special projects & support • Special projects for Mayor and other departments with no capacity) • Helping late adopters get started Technology Integration Supporting departmental business system integration Links to financial/billing, Permitting, Work Orders, etc. Job Description for GIS Program The Basics Enabling Departments • Training program • Coaching & problem solving • Assistance in contracting/hiring • Guidance for best practices Technology Guidance • Enterprise tools & subscriptions • Software selection & licensing • Assessment of new technology (R&D) ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Put another way… Take care of…The Viewers • Data consumers – There are lots of them – Currently uDlize Google Maps, not necessarily city tools • Including the general public – Data access viewing) – Data download Enable…The Maintainers • Departmental data experts in some domain – Far fewer of them – Custodians of specialized data uDlity data) – Need and can handle richer geospaDal tools for ediDng • Would benefit from best pracDces ---PAGE BREAK--- 11/24/15 8 ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Recommenda2on #2 Ensure the GIS team has its full complement of 3 FTE • No/less non-‐geo work • Recover the ½ FTE that has been lost • Acknowledge addiDonal potenDal FTE support – GIS Team Supervision (Andy) – GIS DBA acDvity (Kathleen) • Core three FTE can be mapped into the job descripDon Venn diagram ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Recommenda2on #2 Leadership ---PAGE BREAK--- 11/24/15 9 ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Recommenda2on #2 Coordina2on with IT Division ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Recommenda2on #3 Allow departments to have their own GIS posi2ons With the service bureau becoming less important, there will be concomitant increased activity at the departmental level. This increased activity is already happening and the new departmental enablement model makes clear that: • Departments with large geospatial requirements should be prepared to make investments in geospatial technology to meet those needs through staffing; or, contracting) • The IT/GIS staff will help make the departments more efficient by providing a reliable technical and data infrastructure; access to training and coaching; as well as taking care of data distribution activities to other departments and the general public; integrating data into departmental or public viewers and specific cartographic products. ---PAGE BREAK--- 11/24/15 10 ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Recommenda2on #5 Experiment with and poten2ally invest in new technologies, par2cularly cloud-‐based, geospa2al Pla`orm as a Service (PaaS) and Socware as a Service (SaaS) offerings This includes continued work and exploration with ArcGIS Online for more focused, departmental uses or for StoryMaps. But it also includes experimenting with other cloud-based solutions from other suppliers as innovation is flourishing, costs are affordable and interoperability between systems is becoming routine. Regardless of the tools selected, experimentation and comparing and contrasting will be productive to building a strong Ogden City geo team. With rapid innovation, it is critical to understand all options and new opportunities. ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Recommenda2on #4 Enable maximum self service to departmental end-‐users and the public • Strong, web and mobile based tools/viewers for general access to city geo data – Relieve some of the load from basic service bureau requests • Core funcDons: 1. IntuiDve user interface that does not require training 2. Self-‐service access to geo layers 3. Query by parcel and address 4. Access to map feature a^ributes 5. Access to street view 6. High quality, small format PDF output ---PAGE BREAK--- 11/24/15 11 ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Recommenda2on #4 Buy it, or build it? • Overall goals: – Bring to market quickly an early win) – Get broad uptake and use of tools • In demos during interviews there was strong interest – Measure success with web • OpDons – Build: DIY with Esri tools and/or ArcGIS Online • Self provisioned • Use of templates – Buy: Obtain cloud-‐based subscripDon service • Opportunity to leverage new technologies • Highly tuned to local government needs ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Recommenda2on #6 Inventory exis2ng data resources and match them to business unit needs • Very large number of data sets – >200 layers • Create a formal inventory and idenDfy: – Origins of data – Responsible parDes for update – Review/assemble metadata • Move towards a “data management plan” – What is “communal” and managed/updated by IT/GIS? – What is “departmental” and managed/updated by departments? • With IT/GIS providing guidance, best pracDces and QA/QC • And, insurance that data get into the citywide library ---PAGE BREAK--- 11/24/15 12 ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. Recommenda2on #7 Con2nue the governance role of the GIS Commigee in guiding geospa2al ac2vity and assessing progress • With the departmental enablement model and communal infrastructure it is important for the IT/GIS team to: – Get regular feedback – Have the opportunity to engage with stakeholders – Hear about new and emerging needs • AcDve coordinaDon and communicaDon between the IT/GIS staff and departments will be an important ingredient for success ©2015 Applied Geographics, Inc. © 2 0 1 5 A p p l i e d G e o g r a p h i c s , I n c . S l i d e 2 4 Your ques2ons & Discussion ? Michael Terner: [EMAIL REDACTED]