Local Government GIS Demonstration Grant - NCGIA Buffalo

Manager's Overview 5
3 ENTERPRISE-WIDE GIS: THE CORPORATE DATABASE
The role of a GIS in a local government setting is more than simply automating a few obvious
tasksfor the sake of efficiency. A local government (or several cooperating governments) should
viewthe GIS project as an opportunity to introduce fundamental change into the
way its business isconducted. As with the adoption of management and executive
information systems in the businessworld, the adoption of GIS effectively reorganizes the data
and information the government collects,maintains and uses to conduct it affairs. This can, and
arguably should, lead to major changes inthe institution, to improve both effectiveness and
efficiency of operations.
A key factor in the success of computer system adoption in the business world is the concept of
the"enterprise" or "corporate" database. As implied by the name, the corporate database is a
single,organization-wide data resource. The advantages of the corporate database are
first, that all usershave immediate and easy access to up-to-date information and, secondly that the
construction of thedatabase is done in the most efficient manner possible. Typically, the
corporate database eliminatesredundant collection and storage of information and the keeping of
extra copies of data and extrareference lists by individual users. Here, we are recommending the
use of corporate database concept to integrate GIS data for all units of local government
participating in a cooperative GIS program.
An effective corporate database does require cooperation on the part of all users, both for
thecollection and entry of data in the database and in developing applications in a shared data
context. This may result in some individual applications or uses being less efficient, however the
overallbenefits to the organization can easily outweigh these inefficiencies. Greater emphasis
must,however, be placed on maintaining a high quality of data and services to users, mainly to
offset theperceived loss of control that accompanies sharing an individual's data to another part of
theorganization.
The corporate database concept can be used in the governmental situation, for either single units
ofgovernment or between several governmental entities in the same region. The benefits
associatedwith the corporate database can be achieved if governmental units are willing to
cooperate andshare a multi-purpose regional GIS database. Such an arrangement has some
technicalrequirements; however, establishing the corporate database is much more a
question of policy , management cooperation and coordination.
4 POLICY ISSUES IN GIS DEVELOPMENT