overview section, money is a driving factor in the
long-term value of our work for the future and
timeliness of software and hardware updates.
for use by other projects besides our own. We must
make that possible by cooperatively using and con-
tributing to the development of data and metadata
Solutions
In the best situations, hardware, software, and data
standards.
updates are incorporated into the various projects'
budgets. This allows for appropriate technology to be
Problem: Data dictionaries
used for the project. This provides a larger potential
Description
return on investment and potential bulk purchase dis-
The CADD/GIS Technology Center was formed to
counts for maintenance and other updates.
support tri-service entities related to CADD and GIS
There are some aspects of this dilemma for
standards. One product from the Center is the Spe-
which no one seems to have found a satisfactory
cial Data Standards for Facilities, Infrastructure and
answer. Some USACE locations order enough soft-
the Environment (SDSFIE). Since the SDSFIE has
ware updates for every license but wait for the indi-
excellent potential as a standardized data dictionary
viduals to request that the software be put on their
for USACE GIS users, survey respondents were asked
machines. This takes into account individual project
about their experience using this product.
milestones and does not take computers out of com-
One of the major problems, as seen by the field,
mission at a critical time in a project. Scheduling
is the SDSFIE's complicated structure. In developing
around projects may work well within the project
the SDSFIE, multiple GIS communities are being
timelines, but it facilitates multiple versions of the
served. Terminology used by one community does
same software being utilized for the same project. At
not necessarily translate to another community. The
times, different versions of the same software inhibit
SDSFIE requires users to learn new terminology in
sharing of data because of format changes or the addi-
place of what is normally used in their area of exper-
tion of new data features.
tise.
Several Districts update their software all at once
to avoid trouble with various versions. This maintains
Solutions
compatibility between the data and the system, but it
The CADD/GIS Center should focus efforts on
may be scheduled at times that interfere with project
technology transfer and implementation of their stan-
deadlines.
dards. Because of the breadth of the standard, many
In a few instances, software updates were only
fields are not necessary for each discipline. Training
made when expected by a sponsor. Hardware was
information or subsets of the standards would help
updated only when the software could not be run on
users. These could be extensions based on a user's
the machine because of file size, memory require-
mission area and type of duties; for example, hydrolo-
ments, or other technical requirements. This crisis
gists would be able to use the elements relative to their
management mentality does not allow GIS to be uti-
field and ignore irrelevant fields. This would work
lized to its fullest extent and may hinder potential new
best in conjunction with alias tables that link what,
projects because USACE will not be able to hit the
for example, a hydrologist calls an item to what the
ground running on a project for timely completion.
standards call it. This would also allow specialists in
many fields to use terminology familiar within their
Geospatial data standards
discipline, while still complying with the standard via
Coordinated data and metadata standards are nec-
a look-up table.
essary so data creators and data users from different
organizations, fields of study, locations, and periods
Problem: SDSFIE and GIS
of time can communicate with one another. If a data
Description
creator uses definitions and techniques of measuring
Another common difficulty for GIS users who try
data that are not documented and have no relevance
to use the SDSFIE is that it originated in an Inter-
to the definitions or techniques being used by others,
graph environment, so ESRI GIS users find that the
then his product will have no meaning for anyone
standard is inadequate to support their type of GIS
other than himself and his own short-term project.
data.
The data could not be compared with the results of
others, and there could be no long-term value or future
Solution
use of the data.
Future migration of the standard should take into
We in USACE, with our long historical contribu-
account the ESRI data model to enable ESRI users an
tion to the nation and to science, must realize the
easy solution when implementing the SDSFIE.
5
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