Approximately 35 people participated in the Visioning Validation and Interpretation workshop held on January 6, 2004 at the FGDC Coordination Group Meeting. The stated purposes of the meeting were to validate and interpret the vision or desired future state of the NSDI and begin to identify steps to get there.

Ivan DeLoatch welcomed participants. He emphasized the importance of the Future Directions Initiative and participants' involvement in the process. The facilitation team, Tricia Gibbons and Susan Warner of LEAD Alliance, reviewed the agenda, meeting roles, meeting rules and objectives. (See Workshop Frame) The workshop structure was a combination of individual thinking, small group tasks and whole group discussions.

After individually responding to a few "thought questions," participants worked in five discussion groups with the task of sharing perspectives on the desired future state of the NSDI in 2014. Group members also explored the role of the FGDC in the development of the NSDI, and agency contributions and benefits.

After 45 minutes of small group discussions, each group shared aspects of its conversations to build a description of the desired future state. Participants exchanged ideas, questioned for clarification, and began to articulate issues, concerns, challenges and opportunities. In general, participants agreed that the vision was still valid. The descriptions validated the vision statement and the four goal statements. Key discussion points were captured on the graphic organizer. Small group discussion notes can be accessed through the FGDC website within the next week.

FGDC Bold Steps
[PowerPoint 452KB] [PDF 93KB]

Representative vision themes that emerged included: interdependent systems and services; seamless access; understood by leadership at all levels; standard practice to use NSDI; the data are complete, accurate and understood; accountability; and NSDI is the basic infrastructure that users can build upon.

The role of the FGDC highlighted awareness, education and understanding; facilitation and coordination; policy development; implementation framework standards; and development of the business case. Different perspectives were expressed concerning the structure and membership of the FGDC.

Participants were then asked to brainstorm Bold Steps that the FGDC and the Federal Geospatial Community can take to reach the desired state. After 20 minutes, each group prioritized its top three Bold Steps to put forward as recommended actions. (Also listed on the BOLD STEPS arrow on the graphic)

• Build content according to published framework
• Establish the business case as an FGDC-sponsored activity which defines societal benefits and performance measures with agency input
• Seek authority for FGDC to assure compliance with NSDI goals
• Establish a National Geo Data Council
• Alternative to Exhibit 300
• Re-launch the NSDI
• Define a National Architecture
• Influence NSDI-friendly legislation
• Identify NSDI expectations
• Define specific national goals
• Plan of attack (MOU performance metrics)
• Re-evaluate/re-define structure of the FGDC
• Seek FACA exemption
• Implement not just data content but service standards
• Revise governance and charters of FGDC subcommittees and working groups

There was some discussion and questions about clarification related to the recommended BOLD STEPS. Some suggestions were made related to combining similar bold steps. There was no consensus-building conversation or attempt to flesh out the action required to reach each BOLD STEP at this time. It was suggested and agreed that the recommended BOLD STEPS would be more fully explored and prioritized at the February 3, 2004 Coordination Group Meeting,

Actions as a result of this workshop:

1. Meeting notes will be distributed to all participants within 10 days.
2. An Executive Summary will be written to accompany the graphic and emailed to the Coordination Group distribution list within 2 weeks.
3. The Future Directions Team will use the data from today's meeting to begin writing the vision description.

After a brief evaluation of the workshop and structure of the meeting, the meeting was adjourned at 12:00 p.m. EST.