Status of 1998 Tasks:
1. Maintain and expand the Working Group Homepage. (Supports NSDI Goals 1, 2, 3, and 4)
Status: The working group, using technical support from the FGDC Executive Secretariat, maintains an extension of the FGDC homepage for the working group. Minutes of meetings, work plans, and cross-references to other useful sources have been posted and updated.
2. Produce a focused study on the costs of maintaining geospatial data with assistance and information from various FGDC member agencies and other federal geospatial data creators and managers. (Supports NSDI Goal 3)
Status: The working group began this effort in 1997. It has been more difficult than anticipated to obtain cost information from geospatial data creators. This activity will continue into 1999.
3. Coordinate with other FGDC subcommittees and working groups by providing comments, guidance, or assistance when requested or appropriate. (Supports NSDI Goals 1, 2, 3, and 4)
Status: Ongoing. Working Group members also serve on other subcommittees. The working group did not receive any direct requests for information or coordination in 1998.
4. Monitor NARA current and planned records management evaluations which relate to geospatial data and promote those aspects which enhance the goals of FGDC. (Supports NSDI Goals 2, 3, and 4)
Status: Ongoing. NARA did not conduct any geospatial data evaluations in 1998.
Additional Activities (Supports NSDI Goals 1, 2, and 4)
1. The working group chair presented a paper, "the Impact of GIS on Records Management of Geospatial Data," at the annual meeting of the National Association of Government Archivists and Records Administrators in July 1998.
2. A working group member organized a session, "The National Spatial Data Infrastructure: Public Policy and Public Data," at the annual meeting of the Association of Public Data Users in October 1998. The panel included the FGDC Secretary, the FGDC Clearinghouse working group chair, and the former head of the National States Geographic Information Council.
3. The working group chair and NARA's Steering Committee representative worked with NARA management to develop a budget proposal as part of the FGDC Community/Federal Information Partnership (CFIP) in support of the development of the NSDI.