Spatial Data Infrastructure Inspire Three Councils
Description
Customer
Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling Councils.
Challenge
Three councils had separate corporate GIS and needed to share data and services.
Solution
Develop a regional spatial data infrastructure that adopts INSPIRE principles.
Results
Successful implementation of regional SDI that was awarded best practice by
the eSDI-NETplus programme.
Service
Consultancy and hosted services.
Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling Councils had an increasing need to share information and GIS services that prompted the development and implementation of a new regional spatial data infrastructure (SDI). The new SDI made extensive use of a common web services framework to provide intranet, extranet and internet GIS capabilities.
Challenge
In 2001 three adjoining Scottish local authorities - Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling Councils had established separate corporate GIS implementations. With advances in technology and increasing requirements to share information, Forth Valley GIS proposed
the development of a new regional spatial data infrastructure (SDI) that would better meet the needs of all three organisations.
The overall aim was to improve the efficiency of spatial data management, data sharing, interoperability and accessibility, while ensuring compliance with current and emerging standards, including INSPIRE.
Forth Valley GIS was commissioned to develop a high availability spatial
data infrastructure (SDI) based on industry-standard spatial database technologies. The SDI was required to make extensive use of a common web services framework to provide intranet, extranet and internet GIS capabilities for three local authorities, their partner
organisations, citizens, businesses and communities.
Solution
Forth Valley GIS developed:
GeoStore: a spatial data warehouse was designed and optimised to manage over
800 separate spatial data layers across the three organisations, underpinned by
about 100 common mapping datasets from a range of 3rd party suppliers.
GeoLink: a spatial portal that provided a functionally rich, yet easy-to-use interface. INSPIRE compliant metadata was fully integrated with the application to ensure the data is understood and used appropriately. Metadata, security, data copyright and content management features combine to make Geolink dynamically configurable for each
Council, department, user and individual dataset. All mapping and dynamic
content was managed using a suite of on-line administration tools developed by
Forth Valley GIS.
A range of innovative business applications were integrated with the infrastructure to provide direct business benefits to a targeted range of service areas including Education, Social Care, Asset Management, Waste Services, Planning, Environment and Roads
Maintenance.
A pioneering online anti-social behaviour information sharing hub (OASIS) was
developed around the core SDI. OASIS is a multi-agency solution used by local
authorities, Police, National Health Service and community planning partnerships to provide a shared view of anti-social behaviour events and incidents. Data is securely controlled and
exchanged via common data standards and information sharing protocols.
Results
Spatial Infrastructure Inspires 3 Councils 
A practical, successful regional SDI solution that adopts the INSPIRE principles of common data standards, core geographies and technical interoperability. This was underpinned by a sound business model to develop, support and sustain the widespread
use and continued growth in the application of spatial data.
The SDI now contains datasets that cover a broad spectrum of business
needs and spatial data themes, including many of those now defined by INSPIRE. These are shared as download services or as INSPIRE compliant web services data sharing and reuse are key principles underpinning the functions of the SDI. This has unlocked the hidden
potential of many existing datasets to a wider audience, increasing business intelligence and providing a better value return on the investment to collect and maintain spatial data.
Key benefits
- Widespread increase in availability and access to spatial data.
- Increased efficiencies in data sharing within and between organisations.
- Cost savings and operating efficiencies arising from the consolidation of web and database servers.
- Single point of access to a centrally managed, current and quality assured data repository.
- Increased user confidence in the source, currency and accuracy of geographic data.
- More responsive and improved customer services.
- Economies of scale from sharing technical development, support and data management services.
European Certificateof Excellence Award
Forth Valley GIS was awarded a European Best Practice Award by the eSDI-NET plus project for our work on spatial data infrastructure implementation.
To find out how Forth Valley GIS can help your organisation, call us on 01786 476060 or email us on fvinfo@forthvalleygis.co.uk.