Improving operational efficiency with geographic information Practical guidelines for the harmonisation of core geographic datasets 12a2006 Improving operational efficiency with geographic information Practical guidelines for the harmonisation of core geographic datasets Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 12a/2006 Publication: Improving operational efficiency with geographic information Practical guidelines for the harmonisation of core geographic datasets Author: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Photos: ESA-J.HUART (Galileo) TEKES, Maanmittauslaitos, Merenkulkulaitos, MMM kuva-arkisto ISBN 952-453-301-4 ISSN 1238-2531 Graphic Design: Z Design Oy Layout: Vammalan Kirjapaino Oy Printing Press: Vammalan Kirjapaino Oy, 2006 Contents SECTION I Basis 5 1. Introduction 5 1.1 National geographic information strategy objectives for harmonisation 5 2. Targeted outcome 7 2.1 Benefits of harmonisation 7 2.1.1 Integration and improvement of production processes 7 2.1.2 Making core geographic datasets available for society and commercial applications 7 2.1.3 Increasing productivity and decreasing costs 8 2.1.4 Legal basis 8 2.2 Scenarios 8 2.2.1 Common building data 8 2.3.2 Common address data 10 2.3.3 Common plan data 11 2.3.4 Common watercourse data 11 2.3.5 Common land parcel data 12 2.4 Targeted outcome 12 2.5 Phases in the realisation of target outcome 13 2.6 Requirements for harmonisation 13 3. Interoperability assessment levels 14 3.1 Interoperability globally 14 3.2 Europe 15 3.2.1 European situation 15 3.2.2 INSPIRE requirements 16 3.3 National projects 17 3.4 Regional scope 17 3.5 Local datasets used as the source for national datasets 17 SECTION II Technical requirements 18 4. Definition of harmonisation 18 5. Harmonisation areas 19 5.1 Requirements for semantic descriptions 19 5.1.1 Definition of features 19 5.1.2 Definition of processes 19 5.1.3 Definition of user requirements 19 5.1.4 Unique identification of features 20 5.1.5 Harmonising the definition of similar or same features between different data producers 20 5.2 Requirements for modelling and data transfer 20 5.2.1 Conceptual schema language 20 5.2.2 Data transfer schema 21 5.2.3 Data service 21 5.3. Quality requirements 22 5.3.1 Common data quality measures (ISO TS 19138) 22 5.3.2 Defined quality requirements based on customer needs using common data quality measures 22 5.3.3 Described and measurable quality management process 23 5.3.4 Datasets are tested by an independent party based on generally approved methods 23 5.3.5 Auditability of geographic information and production processes 23 5.3.6 Quality results in metadata 23 5.3.7 Trackability of geographic information 23 5.4 Development of legislation and regulations 23 SECTION III Implementation 24 6. Measures for the harmonisation of core datasets 24 6.1 Finnish Council for Geographic Information measures 24 6.2 Administrative body measures 24 6.2.1 Harmonisation preparations 24 6.2.2 Feature-specific harmonisation of core geographic datasets 24 6.2.3 Implementation of unique identifiers of features 25 6.2.4 Definition of feature quality requirements 25 6.2.5 Process standardisation 25 6.2.6 Definition of geographic information product specifications 25 Annex 1: Projects promoting commonality in Finland and Europe 27 Appendix 2: Concepts 30 SECTION I Basis second section technical specifications are defined. The third section deals with implementation. 1. Introduction The guidelines were drafted by the Finnish Council for These guidelines are intended for the enhancement of Geographic Information Harmonisation Division task public administration and private sector productivity force T1. The task force chairman was Chief engineer, and operational planning using core geographic data- D.Sc. (Tech.) Antti Jakobsson, of the National Land Sur- sets. Compatible core geographic datasets are vital in vey of Finland, and the task force members were M.Sc. planning locations for social, health care and civic serv- Antti Saarikoski of the National Land Survey of Finland, ices. Security services for the society are more depend- Specialist researcher, Lic.Sc. (Tech.). Lassi Lehto of the ent on the use of geographic information, thus empha- Finnish Geodetic Institute, and Land-use engineer, M.Sc. sising the quality and interoperability of geographic in- Matti Holopainen of the Association of Finnish Local formation used. An example of such security services and Regional Authorities. are emergency response centres, whose operations re- quire the use of reliable and up-to-date geographic in- 1.1 National geographic information formation. At the European level, environmental im- pacts have risen to play a key role in operational plan- strategy objectives for harmonisation ning and building. An example of this is the currently The national geographic information strategy has set ongoing preparations of the INSPIRE geographic infor- the following objectives for the interoperability and mation directive, whose primary objective is to make all harmonisation of geographic datasets: geographic information that has or could have an im- pact on the environment fully available to public ad- ”A prerequisite for the effective use of geographic in- ministrations. formation at all levels of society is that the datasets are comprehensive and mutually interoperable, possess in- The national geographic information strategy has set tegrity in logical and technical terms and, above all, are targets for dataset interoperability, commonality and readily available. To achieve interoperability common harmonisation. In this context harmonisation refers to standards and recommendations need to be applied to all measures which are taken to improve the common- the maintenance and management of geographic data- ality and interoperability of datasets and information sets in widespread use.” systems and the integration of operational processes. These guidelines address the requirements set for the Topo- graphic harmonisation of geographic information. These re- features quirements apply to modelling methods, data transfer, Administrative Cadastral units parcels data content, process management and quality. Inter- operability assessment levels are examined from a glo- bal, European, national, regional and local point of Buildings and Transport addresses Standards, networks view. processes and services promoting The guidelines can be used in the planning and deci- co-operation Geographical Elevation, sion-making concerning the development of organisa- names pathymetry tional productivity for public administrations, the plan- ning of operational processes, and evaluation of possi- Statistical Utility bilities for the utilisation of geographic information. data networks Aerial and The operations of core geographic information satellite producers should be based on networked produc- imagery tion and maintenance processes as well as facili- tate the use of common geographic information Figure 1.1 View of the core geographic datasets as a through information service networks. The guide- system1 lines are divided into three main sections. In the first section the benefits of harmonisation for society and users of geographic information are outlined. In the 1 National Geographic Information Strategy 5 ”Core geographic datasets are widely used both indi- vidually and combined on the local, national and inter- national level. For these reasons the datasets need to be well managed and generally available, and form a harmonised, integral whole, providing nationwide cov- erage and facilitating shared use.” Harmonisation involves the following steps: “Step H1: The efforts to harmonise datasets with the intention of enabling efficient data sharing shall first be directed to core datasets (i.e. basic geographic informa- tion) which are most widely used, and to the develop- ment of the maintenance. The permanent co-opera- tive body shall ensure that basic geographic data are defined and that the requirements to be ful- filled by these are determined by the end of 2005. The modelling methods used for core geographic data- sets shall be consistent with the common standards and the data shall be sufficiently interoperable in terms of quality and content.” “Step H3: Administrative organisations maintaining core datasets shall introduce the individual identifica- tion of objects in cases where there is a continuous transfer of changed data from one organisation or ap- plication to another. This shall also apply to generalised datasets.” “Step H4: Administrative bodies maintaining core da- tasets shall ensure that quality monitoring during pro- duction and quality assurance of finished material are carried out and that an auditing capability is main- tained. The results on quality shall also be included in the metadata and product data.” 6 2. Targeted outcome to such an agreement would also have to forge agree- ments concerning the regional orientation and timing The outcome targeted by the geographic information of data acquisition so that the data is available at right strategy: point in time. Integrated data acquisition processes re- “Public authorities make extensive use of data- quire that all involved parties have a uniform percep- bases and services maintained by other public au- tion of data structure, quality and process operation as thorities, as the data information networks em- well as the opportunity to audit process operation, con- ployed by the public administration are effective, duct quality evaluations or otherwise ensure the relia- a transparent and fair