Strategic GIS Planning and Management in Local Government

This ＂how-to＂ book on planning and managing GIS within local government describes and details the key components of a successful enterprise, sustainable and enduring GIS. It describes the strategic planning process an organization must undertake prior to GIS implementation. The heart of the book is the formula for success that offers a systematic methodology for examining and benchmarking a GIS initiative and the practical and repeatable strategy for success.

There are many obstacles to successful GIS implementation, and unfortunately, the local government landscape is riddled with false starts, poorly planned implementations, and glorified mapping systems. This book documents the reason for failure and possible remedies to overcome the challenges to implementation. It discusses pathways to change, ways of improving organizational effectiveness and efficiency, and lays out the organizational approaches, management processes, and leadership actions that are required for GIS to become an indispensable part of an organization. This book is about aiming high, so you can consistently hit your mark by formulating goals and objectives that will tremendously influence the success of a GIS initiative. It details the factors crucial for building an enterprise GIS vision statement that includes governance, data and databases, procedures and workflow, GIS software, GIS training and education, and infrastructure, and how to develop performance measures related to the stated objectives of an organization. The book combines theory with real-world experience to offer guidance on the process of managing GIS implementation. Through key components, this book introduces a new way to think about GIS technology.

Mr. David Holdstock, BA, MS, a geographic information systems (GIS) professional and chief executive officer, co-established and incorporated Geographic Technologies Group, Inc. in 1997. Mr. Holdstock is a GIS practitioner and a leading expert in developing enterprise and sustainable GIS strategic implementation plans for towns, cities, and counties. Over the past 25 years, Mr. Holdstock has planned, designed, and coordinated the adoption and implementation of GIS technology for over 200 local government organizations. He has published many articles on GIS strategic planning for local government, including assessing the value of GIS; understanding the challenges, barriers, and pitfalls of GIS; and the implementation process for local government. David has conducted hundreds of workshops, seminars, and discussions on GIS implementation. His previous work experience has included being a GIS manager for the world’s leading transportation engineering company in New York and a GIS director for a research institute at North Carolina State University.