Monday, November 2. 2009

Maryland #1 in ARRA GIS Sites, But...

A Computerworld article lauds Maryland's use of GIS in reporting on the state of stimulus funding, but also notes some warts.

The article notes:

StateStat has the potential to show citizens the return on investment they get from get from government programs, and it could be used to hold agency chiefs accountable, O'Malley says.

During biweekly meetings with department heads, the governor uses GIS maps to track projects and the performance of departments. O'Malley says he uses GIS maps to quickly assess which divisions are performing well and which need new leadership. "That ability to recognize who the leaders are is what gets your entire organization to lean forward. That's what makes it go," he says.

The article does not explain how that potential to show ROI would be met, nor how GIS shows which divisions are performing well and which need new leadership. I hope Maryland staffers or the publication can detail those processes and share them with other states.

The daily challenges of the StateStat effort are detailed by Beth Blauer, director of the program. On her list are:

Data:
Says Blauer: "Those issues include data ownership, accuracy, age, how often data is refreshed and whether it will be meaningful to decision-makers."

Interoperability:
"Because the state agencies use many different GIS servers and databases, they export data in Excel format and give it to Blauer's staff, who must import it manually. It has been particularly difficult to maintain data integrity and get updates automated, she says."

Deeper Analysis:
"Another goal is to add performance data that could, for example, illustrate the impact of a program by showing the effect of spending on the unemployment rate.

Blauer says that eventually, StateStat will be used at all levels of government and available to the public. "You'll be able to see where we are spending money in education and whether the test scores are getting better.""
And of course, that means showing causation, not just correlation.

(Future) Public Participation:
"They will be able to engage in a dialogue with government using the data," she says."

Also on the Governors list: an app to show how state funds are allocated and downloadable data.

Hat tip to Computerworld for going beyond the shiny maps.

Friday, October 30. 2009

National Map Elevation and Imagery Funding Available

USGS has 15 discretionary grant opportunities to collect and process imagery and elevation maps to be included as part of the National Map. The funds are part of the Stimulus aka the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Awards run up to $500,000 are are open to institutions of higher education and non-federal government agencies.

A funding opportunity notice from the U.S. Geological Survey states: "Many organizations including state and local governments, private and non-profit firms, as well as many Federal government agencies use these data to support their applications and requirements planning, infrastructure improvements, resource assessments and scientific studies. The data collected under this announcement will become available to the public through The National Map. Priorities for the program include collecting elevation data over those coastal areas of United States most susceptible to storm and hurricane flooding, earthquake damage, and coastal erosion and also increasing coverage and availability of leaf-off high resolution orthoimagery."

The funding opportunity number is 10HQPA0014 (CFDA 15.817). It was posted Oct. 27 with an application closing date of Dec. 1.

via Targeted News

Thursday, October 15. 2009

Louisville, KY Stimulus Map

Best I can tell this an ESRI ADF based app. I wonder why the city didn't use Flex like most other ESRI stimulus maps?

Also interesting: the map says (C) 2009 but not to whom the data is copyright. I do believe the info on the projects is public domain, from the federal government. Full details on projects send you to PDFs on city website.

Monday, September 14. 2009

Was $350 million too much for broadband mapping?

Several individuals and one government agency think so. On Wednesday the National Telecommunications and Information Administration said it'd change its plans about giving out the funds. The plan now is to spend more than $100 million, and then reassess the program. Among the concerns about the program is the general consensus that the maps will not be available before other funds to expand broadband are scheduled to be distributed.

- AP

Friday, September 4. 2009

Unofficial CA Stimulus Map

Stamen Designs is behind an unofficial map of California's stimulus spending. But map does sit on a state website with this disclaimer:

This representation does not satisfy federal reporting requirements and is not the state's official, comprehensive reporting mechanism for Recovery Act funding. It has been created and displayed as a service to the citizens of California.

Like all Stamen maps, it's elegant and easy to use. Map tiles are by Cloudmade and the tabular data is available for download. (Just so Sean can't complain!)

via @gletham

Thursday, September 3. 2009

Stimulus and GIS Tidbits

The University of Central Florida received the $1.3 million federal grant from stimulus funds to study walking, cycling and gardening initiatives aimed at getting residents active.

Using focus groups, self-reporting, GIS mapping and physical activity measuring devices, researchers will gather data on the 183 participants’ physical activity over the course of two years.

- Orlando Business Journal

The South Carolina Forestry Commission has received a $1.74 million grant from stimulus funds to restore longleaf pine in the state.

The Forestry Commission says the money translates funds for private landowners and job creation in the state's number-one manufacturing industry. The Longleaf Pine Restoration Initiative will create or retain jobs that will include equipment operators, tree planters, herbicide applicators, GIS specialists, foresters, and forest technicians.

- WLTX