Established in December 1998, the Pennsylvania GIS Consortium (Consortium) was founded as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which is administered by and Independent Board of Directors. The mission of the Consortium is to demonstrate the some of the principles of NSDI while assisting communities in Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania to implement Locally Independent and Regionally coordinated, multiple-purpose GIS programs for public policy decision support purposes and to lead the region into the information-based economy of the 21st Century.
The Consortium is designed to ensure that GIS is implemented in Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania in a manner that best serves the needs of local government, regional planning and economic development organizations, citizens, and businesses while also accomplishing the goals of specific projects. One central on going initiative is the Locally Independent and Regionally Coordinated, Multiple-purpose GIS Program in Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Consortium supports the implementation of the Locally Independent and Regionally Coordinated, Multiple-purpose GIS Program in Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania to achieve coordination among a wide variety of projects with GIS components. Historical documentation has shown that this type of coordination of the GIS components of complimentary as well as seemingly unrelated projects with in the region will accomplish dramatic economic savings ranging from as low as 25% to as high as 75% of tax dollars already committed to be spent. Additionally, this coordination will promote and enhance economic development, “smart growth” land-use and infrastructure planning, environmental restoration, training to use GIS for decision support, information technology skill training, and job creation.
The Consortium strives to validate, demonstrate, document, and develop where necessary, the best practices of GIS deployment consistent with the preservation of local independence and regional coordination. The PaGIS Consortium GIS coordination activities focus generically in four areas simultaneously:
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Achieving and sustaining self sufficient operations;
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Coordinating the application of GIS to promote Environmental restoration and Mine Land Reclamation activities;
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Coordinate the deployment of GIS to prepare the region for robust participation in a Digitally Based Economy;
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Coordinate the deployment and application of GIS to assist Local Governance as well as intra-government Coordination and Communication.
The capabilities, potential, and momentum of Geographic Information Systems make the question of acquisition, coordination, or generally dealing with this issue a "when" rather than an "if" proposition. At the minimum many elements of local Government are:
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Presently storing relevant data manually, and actively moving toward digital storage.
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Recognizing the need and exploring networking or information sharing options.
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Beginning the planning cycles for GIS, usually led by emergency services, tax assessment and or Planning.
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Without the resources to implement regionally coordinated processing.
The economies of scale that clearly exist and the fact that geographic elements do not respect political boundaries, suggest not merely the desirability of local independence and regional coordination, but, indeed, the necessity for it if we are to have the greatest potential for success. A comprehensive approach is essential and will reduce implementation costs. Given a few elementary assumptions, an economic or quantifiable justification is presentable.
©2001 PAGIS