GIS maturity model as a tool for developing the utilisation of spatial data
By Jaana Mäkelä
Pdf-file of the article, from Positio ICC Special Issue 2011
Implementation of the INSPIRE directive enables the extensive use of spatial data. However, are the user organisations ready to take advantage? A GIS maturity model is a tool for the user organisations to measure their capabilities in the utilisation of spatial data resources and to set development targets.
The implementation of the INSPIRE directive and the national spatial data infrastructures enable the extensive use of spatial data both in public organisations and in private companies. Organisations can improve decision making, increase productivity or develop new products and services by spatial data when they get an easy access to the data. However, many factors in the organisations may hinder the utilisation of spatial data in full extent.
The capabilities of an organisation can be assessed by a GIS maturity model. A maturity model provides a formal framework for the assessment. It defines the levels of GIS maturity that describe the capability of a user organisation to utilise spatial data and related technology in order to realise its business goals. The level of maturity has a direct impact on the extent of social and economic benefits that the organisation is able to achieve.
We are developing a GIS maturity model at the Aalto University based on IT maturity models and research on what matters in GIS maturity and its evaluation. The SDI utilisation group of the Finnish Inspire Network has been actively involved in the development of the model. The testing of and feedback on the model from pilot organisations have been invaluable in the development.
Enabling and disabling factors
The SDI utilization group carried out a survey that gave valuable information for the development of the model. 86 public organisations that use spatial data answered a questionnaire. The organisations were asked to name factors that enable or disable the utilisation of spatial data in their activities. Almost half of the respondents named the lack of both financial and human resources as the largest constraint. The second largest obstacle was the lack of competence of employees in using spatial data in their duties. Also, the lack of information about the availability and benefits of spatial data was named as an internal obstacle as were the uninterested attitudes, old practises and lack of cooperation.
On the other hand, the respondents named an enthusiastic atmosphere, employees’ skills and activeness and good internal and external cooperation as enabling factors in the successful utilisation of spatial data and services. All actions that make the availability of spatial data easier were stated to increase the utilisation. Many of the respondents stated that the support of management is a prerequisite for the growth of the utilisation of spatial data and technology.
Five levels of GIS maturity
A GIS maturity model can be used not only to assess the current GIS maturity of an organisation but also to set a target level for the future development. The content of our GIS maturity model is based on theories on maturity models, systems thinking, systems intelligence, and the results of the survey. The maturity model embodies those key areas and sub-areas that are identified to be meaningful to the development of GIS maturity.
The maturity model takes into account both the enabling capabilities and the execution abilities that are vital for the utilisation of spatial data. The key area of IT architecture includes sub-areas such as spatial databases, applications and technologies that enable the use of spatial data. The second key area processes and services reveals how extensively an organisation uses spatial data in internal processes or in customer services. If the maturity of the third key area capability is high enough, the organisation is able to execute its vision of a spatially enabled entity. The capability includes sub-areas such as leadership, communication, competence, and cooperation. For example, human capability includes both the technical competence of using spatial data and technology and the will of promoting the utilisation of spatial data to potential users. Cooperation means the capability of an organisation both to cooperate internally and to network with different stakeholders.
The model comprises five levels of maturity. An organisation can increase its maturity from the ad hoc to coordinated and finally to the strategically optimised utilisation of spatial data. The maturity model defines level by level those factors in every sub-area that must come true.
Some examples of the contents of the maturity model:
Level 1 – The utilisation of spatial data is dependent on one or few enthusiasts. (Human capability)
Level 2 – The discussion about the benefits of spatial data is confined to one single line of business. (Communication)
Level 3 – The versatility of spatial data has been identified. All processes in which spatial data are utilised or could be utilised have been documented. (Processes and services)
Level 4 – A strategic plan directs the comprehensive use of spatial data in the organisation and the development of competence of the potential users. (Leadership)
Level 5 – The organisation provides user friendly ontology-based services for spatial data discovery and assessment. (Spatial databases)
The future target level of GIS maturity is always organisation-specific because the business goals of organisations are different and thus their needs to utilise spatial data are divergent. The target level should be chosen to be achievable and reasonable for the organisation.
“We have never discussed together so much about the possibilities of spatial data”
Six organisations that are members of the SDI utilisation group have tested the model and assessed their GIS maturities. The detailed results of the evaluation are not yet available, but the general feedback from the organisations has been very positive. Those who were in charge of the GIS maturity assessment founded out that the assessment process gave them a good reason to talk about spatial data and technology with the managers of business. One of them commented that “we have never discussed together so much about the possibilities of spatial data in our organisation”. At the same time, participants were astonished about how differently spatial data users, spatial data professionals and managers evaluated the level of maturity of certain sub-areas.
The Finnish Inspire Network is planning to use the maturity model as a tool for measuring the development of the national spatial infrastructure. Therefore, a user friendly Internet version of the maturity model will be implemented. Then every organisation has a possibility to assess its GIS maturity and compare their results with those of similar organisations. More details of the model and the maturity assessment will be published later in a scientific paper.
The author worked over two decades in business of geoinformatics before returning to academia and is currently preparing her doctoral thesis at the Aalto University. Her research concerns the enhancing of the use of spatial information in complex systems. Contact jaana.makela[at]aalto.fi
Aalto University
Established in 2010, the Aalto University is a new university with centuries of experience. It was created from the merger of three Finnish universities: The Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki University of Technology and The University of Art and Design Helsinki. Aalto University School of Science and Technology was divided into four new schools starting from 1st of January 2011.
The combination of six schools opens up new possibilities for strong multi-disciplinary education and research. The new university's ambitious goal is to be one of the leading institutions in the world in terms of research and education in its own specialized disciplines.
Teaching of cartography, geoinformatics, geodesy, photogrammetry and remote sensing is given by the Dept. of Surveying in the School of Engineering, but research relating to geoinformatics is wide spread in the University. www.aalto.fi/en/
6.8.2011 11:01