Geospatial data is a much broader concept than is often realised. The commercial exploitation of geospatial resources and techniques is well known and has had a profound impact. Government’s awareness of the importance and potential of geospatial data is reflected the UK’s Location Strategy and the EU’s INSPIRE Directive. Similarly, geospatial resources are basic to research, and to teaching, in almost every discipline. Many research outputs and data relate to a location, meaning they can be understood, mapped, combined and reused. This is an area of accelerating innovation, and one which JISC must provide well-informed leadership in order best to serve its constituency.

Geospatial working group

Terms of Reference

Geospatial data is a much broader concept than is often realised. The commercial exploitation of geospatial resources and techniques is well known and has had a profound impact. Government’s awareness of the importance and potential of geospatial data is reflected the UK’s Location Strategy and the EU’s INSPIRE Directive. Similarly, geospatial resources are basic to research, and to teaching, in almost every discipline. Many research outputs and data relate to a location, meaning they can be understood, mapped, combined and reused. This is an area of accelerating innovation, and one which JISC must provide well-informed leadership in order best to serve its constituency.

For this reason it is appropriate that the Geospatial Working Group’s remit should be widened from that of advising on collecting and development priorities for geospatial resources.  The reformed Working Group should take on a JISC-wide role, advising more broadly on opportunities, challenges and priority areas emerging in the geospatial area as these relate to JISC’s strategic concerns.

Mission and role

To advise JISC on opportunities, challenges and priority areas emerging in the geospatial area, broadly conceived.  This role will relate to matters of concern to JISC Innovation, and Services as well as to JISC Collections.

Summary of scope and area of activities

  • Explore and articulate a vision of an academic Spatial Data Infrastructure, towards the achievement of which, JISC, as one of a number of stakeholders, can contribute
  • Provide detailed advice on priority areas so that such a vision may realistically be achieved; and to provide feedback and advice as strategies are developed in the geo-spatial area
  • Ensure that the JISC Executive is aware of relevant developments in the area of geo-spatial technologies, standards and methodologies, in order that strategy can be developed pro-actively
  • Provide awareness of and advice on how to engage with:
      • significant governmental initiatives such as the Location Strategy and INSPIRE directive
      • initiatives and campaigns of broader public interest which may affect the academic sector (e.g. ‘free our data’)
      • international developments and opportunities for collaboration
      • promotion of geospatial literacy/capacity building in the academic/research community
    • Advise JISC and JISC Collections on IPR and licensing issues relating to geospatial data.  In particular, the Working Group should advise on the means of ensuring that UK HEI gets best value-for-money from geospatial resources and technologies (e.g. from Ordnance Survey)
    • Provide strategic advice on the enhancement of JISC geospatial services
    • Advise JISC in its objective of securing and promoting access to a critical mass of high quality geospatial content including sufficient discovery tools
    • Advise JISC on the measures it should take to provide the UK educational community with seamless access to geospatial resources through encouraging the use international standards to promote interoperability.

    Work programme and formal terms of reference

    In partnership with JISC representatives, the Working Group will be tasked with finalising these provisional terms of reference and with preparing the first annual Work Programme.

    Annual programmes will form part of the Terms of Reference for the Working Group and will be agreed in conjunction with the JISC Executive.

    Ways of working

    Members of the Working Group will, as appropriate, be called upon to prepare papers, participate in meetings and give advice to JISC Executive as experts in the field.

    Management and meetings

    Staffing

    The Working Group is a JISC Executive owned entity, but representatives of both the Executive (Simon Hodson, David Flanders and Abiodun Obafemi) and JISC Collections (Lorraine Estelle or Liam Earney) will attend all meetings.

    Administration and support for meetings will be provided by JISC Collections.

    Meetings

    The Working Group will normally meet 3 times per annum.

    Membership

    The current GWG will run for 18 months from the meeting in York, 20-21 July 2010.  After that time, the role, membership and Terms of Reference of the GWG will be reviewed.

    Membership and composition of the group is currently being reformed.  The current group will be asked to advise on membership with the objective of achieving a broader base of expertise in innovative uses of geospatial data and technologies in HEIs.

    Membership will elapse in the case of absence from three consecutive meetings.

    Furthermore, during an interim period offers of temporary membership may be made while the optimum size and working practice of the group is established. 

    See the list of members

    Chair

    The Chair will be appointed after the York meeting, in the light of those discussions once priorities for action have properly emerged.

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    Start date
    20 July 2010
    End date
    31 March 2012
    Committees