Data Coordination
MnGeo's data coordination responsibilities include identifying data priorities, coordinating
state data investments, developing and promoting the use of data standards,
identifying appropriate developers, aggregators and stewards for statewide data
assets, and coordinating enterprise solutions for data storage, retrieval and
use.
Acquisition
MnGeo, expanding upon a role filled by LMIC for more than 20 years, works
with State agencies and strategic partners, such as the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S.
Farm Service Agency, local governments and other organizations to coordinate
funding strategies to acquire essential geospatial data. Prominent among
these are statewide acquisition of orthoimagery data that are so essential to
modern GIS applications. MnGeo is experienced at
packaging multi-organizational agreements to assemble the funding needed to
acquire the data and works closely with its partners to ensure that technical
experts develop product specifications.
Standards
MnGeo staff have helped coordinate and promote the development and use of
standards for
data documentation, development, and testing for many years. Such standards
are essential to building comprehensive enterprise solutions for geospatial
technology development and use.
Search
The Minnesota Geospatial Commons serves as
a convenient source for geospatial data needed to power GIS. Coordinated by MnGeo, the
Commons provides access to
a wide variety of sources making it a first stop for geospatial data
for Minnesota. Partners include Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources,
Department of Agriculture, Pollution Control Agency, Department of Transportation, the
Metropolitan Council and many others.
Plans
MnGeo continues the efforts of the Land Management Information Center and the Minnesota Governor's Council on Geographic Information to work with stakeholders to develop, update, and implement plans for building comprehensive enterprise solutions to meeting our geospatial data needs. The reports described below are examples.
-
A Business Plan for
Statewide Parcel Data Integration in Minnesota, a 2011 Federal
Geographic Data Committee CAP grant to MnGeo and collaborating
organizations.
-
Minnesota State GIS
Enterprise Conceptual Architecture Design, March 2005. This document
defined a high-level architecture for information technology and web-mapping
interoperability in support of the goals outlined in the state’s strategic
plan for GIS: the Minnesota Spatial Data Infrastructure. The structural
design proposed promoted interoperability among GIS data and
application providers, increasing efficiencies and reducing long-term costs
in data resource and software application development. (22 p, 178K, PDF)
-
A Foundation for Coordinated GIS, Minnesota's Spatial Data Infrastructure:
Adopted by the Minnesota Governor's Council on Geographic Information, this
was a strategic plan to help Minnesota organizations more effectively achieve
their business goals by using GIS, October 20, 2004. (52 p, 863K, PDF)
- Guidebook to Priority GIS Data, July 1999: A report by the Governor's Council on Geographic Information that described the status and availability of 11 key digital data themes.