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22 May 2002

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Best Practices White Paper
Guidance

New Service to Citizens
Electronic Access to Information Across the National Landscape

Geospatial Information One-Stop Service

In response to public expectations for expanded use of the Internet and faster, more responsive access to government services and information, citizens will now have a way to get map and other information that can be tied to a specific place. Referred to as geospatial information, this includes geographic or spatial data that references a specific location, such as latitude and longitude, county, street address, and area or zip codes.

The Geospatial Information One-Stop Service, part of an interagency effort led by the Department of the Interior in support of the President’s initiative for e-government, includes new clearinghouse capabilities for data collected by Federal agencies and other government and non-government organizations. It will also allow people to collaborate with Federal, State and local governments to reduce duplication and save money.

Geospatial information is collected and used by many organizations at all levels of government and by the private sector. About 80 percent of all government information has a geographic or spatial component.

What Will “One-Stop” Service Provide?
The Geospatial Information One-Stop Project will support “one-stop” access – citizens will only have to go to one location – to the Federal Government’s geospatial data assets. The project will accelerate the development and implementation of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) and includes state, local and tribal governments along with the private sector and academia as participants. By making current and accurate place-specific information readily accessible locally, nationally, and globally, NSDI will support a variety of efforts, ranging from economic development, environmental quality and stability, and social progress.

Geospatial One-Stop Service will enhance the technologies, policies, and standards of NSDI by:
Standardizing and providing a common, consistent set of geographic information
Completing an Interactive Index to search and obtain spatial data holdings
Providing information about planned spatial data collection activities of Federal agencies.

Who Benefits from “One-Stop” Service?
The Geospatial Information One-Stop Project builds on the stakeholder relationships of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), which has Federal leadership for coordination of geospatial data activities and for the NSDI. “One-Stop” invites substantial involvement of State, local, and tribal governments, the private sector, academia, and citizens in the implementation of the Project.

Who is Involved?
The Department of the Interior is assigned leadership of Geospatial Information One-Stop Service. The Project will be carried out by the FGDC. The Department of the Interior chairs the FGDC. All of the member organizations of FGDC will be involved in the One-Stop project. The following agencies will be lead partners:
Department of the Interior
Department of Commerce
Department of Transportation
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Department of Agriculture
Department of Defense

What are the Components of One-Stop Service?
Develop and implement data standards for NSDI Framework Data.
Fulfill and maintain an operational inventory of NSDI Framework Data and publish the metadata records in the NSDI Clearinghouse Network.
Publish metadata for planned data acquisition and update activities for Framework Data
Develop and deploy prototypes for enhanced data access and web mapping services for Federal Framework data.
Establish a comprehensive electronic “Federal Portal” as a logical extension to the NSDI Clearinghouse Network.

The Geospatial One-Stop Capital Asset Plan is available at the FGDC Website: www.fgdc.gov

March 2002