Building Consensus For Gis

Build Your GIS…..

By building consensus

Huntington County, Indiana

Andrew Harrison– GIS Business Manager– [email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]

The Schneider Corporation

Founded in 1962, The Schneider Corporation is the largest GIS firm in Indiana and an industry leader in providing GIS, surveying, engineering, and consulting services.

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The Schneider Corporation

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• Learn 10 steps to building consensus among public officials to move your GIS forward

• Fund your GIS through the use of grants

• Successfully deliver your municipal data via the Internet

Learning Objectives

• 70 miles north of Indianapolis

• 38,075 population (1 city & 5 towns)

• VERY fiscally conservative county

• Predominant land use is agriculture

• Prior to GIS, history of limited governmental cooperation

• Prior to GIS, limited communication between offices

Huntington County, Indiana

1. Without consensus, roadblocks will constantly be placed before you

2. Without support of public officials, there will be no funding for GIS

3. Officials must “buy-in” to GIS

4. So GIS is utilized in the decision making process

5. The more public officials talk about how “cool” GIS is, the stronger

the GIS program becomes

6. To move GIS from the “luxury” budget item to a “mandatory” budget item

7. GIS is the information link between governmental offices

Why is consensus among public officials so important

1. Create an open GIS Task Force

• Broad Representation

- welcome anyone who wants to participate

• Identify “key” individuals you need as members

• Seek members from beyond your own organization

• Include “top dogs” and “low man on the totem pole”

• Perception is reality

10 steps to building consensus

Goal of the Task Force

• Become equally educated– Everyone gets the same information.

• Become advocates– Everyone starts to take ownership of the project

• Build consensus– Everyone agrees in the direction of the project

=

Enterprise-wide success!

2. Appoint an effective leader

• Individual must be non-threatening

• Preferably not an elected official

• Ability to focus discussion

• Must be able to involve everyone in reachingconsensus

• Comfortable speaking in public

• Ability to build support


No one of us is as smart as all of us!

Leadership is everyone’s business!

LeadershipLeader

SituationFollowers

3. Complete a needs assessment

• Understand what each office does

• Understand what processes work and don’t work

• Identify who will use/maintain the GIS

• Visualize the “big picture” before you focus on details

• Improve service/ eliminate duplication & waste

• Hire a GIS consultant


Needs Assessment

There are three (3) types of Needs Assessments.

1.) One that is done in-house.

2.) One that is done out-of-house for free.

3.) One that is done out-of-house for a fee.

Done in-house

• A group is formed

• Someone from that group will take the lead

• They talk to people in-house about how GIS will make their life better.

• Before long everyone believes their life will be better with GIS, but many don’t know why.

Done in-house

It is true that your cost many be reduced but you will not get the benefit of the experience that a qualified GIS consultant will bring.

Sometimes a new voice will be heard where an old voice may not.

Done out-of-house for free

Have you ever heard,

• “You get what you pay for”

This will not get you what you need!

Done out-of-house for a fee

• GIS Consultants time cost money.

• GIS Cost money.

If someone is going to work for free or at a reduced cost, you need to ask yourself, are they looking out for me or themselves?

4. Keep public officials informed

• Weekly/monthly updates on progress

• Information is knowledge

• Public officials hate surprises

• Don’t focus on how badly you need GIS….focus on what GIS can do for the organization

• Front porch discussion


Communication

If you bring the appropriate people together in constructive ways with good information, they will create authentic visions and strategies for addressing the shared concerns of the organization or community.

• Collaborative Leadership: How Citizens and Civic Leaders Can Make a Difference David D. Chrislip and Carl Larson, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Sept 1994.

5. Communicate & Cooperate

• Learn what each office is doing

• Offer assistance

• Share information and resources

• Focus on projects that benefit many

• Investigate how you can help another office


6. Be Persistent

• Maintain focus

• Don’t put GIS on the “back-burner”

• Build interest and excitement

• Keep everyone informed

• Talk GIS at every opportunity


7. Educate

• Task Force members must understand GIS

• An informed member is a preacher

• Demonstrate what GIS is, and what it does

• Get the public excited about what GIS can do, and how it can help them


Consensus Building

Working at the table we will exchange ideas.The group will then begin working away from the table!

Assemble a GIS Task Force.

The members will bring different skills to the table

8. Go on field trips

• Learn from others

• Builds rapport amongst members

• Indicates the Task Force does not know it all

• Willingness to learn a better way

• Helps the Task Force think outside the box


9. Focus on service to the public

• Public officials want to serve the “public”

• Provide value to the constituency

• If it can help local businesses, they will talk

• Ensure GIS is available to the public


10. Have a plan of action

• Complete a defined, well-written plan

• Know what you want, how to get it, and what

it will cost• Know how it will improve government services,

help the public, and lower the cost of government• Realize a quick win


Fund your GIS

through the use of Grants

Fund your GIS through grants

Huntington County

56 % of costs paid for by grants


Tip 1: Have the following documents completed before you apply:

• Needs assessment

• Cost/benefit analysis

• Plan of action

• Development and maintenance budget

• List of Task Force participants

• List of projected users

• Project timeline

• Clear project scope & budget

• Partnership letters/ agreements


Tip 2: Use an experienced grant writer:

• Procedures and processes are important

• Key words and phrases for every grant application

• Professionally prepared and submitted

• Follow-through is critical

• Do not reinvent the wheel each time

• If awarded grant, need grant administrator


Tip 3: Know the organization to whom you are applying:

• Get on a first-name basis with someone at the organization

• Learn what they are trying to accomplish by awarding a grant

• Ask questions, but do not become a nuisance

• Review previous grants awarded by the organization

• Talk with previous recipients of the grant


Tip 4: Utilize political contacts:

• If applying for state/federal grants, utilize your US/State representatives & senators

• If applying for local grants, utilize your local officials and influential leaders and citizens

• If you can show GIS will benefit their constituency, they will help you


Tip 5: Apply for State and National GIS awards

Tip 6: Just because a grant is available does not mean you should apply

Tip 7: Opportunities abound in your own neighborhood

Tip 8: Partnerships sell

Tip 9: When you receive a grant, let the public officials know

Tip 10: Try not to “sell” your GIS……give it away

Tip 11: Have cash available for grant matches

Tip 12: Be prepared for change

Successfully deliver your GIS

via the Internet

The more people that see,

the better the GIS

•Some grants will require public access to the GIS, so plan for it from the beginning

•GIS is easier to sell if it can be used by anyone

•Almost every piece of information that is put in to a Municipal GIS is public information

•A GIS developed for exclusive use by a municipal organization is a hard sell

http://gis.huntington.in.us/




Date post:	25-Jun-2015
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Building Consensus For Gis

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