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Internet-based GIS
E. Summary
Section E.1 | Section E.2 | Section E.3 | Section E.4
Although the number of surveys and the number of respondents were limited, the responses received did corroborate generally known information about the current and potential use, barriers to implementation, and potential pitfalls resulting from implementation of WebGIS within the Forest Service. Provided below is a summary of the data collected from the surveys supported by research of others and general knowledge about WebGIS within the agency gained through observations by subject matter experts.
E.1 Current Use
WebGIS technology is known and used within the Forest Service, but not well known or widely used, even though it has the potential to benefit all Forest Service resource areas. Current users and implementation of WebGIS include
the following:
- Used by GSTC staff
- Used by Forest Service staff who have sites developed by the GSTC or ESRI
- Used mostly as a tool for display and query, with some analysis
- Equal use of Forest Service WebGIS sites and non-Forest Service WebGIS sites
E.2 Potential Use
Based on the review of existing GIS applications on the Internet and on interviewee responses, it is apparent that the potential for WebGIS is extensive. Potential uses for WebGIS include the following:
- Provides a vehicle to share information both within and between Forest Service affiliates and between the Forest Service and other public agencies
- Provides a common platform from which to distribute interactive maps and data
- Provides a platform from which business and workflow applications now served by GIS can be served via WebGIS (i.e., any GIS application currently supporting agency business and workflow can also be served via WebGIS)
- Provides a platform that can also serve any currently desktop-served GIS applications (e.g., entering, displaying, querying data)
- Provides a vehicle/platform that enables/facilitates interactive data collection by Forest Service and non-agency persons (Note: Using non-agency persons to act as "additional eyes" [i.e., additional manpower] for the agency to support inventory and monitoring activities by entering data via WebGIS assumes some level of training and/or understanding of data protocol.)
- Provides an avenue to engage and educate the public about the agency, its programs, and its mission.
E.3 Barriers
The barriers to implementing WebGIS are summarized below:
- Implementing WebGIS applications that consistently "perform" as well as or better than desktop applications
- Overcoming the perception/reality that WebGIS applications do not "perform" to the same standards or expectations as desktop applications (both short- and long-term performance)
- Overcoming the perception/reality of availability (i.e., Web access, Internet uptime, connectivity issues)
- Lack of defined business practices for the development of Web-based applications (e.g., use of science in those applications; providing QA/QC and statistical evaluation of acquired data)
- Overcoming the inherent challenges associated with rapid changes in technology
- Lack of education/understanding of the utility and benefits of WebGIS by decision makers in the agency and/or the public
- Lack of accessibility to WebGIS technology (Note: historically, the GSTC has been the only entity within the Forest Service that has had access to WebGIS technology. WebGIS has also not historically been available at the local level, including access to technical subject matter experts/expertise)
- Reduced staff, money, and time are probably the reasons that WebGIS is not more commonly implemented, and are definitely a contributing factore to why advanced capabilities of analyzing (other than visual analysis) and editing data across the Internet have yet to be implemented.
E.4 Pitfalls
Provided below are potential pitfalls identified as a result of implementing WebGIS:
- Potentially marginalizing stakeholders (i.e., potentially alienating users who are technologically challenged should WebGIS be the only avenue of data access)
- Potential loss of control/access to processing capabilities locally should WebGIS be implemented for all GIS functionality
- Potential loss of control/access locally should WebGIS implementation result in centralization of data
- Potentially creates a level of expectation/increased standard that might become the expected norm for all/other dealings with the agency
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