FOCUS ON:
Renewed GeoConnections
The 2010 Federal Budget announced renewed funding for the GeoConnections program. The Budget provides $11 million in funding over the next two years to continue development of the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) and to provide consolidated geographic-related information to Canadians via the Internet.
Resources & Tools
CIPI Pilot Program Thrives on Cooperation
The first real test of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Initiative (CIPI) was nothing short of amazing, says Jennifer Sokol, Project Advisor for Disaster Management at GeoConnections. "It was really something to see six levels of government from two different countries in one room, all working toward a single goal."
CIPI-1, as the initial pilot program was called, brought together representatives from the federal, provincial/state and municipal levels of government in Canada and the United States. Staged in the Windsor-Detroit area, CIPI-1 was the first of several pilot programs designed to address the growing challenge of critical infrastructure protection. It investigated interoperable technologies that can enhance the safety and security of the public through the effective and timely use of geospatial information.
"The success of CIPI-1 makes it clear that governments at every level–as well as private-sector organizations–recognize the need to share and use Web-based geospatial information," says Jennifer. "And whenever feasible, they're willing to do just that."
The desire of governments, communities and private-sector organizations to support CIPI's work isn't altogether surprising, she points out, given that the idea for the initiative emerged in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Today, immediate access to geospatial information and geoprocessing services is widely regarded as essential to the effective management of all types of critical infrastructure systems, from transportation, energy and banking, to water supply and emergency services.
Although CIPI's role in promoting the sharing of geospatial information is clearly defined–it is dedicated to testing and improving the compatibility of web-based components and data sharing for emergency response–the initiative is a truly collaborative effort.
Created and run by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), CIPI is sponsored by GeoConnections, a national partnership initiative designed to make Canada's geospatial data, tools and services accessible on the Internet through the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI). GeoConnections participated in the coordination of CIPI-1 in the fall of 2002 and sponsored five Canadian companies in the program.
“Through CIPI,” says Jennifer, “GeoConnections is supporting the development of technologies that assist emergency management agencies in their response to crises, while furthering the development of the CGDI.”
“And by creating the CGDI,” says Jennifer, “GeoConnections is enhancing the ability of government agencies and businesses to manage their emergency-response resources, protect critical infrastructure, and safeguard Canadian communities. Through the CGDI, we're making it easier for emergency-response organizations to use geospatial data to gauge the scope of a disaster–be it natural or man-made–and respond to it quickly and effectively."
Meanwhile, CIPI-1 has given way to CIPI-2 and now CIPI-3. "GeoConnections was not involved in the second pilot program, which made use of the same concepts of interoperability," says Jennifer, "but we are involved in the decision-making process for CIPI-3–talking to federal departments, identifying their needs, and assessing the requirements for the project."
Challenges remain, says Jennifer, "but I'm as optimistic about the future
of the OGC CIPI initiatives as I was amazed by the success of CIPI-1."