Organization:

Name:Federal Geographic Data Committee

Acronym:FGDC

Description:
The FGDC, which was formally established by OMB in 1990, is the interagency committee that promotes the coordinated use, sharing, and dissemination of geospatial data in the United States.

Stakeholder(s):

• Office of Management and Budget
  • Oversight (Performer): The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has specific oversight responsibilities for Federal information technology systems and acquisition activities, including geographic information systems, to help ensure their efficient and effective use. Since 1953, OMB has released several iterations of Circular A-16 that, among other requirements, encourages avoidance of duplicative mapping and surveying efforts. These efforts were reinforced in 1994 by Executive Order 12906, "Coordinating Geographic Data Acquisition and Access." Two subsequent laws that reinforce these responsibilities are the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 and the E-Government Act of 2002.


• Secretary of the Interior
  • Chair (Performer): The Secretary of the Interior is the Chair of the FGDC


• Deputy Director for Management of OMB
  • Vice-Chair (Performer): the Deputy Director for Management of OMB is the committee's Vice-Chair.


• U.S. Geological Survey
  • Secretariat (Performer): The Department of the Interior provides support for the FGDC through the Office of the Secretariat, which is housed within the U.S. Geological Survey.


• National Geospatial Advisory Committee: The FGDC, in collaboration with partners and with input from the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC), has examined the current and future roles of the Federal government as they relate to the continued development of the NSDI. The following is a summary of the key geospatial roles for the Federal government and relationships with other sectors of the geospatial community.
  • Leadership (Performer): The Federal government will play a critical role in providing institutional leadership for the development and coordination of national and international geospatial policies, the integration of geospatial technology into IT management processes, and in coordinating the resolution of legal and policy issues. The Federal government is in a unique position to convene multiple stakeholders, through mechanisms such as the NGAC, to develop joint approaches to issues affecting multiple sectors. In addition, the Federal community can provide leadership to establish joint acquisitions of geospatial data and services (for example, Smartbuy) with buy-up options for partners.
  • Partner (Performer): Federal agencies will continue to work together and with State, local, Tribal, regional, academic, and private sector partners to jointly fund and share geospatial data, services, and tools. Emphasis will be placed on improved efficiency, improved effectiveness, and open access as directed by the Administration's Open Data Policy.
  • Facilitator (Performer): The FGDC will facilitate collaboration between and across all levels of government, academia, nonprofits, the private sector, and individuals for research and to create data and information services. To accomplish this role, the Federal community can convene key experts, decision makers, and stakeholders to address common concerns and solve problems. The Federal role will be to work with other levels of government and stakeholders to share data, approaches, and services; to develop best practices to meet common needs; and to clearly delineate responsibilities for agency theme leads under OMB Circular A-16.
  • Provider (Performer): Federal agencies will focus on providing geospatial services and tools for the use of critical data assets. This focus encompasses the agency mapping activities, framework data, the A-16 categories, metadata and catalogs, and interagency communications. The Federal government should focus on the implementation of the Geospatial Platform as a primary mechanism for collaborative development and distribution of data content via standards-based services.
  • Curator (Performer): The Federal community will provide and maintain geospatial content, where appropriate, and focus on delivering services that provide data in standardized, accessible, open formats. The Federal community should take the lead in building and maintaining an online catalog for transparent discovery and access to Federal and other data through the Geospatial Platform and other resources .
  • Enabler (Performer): The Federal government will play an enabler role to make geospatial data and services more accessible to an expanded audience and to work with partners to develop more timely, accurate, and useful data and services. In this way the Federal government can make State and local information play an enhanced role in national government and business operations.
  • Standards and Research (Performer): The Federal government will promote the continued development of consensus-based standards for interoperability as new technologies and capabilities evolve in order to achieve and maintain an interoperable NSDI network. In addition, the Federal government will effectively coordinate among programs that conduct and (or) sponsor geospatial research to ensure that highest priority needs are addressed; the Federal government will work with partners to better share research results and translate new findings and capabilities into operational activities across appropriate sectors.