HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLN 07-23Report to
Executive Committee
Report Number: PLN 07-23
Date: March 6, 2023
From: Kyle Bentley
Director, City Development & CBO
Subject: Corporate GIS Strategic Plan
-File: A-1200-011
Recommendation:
1.That the Corporate Geographic Information System (GIS) Strategic Plan prepared by
Geographic Technologies Group (GTG) dated December 7, 2022, and provided as
Appendix I to Report PLN 07-23, be endorsed in principle; and
2.That the appropriate officials of the City of Pickering be authorized to take the necessary
actions as indicated in this report.
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to present to Council for
endorsement the 5-year Corporate Geographic Information System (GIS) Strategic Plan, dated
December 7, 2022, as prepared by Geographic Technologies Group. This report also provides
a summary of the consultant’s work and key deliverables over the past 15 months.
A copy of the final project deliverable, the Corporate GIS Strategic Plan, is contained in
Appendix I to Report PLN 07-23.
Financial Implications: The implementation of the Corporate GIS Strategic Plan will have
budgetary implications that will be considered as part of the GIS Steering Committee’s work on
the Implementation Plan and through subsequent budget submissions to Council.
1.What is GIS and what can it do for the City of Pickering
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a technology that provides a framework for
organization-wide cooperation by using location as a common frame of reference,
allowing individuals and departments to share information about places. A GIS allows a
local government to visualize, search, analyze, and interpret data to understand
relationships, patterns, and trends contained within location-based information. GIS is a
proven organization-wide, enterprise, and enduring technology that continues to change
how local government operates.
PLN 07-23 March 6, 2023
Subject: Corporate GIS Strategic Plan Page 2
GIS should be considered as a unifying technology that promotes organizational
sustainability and empowers employees to view all pertinent data through one common
platform. Coordinating efforts can help organizations better utilize the capabilities of GIS
technology and results in less staff time spent searching for, compiling, and integrating
GIS data and related data of common interest. This, in turn, reduces inefficiencies
associated with silos of information that are not readily accessible and/or exchanged with
others where there is a demonstrated need. Additionally, GIS is an excellent tool for
engaging and informing the public.
GIS is more than a map. It is location intelligence. GIS allows users to analyze their
world geographically (spatially). Spatial analysis is how we understand our world –
mapping where things are, how they relate, what it all means, and what actions to take.
From the computational analysis of geographic patterns to finding optimum routes,
identifying areas for economic development, site selection, and advanced predictive
modeling, spatial analysis is at the very heart of geographic information system
technology. GIS takes massive amounts of data and puts them into a context that is
readily understandable and actionable. GIS enables residents to quickly and easily
understand property-related issues, infrastructure work in their area, prepare and recover
from natural disasters, visualize all the services in their area, and to find the information
they need that affects their life.
2. Background
In September 2021, Council approved the proposal by GTG to prepare a Corporate GIS
Strategic Plan for the City. GTG’s approved scope of work consists of 10
Tasks/Deliverables. Task 1 to 9 have been completed, culminating in the delivery of the
GIS Strategic Plan report. The remaining task is the presentation of the Plan highlighting
its goals and objectives to Executive Committee. Upon Council’s subsequent approval of
this report, the GIS Strategic Plan will provide a unified GIS vision and five year business
road map for the City.
A summary of project Tasks 1 to 6 is contained below.
Task 1 was the start-up meeting, which provided GTG with the opportunity to meet with
key staff, and review the scope, timeline, and deliverables of the project.
Task 2 was the project kick-off, and consisted of a GIS Technology Seminar with 44 staff
participants, representing all departments within the Corporation. This seminar allowed
GTG to explain “What is GIS?”, and discuss the basic GIS concepts and benefits that
could be realized by the City.
Task 3 was the preparation of the Current Situation and User Needs Assessment
report. GTG provided an online survey to staff and another to the public. GTG also
conducted Stakeholder interviews for each role within the City, documenting each
department’s role within the organization, current use of GIS, current non-GIS systems in
use, identifying opportunities for GIS technology, and detailing existing GIS successes
and outcomes, including a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats)
Analysis, Gap Analysis, Benchmarking, and a Key Performance Indicators review.
PLN 07-23 March 6, 2023
Subject: Corporate GIS Strategic Plan Page 3
Task 4 was the preparation of the Preliminary Assessment and Evaluation report,
which built on the Current Situation and User Needs Assessment to present a
preliminary assessment of strengths and weaknesses. This report contained actions that
will assist the City in improving GIS service delivery, recommendations for each
department, and comparisons to similar sized municipalities.
Task 5 was the preparation of the GIS Vision report, which provided the City with a GIS
Vision statement that reads as follows:
“The vision of the City of Pickering’s GIS is to maintain an enterprise,
scalable, sustainable, and highly secure GIS that promotes the effective and
innovative use of geospatial technology and location intelligence through
best practices, community engagement, and innovation, supported by good
GIS governance, coordination, accurate and reliable data, standards, and
on-going training and education.”
The GIS Vision report also details the six overarching GIS goals and captures the
objectives of the GIS Strategy, including a proposed list of department stakeholder roles
and responsibilities for decision-making and the identification of potential external
partnerships.
The six goals for Pickering’s GIS are:
1. An Effective GIS Governance Model
2. Maintain Accurate and Reliable GIS Data and Databases
3. Develop and Enhance GIS Procedures, Workflow, Integration, and Interoperability
4. Promote Effective, Efficient, and Innovative Use of GIS Software
5. Maintain Enterprise IT Infrastructure to Support GIS
6. Implement GIS Training, Education, and Knowledge Transfer
On June 6, 2022, the Executive Committee received Report PLN 26-22, regarding the
first 5 tasks of the work program, which included the GIS Vision report.
Task 6 was the consultant’s presentation of Tasks 1 through 5 at the June 6, 2022
Executive Committee meeting.
2. GTG’s deliverables on Tasks 7, 8 and 9 of their Scope of Work
Below follows a synopsis of the key deliverables of Tasks 7, 8, and 9 of GTG’s approved
scope of work, completed from July through November, 2022. Full copies of the
Organizational Planning and Governance Model report (Task 7) and the Implementation
Plan report (Task 8) are available from City Development Department.
Task 7 included an analysis of the existing organizational and governance model in the
City, including the review of best practices. The resulting Organizational Planning and
Governance report recommended the following:
1. GIS Governance Model – Deploy a more robust GIS hybrid model:
a. Transfer GIS management and oversight to the IT Division;
PLN 07-23 March 6, 2023
Subject: Corporate GIS Strategic Plan Page 4
b. Move the Supervisor, Geomatics and Senior Geomatics Analyst to IT, leaving
two Geomatics Analysts in City Development;
c. Leave the existing GIS Technician, Asset Management in Engineering
Services;
d. Retain consulting services or hire an additional IT Senior Geomatics Analyst in
the future; and
e. Create a GIS Coordinator position in the new GIS section within IT to serve as
the GIS system administrator.
2. Promote GIS expertise in key departments and provide access and training;
3. GIS Steering Committee – establish and maintain a GIS Steering Committee with
authority to set strategic direction;
4. GIS Technical Committee – establish a GIS Technical Committee to oversee the
technical challenges of deploying an enterprise GIS;
5. GIS User Group – establish and maintain a GIS User Group of stakeholders to
share information and compare experiences with GIS technology for the benefit of
all members;
6. GIS Performance – conduct an annual evaluation of Key Performance Indicators
outlined in the GIS Strategic plan;
7. Measure Quality of Service – administer an annual customer satisfaction survey;
8. GIS Policies and Procedures – establish and maintain GIS policies and
procedures;
9. GIS Funding – explore GIS grant and funding opportunities available federally and
provincially;
10. GIS Work Plan – develop an annual GIS work plan aligned with the corporate
strategic goals;
11. GIS Service Level Agreements – define services provided by the GIS team within
IT with an inter-departmental GIS Service Level Agreement Strategy;
12. GIS Training – launch a targeted GIS training, education, and knowledge transfer
initiative; and
13. GIS Collaboration – improve and promote a City-wide culture of GIS collaboration,
communication, and public engagement.
Task 8 was the preparation of the Strategy for Implementation report. Based on the
information developed during the Needs Assessment (Task 3), a recommended
move-forward strategy is identified for the City's GIS program. In addition, the
Implementation report includes a comprehensive list of tasks recommended for the City.
Furthermore, the report recommends a 5-year schedule with various projects, training
opportunities, as well as preliminary GIS cost estimates for maintenance, operational,
and enhancement tasks, for each of the six goals for GIS.
It is important to understand that the proposed Implementation report includes all of the
GIS recommendations for the City of Pickering. However, the Implementation plan is not
an all-or-nothing implementation. The City may elect to proceed with one or more of the
recommendations outlined above. It may be determined that the recommended yearly
schedule needs to be adjusted based on what the City can reasonably accommodate
from a time, resource, and budget perspective. The City should review and prioritize
these needs and then sequence these advancements and investments according to
desired timeframes and the ability of the corporation to execute.
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Subject: Corporate GIS Strategic Plan Page 5
Task 9 draws on the information from Tasks 1 through 8 to comprise a Corporate GIS
Strategic Plan, dated December 7, 2022. The Plan is provided as Appendix I, and includes
the Goals and Objectives established through the GIS Visioning exercise (Task 5), and
the associated tasks recommended for implementation by the City (see pages 24 to 27
of the Corporate GIS Strategic Plan, Appendix I).
As noted earlier, Task 10 of the consultant’s scope of work comprises the Final
Presentation to the Executive Committee.
3. Relation to other City Initiatives
During the Evaluation and Assessment of the City’s GIS, GTG reviewed the Corporate
priorities and the IT Strategic Plan, to ensure our Corporate GIS Strategic Plan aligns
with the City’s corporate priorities and complements the IT Strategic Plan. With the
Corporate Digital Strategy underway, and the imminent development of the City’s
Corporate Strategic Plan, it is important that these initiatives take into consideration the
recommendations and tasks contained in the Corporate GIS Strategic Plan.
The Engineering Services and City Development Departments currently house the City’s
GIS staff. Both departments are working collaboratively with the Information Technology
branch in Corporate Services to implement GIS programs and services.
The recommendations/tasks contained in the Corporate GIS Strategic Plan, including the
proposed future governance recommendations, have been reviewed by the project’s
corporate working group, including the Directors of City Development and Corporate
Services, and the Division Head of Information Technology, who agree in principle with
the recommendations presented in the GIS Strategy.
4. Conclusion
This report provided an update on the Corporate GIS Strategic Plan exercise, a summary
of the tasks completed, and of the final project deliverable: the Corporate GIS Strategic
Plan. Staff recommend that Council endorse in principle the Corporate GIS Strategic
Plan for 2023 to 2027, dated December 7, 2022, prepared by Geographic Technologies
Group (GTG), as contained in Appendix I to Report PLN 07-23, and coordinate its
implementation, as funded through the annual budget.
Appendix
Appendix I Corporate GIS Strategic Plan, dated December 7, 2022, prepared by Geographic
Technologies Group
PLN 07-23 March 6, 2023
Subject: Corporate GIS Strategic Plan Page 6
Prepared By:
Original Signed By
Jill McMullen
Supervisor, Geomatics
Original Signed By
Déan Jacobs, MCIP, RPP
Manager, Policy & Geomatics
Original Signed By
Dale Quaife
Division Head, Information Technologies
Approved/Endorsed By:
Original Signed By
Catherine Rose, MCIP, RPP
Chief Planner
Original Signed By
Kyle Bentley, P. Eng.
Director, City Development & CBO
Original Signed By
Paul Bigioni
Director, Corporate Services & City Solicitor
JM:DJ:CR:ld
Recommended for the consideration
of Pickering City Council
Original Signed By
Marisa Carpino, M.A.
Chief Administrative Officer
Appendix I to
Report PLN 07-23
Corporate GIS Strategic Plan, dated December 7, 2022
prepared by Geographic Technologies Group
CITY OF PICKERING
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN
December 7,2022
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GIS has become the primary
data disseminationplatform
in local governments
nation-wide.
More than 90 percent of the
data maintained by
county/regional
governments have a
geographic component ripe
for mapping and
analysis.
CITY OF
PICKERING
GEOGRAPHIC
INFORMATION
SYSTEMS
City of Pickering’s Geographic
Information Systems (GIS)program
enables all staff and the community
with a wealth of highly accurate
geographic data.Hundreds of map
layers combine with descriptive data
to allow GIS users to analyze, map,
plan,interpret, protect,enhance, and
manage their world.GIS is an
integrative technology used by local
governments that allows staff and the
public to visualize data from disparate
data sources in a way that is readily
understandable.
The City has a Geographic
Information System (GIS) which has
seen continued progress since its
inception. Most departments
throughout the organization depend
daily on GIS to provide accurate
information combined with analysis
resulting in informed decisions,by
utilizing simple web-based mapping
technologies in combination with a
centralized GIS data environment.
Using this approach,Pickering has
created a GIS environment which has
been able to deliver productive, yet
limited, services across the
corporation.
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
1
2
3
4
5-12
13-20
21-26
27
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………
What is GIS………………………………………………………………………….
GIS at the City of Pickering………………………………………………………
Key Methodologies………………………………………………………………..
Success Stories and Benefits……………………………………………….
Benchmarking and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)……………….
Enterprise-Wide Goals, Objectives, and Tasks…………………………
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...
4
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
5
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
“GIS has to be part of the
culture, or it will not survive.
If only 2 -3 people use it, it
will fail.”
-Chief Administrative Office
“A failure to plan is
a plan to fail.”
-Benjamin Franklin
“If you don’t know
where you are going
any path will take
you there.”
-Lewis Carroll
1
INTRO
A Geographic Information System (GIS)allows a local government to
visualize, question, analyze,and interpret data to understand relationships,
patterns,and trends contained within location-based information.GIS has
become a primary information management tool for local governments
worldwide.The City of Pickering has been using GIS information since the
early 2000s.As GIS technology has advanced,the City’s utility of GIS has
grown exponentially.In November 2021,the City contracted with Geographic
Technologies Group (GTG) to create its first GIS Strategy.The plan identified
hundreds of needs with a systematic plan for further expansion of the
technology.
The City of Pickering has made great strides in the pervasive implementation
of GIS.The City has an avid group of GIS users that use GIS for a variety of
tasks.Initially,the GTG team met with the Geomatics team in November
2021 to review the state of the City’s GIS program.This meeting revealed
some new and ongoing opportunities for GIS.Additionally,this meeting
enabled the GTG team to understand current usage and to identify the next
steps.The needs discovered via the interview process are discussed
throughout the strategic planning reports.This executive summary is divided
into multiple sections to highlight program successes,show program growth,
identify needs,make recommendations,and provide a move forward
strategy.
More than 90%of local government services and activities have a
geographic location (address or property).Therefore,GIS is the platform that
should be used by City staff to visualize their data.The usage of GIS
technology is now widespread across the organization,and it has
transformed into a core information technology at the City for many
departments.This underscores the importance that the GIS program should
be well planned and well managed.To that end,the City has developed this
GIS Strategy to guide the further implementation of GIS technology and to
ensure that the continued investment in GIS service delivery is most
effectively managed.
REGIONAL GISDATASKILLS
information
ANALYSISknowledge
EN
V
I
R
O
N
M
E
N
T
A
L
GEO
support
FIELD projectsemerging
INDUSTRIES
MAPS
AP
P
L
Y
STATISTICAL
INTRODUCTION
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
2
A Geographic Information System (GIS)allows a local government to visualize,
search, analyze,and interpret data to understand relationships,patterns,and
trends contained within location-based information.GIS is an information
platform comprised of data, software,and hardware that has become a primary
information tool for municipal governments nationwide.
Some people erroneously see GIS as just digital maps –the conversion of paper
maps to a digital form,but GIS is much more than that .GIS allows users to
analyze their world geographically (spatially).Spatial analysis is how we
understand our world —mapping where things are,how they relate,what it all
means, and what actions to take.From the computational analysis of geographic
patterns to finding optimum routes,identifying areas for economic development,
site selection,and advanced predictive modeling, spatial analysis is at the very
heart of geographic information system (GIS)technology.
GIS takes massive amounts of data and puts them into a context that is readily
understandable and actionable.GIS enables residents to understand property-
related issues or infrastructure work in their area, prepare and recover from
natural disasters,visualize all of the services in their area,and find information
that affects their life quickly and easily.
The City of Pickering Geomatics staff supports and/or maintains core GIS
services such as data layer maintenance,application support,and user training,
while the Information Technology staff handles GIS application hosting,system
administration, database management.Together,these teams provide
geospatial support services including customer assistance,mapping, spatial
analysis,data integration, application development,and project management to
City departments, residents,other municipalities,and external agencies.GIS
has become a primary data dissemination and decision-making platform for
staff,partner agencies,and the public.
•GIS
•Analysis
•Mapping
•Visualization
•Public Awareness
•Public Input
•Economic
Development
•Engineering Asset
Management
•City Development
Services
•Public Safety and
more
“GIS enables staff
and residents to
visualize,interpret,
and make decisions
about their world.”
“GIS is the primary
data visualization
platform for local
governments.”
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
WHAT IS GIS?
3
GIS AT CITY OF PICKERING
"GIS in the City of
Pickering has evolved
from a drafting role to the
Policy & Geomatics
Division in the City
Development
Department, with a staff
of 3 GIS professionals.
Engineering Services Asset
Management also has a
GIS Technician who is
mapping utility and green
infrastructure assets. GIS
applications now serve as
many as 300 city
employees and the
public."
Over 300 layers in the
enterprise database for
land management,
planning, utilities, and
public works.
.
“GIS is more than
a map, it's location
intelligence.”
As the acquisition,management,and dissemination of information
continue to become increasingly valuable functions within local
governments,so too has GIS proven to be increasingly valuable.The
City of Pickering is no exception to this observation, as it too has
benefited from its implementation of GIS.GIS and location-based
technologies have contributed to improving the City of Pickering’s
business processes,infrastructure,services,information, and decision-
making .
Of critical importance to the continued success of GIS at the City is
maintaining a vision of the needs and direction of the program for the
near future .This GIS Strategy will serve as the beginning of that
strategic direction.In January and February 2022,GTG interviewed
each department to discuss GIS successes and future needs.At that
point,GTG developed a comprehensive GIS Strategy for the City to
assist in planning for the future of GIS use at the City.One goal of this
document is to identify project priorities for the near future .
GIS has evolved from a drafting role in the City Development
Department .GIS was formally introduced within the City Development
Policy and Geomatics Division.Concurrently, Engineering Services
began mapping utility and green infrastructure assets.Since Geomatics
is part of the City Development Department and falls under the Planning
&Design umbrella,any requests related to the Planning Act,or from the
executive leadership, take priority.
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
KEY METHODOLOGIES
4
Multiple data-gathering techniques and assessment methodologies
were used to identify the City of Pickering’s current successes and
future needs. Key methodologies included:
Six Pillars of Sustainability –used to evaluate the City in regard to
gaps and organize action items. The Pillars of GIS Sustainability are as
follows:
1.GIS Governance –how is GIS managed and maintained
2.Data and Databases –key data elements that feed the GIS
3.Procedures, Workflows, and Integration –how is the GIS being
integrated with other systems and within the workflows of the
organization
4.GIS Software –the appropriate software for various types of users
and needs
5.Computing Infrastructure –the appropriate hardware, network, and
field tools
6.Training, Education, and Knowledge Transfer –ensuring that GIS
is understood, and that the organization has pervasive knowledge
of the power of GIS and how to use it
GIS Benchmarking –analysis of the City of Pickering’s GIS program
as compared to comparable organizations nationwide.
Key Performance Indicators –enabling the City of Pickering with a
set of KPIs to track success now and in the future based on the Six
Pillars of Sustainability.
Interviews of Policy & Geomatics Division Staff –interviews with
key managers, analysts, and stakeholders to determine an optimal
move forward strategy and discussion of possible future uses of GIS.
“A GIS program
cannot be run
haphazardly.
Following best
practices and a
playbook is key to
success.”
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
5
GIS SUCCESS STORIES
What constitutes a successful GIS?This question has been a topic of debate
for decades.Some people argue that success is a robust database of GIS
layers.Others contend success is the implementation of software and
hardware that enables users to use GIS.However,the ultimate success of an
enterprise GIS program is how the GIS is being successfully used to impact
the organization and the lives of residents.
Quantifying and articulating return on investment is very important for an
organization. A GIS program might have very successful projects,but without
visibility,of these successes,the GIS might be under -appreciated.Therefore,
one of the key responsibilities of the GIS leaders in an organization is
documenting successes and giving visibility to these organization-wide.
One of the recommendations of this GIS Strategy update is to document
successes annually and offer them in a workshop and presentation to the City
Council .This visibility will ensure,a)that staff thinks in terms of success (and
documenting them) and b)that support remains strong throughout the
organization because successes are understood.
Additionally, quantification of the success stories is recommended.The return-
on-investment (ROI)section below identifies categories for consideration when
documenting ROI .The next few sections document a few of the many
successes and outcomes of the City of Pickering GIS program.
Don’t confuse
activity with
accomplishment.
HAVE A
PLAN FOR
SUCCESS.
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
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IMPROVED EFFICIENCY
Geocortex interactive web maps (Planning and General)available to City
staff on the City’s Intranet allow users to search properties by address
and roll number and view them with additional surrounding context
(imagery underlay,buildings,roads,wetlands,etc .)to make spatially
informed decisions quickly.
OPERATIONAL
BENEFITSINCREASED PRODUCTIVITY
The “Mailing Labels”tool available in the Geocortex General web map
was recently improved to provide mailing addresses for selected
properties in an Excel spreadsheet format in addition to the original
PDF formatted for printing envelope labels .The Excel format allows the
City Clerk’s office to print the addresses directly onto the envelopes
instead of manually applying label stickers.This has saved time when
there are large mail-outs for public notices.
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
IMPROVING COMMUNICATION,
COORDINATION, AND
COLLABORATION
7
The City of Pickering has an ArcGIS Online Organization with inter -
organizational groups to collaborate and share with other municipalities and
consultant organizations working with staff on urban development studies.
Interactive web maps are created and shared internally with relevant staff
for the purpose of reviewing draft map layers for development studies and
other projects.
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF
ASSESTS AND RESOURCES
The Engineering Department is tracking City assets and infrastructure in
GIS datasets,including the stormwater network,sanitary network,
water service,parks inventory,roads,sidewalks, streetlighting,and
traffic controls.
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
8
SAVED TIME AND TREES!
Map of Major Residential and Non-Residential Applications and Building
Permits was previously produced quarterly on paper and manually
reproduced.By 2018,the residential product was created as the
Pickering Developments Story Map on the City’s public -facing website,
and the non -residential product was added to the story map by the
summer of 2019.
ORGANIZATIONAL
BENEFITSCOMPLYING WITH PROVINCIAL
AND FEDERAL MANDATES
The City provides a freely and publicly available address points dataset
available for download through the City’s Open Data portal. These
address points are required by Emergency Services and the Region of
Durham, who retrieve them from the Open Data portal on a regular
basis.
The City maintains a dataset of all areas subject to the Minister’s Zoning
Orders and Federal expropriation.
The City updates property ownership records in accordance with
Provincial regulations.
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
INFORMING AND EDUCATING
STAKEHOLDERS
9
The City of Pickering’s Map Portal is a public -facing ArcGIS Hub-hosted
web page that links to several publicly available online web maps that
provide information to the public on current development proposals,
public art installations,and the Official Plan maps,among other things .
PROVIDING DATA TO
REGULATORS, DEVELOPERS,
AND OTHER PARTIES
The City of Pickering makes selected GIS datasets available for
developers to download from its Open Data site.
The City also will package an export of other datasets in a specific study
area for consultants and other contracted parties when needed. This
data is usually provided via the City’s ShareFile site (a file-sharing
server).
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
10
NEW AND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO
PRESENT DATA AND
INFORMATION
ArcGIS Online web maps, apps,and dashboards are used to display and
share a variety of information with Staff and members of the public (ex.
Public Accessory Dwelling Units dashboard,internal HR Dashboard and
Survey 123 form for COVID -19 self-reporting,public Ward Boundaries
web map with images and contact information of the Councilors).
ORGANIZATIONAL
BENEFITS
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
TECHNICAL
AND TACTICAL
BENEFITS
AUTOMATING WORKFLOWS
11
The Geomatics team currently has and improves upon ArcGIS Model
Builder tools for loading data regularly received from other
organizations (ex.Single Line Road Network from the Region of Durham
is loaded into our Road Centerlines database feature class via a Model
Builder tool that will also clip the data the City boundary).
The Geomatics team has purchased FME (Feature Manipulation Engine)
software and staff have been trained.Several tools are currently being
created to improve data flow,better systems integration,and allow for
more automation and auto -updating web maps pulling information
from a variety of sources .
.
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
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IMPROVING ACCESS TO
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
The City of Pickering makes selected GIS datasets available for public
download on its Open Data site.
The City’s Map Portal acts as a catalogue of publicly accessible
interactive web maps that disseminate information on the municipal
ward boundaries, the location of City facilities,and current
development proposals .COMMUNITY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL
BENEFITS
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
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BENCHMARKING AND
KEY PERFORMANCE
INDICATORS (KPI'S)
•Define what success looks like;
•Focus everyone on goals;
•Measure –what gets measured gets
done;
•Encourage accountability;
•Provide an opportunity for small and
large victories;
•Provide a baseline for detailed annual
goals;
•Measure success and progress.
“A critical key to
GIS success is
understanding goals
and defining
success.To that end,
having KPIs
reflective of industry
best practices is an
important step.”
KPI’s Allow a GIS Program to:
GIS BENCHMARKING
It is important for the City of Pickering to establish a baseline from which
to gauge the success and progress of the enterprise-wide GIS effort.
Without metrics,organizational GIS programs often drift over time without
focus and clarity.These organizations know that GIS has benefits and
they should be using GIS but are not tracking its success.Therefore,it is
very important that the City establish metrics and begin to benchmark
performance and progress against these metrics.GIS Benchmarking is a
structured methodology that identifies the gaps in an organization and
uses them to compare actual existing performance with a potential or
desired future performance.
This chapter focuses on establishing metrics and Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs).This information should be tracked annually to identify
progress and areas that need further attention.KPIs allow a GIS program
to:
•Define what success looks like;
•Focus everyone on goals;
•Measure –what gets measured gets done;
•Encourage accountability;
•Provide an opportunity for small and large victories;
•Provide a baseline for detailed annual goals;
•Measure success and progress.
One of the reasons that many
GIS initiatives fail to reach their
full potential is the absence of
metrics and goals.The
relationship between metrics
and goals is a cyclical one –
without metrics,there is no
basis for setting goals and
gauging progress;without
goals,there are no outcomes to
measure based on metrics .
The GIS program at the City of
Pickering has been very
successful,with the Supervisor,
Geomatics providing exemplary
service to internal and external customers.However,the ongoing success
of GIS at the City of Pickering should rely on effective metrics and
achievable goals, reviewed annually to evaluate progress and refine
objectives.Committing to both will help the City:
•Define success
•Prioritize objectives
•Devise a path forward
•Stay on the desired course
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
METHODOLOGY
14
The Benchmarking Analysis (BA)is a subjective evaluation of the existing
GIS conditions of the City.It is a checklist of tasks that conventional wisdom
and industry knowledge identify as prudent and essential to the success of
any enterprise GIS.The six categories of the BA are collectively referred to
as the “Six Pillars of GIS Sustainability”and each component can then be
used as a KPI gauging mechanism for a successful strategic, enterprise,
scalable,resilient,and enduring GIS.Each of the Six Pillars has a sequence
of questions graded on a percentage scale – 0%being Poor and needing
“Good Governance is
the most important
component of a
successful GIS
program.
Without it,the
program will
flounder.”
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
significant improvement, and 100% being Outstanding and
at a ‘best business practice’ performance level. The goal
for a successful GIS program is above 70%.
Each component is weighted equally although the
importance of any given component varies with
organizations.
An initial assessment is conducted through an interview
process whereby a grade is given for each individual item.
These results are then refined during the course of the
planning process based on staff interviews and supporting
documentation. This results in an accurate and objective
comprehensive picture of the organization’s strengths,
weaknesses, gaps, opportunities, and KPIs. These KPIs
should be used as a systematic way of monitoring
progress over time.
THE SIX PILLARS
•The following sections discuss the City’s existing
conditions as it relates to Six Pillars of GIS
Sustainability”. These pillars are the major areas that
must be planned and working well to have an effective
GIS program. The pillars are:
•Governance
•Data and Databases
•Procedures, Workflow, and Integration
•GIS Software
•IT Infrastructure
•Training, Education and Knowledge Transfer
.These next pages give an overview of key elements of the KPIs. The
Benchmarking and KPI Analysis were provided in the Needs Assessment
Report.
SUMMARY
On November 15,2021,GTG interviewed the Supervisor, Geomatics;
Senior Geomatics Analyst;Geomatics Analyst;and the GIS Technician in
Asset Management to determine benchmark scores.105 metrics were
benchmarked to provide a diagnosis of the health of the existing GIS
program.This section offers insight into how GIS is implemented,
administered,and operated within the City and provides a current state of
existing conditions .The GIS Benchmarking Overall Summary Scores
shown below represent the average of all the scores for each of the Six
Pillars of GIS Sustainability
15
GOVERNANCE KPI
Arguably, good Governance is the most important factor of a successful
GIS program.Without good governance,a GIS program will flounder at
best and fail at worst.Overall,GIS governance at the City of Pickering is
good.Staff is cognizant of the needs of the users,and they put
customer satisfaction as a top priority.
After a full Benchmarking Analysis was completed,the average score
for Governance was calculated to be 24%.The GIS program is doing
well or following best practices in several ways relating to governance;
however,there are still areas that need significant improvement.The
Benchmarking Bar Chart below shows the score for each individual GIS
Governance item.
“We need to
amalgamate
corporate data into
a central database
where all have
access to
analyze and
make decisions.
I would like to use
GIS more than we
are now.”
-Manager, Development
Review & Urban Design
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
PROCEDURES, WORKFLOW,
AND INTEGRATION KPI
“Software is
often the
culmination of
GIS success.”
A prevalent misconception about GIS is that it is just a compilation of
computerized hard -copy maps.In reality, it is a digital map that is integrated
with data that enables users to analyze, query, understand,and compare
datasets.One of the mistakes that many GIS programs make is keeping
GIS separate from other IT systems.GIS should be the viewing portal to
those IT systems and work symbiotically with each of them.
One of the key components to any successful GIS is how well it integrates
with other systems and how it improves the overall workflow of the
organization.GIS implementations often fail because the GIS is seen as a
stand -alone mapping technology.However,in reality, it is a primary
integrative tool that should serve as an organization's portal into all of its
data.
After a full benchmarking analysis was completed,the average score for
Procedures, Workflow,and Integration was 27%.While some integration is
in place,there is opportunity for more seamless integration between
departments and system.See the Benchmarking Bar Chart to review
individual Procedures, Workflow,and Integration items.
16 GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
SOFTWARE KPI
“GIS has to be
part of the
culture, or it will
not survive. If
only 2-3 people
use it, it will fail.”
-Chief Administrative
Officer
17
Software is the manifestation of investment in GIS.This is a great time
to be using GIS. A decade ago,users were provisioned software
applications that required extensive knowledge of GIS.The
applications were not user -friendly nor aesthetically pleasing.
However,the focus over the last few years has been the user
experience.End -user tools are now being designed with ease-of-use
in mind .Most users are not GIS professionals and therefore need
tools that are intuitive and meet a specific need or set of needs.
Likewise, tools for the public have become much more intuitive and
graphically pleasing.Esri has created and released hundreds of
softwareoptions that work on various platforms.
Pickering GIS staff have done a good job of implementing end -user
tools.There is opportunity to leverage the Esri environment further
and provide the appropriate tools for the appropriate users .After a full
benchmarking analysis was completed,the average score for GIS
Software was 46%.See the Benchmarking Bar Chart to review
individual GIS Software items.
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
18
INFRASTRUCTURE KPI
“A slow user experience
results in losing a user.
Regainingthat person as a
user takes a ten-fold effort.”
Arguably the least glamorous component of an enterprise GIS is the
infrastructure necessary to keep it running.Nonetheless,a good
infrastructure is critical to GIS success. A slow and/or unreliable GIS
experience is one of the quickest ways to frustrate users .Once users
make up their minds that technology is not user -friendly and/or unusable it
takes a huge effort to convince them otherwise.Therefore, maintaining an
effective hardware and networking platform is mission critical.City of
Pickering’s GIS program is supported by the IT team,giving staff access
to IT professionals.
After a full benchmarking analysis was completed,the average score for
Infrastructure was 48%.The last two letters of GIS represent Information
Systems,indicating the technology's overall reliance on traditional
information technology components (databases, networks,servers,data
storage,etc .).Overall, Pickering's Information Technology (IT)Division
has done a good job of ensuring that the GIS infrastructure needs are met .
See the Benchmarking Bar Chart to review individual Infrastructure
items .
“GIS software
has become
untethered.No
longer do we
have to sit at our
desk using a PC.
GIS can
be used
anywhere .”
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
TRAINING, EDUCATION,AND KNOWLEDGETRANSFERKPI
“Many excellent GIS implementationslanguish
becausethepowerof GIS is notunderstood.“
19
Training, Education, and Knowledge Transfer is universally the most
underserved pillar of GIS sustainability.However,it is one of the most
important.Many excellent GIS implementations languish because the
power of GIS is not understood.Some organizations mistakenly believe
that software training is enough.However, education and understanding of
what GIS can do for the end -user are equally (if not more) important.
After a full benchmarking analysis was completed,the average score for
Training, Education, and Knowledge Transfer is 23%.Some staff
members attend conferences,and the GIS Division does a fair job of
training departmental staff on specific application functions that relate to
their operations.However,a more concerted effort should be made to
provide regularly scheduled, formal GIS training, education, and
knowledge transfer.Users need to be notified of the training available to
them through a variety of educational techniques.See the Benchmarking
Bar Chart to review individual Training, Education, and Knowledge
Transfer KPIs.
“An organization that
understands what
GIS can do for them
is on the verge of
becoming
a world-class
organization.”
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
“Knowing where
things are, and why,
is essential to
rational decision
making”
~ Jack Dangermond
DATA KPI
Data is a critical and expensive component of a GIS program.
Organizations spend millions of dollars creating and maintaining data
(spatial and non-spatial).One of the most powerful aspects of GIS is
that it has the potential to become the primary tool for viewing data
within an organization.Most data maintained by a local government has
a geographic component (e.g.,address, property id).Visualizing the
data spatially empowers staff to analyze and manage data in new
ways.GIS should be used to 'geo-enable'the wealth of data that
resides in the various IT systems maintained by the organization.
After a full benchmarking analysis was completed,the average score
for Data and Databases was 49%.One of the strengths of the City GIS
program is the central GIS data repository.Opportunities exist to
leverage the GIS data further, and one part of this overall study is to
make detailed data recommendations.The Benchmarking Bar Chart
below shows the score for each individual Digital Data and Database
item.
20 GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
“We need to see where the
value can be added to our
daily work.”
-Manager, Policy & Geomatics
21
VISION, GOALS, AND
OBJECTIVES
22
VISION STATEMENT
ENTERPRISE-WIDE GOALS
AND OBJECTIVES
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
“The vision of the City of Pickering’s GIS is to maintain an enterprise,
scalable, sustainable, and highly secure GIS that promotes the effective
and innovative use of geospatial technology and location intelligence
through best practices, community engagement, and innovation,
supported by good GIS governance, coordination, accurate and reliable
data, standards, and on-going training and education.”
Having a Vision,Goals,and Objectives is critical to the success of any GIS program.The Vision Statement clarifies
the overall purpose of the City of Pickering GIS initiative and gives clarity to GIS staff and users .The following is a
recommended vision statement for the City of Pickering GIS Initiative:
The goals and objectives of the City are derived from the questionnaire,department interviews,discussions with GIS
staff,and follow-up research and documentation review.The goals and objectives have been categorized to align with
the Six Pillars of GIS Sustainability (See KPI section).The City of Pickering should strive to achieve the following goals
and objectives by completing the associated tasks .An annual work plan should be established to accomplish these
goals and objectives.These goals and objectives should be reviewed annually and updated as appropriate .
23GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
24
OBJECTIVE :Develop a GIS governance strategy that includes clear lines of responsibility, accountability, decision making,
and good overall management.
GOAL 1:EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE MODEL
TASK 1:Create a Hybrid GIS Governance Model –
Institute a clear and understandable strategy for
effective management of GIS and the best use of
enterprise GIS resources.
•Add GIS management and oversight to the IT
department.
•Implement GIS expertise in key departments.
TASK 2 :Develop Clear Lines of GIS Authority and
Accountability.
TASK 3 : Establish Key Performance Measures and KPIs
and measure them annually.
TASK 4 :Improve Enterprise GIS Management to ensure
a more coordinated and collaborative GIS experience
for all stakeholders.
TASK 5 :Enforce the GIS Steering Committee Meetings
for a smooth implementation process to allow direct
interfacing between executive decision-makers and GIS
experts.
TASK 6 : Establish a GIS Technical Committee to oversee
the technical challenges of deploying an enterprise GIS.
TASK 7 :Establish a GIS User Group of stakeholders who
share information and compare experiences with GIS
technology for the benefit of all members.
TASK 8 :Create GIS Policies.
TASK 9:Establish Regional GIS Policy.
TASK 10 :Measure the Quality of GIS Service and gather
feedback throughout the organization at least once a
year.
TASK 11 : Promote a Culture of Collaboration through
positive messaging and user group meetings.
TASK 12 :Explore GIS Grants and Funding Initiatives.
TASK 13 :Develop an Annual GIS Work Plan aligned with
the Corporation’s Vision, Goals, and Objectives.
TASK 14 : Create a GIS Blog or Newsletter to share
accomplishments and opportunities with the user
community.
TASK 15 :Develop Departmental GIS Service Level
Agreements, SLA to define services provided by the
Geomatics team and document how the central GIS
group will support each department and the enterprise
within the organization.
TASK 16 :Promote and Encourage Community
Consultation and Engagement using a map-centric
platform to build relationships with external partners,
enable communities to better understand government
processes, and allow the City to get diverse perspectives
on improving services.
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
OBJECTIVE :Develop Data Procedures,Protocols,and Standards,and Enforce Best Business Data Maintenance and Governance
Practices
GOAL 3:DEVELOP AND ENHANCE GIS PROCEDURES, WORKFLOW,
INTEGRATION, AND INTEROPERABILITY
GOAL 2:MAINTAIN ACCURATE AND RELIABLE GIS DATA AND DATABASES
TASK 1:Conduct a Digital Data Assessment of all GIS
Data layers to analyze the data and identify any
inaccurate data, non-standard spatial projections, and
incomplete data or attributes.
TASK 2 :Develop a Master Data List, MDL to document
key data sets.
TASK 3 : Create Metadata for all GIS Data Layers
detailing how, when, and where data was created and
the scale, accuracy, resolution, and other properties.
TASK 4 : Develop and Enforce Metadata Standards.
TASK 5 : Create an Enterprise Modern Databases Design
–e.g., Esri Utility Network Model and other Asset
Management solutions.
TASK 6 : Develop Data Creation and Data Submittal
Standards to ensure data quality and process
sustainability.
TASK 7 : Assign, Enable, and Document GIS Data layer
Custodians and Stewards.
TASK 8 :Develop a Mobile Data Collection Program.
TASK 9:Improve and Enhance the Arc GIS Hub Open
Data Portal.
TASK 10 :Improve Digital Data Management and Life
Cycle Practices.
TASK 11 : Create New Digital GIS Data Layers as
identified in the Needs Assessment.
OBJECTIVE:Integrate GIS functionality with existing enterprise software businesssystems and workflows
TASK 1:Integrate GIS with Existing Enterprise Business
Systems.
TASK 2 :Improve the Integration of GIS with Asset
Management and Work Order Software.
TASK 3 : Improve the Integration of GIS with Enterprise
Resource Planning (ERP) Software.
TASK 4 : Improve the Integration of GIS with Public Safety
Software Solutions.
TASK 5 : Integrate GIS with Document Management
Software.
TASK 6 : Improve Departmental Access and Use of GIS
Software for editing, analysis, and visualization.
TASK 7 : Develop GIS Data Creation and Maintenance
Procedures.
TASK 8 :Improve the GIS Ticketing and Support
Procedures.
TASK 9:Develop Data Ownership, Access, and Data
Sharing Policies to document what controls exist for the
organization’s geodata.
25GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
26
OBJECTIVE:Utilize Esri’s GIS software ecosystem across the enterprise,including Desktop,Web,andMobilesolutions.
GOAL 5:MAINTAIN ENTERPRISE IT INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT GIS
GOAL 4:PROMOTE EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT, AND INNOVATIVE USE OF GIS
SOFTWARE
TASK 1:Optimize GIS Software Licensing
•Cost-Benefit -Migrate Geocortex to Esri
solutions.
•Leverage Esri Enterprise Agreement
Offerings.
TASK 2 :Promote Widget Development to make
configurable software products more useful.
TASK 3 : Create Story Maps.
TASK 4 : Create Crowdsourcing Solutions.
TASK 5 : Utilize Real-Time GIS in Council Meetings to
better visualize information about the various issues
related to the organization.
TASK 6 : Evaluate GIS Modeling Extensions
TASK 7 : Implement Mobile GIS and GPS Solutions for
office-to-field, field-to-office workflows to increase the
use and participation of GIS by departments.
TASK 8 :Improve and Enhance the existing ArcGIS Hub
Map Portal solution.
TASK 9:Evaluate GIS Predictive Analysis Tools to
determine use cases for the City.
TASK 10 :Improve the Level of Automation.
OBJECTIVE:Integrate GIS functionality with existing enterprise software businesssystems and workflows
TASK 1:Develop a GIS Architectural Design plan to
understand and visualize the complex interrelationship
between the GIS technology components.
TASK 2 :Develop GIS Training for IT Professionals –
Geodatabase Administration, GIS Security Platform
TASK 3 : Develop a GIS Mobile Action Plan of the City’s
tactics to increase GIS accessibility on tablets,
smartphones, and other mobile devices.
TASK 4 : Evaluate Existing GIS Data Security Plans.
TASK 5 : Develop Data Storage and distribution
strategies to support the growth of the GIS initiative.
TASK 6 : Manage Staffing Structure and Governance
changes.
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
OBJECTIVE:.Improve the opportunities for GIS Training,Education,and Knowledge Transfer across the enterprise.
GOAL 6:IMPLEMENT GIS TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND KNOWLEDGE
TRANSFER
TASK 1:Develop a Formal GIS Training Plan to provide all
new and current staff with GIS training and education
opportunities.
TASK 2 :Develop Multi-tiered GIS Training for all levels
of user.
TASK 3 : Conduct Mobile GIS Training on topics like GPS,
AVL, and field data collection solutions.
TASK 4 : Conduct Departmental Specific GIS Training to
increase organizational GIS skillsets and knowledge
base.
TASK 5 : Conduct GIS ROI Workshops to showcase the
value and Return on investment GIS offers the City.
TASK 6 : Promote Education and Knowledge Transfer
through conference attendance, online seminar
participation, and informal training sessions.
TASK 7 : Conduct GIS Succession and Continuity of
Operations Planning.
TASK 8 : Promote Community Consultation and
Engagement –Implement methods for sharing ideas,
discussions, and information about GIS and emerging
technologies.
27GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
28
“The application of GIS is limited only by the
imagination of those who use it.”
-Jack Dangermond
CONCLUSION
“This GIS Strategy will
serve as a road map
for the future and
should be updated
incrementally to reflect
accomplishments and
changing priorities.”
The City of Pickering’s GIS is a success by any standard.As evidenced
by the key performance indicators,the City has achieved
implementation of the technology.However,the technology continues to
evolve and advance.Many opportunities exist to expand the use of GIS
within departments and with the public .It is clear that staff throughout
the City need to and desire to continue to utilize GIS technology to
conduct daily tasks.GIS use in local government is going to become
more prevalent.GIS will become the de facto portal for managing and
analyzing data at the City of Pickering (spatial and non-spatial).The
spread of GIS tools has been significant over the past few years.Also,
residents are equipped with an ever -increasing array of GIS-based
tools.They have location-aware phones and an assortment of mobile
devices.Over the next decade,this will become more prevalent .Users
will expect local governments to automatically provide location-based
service (LBS)information on road closures or work in their area,the
location of the nearest recreation facility with desired amenities,the
location of special events,utility services,and the location of capital
projects.This can only be accomplished through the use of GIS.The
City has invested in GIS and will continue to do so.The importance of
GIS at the City will continue to increase.Therefore,it is critical to the
success of the organization as a whole that the recommendations made
in this GIS Strategy are adopted,ensuring that the City’s GIS
investment will be viable and able to meet the ever-increasing demand.
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
GIS STRATEGIC PLAN | CITY OF PICKERING, ONTARIO
“We need to amalgamate corporate
data into a central database where all
have access to analyze and make
decisions. I would like to use GIS
more than we are now.”
-Manager,Development Review &
Urban Design
29
A product of: