On 14 June the Geospatial Steering Committee (GSC) met for the second time with what is now the complete roster of representatives.  Beyond the members mentioned in my 23 April blog, there were some changes and additions as follows:

• George Slim has replaced Lesley Middleton as the MoRST representative
• Steve Pyatt has replaced COL Kevin Arlidge as the NZ Defence Force representative
• Wayne Bird from Transpower has joined, representing the utilities sector
• Miles McConway, Environment Bay of Plenty has joined, representing Local Government, Regional Councils
• Neville Perrie, Rodney District Council has joined, representing Local Government, Territorial Authorities.

The completed membership provided a wider cross-section of the NZ geospatial industry and our discussions reflected that broadened perspective.

In our June meeting the GSC approved a revised Terms of Reference, with some added clarity and detail around meeting logistics, reporting and membership.  We also established a standing Communications and Engagement agenda item where communications collateral and approaches could be coordinated to the benefit of the geospatial community throughout NZ.

The focus of the June meeting centred on a discussion of prioritising the New Zealand Geospatial Office (NZGO) work programme.  A request for priorities that I had issued to GSC members following the April meeting revealed a strong preference for the development of a fundamental dataset framework.  The facilitation of a national SDI to promote accessibility and interoperability, as well as a shoring up and clarification of governance structures also emerged as preferred options.

As a first step for succeeding GSC meetings I will be leading discussions to define our processes for work programme prioritisation.  As these decisions have significant bearing on the work programmes of multiple agencies and on NZ geospatial industry activities as a whole, it is important that we develop a robust and justifiable approach.  With a prioritisation process defined, it will then be our task to similarly define best practice approaches for each of those prioritised streams of work.

But it is also important that as we focus on defining process, we capitalise on opportunities to register work programme accomplishments.  As the GSC begins to convene to coordinate work programme efforts it is clear that there is already a lot going on.  The GSC also has a role to facilitate those tangible accomplishments, with a sector-wide perspective, oversight and promotion.  After all nothing gets stakeholders, both within and outside of the industry, more motivated and excited about the prospects of geospatial than actual results.

The GSC will convene monthly starting with our June meeting and I am looking forward to tackling the long list of interesting challenges that lie ahead.