It’s All About Engagement

Author: Kevin Sweeney
Date: 11 March 2010

Tags: engagement, SDI, NZGO

As I become more integrated into the work programme of the New Zealand Geospatial Office (NZGO), and with my role as Geospatial Custodian, I'm increasingly aware of the importance of engagement. As the term 'engagement' is thrown about quite freely, I think it warrants some clarification.

In its most elemental form, engagement is the communication between parties. But in practice it is much more than that. Engagement involves an understanding between those parties, or a sincere attempt at achieving a level of understanding.

As someone conveying information, you engage with your audience when your message applies on some level and is accepted as sincere, if not always fully understood or completely accepted. When engaging others, your message extends beyond your individual context to permeate the contexts of the other parties. Ownership of the message then becomes truly dynamic as it is shared between all of the participants. This flow of ownership creates a momentum that can lead to exciting exchanges and the discovery of new solutions as the interaction takes on a life of its own.

The role of the NZGO, in simple terms, is to promote and champion the New Zealand Geospatial Strategy. Effective promotion relies on regular and effective engagement. As Geospatial Custodian, directing the work programme of the NZGO, a large part of my daily routine involves engagement - a favourite component of my job!

Through engagement I am able to spread the message of the value of well-planned geospatial implementations. Just as importantly, though, I get the opportunity to listen and to learn. Through engagement I come to understand how geospatial technologies and approaches are being applied to many business situations, as well as the problems practitioners face. I learn about the exciting and seemingly endless opportunities in New Zealand, as well as the difficulties hindering even broader success. I increasingly appreciate the value of engagement for the strategies, policies and work programmes arising from the efforts of the NZGO.

Much of our work in the NZGO of late has focused on developing a roadmap for a New Zealand Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI). Because SDI is a concept not fully understood by many in the geospatial community, engagement has proven to be an indispensible tool for advancing this work. Be it written documentation, emails, workshops, blog entries (see David Swann's three-part series), or the numerous conversations between NZGO staff and various geospatial data providers and users. In our efforts to spread the word about SDI, we have learned a lot. This has helped us hone our message and direct our efforts to more closely match the realities of the current geospatial sector in New Zealand.

As I continue to interact with members of the geospatial community, I appreciate that being someone new to this community is part of the dynamic of my engagement. I hope my perspective helps inform these exchanges as I also expand the understanding and knowledge I need to promote effective geospatial strategies for New Zealand.

As always, and in the spirit of engagement, I welcome your thoughts and comments below or at ksweeney@linz.govt.nz.

Kevin Sweeney

Geospatial Custodian
New Zealand Geospatial Office