1Spatial welcomes the Geospatial Commission annual plan for 2021-2022
1Spatial welcomes the Geospatial Commission annual plan for 2021-2022
The Geospatial Commission are one year along a five-year journey and already important steps have been taken to achieve the UK’s vision. The 2021-2022 annual plan sets out the progress made by the Geospatial Commission during the last year and the direction for the year ahead, to implement the UK’s national geospatial strategy.
1Spatial fully supports the Commission’s objectives, set out in the strategy to unlock the power of location data. The strategy includes growing the geospatial (location) ecosystem and sustainable exploitation of geospatial data through four core missions, related to data quality and availability, innovation and skills and is building towards an integrated geospatial framework for the UK by 2025. As stated in the 2021-2022 annual plan, we need look no further than the events of the past year to understand how important accurate and detailed data continues to be in tracking and managing the coronavirus pandemic. Geospatial data - data about location - has been a crucial part of the collective and global endeavour to mitigate the impacts of this disease.
There are four ways the Commission see geospatial data playing an ever more significant role in the years ahead. Firstly, contributing to our economic recovery, a key priority will be to commence building the National Underground Asset Register (NUAR), following the successful pilot projects in the North East of England and London. 1Spatial was the Greater London Authority’s geospatial partner for delivering the London pilot. Secondly, contributing to Net Zero and building back greener by improving data about land use through regional and national pilots. Thirdly, contributing to digital nations by running Phase 2 of the Transport Location Data Competition. Fourthly, contribute to a data-driven public sector by continuing to work across the public sector to enhance UK geospatial data assets and drive improvements in the quality and use of data.
The Commission have also ensured that a data-driven public sector needs to include the development of a new public dialogue on location data ethics. 1Spatial have joined the Locus Charter community, to build on the ethics charter, and promote the responsible use of location technology. At 1Spatial, we have always ensured what we design and architect respects the responsible use of location data. Simplifying and minimising data handling is a key principle we follow to ensure we build simple and elegant products and solutions. Unnecessary handling of data can not only slow systems down and increase the cost in development, but it also brings more “moving parts” which can be sources of error and data corruption. It is the risk around error and corruption which is important in ensuring you and your systems are acting responsibly in handling data. Therefore, we are committed to supporting this dialogue on data ethics. Denise McKenzie, Chair of the board of directors for the Association for Geographic Information (AGI) in the UK says; “As a profession we need to get better at explaining what we are doing, why and how it is happening. And this has to be done in a way that anyone can understand and make an educated choice to opt-in.”
The UK Geospatial Strategy introduced the Q-FAIR model as a means of considering and capturing priority improvements to geospatial data: Quality, Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable data. Continued investment in our geospatial data infrastructures is critical to enabling the UK geospatial ecosystem to grow and achieving sustainable and Q-FAIR data. Mission 2 in the Geospatial Strategy is all about streamlining, testing, and scaling the development of new and existing location data ensuring it is Q-FAIR. The new Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA) with Ordnance Survey (OS) Great Britain has seen improved access to data. 1Spatial is collaborating with OS to build trust in public sector geospatial data using OS Premium Data (accessible via the OS Data Hub) and the 1Spatial Platform. You can find out more and watch the recent webinar here.
Specialising in Location Master Data Management with leading technology, 1Spatial applies the Q-FAIR principles for the world’s largest geospatial databases. 1Spatial provides Location Master Data Management solutions to public sector, transport and utility organisations. Our clients include: Ordnance Survey Great Britain, Rural Payments Agency, Environment Agency, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the US Census Bureau, Arizona Department of Transport, Northumbrian Water, the National Trust, the UK Ministry of Defence and Land Information New Zealand. 1Spatial works with organisations to evolve their geospatial data infrastructures by increasing the quality of geospatial data, enabling interoperable and accessible data, and making data easier to use.
We look forward to working with the Commission and the wider UK geospatial ecosystem during this year.
For further information about 1Spatial unlocking innovation in geospatial data through Location Master Data Management please click here.
You can also register for our upcoming government event on 22nd June where we will be joined by our partners Ordnance Survey. The virtual event will focus on 'Unlocking a sustainable digital world with the new 1Spatial Platform'. We’ll be showcasing the value of location data and how Location Master Data Management enables digitalisation to benefit the delivery of public sector operations and digital public services.