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GIS Needs Assessment & Planning for Community & Human Services

2007 URISA GIS in Public Health Conference

May 21, 2007

Greg Babinski, GISP

Finance & Marketing Manager

King County GIS Center

“Putting GIS to Work for King County”

Goals for this Presentation

www.metrokc.gov/gis

� Review Typical GIS Implementation & Development Models

� Describe Benefits of a GIS Needs Assessment

� Outline a GIS Needs Assessment Process

� Describe GIS Implementation Options for a Community & Human Services Client

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King County, Washington

� Microsoft

� Boeing

� Paccar

� Nordstrom's

� Amazon.Com

� Starbucks

� Port of Seattle

� Weyerhaeuser

� Washington Mutual

� Univ. of Washington

Population (2006 USCB est.): 1,826,000 (14th most populous US county)

Area: 2130 square miles (sea level to 8,000’)

39 incorporated cities

Viable agricultural and private forestry areas

Remote wilderness & watershed lands

King County GIS� The King County Geographic Information System (KCGIS) is a

consolidated and coordinated regional geographic information

resource, organized to meet the business needs of King County,

local agencies, and the general public.

� KCGIS is comprised of both the King County GIS Center (an internal service fund, responsible for core GIS resources and enterprise GIS

services for the entire County) and business specific activity in

various GIS programs distributed across other County agencies.

� KCGIS is managed by the Director of DNRP, supported by a

management level GIS Oversight Committee and an operational

level GIS Technical Committee.

www.metrokc.gov/gis

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How is GIS Used for King County Business?� Mapping

� Public information delivery

� Growth management & planning

� Property assessment

� Land development permitting

� Site selection

� Simulating environmental conditions

� Emergency response planning

� Crime analysis

� Transportation planning

� Bus & van routing

� Road maintenance management

� Public health service delivery

� E911 operations

� Airport sound abatement

� Boundary management (legislative districts, voter precincts, tax unit boundaries, etc.)

� And the list goes on…..

www.metrokc.gov/gis

Enterprise Operations:

� GIS Data Warehouse Management

� GIS Systems Administration

� Enterprise GIS Data Coordination

� Core GIS User Applications

Matrixed GIS Staffing Services

On-Demand GIS Client Services:

� GIS Consulting

� Application Development

� Training

�Mapping & Analysis

KCGIS Center Business Lines

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Typical GIS Implementation Models

www.metrokc.gov/gis

�Specific Project Oriented

�Outgrowth of Project

�Multiple ad-hoc end-users

�Uncoordinated

Optimal GIS Implementation Model

www.metrokc.gov/gis

� Tied To Long-Term Business Needs

� Leverages Existing Resources

� Systematic Incremental Development

� Total Cost of Ownership Focus

� Planned & Coordinated

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GIS Needs Assessment & Planning Process

� Partnership Between GIS Professionals & Business End-Users

� Iterative Information Gathering & Validation

� GAP Analysis

� Stakeholder & Decision Maker Buy-in

� Realistic Budget & Viable Implementation Plan

www.metrokc.gov/gis

� Community Services

� Housing & Community Development

� Development Disabilities

� Office of the Public Defender

� Mental Health, Chemical Abuse & Dependency Services

� WSU Extension Services

www.metrokc.gov/gis

Department of Community & Human Services

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Background Before the Needs Assessment

� 350 staff

� Three part time GIS users

� Continued reliance on outside GIS services

� Growing anonymous web mapping usage

� General sense that GIS was not used to potential

� DCHS Housing Program took the lead

www.metrokc.gov/gis

DCHS Business Needs & GIS Development

� Modified from State of New York GIS Consortium

� Used for Jamaica Public Health GIS Needs Assessment

www.metrokc.gov/gis

King County GIS CenterNeeds Assessment & Planning Process

A: Business Needs Assessment

B: GIS Data Survey

C: GIS HW & SW

Survey

D: Conceptual GIS Design

E: GIS Database Design

F: HW &

SW Design

G: GIS System

Integration

H: Business Application

Development

I: GIS Use &

Maintenance

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Business Needs Assessment Process

� Project Planning

� Kick-off Meeting with All Stakeholders

� Documentation Review

� Structured Interviews

� Draft Business Needs Assessment

� Needs Assessment Review Workshop

� Draft GIS Implementation Plan

� GIS Implementation Plan Review Workshop

� Final Needs Assessment & Implementation Plan

www.metrokc.gov/gis

� Logical Work Group Focused

� Work Group Metrics: Mission, Organization, Staff Duties

� Business Process/Information Flows

� Information Needed, Maintained, Provided

� Information Enhancement Needs

� GIS Functionality Needs

� Conceptual GIS Business Integration

www.metrokc.gov/gis

GIS Business Needs Survey

� Department-wide Mandate for Data Dashboard

� Non-Standard Contract Service Provider Reporting

� No Global View of Clients

� Preserve Client Confidentiality

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� Dedicated GIS Staff

� Trained or Experienced GIS Users

� Key IS or GIS Applications in Use

� Data Resources Available

� Typical Computing Environment

� Initial Open-Ended Brainstorming

www.metrokc.gov/gis

GIS Data & Resources Survey

� Strong IT Group in One Division

� Extensive but Dispersed Data Resources

� High Level Description of Supported Business Needs

� Identifies GIS Functionality to Support Business Needs

� Outlines GIS Architecture to Support Required Functionality

www.metrokc.gov/gis

GIS Conceptual Design

� Aligned with Director’s Performance Dashboard Data Warehouse

� Client location confidentiality functionality

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� Based on the conceptual GIS Design

� Identifies required data

� Outlines data model

� Identifies data sources (existing, acquire, develop)

� Describes data update & maintenance

www.metrokc.gov/gis

GIS Database Design

� Myriad agency, state & Federal data sources make ideal data integration problematic

� Based on the conceptual GIS design

� Identifies core GIS software to provide required functionality & performance

� Hardware design follows system requirements to support the selected software.

www.metrokc.gov/gis

Hardware & Software Design

� Some agency & contractor PC’s will not support GIS

� GIS software cost is an issue

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GIS System Integration Plan

� Hardware & Software Acquisition

� Hardware Installation

� Network Configuration

� Software Installation

� Database Loading

� System Tuning & Testing

� User Training

www.metrokc.gov/gis

� Initial Applications Based on ‘Out-of the-Box’ GIS Functionality

� Custom Applications Tailor GIS to Agency Business Needs:

� Data Input & Data Management Applications

� User Interface Customization

� Productivity Enhancements

� Business Application Integration

� Functionality Enhancements (Geoprocessing, Model Building, etc.)

� Web Based Application Development

www.metrokc.gov/gis

GIS Based Business Application Development

� Pilot ‘demonstration’ application recommended

� Broad-based web application recommended

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� GIS Coordination

� GIS End-User Support & Training

� GIS System Administration

� Database Administration

� Data Maintenance

� Application Maintenance

� System Enhancements

www.metrokc.gov/gis

GIS Use & Maintenance

� Existing IT Resources can be leveraged for some functions

� Some high-level GIS Coordination possible within Department

� Most GIS support needs to be staffed from outside

� Performance Monitoring Key Driver:

� Across Service Programs

� By Service Providers

� At Department Director’s Level

� Comprehensive View of the Individual Client is a Key Opportunity

� Diverse & Non-standardized Data Sources are a Key Challenge

� Lean Operations & Uncertain Funding Retard Investment in ‘Support’ Systems

www.metrokc.gov/gis

King County DCHS: Key Findings

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� Identify Key Decision Makers

� Be Attuned to the Organizational Culture

� Expect Lots of Resistance or Skepticism

� Workshops & Brainstorming Sessions are Key

� Don’t Ignore the 3 Levels of Consensus

� Look for ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Opportunities

� Don’t Expect a Text-Book Implementation

www.metrokc.gov/gis

GIS Needs Assessment Process: Observations

Conclusions & Questions

www.metrokc.gov/gis

Value of GIS Needs Assessment & Planning Process:

�Supports Short and Long-Term Business Needs

�Leverages Existing Resources

�Systematic Incremental Development

�Stakeholder & Decision Maker Buy-in

�Coordinated

�Questions?

Greg Babinski, GISPFinance & Marketing ManagerKing County GIS Center201 South Jackson StreetSeattle, WA 98104Greg.babinski@metrokc.gov

www.archives.nysed.gov/a/nysaservices/ns_mgr_active_gisguides.shtml