Value of GI data

I am attending the pre AGI unconference and the value of location is part of the panel discussion. The overall view is that location is a feature and only adds value once it is used in an application. Taking this further, we have a multitude of case studies that show the use of GI in local public services ranging from planning, transport, school admission,route optimisation, cutomer insight etc.

• But what is the actual economic value of geographic information and technology you are providing to your organisation and to your customers?
• What are the savings and productivity increases that you can make from the use of GI? 

These are questions which are of particular interest during the current climate of spending cuts.

 
The Local Government Group commissioned research to assess the value of GI and in particular to understand where changes to current geospatial policy and practice can lenable better and more effective use of GI in local public service design and delivery, and it supports cost savings in the current period of public expenditure constraint. The outcome of the study has been published and are available on the LGA website. In summary, the research found that:

• productivity increased by £ 232 million across local public service providers (NHS accounts for £ 10 million) through the use of GI in 2009. An additional £ 140 million can be saved within 6 years which would account of 2 per cent of the efficiency savings local government needs to make this year and 12 per cent by 2014/15.
• The saving through the sharing  of the NLPG as a master dataset within local authorities is estimated to be between £ 15 to 24 m in net present value. 
• Overall GI in local public services has contributed to £ 323 m in GDP in 2009. 
• An average return on investment of 1 : 2.5 over a 5 year project life cycle.

The findings will hopefully help you to make the case for location information while spending reviews are under way as they indicate the contribution information and in particular location information can make to efficiency savings. Further savings could possibly be made through the implementation of the Public Sector Mapping Agreement next April which will facilitate the sharing of mapping data amongst public sector service providers. 
 
Building on best practice examples presented at the "Share to Save" seminar organised by the Local public services SIG in summer, we are keen to hear from you about examples, how further savings can be achieved through the intelligent use of location information and related technology and the sharing of services.
 
And if you are interested in further details about location economics, the AGI are organising a seminar on exploiting location information to save your organisation money.
 
 
Dr Gesche Schmid