GI for NI Launches its New Strategic Website

GI for NI launches its new website www.gistrategyni.gov.uk to communicate key elements of the GI for NI Strategy to Northern Ireland stakeholders and those further afield.

In 2003 Northern Ireland (NI) realised the importance of geographical information (GI) and became the first region in the UK to develop a GI Strategy.   Now in the second iteration, the 2009 – 2019 strategy aims to increase the use and exploitation of geographic information - helping the government, organisations and the public to actively use GI on a daily basis.  

The GI for NI Strategy aims to implement and communicate the objectives and developments of the strategy to its Northern Ireland and European stakeholders.  The creation of its new website will help to highlight and promote the benefits of GI at home and throughout Europe.  

The website communicates the four strategic action areas of the GI for NI Strategy:

• Realising the business benefits – ensuring that senior managers understand the benefits that flow from using geographic information effectively.
• Education, skills and staffing – ensuring that a sustainable, skilled workforce is in place to drive the development of GI and the subsequent increased efficiencies.
• Data sharing – improving data sharing to remove barriers to improving services.
• Data collection & project collaboration – developing a standardised approach to these key areas.

The website also provides up-to-date news, articles and strategy information, as well as providing an important platform for the European INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe) Directive.

INSPIRE is a major external influence on the GI for NI strategy.  The INSPIRE Directive allows member states to share environmentally related datasets.  These datasets will be available to public organisations throughout European member states. The INSPIRE section of the new website will allow organisations in Northern Ireland to find out more information about INSPIRE and how they can become INSPIRE compliant.

If you would like more information on the GI for NI Strategy or INSPIRE, please go to www.gistrategyni.gov.uk.  If you have a suitable article that you would like published on the website, please email the Programme Office programmeoffice@dfpni.gov.uk