GIS Implementation Plans

Upon request, OGIA will prepare GIS implementation plans for clients. Plans typically begin with a User's Needs Assessment. This is both an inventory of spatial information managed by the municipality and an assessment of information sharing among departments. Once completed, the assessment is expanded to include an analysis of information technology infrastructure system demands and costs of different GIS options. Final recommendations are scaled to the client's near term needs, budget, and intended applications.

Our most recent projects are:

Amherst, Massachusetts

In 1999 OGIA was contracted to complete a comprehensive implementation plan for the town. The plan coincided with an extensive photogrammetry and GIS base mapping project initiated by the town in partnership with the University of Massachusetts Facilities Planning Division and Amherst College. OGIA spent a year completing the plan in anticipation of the town's new GIS database and substantial advances in its information technology network.

Diagram of Amherst's wide area network as of 2000.

The plan included:

• multi-departmental and stakeholder User's Needs Assessment;
• evaluation of town's information technology infrastructure and the demands of the new enterprise GIS on the existing system;
• evaluation of suitable delivery methods including internet mapping software, database centralization, and desktop GIS software;
• recommendations for data sharing with the public, private sector and enterprise partners; and
• near and long-term implementation recommendations.

Download full report as .pdf document.

Ludlow, Massachusetts

In 1998 OGIA was contracted by the Ludlow Department of Public Works to prepare a User's Needs Assessment. The town had recently received planimetric spatial data from the City of Springfield and wished to build upon this investment in pursuit of its own GIS. To this end, OGIA made several recommendations in the context of Ludlow's information technology infrastructure and needs.

As a result of the assessment, the town contracted OGIA to develop a GIS parcel dataset for existing real property maps. Completion of this project is expected in early 2001. OGIA has also helped Ludlow build its GIS resources by compiling relevant MassGIS statewide spatial datasets at the town-extent.

For more information on this project or to contract with OGIA for a GIS User's Needs Assessment or full implementation plan email Rick Taupier, OGIA Director.

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updated 3/08/01