Mystery Solved: Building a GIS Department from the Ground Up
My name is Molly Casey and I am the GIS Manager at R.E.Y. Engineers, a land survey, civil engineering, and remote sensing company that is embracing GIS. To get GIS started at R.E.Y., I had a lot of research to do. Grab your magnifying glass, and I’ll give you some insight into my investigative process.
Who
There are 2 “who’s” to consider when you are discovering what your GIS department will become.
- Who will support you
- Who will be using your systems
These may or may not be the same suspect. We will start with the first one. You know GIS will be valuable to your company, that is why you are doing this. If you are lucky, you are in a group that is working on this together and you all know how beneficial GIS can be. But that is not enough. You need other people in your company to support this endeavor.
Read the room. Are there others who are interested at some level in GIS? Bring them in however seems fit, even if they aren’t your target audience. Whenever my coworkers ask me any GIS question, I make a point to enthusiastically explain the answer. Show coworkers what you are working on along with GIS applications other people are working on. Ask for people’s opinions on your projects to generate conversations. Word of mouth is powerful, so do what you can to get others on your team. This will look different for every company based on its structure.
Be patient and persistent. Support will grow slowly. Some people may be less interested in GIS because they are busy, don’t see the use, or just haven’t found a reason to care. Don’t be discouraged. This is not personal; not everyone has the capacity to be a cheerleader and that is ok. Bring everyone along and when they see others using GIS, they will come around.
This brings us to the second “who”: the user. Whether your GIS products are internal or external, the user must be considered. What do they need and why? In my situation, we are using GIS as a project management tool internally while trying to grow our external market. The project management aspect is helping my coworkers learn more about GIS in a hands-on environment, which in turn, grows GIS support.
Why
The best way to strengthen your case is with a motive. Keep your “why” in mind. GIS is a massive umbrella you can put many things under. It is easy to get overwhelmed or sidetracked. Establishing the reason you are creating this GIS Department will help you create focused goals. All GIS goals should align with your “why”. What gaps are you looking to fill? What will you use GIS to accomplish?
Once you have your “why”, share it. Communicate with your company why this department is being established. The “why” will give your coworkers an entry. Maybe they don’t understand how GIS works, but they understand the value of data management, or communication. Use your “why” to make this department more tangible.
Be a good listener. The thing you are creating is great, but does it have a reason to exist? People have come to me and said “wouldn’t it be cool if we had…” and often it would be cool, but it would not be filling any need, so there is no use for it. Ask what the problem is, then find the answer. Solutions should be solving something. When it is forced, you will become frustrated because people aren’t using your product, and users will be frustrated because they don’t need what they were given.
Where
We have all witnessed file structures that look like a crime scene. Establish early on where everything will be stored. Your company hopefully already has file structures. If so, do your best to align with the existing file structure. In my situation, we use project numbers and names to decipher projects, so when I create a relevant ArcGIS Online map or application, I create folders using that same structure.
Starting off organized will boost your efficiency and credibility. Leave breadcrumbs through process documentation for yourself and others. Whenever I do something new, I create a word document to explain how and why I am doing the project. In this document, I include things I tried that failed, opinions I got from others on the project at each stage, and questions I have. So far, I am the only person who reads them, but it helps me pick up where I left off, rather than feeling lost.
How
How will your GIS department be executed? To answer this question, be honest with yourself about who is currently involved, what your current resources are, what your future resources may be, what assumptions you are making, why you are creating this department, what is your timeline, and where things will be stored. All these clues will lead you to a plan. Your plan will change as you go; mine changes all the time, but it will give you direction. Make your plan as specific as possible. Be sure to communicate your plan with those involved. Highlight where you could use support from coworkers or your employer to make the department a reality. This will open the door for questions and other aspects that need to be considered.
The Verdict
Mysteries are not solved by having all the information. They are solved by finding the most relevant details and piecing them together. When you create your GIS Department, you will not be able to predict the future, and you will not have all the answers. Using critical thinking and reliable evidence, you can generate a compelling narrative that will hold up before the jury.
If you have experience with starting up a GIS department, please share in the comments below. Now, split up and search for clues!
