Progress toward a GEO Data Strategy

1. Progress toward a GEO Data Strategy Alessandro Annoni European Commission Joint Research Centre Pretoria, 20 May 2010

2. GEO strategic target on “Data Management” Provide a shared, easily accessible, timely, sustained stream of comprehensive data of documented quality, as well as metadata and information products, for informed decision making.

3. The “Data Management” target will be achieved through: preparation of and access to, among Member and Participating Organization communities, global and regional information data made available in accordance with GEOSS Data Sharing Principles promotion of a coordinated, life-cycle data management process development of best practicesfor observation, collection and access to data and information, including best practices for data quality assurance for both observing system data and information products; evaluation of emerging information sources, including communities that may be global and not formally associated with any particular GEO Member or Participating Organization, and encouraging access to the information through, or integration into, GEOSS, as appropriate.

4. This will be demonstrated by: Increased use of observations through advances in all aspects of life-cycle data management, integration, and data recovery and conversion. Open, reliable, timely, consistent, and free access to a core set of essential environmental observations and information products, supported by adequate metadata, by users across all GEOSS Societal Benefit Areas in accordance with GEOSS Data Sharing Principles. Removal of important data management deficiencies. Enhanced information extraction from historical, current and future source data.

5. The purpose of a Data Strategy for GEOSS is to provide direction for collaborative effort to increase data availability, consistency, interoperability, usability and quality Identify data requirements and identify priorities including the Users the Interface Committee and Communities of Practices [REQUIREMENTS & PRIORITIES] Elucidate practical methods for filling critical gaps in, inter alia, observation specifications and parameters, geographical areas, and observation and information accessibility [CONTENT] Identify actions aiming to improve access to timely, global and open data shared across borders and disciplines, including promotion of GEO data sharing principles for the full and open sharing and exchange of data and information, recognizing relevant international instruments and national policies and legislation [OPEN ACCESS] Identify actions to facilitate data harmonisation and interoperability and sustain operations of the relevant shared architectural GEOSS components needed (e.g. glossary, thesauri, UML data models, ..). Define and update interoperability arrangements including technical specifications for collection, processing, archiving, documentation (metadata) and dissemination of data and products. [HARMONISATION & INTEROPERABILITY] Foster research and development activities relevant for data management including planning of earth observation capacities, innovative approaches for upgrading and expanding Earth observations, development of best practices for life-cycle data management, data collection and data access, data quality assurance for both observing system data and information products [RESEARCH & INNOVATION]

6. User Requirements Gaps Understand Requirements State of Play Discovery User Requirements Current System R&D/AIP A A Understand Requirements B C Prototyping Gap Analyses B Gap Analyses Architecture Concepts C Operations Content Mgt Operations Interoperability E Contributed Resources Filling Data Gaps Harmonize Data Data Policy Search and Retrieval E D Quality Management Service Integration Services User Interface Data Access Interoperability Harmonization F D F User Access Capacity Building Capacity Building & Feed back Data Use Data Quality User Data and Architecture strategies are intrinsically connected Development USER

7. Revised Data Strategy for discussion User Requirements Inventory and Gaps Understand Requirements State of Play Discovery Gap Analyses Prototyping and Development Sustained Operations Life cycle Data Management Data Quality (QC/QA) Filling Data Gaps Data Integration (data centres) Data Policy Data Preservation Harmonize Data Services &Registries RTD Data Access Methods (Interoperability Harmonization,..) Registries and Thesauri User Feed back & Capacity Building Emerging Data sources Data Use

8. Revised Data Strategy for discussion User Requirements Inventory and Gaps Understand Requirements State of Play Discovery Gap Analyses Prototyping and Development Sustained Operations Life cycle Data Management Data Quality (QC/QA) Filling Data Gaps Data Integration (data centres) Data Policy Data Preservation Harmonize Data Services &Registries RTD Data Access Methods (Interoperability Harmonization,..) Registries and Thesauri User Feed back & Capacity Building Emerging Data sources Data Use

9. Role of Committees User Requirements Inventory and Gaps Understand Requirements State of Play Discovery Gap Analyses Prototyping and Development Sustained Operations Life cycle Data Management Data Quality (QC/QA) Filling Data Gaps Data Integration (data centres) Data Policy Data Preservation Harmonize Data Services &Registries RTD Data Access Methods (Interoperability Harmonization,..) Registries and Thesauri User Feed back & Capacity Building Emerging Data sources Data Use

10. Status of play User Requirements Inventory and Gaps Understand Requirements State of Play Discovery Gap Analyses Prototyping and Development Sustained Operations Life cycle Data Management Data Quality (QC/QA) Filling Data Gaps Data Integration (data centres) Data Policy Data Preservation Harmonize Data Services &Registries RTD Data Access Methods (Interoperability Harmonization,..) Registries and Thesauri User Feed back & Capacity Building Emerging Data sources Data Use