You Can't Manage What You Don't Measure

							You Can't Manage What You
      Can't Measure

      John M. Palatiello
            NGAC
       February 5, 2009
           Geospatial Metrics
• There is a need for baseline information about
  geospatial activities, in and related to the
  Federal government and other stakeholders,
  and updated classifications systems, in order
  to plan for the future and measure results.
   What is the size of the Geospatial
                Market?
• There is no current, accurate market study
  that measures the size of the geospatial
  market, tracks changes, or analyzes market
  segments in a useful manner.
     What is the size of the Federal
     Government’s activity in the
         Geospatial Market?
• Geospatial Lines of Business (G-LOB) has not
  succeeded in accurately measuring the annual
  Federal expenditure on geospatial activities.
What is the delta between the current
 investment in NSDI and the nation’s
    need for current and accurate
           geospatial data?

• Information does not exist on how we are
  progressing on meeting the nation’s need for
  geospatial data.
    What is the size of the Federal
  procurement market for geospatial
     data products and services?
• The Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS)
  does not have an adequate product and
  services code (PSC) system for tracking
  procurement dollars in the geospatial field.
 What is the profile of firms in the
       geospatial market?
• The North American Industrial Classification
  System (NAICS) does not have a specific
  NAICS code for the geospatial community,
  making analysis or characterizations of the
  market very difficult.
    What is a “small business” in the
            geospatial field?
• Due to the lack of an accurate FPDS and NAICS
  system, it is impossible to accurately analyze
  the market and determine an appropriate
  Small Business Administration “size standard”
  for small firms in the geospatial field.
How much grant money is the Federal
Government awarding for geospatial
            activities?
• No accurate data base or coding system exists
  for tracking geospatial grants or identifying
  Federal programs that are funding geospatial
  activities at the state, regional, or local
  government or academic institution or non-
  profit organization levels.
   How many Federal employees are
    engaged in geospatial activities?
• The Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
  position classification system for Federal
  employees has not been changed in more
  than 20 years and fails to recognize the
  revolution in geospatial activities in the
  market and in the government during that
  time.
    What is the size of the geospatial
    workforce in the United States?
• Notwithstanding the fact that the U.S.
  Department of Labor has identified the geospatial
  field as one of the leaders in creating new jobs,
  there is no accurate data on current employment
  in the field in the U.S. due to a lack of a current
  definition of geospatial positions in the Bureau of
  Labor Statistics , which uses the outdated
  “surveyors, cartographers, photogrammetrists,
  and surveying technicians”.
   What is the Federal government
spending on education and workforce
development in the geospatial field in
         the United States?
• Notwithstanding the fact that the U.S. Department of
  Labor has identified the geospatial field as one of the
  leaders in creating new jobs, and has invested in
  geospatial workforce development programs, funds are
  being expended by the Departments of Education,
  labaor, NGA, NASA and perhaps others. There is no
  accurate data on Federal investment in geospatial
  training and education, and no coordination.
   What is the Federal government
 spending on geospatial research and
 how is that research contributing to a
   strategic research agenda that is
     meeting the market’s needs?
• While agencies such as the NRC/NAS/NAE, the NSF,
  TRB, and others (including agencies’ SBIR awards)
  spend tens of millions of dollars a year on geospatial
  research, there is no data on the dollar value of this
  research, no coordination among agencies, and no
  funding of this research toward a strategic agenda that
  has been vetted among agencies or the private sector,
  resulting in potential duplication and research that may
  not be addressing the highest priorities.
         What Can NGAC Do?
• Flying Blind
• You Can't Manage What You Can't Measure
• You Can’t See the Forest for the Trees
          What Can NGAC Do?
• In order for NGAC to evaluate the
  effectiveness of its recommendations and
  Federal agency reforms and initiatives, we
  should recommend that the Federal
  Government develop and implement an
  activity to collect data to answer the questions
  herein (and others?) so we can Benchmark,
  Manage, Measure and Monitor.