GENESEE COUNTY, MI IMPLEMENTATION · PDF fileGENESEE COUNTY, MI IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ... Project Summary ... • Implementation and maintenance of departmental data sets within Health,

GENESEE COUNTY, MI IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Submitted to:

Michael Ortiz, Director Genesee County Department of Equalization

1101 Beach Street Flint, MI 48502 (810) 257-3017

Submitted by:

Annie Metcalf, Executive Consultant Andrew Faley, GeoSpatial Analyst

Jim Fries, Executive Consultant PlanGraphics, Inc.

112 East Main Street Frankfort, KY 40601

(502) 223-1501 FAX: (502) 223-1235

August 9, 2002

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page

Section 1: Introduction ............................................................................................ 1-1 Project Summary .................................................................................... 1-1 GIS Goals ............................................................................................... 1-2 Implementation Plan Objectives ............................................................ 1-3

Section 2: Implementation Strategy ........................................................................ 2-1 Overview of Enterprise Implementation Activities................................ 2-1 Enterprise Implementation Phase Objectives......................................... 2-1

Phase 1: Initial Phase—August 1, 2002 to July 1, 2004 .................. 2-1Phase 2: Extended Phase—July 1, 2004 to December 30, 2005...... 2-2

Phase 1: Initial Phase/Implementation Activities................................... 2-3 Task Series 1: Develop an Organizational and Administrative

Framework .............................................................. 2-3 Task Series 2: Management of Phase 1 Implementation................ 2-6 Task Series 3: Develop Procedures and Standards......................... 2-8 Task Series 4: Develop a Database Design for Phase 1 ................. 2-10 Task Series 5: Procure and Install Additional Hardware and

Software .................................................................. 2-12 Task Series 6: Create a Countywide Land Base and

Implement Maintenance.......................................... 2-16 Task Series 7: Convert Additional Data Sets for Phase 1 .............. 2-17 Task Series 8: Develop a Maintenance Plan and Procedures

for Additional Datasets ........................................... 2-19Task Series 9: Design and Develop Applications .......................... 2-19 Task Series 10: Design and Implement Integration with

Existing Systems..................................................... 2-23 Phase 2: Extended Phase/Implementation Activities ............................. 2-24

Task Series 11: Review and Modify an Organizational and Administrative Framework ..................................... 2-24

Task Series 12: Evaluate System Performance ................................ 2-25 Task Series 13: Procure and Install Additional Hardware and

Software .................................................................. 2-27 Task Series 14: Review and Revise the Database Design and

the Data Conversion Plan ....................................... 2-27 Task Series 15: Review and Revise Database Maintenance

Procedures............................................................... 2-28 Task Series 16: Design and Develop Additional Applications ........ 2-28 Task Series 17: Continue to Establish and Promote External

Relations ................................................................. 2-28 Task Series 18: Evaluate GIS for System Performances.................. 2-28

Section 3: Roles and Responsibilities...................................................................... 3-1 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)

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Genesee County, MI, Implementation Plan August 9, 2002

Title Page

Section 4: Annual Cost Projection .......................................................................... 4-1 Section 5: Schedule for Implementation Tasks ....................................................... 5-1 Section 6: Conclusions ............................................................................................ 6-1

List of Tables

Table 1-1: Genesee County, MI, Participants .......................................................... 1-1 Table 3-1: Roles and Responsibilities...................................................................... 3-1 Table 4-1: Annual Cost Projections/Summary ........................................................ 4-1 Table 5-1: Implementation Schedule ....................................................................... 5-1

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SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION

PROJECT SUMMARY

PlanGraphics, Inc., an independent geographic information system (GIS) consulting firm, was retained by Genesee County to assess existing geographic information which could be incorporated into an enterprise-wide GIS. As an initial step, PlanGraphics evaluated existing GIS systems within each project participant’s department through a series of interviews, surveys, and workshops. The importance of involving a broad scope of divisions is critical at the initiation of a GIS planning project to better determine requirements and potential applications for implementing an efficient and effective GIS.

Table 1-1 lists the participating individuals and departments within Genesee County.

Table 1-1: Genesee County, MI, Participants

Department Participant(s) Board of Commissioners Dan Harrell Pam Franks

Animal Control Lloyd Biggs Nate Town

Buildings and Grounds Roger Haas Jim Miller Lyle Boyer

Central Dispatch Bill Gerald Fay Beackert

Drain Commission – Surface Water Jim Gerth Susanne Kubic

Emergency Management Tami Yorks Grace Ranger

Equalization Mike Ortiz Pete Apgar

Health Priya Nair Bobby Pestronk Kathy Arnold Mark Valacak Karen McIntosh Dr. Gary Johnson Jim Helmsteffer Brian McKenzie Frank Ricica John McKellar Carolyn Ratza Kristie Schmiege Lilliam Wyatt

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Table 1-1: Genesee County, MI, Participants (continued)

Department Participant(s) Information Systems Joseph Heimbach Maxine Jennett

Parks and Recreation Amy McMillan Ron Walker Bob Davis

Planning Tom Goergen Chapin Cook

Register of Deeds Melvin McCree Carolyn Butler Deborah Cohee

Road Commission Walt Schell Bob Slattery Brad Danks Herb Herrick Mike Mansfield Pat Hogan Bonnie Wood Rocky Chatman Laurel Robertson Sherry Russ

Sheriff Mike Rau Ken Emigh

Treasurer Dan Kildee Luis Gonzalez Renee Auten Jill McKenzie

Water and Wastewater Services Mark Hogan Theresa Ingle Mark Stephens

GIS GOALS

Genesee County has expended significant time and energy in preparing and planning for GIS implementation. Current activities related to mapping and geographic information include:

• Maintenance and updating of County parcels within the Equalization Department

• Maintenance and updating of infrastructure data sets within the Water and Wastewater Services Division of the Drain Commission



• Utilization of aerial photos and planned conversion to digital orthophotos through the Planning Commission

• Implementation and maintenance of departmental data sets within Health, Emergency Management, the Road Commission, and the divisions within the Drain Commission—Surface Water Management and Water and Wastewater Services

• Current and planned use of ArcView software by a number of departments within the County.

Many County departments are already utilizing georeferenced materials. The current goal of implementation is to bring existing and newly created information together into an enhanced GIS for the County. Making data from various department sources available to all divisions through the use of GIS will not only increase information flow, but it will also increase productivity and accuracy in data collection and management.

Several sub-goals are contained within the main goal of integrating existing spatial information across these Departments and Divisions:

• Undertake further data conversion for critical data sets

• Implement a central data repository system

• Develop an improved land base using orthophotos, cadastral, and street centerline data, etc.

• Develop custom applications to provide access to GIS data and GIS capabilities to view, query, and analyze geographic information

• Upgrade hardware and software while preserving existing investments

• Develop standards for data creation and maintenance

• Provide expanded user access to GIS for all levels of users at the desktop.

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN OBJECTIVES

Preparation of an implementation plan for expansion of GIS in Genesee County is an important step in constructing and operating a countywide GIS system. This step, which follows the development of a detailed needs assessment and conceptual design, provides all participants involved with an understanding of the organizational and individual roles and responsibilities necessary to achieve the County’s GIS implementation goals and to make the expanded GIS an operational reality.



The detailed implementation plan provides a long-term strategy for meeting the geographic information technology and management needs of the County over the next four to five years.

This implementation plan accomplishes several objectives. It:

1. Identifies activities to institute organizational changes to support GIS during and following implementation

2. Delineates the highest-priority applications to be developed for Genesee County

3. Describes the steps necessary to complete data conversion and enhancements of existing GIS and associated attribute data

4. Recommends necessary steps for development of procedures and standards for data enhancement, data creation, and maintenance

5. Identifies steps for implementation of priority applications

6. Describes necessary resources required in terms of funding, staff, and organizational management

7. Establishes a schedule to be followed, including major milestones to be achieved.

These steps are described in further detail in the remainder of this document.


SECTION 2 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

OVERVIEW OF ENTERPRISE IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES

To implement an enterprise GIS successfully, Genesee County must address numerous organizational and technical issues. PlanGraphics has developed the following implementation strategy to guide the County in this process.

The proposed implementation strategy is presented in a series of tasks organized around general implementation activities and the two phases briefly described in the GIS Needs Assessment/Conceptual System Design Working Paper. In this section of the report, each of the phases will be outlined in detail, and objectives and activities to be completed will be clearly defined. Figure 5-1, located in Section 5, presents the task series and the related schedule. Table 4-1, located in Section 4, presents a summary of annual cost projections for both phases. Each of the task series addresses a specific set of activities that project participants must carry out as the countywide GIS is implemented.

ENTERPRISE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE OBJECTIVES

As stated in the previous GIS Needs Assessment/Conceptual System Design Working Paper, PlanGraphics recommends that Genesee County approach GIS implementation in two phases. Specific, step-by-step tasks for each phase, as well as the organizational structure of all parties involved in implementation, are outlined in this section.

Phase 1: Initial Phase—August 1, 2002 to July, 1, 2004

The first phase of implementation is referred to as the Initial Phase. This phase will last for approximately two and one half years. The objectives of this phase include the following:

• Establish an organizational structure, policies, and procedures that will govern the enterprise GIS.

• Allocate funding for implementation.

• Enhance the existing land base and migrate core sets of data (cadastral, orthophotos, street centerlines, administrative boundaries, etc.) to enterprise data sets within ArcGIS and SDE software environments.

• Establish a GIS Center, including hiring staff and contracting for implementation services.



• Develop a subset of the priority applications defined in the GIS Needs Assessment/Conceptual System Design Working Paper. Those applications that can be used by a number of County departments should be developed first, thereby ensuring that all County personnel will be exposed to this new technology. A maximum of five to six of the priority applications should be implemented throughout the County during this phase. These five to six applications should, once again, be implemented throughout the entire County to ensure that everyone sees the benefits of GIS during Phase 1 of the implementation.

• Identify, evaluate, and support key initiatives during Phase 1 implementation (i.e., Treasurer’s Office delinquent property program, homeland security, and emergency preparedness).

• Develop the majority of map themes and layers (and some key attribute data) outlined in the database design section of the GIS Needs Assessment/Conceptual System Design Working Paper.

• Develop and implement GIS data maintenance standards, procedures, and software tools.

• Purchase and install additional hardware and software.

• Integrate at least three to four of the County’s existing computer and information systems with the GIS during the first implementation phase.

• Provide GIS training and education for County staff during this phase of implementation. Training should be targeted at all levels of users, and all County employees should be exposed to some type of GIS education during this phase.

Phase 2: Extended Phase—August 1, 2004 to December 30, 2005

Phase 2 of implementation is referred to as the Extended Phase. This phase will last for approximately one and one quarter years. The major objectives of this stage of implementation are as follows:

• Review and evaluate the County GIS to date, including an assessment of status, cost, schedule, and benefits.

• Develop and implement a strategy for the transition of activities to be performed in-house by GIS staff, as opposed to being outsourced.

• Evaluate applications developed to date and other recently implemented software and hardware.



• Review the project’s organizational and administrative framework to verify that all participants’ needs are being met. This will also ensure that necessary modifications will be addressed and made to structures, roles, and responsibilities of all parties involved.

• Continue development of priority applications, along with the conversion and acquisition of additional data.

• Hire additional GIS support staff (i.e., GIS technicians).

• Continue GIS training and education for County staff during this phase of implementation.

• Continue status reports and briefings on project progress to date.

All 18 task series involved in both phases of implementation are outlined and described in detail below.

PHASE 1: INITIAL PHASE IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES

The countywide GIS implementation activities for Phase 1 are outlined in this sub-section. Each implementation activity within the task series is described below.

Task Series 1: Develop an Organizational and Administrative Framework

Project participants should refine the organizational structure, staffing, and procedures needed to guide implementation prior to beginning full-scale GIS implementation. The County should follow the outsourcing and staffing recommendations defined in the previous GIS Needs Assessment/Conceptual System Design Working Paper.

Task 1.1: Establish the GIS Organizational Structure

One of the first implementation tasks should be the formalization of the recommended organizational structure, including creation of a GIS Executive Steering Committee, a GIS Working Group, and the Genesee County GIS Center.

PlanGraphics recommends the creation of an Executive Steering Committee to provide overall direction to, and governance of, the enterprise GIS program. The Committee should initially be composed of senior representatives from each of the six prominent GIS user and support departments—Equalization, Health, the Treasurer’s Office, the Metropolitan Planning Commission, the Road Commission, and the Drain Commission. The Committee can be expanded over time as more agencies become more directly



involved with GIS. A chairperson should be selected, and the responsibility could possibly rotate among the members on a biennial cycle or remain with one or two agencies.

The Steering Committee should plan on meeting monthly during the first six to 12 months of Phase 1. After the project has reached a consistent level of implementation and a senior staff person is responsible for the GIS center, meetings could be held quarterly. The Executive Steering Committee should then create a GIS Working Group and identify the Group’s participants.

PlanGraphics recommends that a GIS Working Group be formed and that it be comprised of one staff member from each of the organizations represented on the Executive Steering Committee, Information Services, and core GIS staff. The purpose of the GIS Working Group is to carry out the directives established by the County’s Steering Committee and to implement procedures for integrated operations and management of both the enterprise system and departmental GIS activities and programs. The GIS Working Group will have primary responsibility for ensuring successful inter-departmental coordination and GIS implementation.

In addition to creating the committee and the working group, this task also involves establishing a GIS Center. The Center would be centrally responsible for managing the County’s enterprise GIS facilities and data. PlanGraphics recommends that the Center’s staff initially have four enterprise functions—1) GIS coordination and program management, 2) GIS application development, 3) training and general GIS technical support, and 4) specialized projects conducted for participating departments on a fee-for-services basis. The functions are presented in priority order.

Task 1.2: Establish Items to be Contracted for Implementation

The following five tasks deal with contracting for implementation services. In this task, the GIS Executive Steering Committee will determine which implementation tasks will be outsourced and which the County will perform. These items can include all of the remaining tasks listed in this implementation plan, or they can include selected pieces of the implementation, such as application design, training, or field data collection. The Committee can make decisions, or it may hire an Implementation Services Contractor to guide its decision-making. The Committee may also choose to split responsibility for some of the tasks. The decision to assign or split tasks should be based on the availability of County Staff, the ability to create and fill GIS staff positions, and the level of expertise needed to perform tasks.



Task 1.3: Develop Requests for Proposals

This task deals with the development of a Request for Proposals (RFP) or a series of RFPs by the County that solicit GIS implementation services. The RFP(s) should clearly identify the expected outcome and scope of services. The RFP should also identify assumptions for areas such as:

• Time frame • Task to be performed and supported • Availability of County staff • Qualification of selected service provider • Instructions for content and submittal of proposals • Use of County facilities (office space, equipment, access to building, etc.).

The County should collect sample RFPs both within the County and from other local governments for similar services. The samples can be used for reference in developing one or more of the RFPs. The Steering Committee should assign one or more individuals to prepare a draft RFP(s). The Draft would be reviewed and revised based on comments by the Committee and others, such as legal council. Upon final edits, the RFP(s) would be advertised and provided to interested individuals.

Task 1.4: Review Proposals and Award Contract

After the RFP(s) has been issued, the Executive Steering Committee will then have to review all proposals submitted and decide on the company or companies to receive the contract award. This may or may not involve conducting short-list presentations given by potential service providers, depending on the quality and quantity of suitable proposals submitted. The County will also be responsible for following up on references of each suitable proposal and possibly doing site visits or other reference checks to ensure that the contract is awarded to the best possible service provider.

Task 1.5: Award and Execute Contract

When the County has decided on the vendor, the contract will be awarded to that firm. After all negotiations have closed, contracts will then be agreed upon and signed by both parties (Genesee County and the chosen firm).

The chosen firm will be responsible for the deployment of the contract, as outlined in its proposal for the project. It will be the responsibility of the County’s contract administrator (to be identified by the GIS Executive Steering Committee) to coordinate with the contractor on meeting time schedules and providing all materials needed to carry out the project. It will be the responsibility of the contractor to adhere to the schedule for deliverables presented in the proposal and all other items in the contract.



Task 1.6: Establish a GIS Training and Education Program

The GIS Executive Steering Committee, with input from the Implementation Services Contractor and the GIS Working Group, should establish a GIS training and education program as defined in the GIS Needs Assessment/Conceptual System Design Working Paper. The plan should indicate short-term (one-year) training requirements and a long-term program (four years and beyond).

Various options for training exist in southeastern Michigan. The following guidelines should be followed when developing different tracks of training for all County personnel:

• Introductory Training in GIS: This orientation training would be of benefit to all potential users of GIS, including the Board of County Commission members, managers, department heads, and any other interested County staff.

• Data Creation and Maintenance Concepts and Training: This training would include specialized concepts relating directly to using ESRI software for creating and maintaining County data. This type of specialized GIS training includes advanced courses on the functionality and use of GIS software, operation of hardware devices, and special training for those involved in system and database administration roles.

• GIS for General Users: These training courses will offer users an introductory look at all of the GIS software available to them throughout the County. Some of the training would be oriented toward ArcView users with other training focused on use of customized ArcIMS or other custom applications.

Task 1.7: Assess Effectiveness of Organizational Structure and Staffing/Outsourcing Approach

Before the next stages of implementation take place, the County should assess the effectiveness of the organizational structure of the project to date, in terms of staffing roles and responsibilities and the approach chosen for outsourcing implementation services. If changes need to be made to these roles and responsibilities or the approach for outsourcing needs to be adjusted, these changes should be made at this time. If any members of the GIS Steering Committee, Working Group, Board of Commissioners, or any other party involved with the GIS foresee problems with the organizational structure, they should be encouraged to voice their comments so that the project has absolute support from all County Departments.

Task Series 2: Management of Phase 1 Implementation

Task 2.1: Prepare/Present Status Reports and Briefings

The GIS Executive Steering Committee will have the ultimate responsibility for ensuring regular and accurate project status reporting. The Committee should identify one or more



individuals to prepare or contribute the status reports. Initially, PlanGraphics recommends that status reports be prepared by the Chairperson for the Steering Committee with contributions from other committee members and County staff. Drafting status reports and preparing briefings can transition to either County staff or implementation service contractors after they are in place.

Status reports should include a detailed schedule, action items, and a progress summary. This report should be presented to the GIS Steering Committee on a regular basis. The GIS Executive Steering Committee should also prepare regular status reports to be presented to the County Board of Commissioners or other appropriate group by the GIS Executive Committee. The reports to the Board of Commissioners should cover all aspects of implementation, including new items to be contracted and the status of ongoing contracts. On a quarterly basis, the status of adherence to or departure from the budget and schedule should also be reported.

Task 2.2: Prepare Management Plan and Detailed GIS Budget

The GIS Implementation Services Contractor (with consultation and input from County staff) should prepare a draft Genesee County GIS System Management Plan for review, approval, and recommendation by the GIS Steering Committee. The initial plan and budget will be based on the recommendations made in this report and available resources. The plan should specifically define what will be accomplished in the first two and one half years of implementation, who will be responsible for specific activities, what staff will be assigned or hired, etc. If the recommendations for implementation steps, staffing resources, and organizational structure are adopted without much modification, the plan will be relatively easy to develop. However, if the County does not have the resources recommended in terms of funding and staffing, the plan should take these deviations into consideration. Genesee County should also prepare a detailed GIS budget based on the adopted schedule, cost estimates provided in this report, and sources of funding.

This budget should contain a refinement of all costs for hardware, software, communications, site preparation, data conversion, and staffing presented in this report. It should be prepared prior to the budget process for the next fiscal year.

Task 2.3: Hire/Appoint a GIS Coordinator

To ensure a timely and effective transition, the County needs to be prepared to fill a GIS Coordinator position by the middle of 2003. This individual should be assigned to, or hired into, the GIS staff functional roles recommended in the GIS Needs Assessment/Conceptual System Design Working Paper. This position will serve as the head of the GIS Center, and the individual that is hired will be responsible for long-term management of the countywide GIS, equipment maintenance, database management, system operations coordination, procurement and contract management, in-house data conversion monitoring, application development and support, and future GIS budget preparation. PlanGraphics also recommends hiring a GIS Analyst with skills in management of GIS data and applications.



The County will also need to determine how much additional responsibility (if any) it will have in implementing the countywide GIS. If the County is going to provide services to outside agencies, they will need to seriously consider hiring additional support staff. PlanGraphics also recommends the use of interns to support operational and development activities.

Task Series 3: Develop Procedures and Standards

The GIS Executive Steering Committee and GIS Work Group should create a subcommittee to address standards. Tasks that establish standards for data, hardware, software, and communications are identified below. The Subcommittee on Standards should begin development of standards by defining areas for which standards will be developed. The tasks presented here only deal with key standards.

Task 3.1: Evaluate and Inventory Standards

The Subcommittee on Standards can begin the process of developing standards immediately by 1) evaluating the state of standards development locally and nationally, and 2) inventorying standards currently used by participants. Each participant’s representative on the Subcommittee should collect any information or direct the County’s Implementation Services Contractor to collect information about standards or practices that are de facto standards. Participants should also research standards developed by others, including the Federal government’s data standards on metadata (FGDC Metadata) and other local agencies.

Task 3.2: Develop Draft Database Standards

Developing database standards can begin by defining the feature type and format and the tabular attributes associated with each map feature. PlanGraphics recommends creating these in a standard digital format, if possible, so that they can eventually be merged.

In conjunction with completion of these feature definitions, the Standards Subcommittee/Implementation Services Contractor will identify all geographic features for which standard classification and coding are needed. This will be followed by an examination of existing classification and coding conventions where they exist. This step will culminate in draft standard classification and coding schemes, including the creation of new schemes where no existing scheme can be used in its current or modified form.

Task 3.3: Prepare Master Source List

In conjunction with completion of the forms, the Subcommittee/Implementation Services Contractor will prepare a list of sources for building the GIS database layers (for both map features and their attributes). This will be a master list to be used by conversion contractors or by in-house groups in planning a conversion effort. It should identify the source by name and provide information about its format (e.g., hard copy map, microfiche, utility service card, PC database), where it can be obtained, and its update



status. Inventories taken by PlanGraphics and documented in the GIS Needs Assessment/Conceptual System Design Working Paper will be useful in preparing this list. While this list is being prepared, a sample of the source materials should be assembled.

Task 3.4: Define Accuracy Requirements

Absolute horizontal and vertical accuracy standards for photogrammetrically produced land base layers and other applicable layers will be documented in this step. It is important to specifically document the accuracy specified for each database component in a consistent and clear manner.

In this step, the Subcommittee/Implementation Services Contractor will describe and illustrate basic mapping rules and relationships for development of land base and thematic layers. In large part, these rules will define relative map feature placement (e.g., zoning boundary lines relative to parcel boundaries, connectivity rules for utility networks) and other physical and logical rules for map feature positioning.

Map feature completeness standards will be defined for each feature included on land base or thematic layers. The target will be 100 percent in many cases, but there will be applicable cases where something less than 100 percent is acceptable.

The Subcommittee/Implementation Services Contractor will establish standards for attribute accuracy and will identify rules for validity checking of tabular attributes (valid lists and ranges), which can be used to drive quality control processes. As explained previously, 100 percent accuracy should be a target for key feature indexes (e.g., parcel number), but attribute accuracies of less than 100 percent for some other attributes may be acceptable and in some cases unavoidable given the quality of source information.

Task 3.5: Establish Graphic Quality and Presentation

Data conversion specification should contain statements about the required graphic quality. The Subcommittee/Implementation Services Contractor should prepare a standard description of graphic quality (e.g., product free of line breaks, undershoots, overshoots, etc.) that is applicable to all layers. In some cases, requirements for topology will dictate some of the quality standards.

Based on an examination of existing standard map formats and symbol/line type/annotation conventions, participants will reach a consensus and prepare and define (in a manner suitable for reference in a conversion specification) the expected presentation format for all products for which “standard” map production will apply. Standard parcel maps and utility maps fall into this category.

Task 3.6: Quality Control and Assurance

An important task of the implementation, data conversion, and continued use of a countywide GIS is quality control and assurance. It is imperative that individual



participants design and set up internal procedures for tracking, checking, and approving products delivered to or created by the County. This should include checking hard copy checkplots and automated files. Minimum standards for quality control of data that reside in the repository must be developed and agreed upon.

Task 3.7: Metadata

Using Federal Geographic Data Committee standards as a base, participants should design a database for metadata to meet data catalog needs at the data set (layer) level and to support actual use of data at the feature level.

Task 3.8: Data Repository Browsing

An initial application that Genesee County should implement as portions of the database become available for use is a browse capability, which allows users to learn about available GIS data in the central repository. In this step, the Subcommittee/Implementation Services Contractor will define the requirements for an on-line browse “service” and will implement the capability for available data.

Task 3.9: Develop Hardware, Software, and Network Standards

The following initial activities will lead to development of hardware, software, and network standards:

• Document all existing standards.

• Establish policies on GIS software procurements.

• Establish guidelines and a “standard procurement list” for new software acquisition. These guidelines will benefit the County in determining the ease of integration with GIS by limiting the number of different packages in use.

Task Series 4: Develop a Database Design for Phase 1

Database development is an activity that takes place over time, and a plan is necessary to complete conversion in a timely and efficient manner. The following tasks involve activities necessary to create an effective data conversion program.

Task 4.1: Develop a Detailed Data Conversion/Migration Plan and Database Design

Based on the recommendations of the GIS Needs Assessment/Conceptual System Design Working Paper, the Implementation Services Contractor, with input, review, and approval by the Working Group and other County staff, should develop a detailed database design. The GIS database design defines map features and associated attributes for all data themes that will be part of the GIS database. At a minimum, the initial design should include an overall design philosophy and a design for all data themes and



associated graphics and attributes for Phase 1 implementation. For Genesee County, the design process will involve three steps:

1. Develop a Data Conversion/Migration Plan—Describes the overall data design philosophy, identifies themes to convert or migrate, and describes data sources in terms of content, format, origin, and condition. The plan also identifies a schedule and level of effort estimates. Finally, the plan describes the methodologies and procedures to be used to migrate/convert the data.

2. Development of a Logical Database Design—This design documents all entities critical to database flow. The logical model identifies both graphic and nongraphic data entities and their relationship to one another. The logical design is somewhat software neutral; however, some of the requirements of the software environment will need to be taken into consideration.

3. Development of a Physical Database Design—This takes the Logical Design a step further and details the database characteristics of each entity listed in the Logical Design.

Task 4.2: Assign Priorities and Responsibilities to Database Elements

Data acquisition should correspond to application development priorities and data layer dependencies. Based on the application priorities and a logical sequencing, the GIS Working Group with support from the Implementation Services Contractor will recommend priorities and responsibilities to the GIS Executive Steering Committee. Responsibilities will identify whether the data conversion migration will be performed by the County staff, the Implementation Services Contractor, or under a separate contract. The decision should be based on the availability of County staff resources, necessary skills, and the relative cost of the entire project.



The GIS Working Group should also recommend which entity has responsibility for both quality assurance and database maintenance. Smooth system development and operation will be more likely if the division of database responsibilities is clear. Agencies should be assigned responsibilities, which are similar to current map, or nongraphic data maintenance responsibilities.

Task Series 5: Procure and Install Additional Hardware and Software

The natural tendency of most organizations is to try to act quickly to obtain new computers and the software that the computer hardware will use. This desire to acquire equipment can result in purchases that do not provide all of the functionality and processing power that may be required to support the geospatial application activities that will be performed. Therefore, before any action is taken to begin or initiate the procurement process, Genesee County should develop detailed specifications for GIS hardware, software, and communications links based on the recommendations in the GIS Needs Assessment/Conceptual System Design Working Paper and the standards developed though Task Series 3.

Task 5.1: Determine the Software Procurement Approach

This step in Genesee County’s GIS implementation program involves procuring GIS software. The County’s software procurement will drive subsequent database design and application development activities.

Genesee County basically has two methods available to it for acquiring the software needed to implement GIS:

1) Sole Source: This approach uses a single provider for specialized products or services. Based on the software recommendations from PlanGraphics in the GIS Needs Assessment/Conceptual System Design Working Paper, the sole source provider to Genesee County for GIS software would be ESRI. PlanGraphics recommends that the County use this method for obtaining software. Although second party providers or resellers of ESRI software are available, it has been PlanGraphics’ general experience that prices and subsequent maintenance costs are at least as low dealing directly with ESRI as other providers would offer.

The County should consider some options for obtaining software directly from ESRI. The most immediate is cash or terms purchase. Alternatively, ESRI offers a variety of software grant programs to local governments, and Genesee County may wish to pursue software provision through this type of arrangement. Of particular immediate interest, ESRI has established a grant program for Homeland Security that Genesee County may wish to consider pursuing because of its industrial and transportation resources.



2) Purchase from a State Term Contract: This method allows the County to purchase software from an existing State Term Contract that has been established between hardware and software providers and the State of Michigan.

Task 5.2: Develop Software Specifications

This task deals with developing a list of specifications for software that should be supplied to ESRI. These specifications will allow the County to predetermine its exact needs and to supply the vendor with a comprehensive list of all of the County’s requirements and requests. Two steps are involved in supplying ESRI or any other vendor with these specifications:

• Provide ESRI with specifications determined by the County and request a reply from them. These specifications will include all software that the County intends to acquire. The response from ESRI should include information concerning hardware product recommendations. This information will help the County determine if its present hardware will support the most current software that it is planning to obtain from ESRI (e.g., GIS server specifications). Unit prices for all software should also be included in the reply from ESRI, along with information concerning software support options and training.

• The County should carefully and critically review the ESRI response. Any modifications requested by the County should not be sent back to ESRI until both parties are satisfied with the specifications.

These steps should be followed regardless of who the vendor might be and regardless of which method from Task 5.1 is used to procure software.

The specifications for acquiring software, regardless of the approach used, should include, at a minimum, the following:

• Hardware functionality specifications • Software functionality specifications • Ability to support short- and long-term County application requirements • Ability to integrate with existing County computing systems • Documentation and training requirements • Maintenance and support requirements • Warranties • Delivery and installation requirements • Ease of use • Ease of customization • Required price information, including all shipping or delivery charges and

appropriate taxes.



Task 5.3: Negotiate Contract, Define Delivery Schedule, and Issue Purchase Order

Contract negotiation is an opportunity for developing a mutually beneficial contract. The County must carefully establish terms for the purchase and support of its GIS software. Topics for negotiation with the selected vendors may include the following:

• Terms and conditions for payment • Documentation and training • Maintenance and support • Delivery and installation • Application development assistance.

Task 5.4: Buy Required Hardware

All of the hardware required to support a countywide GIS for Genesee County should be purchased during this phase. The recommendations supplied by ESRI and those presented in the Needs Assessment and Conceptual Design Report by PlanGraphics should be followed. Hardware can be purchased through any vendor selected by the County, and the County should also determine if an existing State Price Contract is available for County use. Oftentimes, use of a State Contract can provide more favorable pricing than might otherwise be obtained.

Task 5.5: Prepare Site(s) for Installation

The GIS Coordinator, the Working Group, and the County IS Department will be responsible for coordinating site preparation. Sites where hardware is being installed must be prepared according to the manufacturers’ specifications for processing units, workstations, peripheral devices, and communication lines. Most of the equipment will not require extremely strict environmental controls, but the following factors must be addressed:

• Allocating adequate space for the devices

• Installing dedicated and protected electrical circuits where necessary and relocating outlets

• Arranging for laying cable to connect devices to the network

• Providing a properly cooled environment for the main processing unit

• Providing “noise insulated” environments for certain devices (e.g., high capacity disk drives)

• Reducing ambient lighting near graphics displays.



Task 5.6: Install/Test Hardware and Software Functionality

The GIS Coordinator, in consultation with the IS Department, should consider contracting for the installation of all major hardware and communications equipment. Certain pieces of hardware, software, network cabling, and devices for network communications may be installed by the County, but it is often possible to procure installation services at less cost if the County staff assumed responsibility for total installation. This is particularly the case with large, more complicated pieces of hardware and network equipment. PlanGraphics recommends that the GIS Coordinator handle this contract with any needed guidance from the Implementation Service Contractor and the GIS Working Group. Using an acceptance testing procedure approved by the GIS Working Group, the IS Department, and the GIS Steering Committee, hardware functionality should be tested, and GIS software modules should be comprehensively tested using approved data sets.

Task 5.7: Set up and Test Remote Links

After hardware is installed at sites remote from the main database server and network connections have been established, network communications between sites will be tested by demonstrating direct query access to the server. If all components function satisfactorily, the GIS Working Group will approve installation before beginning system operations.

Task 5.8: Acquire Training

In this task, the GIS Coordinator will organize and, in some cases, actually conduct training for County staff. Those staff members who have system administration and database administration roles will require further training from the software and hardware vendors. This includes training on operating system tools for system and network management, database administration utilities, and GIS database design. The GIS Coordinator, the Implementation Services Contractor, and individual vendors will also provide appropriate training for a core set of initial users and members of the IS Department.

Task 5.9: Establish Initial System Directories, Access, and Procedures

The GIS Coordinator and the IS Department, with the help of the GIS software vendor, will initiate system operation by establishing initial system directories and access procedures. The layout of the directories should reflect the needs of the County’s user community and should be consistent with the design of the enterprise database architecture.



Task 5.10: Provide Technical Support to Users

The GIS Coordinator and the Implementation Services Contractor, in conjunction with the vendors, should provide initial technical support to users. The GIS Coordinator and the GIS Analyst (as well as other GIS staff in the future) should be prepared to provide this support on an ongoing basis when implementation is complete.

Task Series 6: Create a Countywide Land Base and Implement Maintenance

Task 6.1: Support Creation of a Countywide Land Base

The development of a countywide land base is a key to and an integral part of the development of an enterprise GIS. The land base can be thought of as a series of integrated layers presenting the minimum common graphic and nongraphic data that County agencies need to perform their responsibilities. The land base must be tied to a well-established survey control network, and completion of the County’s remonumentation project should be recognized as contributing to land base development.

The consolidated land base should, at the very least, consist of cadastral or property boundaries, a street centerline file (preferably with valid addresses or address ranges), and georectified digital orthophotographs. Other components may include survey system boundaries, geodetic monument locations, and administrative boundaries. All layers should be developed or converted to a uniform projection and datum and produced in a seamless coverage from the entire County. Because Genesee County actually owns and manages land in an adjacent County, it would be desirable to extend coverage of the land base to include acreages in the adjacent County.

To finish producing the common land base, PlanGraphics recommends that the County continue its efforts to secure up-to-date aerial photography and “clean up” the in-house cadastral data. The acquisition of new georeferenced photography and the “clean-up” process of correcting topological and other errors both appear to be progressing at this time, but additional effort may needed to complete the initiatives to correspond with other implementation tasks that are dependent on the existence of the land base.

An additional key component to this task involves securing the City of Flint’s property data. Because the City of Flint occupies a large geographic part of the County’s 640 square miles, the Flint property data is very important. A formal plan or agreement does not now exist between the City of Flint and Genesee County in relation to acquiring City data updates. PlanGraphics recommends that an agreement between the City of Flint and Genesee County be developed to cover acquiring the most up-to-date data from the City, as well as scheduling the regular provision and receipt of updates to the City’s data. After receipt of the City’s data set, the County will need to follow the same clean-up and error resolution/corrections process that has been used for the rest of the County data.



Task 6.2: Develop a Strategy for Land Base Maintenance

Much of the County’s past focus has been on creating a land base, and as a result, data is becoming outdated. As the number of users increases in the future, the need for routine maintenance and procedures will also increase. PlanGraphics recommends that Genesee County develop and adopt a strategy to ensure routine maintenance of land base data to meet user requirements. The strategy should identify the current or planned approach to maintenance, data distribution, data loading, and other tasks that will ensure routine maintenance at acceptable levels of currency.

Task 6.3: Load the Countywide Land Base to SDE

To support the recommended application environment, the GIS data will need to be loaded into an SDE data set. This task will involve loading the land base into SDE based on design recommendations from the Detailed Database Design task.

Task 6.4: Implement a Land Base Maintenance Program

This task involves implementation of the land base maintenance strategy developed in Task 6.2. The strategy should be reviewed periodically to ensure that it is contributing to maintaining the consolidated land base.

Task Series 7: Convert Additional Data Sets for Phase 1

Based on staffing, the County may want to contract for conversion/translation of some additional data sets. These additional data sets include:

• Transportation • Water System • Sanitary System • Stormwater System • Planning Data, including Zoning • Administrative and Political Boundaries • Soils • Health Data • Public Safety Data.

A step-by-step method for accomplishing this work through a single contract is presented in the following tasks. If the data in converted under more than one contract, the process would be similar for each procurement.

Task 7.1: Collect and Organize the Source Data

The appropriate Departments/Divisions must prepare or have the Implementation Services Contractor prepare the specified source materials/files and provide them to the selected vendor for data conversion and registration to the land base map. Data sources



need to be organized and documented based on the last update, and pre-processing needs to be completed. Pre-processing may include tasks such as correcting known errors or inconsistencies, adding additional data content, or updating the data to a certain date.

Task 7.2: Develop Specifications and a Conversion RFP

Specifications should include data to be converted, processing and tolerance requirements, database design, graphic standards, spatial continuity standards, guidelines for problem resolution, a detailed description and samples of source materials, a description of the hardware and software environment, required deliverables, vendor quality control (QC) and quality assurance activities and checks, and procedures for acceptance. In addition, the RFP should include terms and conditions for a contract, a schedule and criteria for evaluation of proposals, and a conversion schedule. The RFP can be developed by either the County GIS staff or by the Implementation Services Contractor depending on timing, other priorities, and skills needed.

Task 7.3: Evaluate Proposals and Select Conversion Vendor

Similar to the hardware/software selection and acquisition process, the County should carefully evaluate responses to the data conversion RFP and formulate a shortlist of vendors to invite to the County for a presentation. Proposal evaluation criteria should also be developed for evaluating proposals. The GIS Working Group and GIS Coordinator/ Implementation Services Contractor should evaluate the proposals. After detailed evaluation of the proposals, evaluators may wish to short-list two to three vendors to present their methodology. Based on the proposal evaluations and the short-list presentations, the Working Group will make a recommendation to the GIS Executive Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will present the recommendation to the Board of Commissioners for approval. The final selection should be based on the vendor’s ability to meet the County’s needs in terms of adherence to specifications, experience, and satisfaction of existing customers.

Contract negotiation is an opportunity for developing a mutually beneficial contract at an equitable price. The contracting agency must carefully establish agreement terms.

Task 7.4: Monitor Conversion Contract and Perform Quality Control and Assurance

The County should establish its own independent QA program to ensure that the converted data received from the conversion vendor meets the County’s database specification. The County should develop procedures to test the content, format, and accuracy of delivered map and data products. These procedures should specify what constitutes a valid deliverable and how files that do not meet the County’s criteria will be handled. GIS Center staff, the Implementation Services Contractor, County staff, or a combination of some or all of these groups, depending on responsibilities and staff availability, can perform the independent quality assurance activity.



The GIS Executive Steering Committee and the assigned contract administrator should also monitor the terms of the conversion contract to ensure that all of the specified requirements are being met.

Task 7.5: Accept and Load Data into the System

The selected vendor will complete the contracted work according to the specified schedule and will deliver the digital products to the appropriate Departments/Divisions for review and acceptance. The designated parties will establish internal quality control procedures and will perform quality checks on the delivered products. Any problems noted that are not in compliance with project specifications will be returned for resolution and re-delivered for final acceptance.

Task Series 8: Develop a Maintenance Plan and Procedures for Additional Data Sets

This task series includes activities that are essential to database update, including design and development of procedures and applications to support graphic and attribute updates to the GIS database. From the first date that any of the databases are created, the GIS database needs to be updated.

Task 8.1: Develop Maintenance Procedures and Applications

Project participants must develop and implement a database maintenance program. Establishing this program will require developing procedures to identify where changes occur, the types of changes that are being made, and the thresholds for determining whether minor or significant maintenance is necessary. Procedures for other data elements will be much more complex and difficult to implement.

Database maintenance applications consist of user interfaces and automated procedures to ease the process of converting hard copy sources, translating digital files, and performing necessary error checking and quality assurance. This task includes procedures definition, application design and development, documentation, and testing of the procedures.

Task 8.2: Test Procedures and Applications

Staff for the project participants will conduct several prototypes to test procedures and applications. Applications will be run on a test data set, and problems or inefficiencies will be noted. Based on these tests, the procedures and applications will be modified.



Task Series 9: Design and Develop Applications

The tasks necessary for detailed design and development of applications are described below. The listed tasks must be performed for each custom application developed by the County or Implementation Services Contractor.

Task 9.1: Identify and Prioritize Applications

Based on the potential applications defined in the GIS Needs Assessment/Conceptual System Design Working Paper, the GIS Working Group and GIS Executive Steering Committee will re-evaluate, identify, and prioritize applications for initial development. During this process, the County, with input from the Implementation Services Contractor, will identify applications to be developed during Phase 1.

It is recommended that one of the first applications to be developed allow the users to query the County parcel-level data by features such as parcel identification number, address, and property owner. Another primary application that should be developed at this same time is a custom mapping application. This application will give users the ability to produce maps for reports, presentations, and customers that illustrate the County data. Other applications should be based on key strategic initiatives.

Task 9.2: Survey Other Installations for Existing Custom Applications

After the initial applications are identified, the GIS Center staff/Working Group/ Implementation Services Contractor should evaluate off-the-shelf applications offered by the software vendor and the capabilities of the GIS software purchased to determine if needed priority applications already exist. All three should also evaluate other software installations to determine if other users have already developed a custom application that will meet the County’s requirements. In most cases, custom applications will need to be developed. The GIS Center staff/Working Group/Implementation Services Contractor should also address key system integration issues and options at this time.

Task 9.3: Develop Detailed Application Design

The detailed design will identify the relationship between products and data and will clearly describe the type of user interface involved. This provides a basis for identifying if custom programs or off-the-shelf products will be used. The design will be used to perform applications programming. This task will be performed by some combination of resources from the GIS Center/Working Group/Implementation Services Contractor.

Task 9.4: Develop Prototype Applications

Prototype applications identified in Task 9.1 will be developed. Development of the prototype applications will enable programmers to review and test the procedures set forth in the application design. This task will be performed by some combination of resources from the GIS Center/Working Group/Implementation Services Contractor.





Task 9.5: Demonstrate Prototype Applications

After completion of programming for the prototype applications, the applications will be demonstrated for users and management groups for review and comments. This task will be performed by some combination of resources from the GIS Center/Working Group/Implementation Services Contractor.

Task 9.6: Develop and Test Applications

The applications will be reviewed, tested, and refined as necessary. The end result for each application is consensus and approval. This task will be performed by some combination of resources from the GIS Center/Working Group/Implementation Services Contractor in conjunction with the end users or a cross section of users.

The application design procedures used and reviewed during the prototype will be modified as necessary. The programmers will then proceed with application development by priority ranking.

Task 9.7: Prepare Technical and User Application Documentation

Application documentation will need to be developed, and the documentation should follow a standardized format. Both technical and user documentation will be needed.

Technical documentation should consist of written document(s) describing the software architecture and applications’ relationships, data format requirements and database dependencies, hardware parameters necessary for the application to run properly, and other technical information needed to administer the application. This documentation should also include comment statements embedded in application programs. This task will be performed by some combination of resources from the GIS Center/Working Group/Implementation Services Contractor in conjunction with the end users or a cross section of users.

User documentation should consist of on-line prompts, help messages embedded in the application, and written documentation to help users start and operate the application. Emphasis should be placed on user-friendliness.

Task 9.8: Load Applications

Applications will be loaded on the appropriate hardware by GIS Center staff or the Implementation Services Contractor. County IS Department Staff may need to assist with application installation, particularly on those devices maintained by IS.

Task 9.9: Train Application Users

User staff will be trained in the required applications by GIS Center staff or the Implementation Services Contractor. Full user staff participation in training is considered essential to successful application rollout and deployment.



Task Series 10: Design and Implement Integration with Existing Systems

This task series deals with the integration of existing systems already in use at Genesee County.

Task 10.1: Design Components of Integration for Three to Four Existing Systems

The integration of three to four existing systems in use by the County should begin during this phase of implementation. GIS Center staff and the Implementation Services Contractor should work closely with those individuals involved in maintaining and using existing systems, such as IS or an individual Department, to design the components necessary for integration. The software vendor (both for the existing system and for the GIS) may also have to be involved or contacted during this task.

The GIS Needs Assessment/Conceptual System Design Working Paper identified the following systems as candidates for initial integration:

1. Galler/Tax Accounting System 2. AutoCAD 3. PRC COBOL CAD 4. City Works 5. Instrument Search 6. Paver 7. QED Police System 8. RoadSoft 9. FoxPro and Access data sets

10. Asset, Document, and Maintenance Management Systems.

The GIS Coordinator and the Working Group, with input from the Executive Steering Committee, will need to evaluate and prioritize the systems for initial integration.

Task 10.2: Develop Procedures for Integration of Existing Data

Procedures for the integration of data maintained on existing systems should be established and developed during this phase of implementation. GIS Center staff and the Implementation Services Contractor should work closely with those Departments and individuals using or working with the systems and data to be integrated. The GIS database design and any documentation for the format of data in the existing system should be reviewed by the GIS Working Group and GIS Center staff to identify key and core attributes that can aid in the integration effort. Vendors and intimate users of the database should review the procedures developed during this task before development and integration begin.

The following factors should be used to select the systems for integration:

• Priority applications should be examined, and those systems involved in these applications should be selected first.



• The need for attribute data should be taken into consideration.

• Pre-existing documentation on integration of GIS with the system being considered should be reviewed.

• The long-term viability of the information system needs to be taken into consideration (i.e., is the County planning to migrate away from this system within the next two to four years?).

• The relative ease of migration needs to be considered (i.e., open system).

Task 10.3: Develop, Test, Document, and Install Integration Components

The procedures and design components developed in Tasks 10.1 and 10.2 should be carried out during this task. All systems should be tested for accuracy and documented for success and failures. After all tests and development procedures are accepted, all components of integration should be in place and operational.

PHASE 2: EXTENDED PHASE IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES

Implementation activities necessary to develop a more mature and comprehensive GIS are outlined in this sub-section. Each implementation activity within the task series is described below.

Task Series 11: Review and Modify an Organizational and Administrative Framework

The GIS Executive Steering Committee should review the existing organizational structure, staffing, and procedures originally put in place during the first phase of GIS implementation and modify the structure, staffing, and procedures as necessary. If modifications to the structure and procedures are necessary, the GIS Steering Committee, with input from the Working Group and the Implementation Services Contractor, should perform the following tasks to redefine the roles and responsibilities of all parties.

Depending on the options for outsourcing chosen in Phase 1 of implementation, additional GIS staff may or may not need to be retained at this time. For example, in many of the tasks included in this implementation phase, it is assumed that Genesee County will have already established a GIS Center and hired a staff consisting of at least the GIS Coordinator. If a GIS Coordinator has not been retained, these tasks will be the continued responsibility of the GIS Working Group and Implementation Services Contractor.



Task 11.1: Redefine and Formalize the Structure and Role of the GIS Management Team

Project participants may recognize a need to redefine the composition of and participation on the GIS Steering Committee and Working Group. Key factors in the redefinition will be continuing involvement by original parties and the adoption of GIS technology and participation in the countywide system by new Departments/Divisions.

Task 11.2: Assign/Hire Additional GIS Support Staff or Increase Outsourcing and Formulate a Transition Approach (if necessary)

The Executive Steering Committee will need to determine the necessity of hiring additional GIS support staff for the County or extending and increasing the amount of outsourcing for GIS implementation. All parties involved in the GIS will need to determine if additional staff and outsourcing are necessary. A transition approach may also need to be developed to ensure that all information collected and duties performed in Phase 1 are supplied and properly communicated to new staff and contractors.

Task 11.3: Prepare the GIS Management Plan and Detailed GIS Budget

The GIS Coordinator, with input from the GIS Working Group and Steering Committee, if necessary, will continue to have responsibility for preparing a GIS Management Plan and Budget. The details of the Plan and Budget were previously defined in Task 2.2.

Task 11.4: Augment the GIS Training and Education Program

GIS Center staff—in particular, the GIS Coordinator—will need to refine the GIS Training and Educational Program to recognize both completed training and new technology requirements. Any change in GIS software functionality and technology must be considered and factored into this program.

Task 11.5: Prepare and Present Status Reports and Briefings

The GIS Coordinator will have primary responsibility for monitoring and reporting on the status of system development. Status reporting details are the same as those included in Task 2.1.

Task Series 12: Evaluate System Performance

As initial GIS development steps are completed, the GIS Coordinator should evaluate the progress and performance of the countywide GIS. This evaluation is, in part, intended to assess the progress to date, but it is also intended to determine the future GIS direction in Genesee County.



Task 12.1: Assess the Need to Expand GIS Uses

The evaluation process should include an assessment of the need to expand beyond the initial uses of the countywide GIS. This should involve a survey of both existing users and potential users. It is probable that a priority setting process will need to be introduced and used to establish a ranked ordering of the new uses.

Task 12.2: Evaluate System Performance (Hardware, Software, Communications)

Each participating Department should examine its system needs periodically to determine if additional workstations or peripheral devices, such as edit/query terminals, plotters, and printers, are needed. The GIS Coordinator and the GIS Working Group can assist in this evaluation process. It is important to keep a log of reported system problems to ensure that all information can be evaluated and, problems remedied, if needed. In addition, a complete evaluation should be performed periodically to ensure that all of the Departments are receiving required information in the appropriate method and time frame.

It is important to assess the procedures and the capabilities of each Department and their ability to adhere to the requirements within the defined procedures. This will ensure that all Departments will benefit from the efficiencies of the system and its capabilities.

Task 12.3: Hardware Migration

After Genesee County has evaluated the system performance of the hardware in relation to its efficiency of using the GIS software, the County needs to act upon the results of and recommendations produced from the evaluations. In some cases, this may entail replacing hardware components to meet the County’s performance expectations and requirements.

Task 12.4: Evaluate Software Migration

In this task, Genesee County will need to decide if the timing is appropriate to expand the migration of current ESRI software, particularly ArcView, to ESRI software with a more advanced capability. Although the County has a fairly large number of applications operating through the desktop version of ArcView, the direction of the industry is to move most new software, application, and database development to the latest workstation version of ArcGIS.

Task 12.5: Evaluate/Enhance Databases and Applications (where necessary)

Because the County’s GIS needs will not be static, the GIS Coordinator should review the needs and plan to make database and application changes as required. Most required changes would involve expansion to accommodate new data features and new data themes. Proposed changes should be presented and coordinated with the members of the GIS Working Group before they are implemented.



Task 12.6: Identify Additional Applications and Development Plans for Future Applications

The GIS Coordinator should identify additional applications and determine when and how these applications will be developed. The Coordinator should interact with the Working Group to establish appropriate priorities for the applications.

Task 12.7: Revise, Design, and Develop an Implementation Plan for Future GIS Development

These modifications or enhancements, including potential changes in the hardware, software, and communications configurations, should be documented in a revised system design and implementation plan. This revised document, developed by the GIS Coordinator, will be used to guide further system development. The evaluation contributing to the revised document should occur at the end of each development task so that changes in the environment and/or situation can be noted and applied prior to continuing implementation.


As Genesee County moves into Phase 2, the GIS Coordinator will need to acquire additional hardware and software so that any new user can be added to the system. At the time of procurement, the GIS Coordinator, with input from the IS Department and departmental users, will need to determine if system and user requirements have changed.

Task 13.1: Acquire and Install Additional Hardware and Software

The GIS Coordinator will acquire additional GIS hardware and software over a number of years. These acquisitions will be budgeted by the user agencies themselves for dedicated hardware and software and by the GIS Coordinator for shared items. After budgets are approved, the GIS Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating the issuance of purchase orders. Successful procurement, installation, and operation will require ongoing coordination with the user Departments and IS.

Task Series 14: Review and Revise the Database Design and the Data Conversion Plan

During this second or extended phase of implementation, the GIS Coordinator and GIS Working Group will need to review and revise the Database Design and Data Conversion Plan accordingly. Although the initial design and plan may have considered the additional data layers and attributes required for the countywide GIS, the situation may have changed since the original detailed design and plan were developed. For instance, countywide and Department requirements for data previously identified for conversion may have changed.



Task Series 15: Review and Revise Database Maintenance Procedures

Task 15.1: Review and Revise Database Maintenance Procedures and Applications

The GIS Coordinator should review the established database maintenance procedures by performing the same tasks as those presented in the Phase 1 development phase. This review should evaluate maintenance procedures for required changes or inclusion of new maintenance procedures because new data has been added to the mature GIS. Additionally, this review should also determine the need for revision of maintenance applications and the development of new maintenance applications.

Task 15.2: Test Revised Procedures and Revised/New Applications

The GIS Coordinator, GIS Analyst, and/or the Implementation Service Contractor will conduct several pilots to test the revised procedures and the new or revised applications. Applications will be run on a test data set, and problems or inefficiencies will be noted. Based on these tests, the procedures and applications will be modified.

Task Series 16: Design and Develop Additional Applications

The GIS Coordinator and GIS Analyst should design and develop (or contract the design and development of) additional applications identified for Phase 2 development and any additional applications identified and prioritized for development by the Coordinator and the GIS Working Group. The same application development steps outlined for Phase 1 should be followed for this design and development process.

Task Series 17: Continue to Establish and Promote External Relations

Genesee County’s GIS Coordinator should continue to promote the GIS and should endeavor to establish relationships with additional partners for data sharing and/or cost sharing for further system development and maintenance. It is especially important that the Coordinator emphasize developing informal and formal relationships with the County’s cities and townships that are also implementing GIS.

Task Series 18: Evaluate GIS for System Performance

As countywide GIS development steps in Phase 2 are completed, the GIS Coordinator and GIS Working Group should evaluate the progress and performance of the GIS. This evaluation is, in part, intended to assess progress to date, but it is also intended to determine the future direction for GIS. This task series is similar to the task series conducted near the conclusion of Phase 1, but it applies to the mature system now developed or near completion. The GIS Coordinator and GIS Working Group should use the same task approach that was previously used to complete the evaluation of the GIS system performance.


SECTION 3 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Each task listed in the 18 task series presented in this implementation plan will need to be executed by specific organizations and individuals that have been identified. Table 3-1 attempts to illustrate the roles and responsibilities of all organizations in relation to the tasks listed for implementation.

Table 3-1: Roles and Responsibilities

Task Series

Primary Responsibility

Secondary Responsibility

Supporting Responsibility

Phase 1: Initial Phase Implementation Activities Task Series 1: Develop Organizational and Administrative Framework Task 1.1: Establish GIS Organizational Structure

• Board of Commissioners

• County Departments

Task 1.2: Establish Items to be Contracted for Implementation

• GIS Executive Steering Committee

Task 1.3: Develop Requests for Proposals


Task 1.4: Review Proposals and Award Contract


Task 1.5: Award and Execute Contract



• County Attorney

Task 1.6: Establish a GIS Training and Education Program


• GIS Working Group

• Implementation Services Contractor

Task 1.7: Assess Effectiveness of Organizational Structure and Staffing/Outsourcing Approach




Task Series 2: Management of Phase 1 Implementation Task 2.1: Prepare/Present Status Reports and Briefings



Task 2.2: Prepare a Management Plan and Detailed GIS Budget


Task 2.3: Hire/Appoint a GIS Coordinator



• County Personnel



Table 3-1: Roles and Responsibilities (continued)

Task Series




Phase 1: Initial Phase Implementation Activities (continued) Task Series 3: Develop Procedures and Standards Task 3.1: Evaluate and Inventory Standards

• Standards Subcommittee




Task 3.2: Develop Draft Database Standards



Task 3.3: Prepare a Master Source List



Task 3.4: Define Accuracy Requirements



Task 3.5: Establish Graphic Quality and Presentation



Task 3.6: Quality Control and Assurance

• GIS Coordinator

• User Departments

Task 3.7: Metadata • GIS Coordinator


Task 3.8: Data Repository Browsing


• GIS Coordinator



Task 3.9: Develop Hardware, Software, and Network Standards

• GIS Coordinator


• IS Department




Task Series




Phase 1: Initial Phase Implementation Activities (continued) Task Series 4: Develop a Database Design for Phase 1 Task 4.1: Develop a Detailed Data Conversion/Migration Plan and Database Design




• IS Department

Task 4.2: Assign Priorities and Responsibilities to Database Elements




Task 5.1: Determine a Software Procurement Approach

• GIS Coordinator


Task 5.2: Develop Software Specifications

• GIS Coordinator

• Software Vendor

Task 5.3: Negotiate a Contract, Define a Delivery Schedule, and Issue a Purchase Order

• GIS Coordinator

• IS Department

• County Attorney

• Software Vendor

Task 5.4: Buy Required Hardware

• GIS Coordinator

• IS Department

• GIS Working Group • County Purchasing

• Software Vendor

Task 5.5: Prepare Site(s) for Installation

• GIS Coordinator


• IS Department

Task 5.6: Install/Test Hardware and Software Functionality

• GIS Coordinator

• IS Department




Task 5.7: Set up and Test Remote Links

• GIS Coordinator

• IS Department


Task 5.8: Acquire Training

• GIS Coordinator


• Vendors


Task 5.9: Establish Initial System Directories, Access, and Procedures

• GIS Coordinator

• IS Department

• Software Vendor




Task Series




Phase 1: Initial Phase Implementation Activities (continued) Task Series 5: Procure and Install Additional Hardware and Software (continued) Task 5.10: Provide Technical Support to Users

• GIS Center Staff

• GIS Analyst


Task Series 6: Create a Countywide Land Base and Implement Maintenance

Task 6.1: Support Creation of a Countywide Land Base

• User Department (Equalization)

• GIS Coordinator

Task 6.2: Develop a Strategy for Land Base Maintenance

• GIS Coordinator




Task 6.3: Load a Countywide Land Base to SDE



• IS Department

Task 6.4: Implement a Land Base Maintenance Program

• User Department (Equalization)

• GIS Coordinator

•

Task Series 7: Convert Additional Data Sets for Phase 1

Task 7.1: Collect and Organize the Source Data



Task 7.2: Develop a Specifications and Conversion RFP



Task 7.3: Evaluate Proposals and Select Conversion Vendor

• GIS Coordinator





Task 7.4: Monitor Conversion Contract and Perform Quality Control and Assurance




Task 7.5: Accept and Load Data into the System


• Conversion Vendor





Task Series




Phase 1: Initial Phase Implementation Activities (continued) Task Series 8: Develop a Maintenance Plan and Procedures for Additional Data Sets Task 8.1: Develop Maintenance Procedures and Applications



Task 8.2: Test Procedures and Applications



Task Series 9: Design and Develop Applications

Task 9.1: Identify and Prioritize Applications




Task 9.2: Survey Other Installations for Existing Custom Applications




Task 9.3: Develop a Detailed Application Design




Task 9.4: Develop Prototype Applications




Task 9.5: Demonstrate Prototype Applications




Task 9.6: Develop and Test Applications




Task 9.7: Prepare Technical and User Application Documentation





Task 9.8: Load Applications

• GIS Coordinator



• IS Department




Task Series




Phase 1: Initial Phase Implementation Activities (continued) Task Series 9: Design and Develop Applications (continued) Task 9.9: Train Application Users

• GIS Coordinator



Task Series 10: Design and Implement Integration with Existing Systems

Task 10.1: Design Components of Integration for Three to Four Existing Systems

• GIS Coordinator



Task 10.2: Develop Procedures for Integration of Existing Data

• GIS Coordinator





Task 10.3: Develop, Test, Document, and Install Integration Components

• GIS Coordinator



Phase 2: Extended Phase Implementation Activities Task Series 11: Review and Modify Organizational and Administrative Framework

Task 11.1: Redefine and Formalize the Structure and Role of the GIS Management Team


• GIS Coordinator



Task 11.2: Assign/Hire Additional GIS Support Staff or Increase Outsourcing and Formulate a Transition Approach


• County Personnel and Accounting

Task 11.3: Prepare the GIS Management Plan and Detailed GIS Budget

• GIS Coordinator • GIS Working Group


Task 11.4: Augment the GIS Training and Education Program

• GIS Coordinator

• GIS Analyst

Task 11.5: Prepare and Present Status Reports and Briefings

• GIS Coordinator




Task Series




Phase 2: Extended Phase Implementation Activities (continued) Task Series 12: Evaluate System Performance Task 12.1: Assess Need to Expand GIS Uses

• GIS Coordinator



Task 12.2: Evaluate System Performance

• User Departments • GIS Coordinator


Task 12.3: Hardware Migration

• GIS Coordinator


• IS Department

Task 12.4: Evaluate Software Migration

• GIS Coordinator



Task 12.5: Evaluate/ Enhance Databases and Applications


Task 12.6: Identify Additional Applications and Development Plans for Future Applications


Task 12.7: Revise, Design, and Develop an Implementation Plan for Future GIS Development

• GIS Coordinator


Task 13.1: Acquire and Install Additional Hardware

• GIS Coordinator • IS Department


Task Series 14: Review and Revise Database Design and Data Conversion Plan

• GIS Coordinator


Task Series 15: Review and Revise Database Maintenance Procedures

Task 15.1: Review and Revise Database Maintenance Procedures and Applications

• GIS Coordinator

Task 15.2: Test Revised Procedures and Revised/New Applications

• GIS Coordinator

• GIS Analyst





Task Series




Phase 2: Extended Phase Implementation Activities (continued) Task Series 16: Design and Develop Additional Applications Task 12.1: Assess Need to Expand GIS Uses

• GIS Coordinator

• GIS Analyst


Task Series 17: Continue to Establish and Promote External Relations

• GIS Coordinator

Task Series 18: Evaluate GIS for System Performance

• GIS Coordinator



SECTION 4 ANNUAL COST PROJECTION

Based on the proposed schedule and cost estimates provided for data development, hardware, software, and staffing, PlanGraphics has prepared an annual estimate of costs. In addition to previously identified costs, annual cost estimates are also included for hardware and software maintenance and technical support. A summary of these costs is provided in the following table. Projections for each year are based on the general phasing of the project.

Table 4-1: Annual Cost for Enterprise GIS Implementation

Phase 1: Initial Deployment

Phase 2: Extended Implementation

Total Costs Nov.-Dec. 2002 Jan.-Dec. 2003 Jan.-June 2004 July-Dec. 2004 Jan.-Dec. 2005

Database Logical Database Design $20,000 $20,000 Physical Database Design $30,000 $30,000 Data Development Plan $15,000 $15,000 Enhance Existing GIS Data $200,000 $150,000 $50,000 Create SDE Data $125,000 $75,000 $50,000 Update Orthophotos $180,000 $180,000Total Database $570,000 $290,000 $100,000 $180,000Hardware GIS Data Server $25,000 $25,000 GIS Web Server $25,000 $25,000 GIS Workstation $4,500 $4,500 Hardware Replacement/Upgrades $25,200 $4,425 $4,425 $8,175 $8,175Total Hardware $79,700 $33,925 $4,425 $33,175 $8,175Software ArcGIS $12,500 $12,500 ArcView $10,000 $10,000 ArcIMS/ArcSDE $60,000 $40,000 $20,000 Software Maintenance $40,000 $10,000 $5,000 $10,000 $15,000Total Software $122,500 $72,500 $5,000 $30,000 $15,000Staffing and Technical Assistance Implementation Services $565,000 $40,000 $240,000 $105,000 $125,000 $55,000GIS Staff $357,500 $71,500 $71,500 $71,500 $143,000Training and Other Services $82,000 $10,000 $26,000 $10,000 $16,000 $20,000Total Staffing and Technical Assistance $1,004,500 $50,000 $337,500 $186,500 $212,500 $218,000TOTAL ANNUAL COSTS $1,776,700 $50,000 $733,925 $295,925 $275,675 $421,175


SECTION 5 SCHEDULE FOR IMPLEMENTATION TASKS

The following schedule illustrates all tasks associated with implementation and the expected time allotted for each task. Changes and modifications to any task will result in changes to all other associated or linked tasks.






SECTION 6 CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of a countywide GIS for Genesee County will have a considerable positive impact on the day-to-day functions of all County personnel and will provide clear and tangible benefits in the form of improved efficiency for County citizens. By automating tasks associated with geographic information, the overall productivity of all Departments will dramatically increase. In order for the County to see these benefits, it must clearly understand that it is data that drives a GIS. By following the Conceptual Database Design presented by PlanGraphics, Genesee County can ensure that its countywide GIS will be efficient and well organized. By also developing positive relationships with surrounding communities, data and idea sharing can be fostered so that everyone involved in GIS throughout the region is aware of what everyone else is doing. Broader and open communication between all Departments in the County and with other organizations and communities in the surrounding area will allow Genesee County to realize significant overall improvements in its internal productivity and customer service.


Documents

GENESEE COUNTY, MI IMPLEMENTATION · PDF fileGENESEE COUNTY, MI IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ... Project Summary ... • Implementation and maintenance of departmental data sets within Health,