The demand on local government to do more with less by improving operations, increasing productivity, and making better and more informed decisions increases constantly. On a departmental level Geographic Information Systems are helping meet this demand but the majority of local government organizations do not take the time to understand the GIS needs and opportunities of each and every department. This book: Discusses how towns, cities and counties and their specific departments should actually use GIS Explains the best ways to use GIS tools through many specific case studies and step by step instructions Emphasises local government needs first before offering solutions Gives readers a practical and understandable way of thinking about managing and making GIS successful This book is the guide that details best GIS applications and practices for the 34 departments in local government that can, and should, use GIS technology. It explains in details how, why, and what each department should implement, a clear and understandable explanation of departmental GIS.

The demand on local government to do more with less by improving operations, increasing productivity, and making better and more informed decisions increases constantly. On a departmental level Geographic Information Systems are helping meet this demand but the majority of local government organizations do not take the time to understand the GIS needs and opportunities of each and every department. This book: Discusses how towns, cities and counties and their specific departments should actually use GIS Explains the best ways to use GIS tools through many specific case studies and step by step instructions Emphasises local government needs first before offering solutions Gives readers a practical and understandable way of thinking about managing and making GIS successful This book is the guide that details best GIS applications and practices for the 34 departments in local government that can, and should, use GIS technology. It explains in details how, why, and what each department should implement, a clear and understandable explanation of departmental GIS.

This "how-to" book on planning and managing GIS within local government describes and details the key components of a successful enterprise, sustainable and enduring GIS. It describes the strategic planning process an organization must undertake prior to GIS implementation. The heart of the book is the formula for success that offers a systematic methodology for examining and benchmarking a GIS initiative and the practical and repeatable strategy for success. There are many obstacles to successful GIS implementation, and unfortunately, the local government landscape is riddled with false starts, poorly planned implementations, and glorified mapping systems. This book documents the reason for failure and possible remedies to overcome the challenges to implementation. It discusses pathways to change, ways of improving organizational effectiveness and efficiency, and lays out the organizational approaches, management processes, and leadership actions that are required for GIS to become an indispensable part of an organization. This book is about aiming high, so you can consistently hit your mark by formulating goals and objectives that will tremendously influence the success of a GIS initiative. It details the factors crucial for building an enterprise GIS vision statement that includes governance, data and databases, procedures and workflow, GIS software, GIS training and education, and infrastructure, and how to develop performance measures related to the stated objectives of an organization. The book combines theory with real-world experience to offer guidance on the process of managing GIS implementation. Through key components, this book introduces a new way to think about GIS technology.