Certification and Ethics in the GIS Profession William E. Huxhold Wisconsin Land Information Association Annual Conference February 12, 2003

Guiding Principles voluntaryMust be voluntary and open to all flexibleMust be flexible existing GIS educationalMust use existing GIS educational bodies collaborativeMust be collaborative code of ethicsMust include a code of ethics

No Test! No Test! Point-basedself-documentedPoint-based and self-documented achievement in three categoriesBased on achievement in three categories: –Educational –Educational attainment experience –Professional experience –Contributions –Contributions to the profession

Benchmark Benchmark EDUCATIONEDUCATION – Bachelor’s degree with some GIS courses (or equivalent) EXPERIENCEEXPERIENCE – Four years in GIS application or data development (or equivalent) CONTRIBUTIONSCONTRIBUTIONS – Annual membership and modest participation in a GIS professional association (or equivalent)

Minimum Total Points To allow flexibility in the distribution of points, a minimum total points was established at: 150 points This allows one to make up for a lack in one category with an excess in another (eg., long on GIS experience, short on education)

Minimum Category Points Educational Attainment: 30 points Professional Experience: 60 points Professional Contributions: 8 points

Educational Attainment A formal education does not ensure GIS qualifications, but does develop: Intellectual maturityIntellectual maturity to approach problems systematically and critically, and Communication skillsCommunication skills for articulating capabilities, benefits, and limitations of GIS (Those without a formal education can substitute with courses, conferences, etc.)

Educational Attainment Credential Points: Master’s 25 pts Bachelor’s 20 pts Associate’s 10 pts GIS Certificate5 pts GIS Certificate* 5 pts *400 or more student activity hrs Select the highest earned Course Points: Geospatial technology courses and related courses taken 1 point for every 40 student activity hours

Educational Attainment Student Activity Hours: Hours spent in a classroom, seminar, or conference, plus hours spent completing assignments, reading, studying, or other preparations for the course. college course For a college course, multiply the number of credits by 3 and multiply the result by the duration of the course in weeks seminar, workshop, short course, or conference For a seminar, workshop, short course, or conference, use the total number of hours in the activity

Professional Experience Job experience is the most important factor in GIS qualifications because: growth and expansion of skill setsPerforming in a job provides learning experiences that allow growth and expansion of skill sets transfer of knowledgeWork environment with other professionals allows transfer of knowledge

Contributions to the Profession benefit of the profession Documents and activities that add to the professional body of knowledge for the benefit of the profession as a whole – not just the employer and client.

Contributions to the Profession publicationsGIS publications professional groupsInvolvement in GIS professional groups conferencesParticipation in GIS conferences AwardsAwards for GIS work or contribution OtherOther contributions

Additional Requirements Code of EthicsCode of Ethics RenewalRenewal –Every five years –Minimum points in each category and total

Next Steps Pilot program (Georgia GIS professionals) Other organizations Develop rubric for categories: –Course descriptions –Job titles Code of Ethics ( Implementation (Fall ’03 at URISA, Atlanta?)