1. Doug Nebert FGDC Secretariat June 2006
Introduction to the Geospatial Profile of the Federal Enterprise Architecture
Doug Nebert
FGDC Secretariat
June 2006

2. Enterprise Architecture
Defines a framework in which one describes the current and future work activities and justifies the investments (personnel, data, applications) of an “enterprise”
A precursor to electronic government (e-gov) and business process re-engineering

3. Goals of EA
to provide a structured approach to business process assessment and re-engineering
to support classification of business processes, data concepts, standards, services (components and interfaces)
to provide a reference framework to store models that explain the services and data behind them
to improve efficiencies within an organization
to identify potential for services and data re-use for multiple purposes

4. US Approach to a Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA)
Transitional Process
Current
Future
Standards
Business
Architecture
Data
Applications
Technology
Business
Architecture
Data
Applications
Technology
Contextual
Conceptual
Logical
Physical
As Built
Functioning
Why
Who
When
Where
What
How
Models
Drivers
Strategic
Direction
Adapted from “Federal Enterprise Architecture
Framework”

5. FEA Reference Models
Business Reference Model (BRM) –define mission-critical lines of business, business processes, and functions
Performance Reference Model (PRM) developed to define measures of business performance
Technical Reference Model (TRM) –identifies and describes the technology (components, interfaces) used to achieve the BRM
Service Reference Model (SRM) defines the types and instances of services required to support processes
Data Reference Model (DRM) – defines the data/information concepts, structures, definitions, and values or enumerations required by the BRM in the context of the TRM

6. Requirements for Geospatial Profile in Enterprise Architecture
Geographic information is used in a majority of business settings in and outside of government
Geographic information and services are not addressed consistently within and between organizations
Interoperability among providers and consumers of geographic data and services requires a common understanding of semantics and functional capabilities
Development of common multi-jurisdictional approaches to the use of geographic information and services requires inclusion in Enterprise Architecture

7. Shared lines of business
Integrated Data and Information “To Be State”
Geospatial Overlay
USDA
DOI
Using the
FEA-DRM
Recreation
DOE
Natural Resource
HHS
Health
Emission
Consumer Safety
Public
Health
Monitoring
Consumer
Health &
Safety
Recreational
Resource
Management
& Tourism
Pollution
Prevention
& Control
Energy
Research

8. Solution: Creation of guidance for geospatial capabilities in the FEA
Develop a Geospatial Profile document for the FEA to support its cross-cutting nature, along the lines of the Profiles being developed for Records Management and Security and Privacy
Deploy the concept outside the bounds of FEA to include local and state government

9. FEA Geospatial Profile
Companion to Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) Reference Models to recognize and promote the pervasive nature of geospatial capabilities in lines of business across government
Audience: Agency chief architects and CIO staff in federal, state, or local government
Objective: to develop consistent methodology to call-out geospatial elements of all aspects of government business
Format: 60 page document with many resource annexes

10. Agencies Lines of Business Profiles Geospatial Security & Privacy
Financial Management
Community and Social Services
Economic Development
Human Resources
Natural Resources
Homeland Security
Health
Education
Geospatial
Profiles
Security & Privacy
Records Management
Lines of Business

11. The Geospatial Profile of the FEA:
highlights the role of geospatial capabilities within the recognized FEA lines of business
is intended for use by federal business planners and business architects involved in budget planning and submission
is general guidance on how geospatial capabilities can be recognized and inserted into an agency’s enterprise architecture (EA)

12. Objectives
to promote consideration of location as a component of agency business activities and processes
to support description and sharing of geospatial resources across organizations
to build geospatial considerations into all aspects of agency enterprise architecture development.
to reinforce existing guidelines, standards, and policies established by OMB, FGDC, and ISO for development, management, and use of geospatial resources
to measure performance in the use and management of geospatial resources.

13. Geospatial Profile Outline
Data Reference Model
Service Components Reference Model
Technology Reference Model
Performance Reference Model and Maturity Model
Appendix A: References
Appendix B: Glossary
Appendix C: FEA Overview
Appendix D: Use Case and Scenarios
Appendix E: Geospatial Activity Examples for BRM
Appendix F: Geospatial Business Language
Appendix G: Geospatial Service Components
Appendix H: Geospatial Standards List
Appendix I: Acronym List
Executive Summary
Introduction to the Geospatial Profile
Objectives
Audience
Document Structure
Introduction to Geospatial Concepts
Cross-cutting nature of geospatial
Overview of Geospatial Capabilities
The NSDI
Business Reference Model
Introduction
Background
Scope
Beyond federal (all sectors)
Guidance on developing EA that exploits geospatial
Audience
Agency architects, business management
System architects
CIO readership
Existing policy and drivers (legislation, exec orders, ...)
What is NSDI? FGDC, community
Objectives
Provide clarification to architects to help identify and exploit geospatial technologies
Geospatial Basics
Cross-cutting nature of geospatial
Common Scenario
Terminology
Geospatial capabilities in the FEA Reference Models
How geospatial interacts with the various <nowiki>RMs</nowiki>
Business Reference Model
Performance Reference Model
Service Reference Model
Technical Reference Model
Data Reference Model
Relationship to other FEA profiles
Application of this Profile
Common scenario and related use cases
Example 1 -
Example 2 -
Appendix A: References
Appendix B: Acronym List
Appendix C: Terminology (Glossary)

14. Profile Approach
Provide background on geospatial concepts and applicability
Insert an awareness of a geospatial context into each of the FEA Reference Models
Expand existing taxonomies and approaches to recognize the activities and products of the geospatial community

15. FEA Business Reference Model
Consider geospatial specialization as a sub-function

16. Approach to evaluating geospatial aspects of business activities:
Analyze business activity descriptions to determine possible roles for location based information in the execution of the business activity.
Determine the function of geospatial data, technology, and services in carrying out those activities.
Develop or refine a business statement that describes the role of geospatial data and technologies in support of the business activity.
Questions template to identify geospatial capabilities with subject experts

17. Recommended geospatial business functions
Development of geospatial policies, standards, and guidance
Implement geospatial services with common and documented interfaces
Dissemination of geospatial data to external users

18. Geospatial Business Language
The Geospatial Business Language is comprised of five basic types of terms:
Application: A computer program with a user interface or computer program component that employs geospatial data and technology; a geospatial business process or sub-process that is implemented as a software program or program component.
Data: A geospatial information class, type or property.
Function: A geoprocessing capability; a geoprocessing user tool; a geospatial service component.
Process: A general series of business activities that employs geospatial data and technology.
Technology: An application of science that generates, displays, manages or otherwise processes geospatial data. (Excluding general-purpose Information Technology.)

19. Data Reference Model
Promotes data sharing and discovery through three capabilities exposed for agency data resources:
Data context (taxonomies)
Data sharing (exchange schema and format)
Data description (metadata)
Full reconciliation with the FEA DRM version 2.X is not included in this Profile

20. Data context (taxonomies)
Spatial contexts exist to reference location using addresses, coordinates, grid reference systems, and place names
ISO includes a Topic Category system for thematic content classification

21. Data sharing (exchange)
Use of Framework Data Content standards for exchange (ANSI/INCITS)
Use of standard formats and services for exchange (OGC GML, WFS)
Use of geospatial data formats for exchange

22. Data description (metadata)
Reference to FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) in active use
Recommends future use of ISO and its XML encoding (ISO TS 19139) for the format and transfer of geospatial metadata

23. Service Component Reference Model
Defined as a “baseline for categorizing and aligning federal business applications into common, reusable Service Components, … categorized into appropriate service domains and service types.”
Appendix includes a table of SRM extensions that highlight candidate geospatial service components within existing domains/types

24. FEA Service domains and types

25. Geospatial aspects of TRM
In the context of the TRM organization, geospatial standards and specifications are identified to improve interoperability in enterprise solutions
ISO, W3C, OGC, OASIS, FGDC and other standards are referenced

26. Appendices References Glossary and acronyms Use case and scenarios
Geospatial activity examples
Geospatial Business Language
Geospatial Service Components
Geospatial Standards List

27. Initiative Status, April 2007
Drafted a Charter for a Geospatial WG under the FGDC and CIO AIC, refined work plan
Identified a wild-land fire scenario as the context to be followed by examples in the Profile document
Convened writing teams for the Introduction section, and to provide geospatial guidance for each of the relevant FEA Reference Models
Posted Version 1.0 Draft of Geospatial Profile 10January2006
Developing Profile Version 2.0 for release, Spring 2007

28. Initiative co-leads Wendy Blake-Coleman, EPA
Douglas Nebert and Ivan DeLoatch, FGDC
For more information contact:
Doug Nebert