IDESC: Successful experience in the management of the geographical information of Santiago de Cali

Abstract

Since 2008, The Spatial Data Infrastructure of Santiago de Cali (IDESC) has tried to sort out problems related to the official geographical information (GI) management of Santiago de Cali, such as: duplicity efforts, lack of integration of GI, misunderstanding and incompatibility of reference systems, particularly by unskilled users, problems with the street addresses, lack of metadata and other standards for geographical information, among others.

Therefore, The IDESC Project started up the development of its basic components in junction with either local institutions and organisms of the Municipality. This scenario allowed us to reach the harmonization of capture processes, analysis, access, use and distribution of GI, in order to promote the use and the exchange of spatial data and provide to the community with tools for planning and decision-making (Masser, 2008).

IDESC has moved forward trough the implementation of globally accepted best practice rules for GI management, defining normative documents, agreements with local institutions for sharing knowledge and GI, as well as being a support for the construction of nodes for the SDI and delivering geospatial data through OGC standards-based web services. We have become a reference for issues related to GI, being the first option for searching official GI of the Municipality. Nevertheless, there are plenty of work to be done, we have to carry on developing basic components and in the appropriation of different tools and services for the community. Our near-term work is focused in adopting new technologies, just as: mobile apps, RPAS for mapping generation, Cloud GIS, volunteered geographical information (VGI), and other advances.