CNIG
Conseil National de l 'Information Géographique
(National Council of Geographic Information)
AFIGéO
Association Française pour l 'Information Géographique
(French Association for Geographic Information)
Summary
- CNIG (purpose, actions, membership)
- AFIGéO
- Why AFIGéO
- Comparison CNIG/AFIGéO
- Operating aspects, finances
- Purpose
- Actions (organisation of various events, management of studies, international relations, assistance to export)
- GI standardisation
- GI metadata systems
- Views for immediate future.
What is CNIG?
- CNIG is a consultative official body which has been created in 1985 to promote the development of geographic information in France.
- Giving its opinion on the national policy and on the drafts of new laws or decrees,
- Delivering recommandations to improve the technics,
- Developing standards (EDIGéO),
- Coordinating the annual government 's programs for production and distribution,
- Analysing the needs of users,
- Encouraging research and development.
Actions of CNIG
- CNIG sets up commissions and working groups according to the needs of professional people and actualities in the domain:
- Large-scale topographic information,
- Economy,
- Toponymy,
- Professions,
- Geographic research,...
- CNIG is in charge of the national representation to international conferences relative to geographic information.
Who is a member of CNIG?
- 1 president (designated by the Prime Minister)
- 4 heads of local governments (1 department, 1 urban community, 2 municipalities)
- 16 representatives of Ministries
- 11 representatives of public producers of geographic information (DGI, IGN, SHOM, CNES, OGE, INSEE, IFREMER)
- 2 competent personalities
- The members of CNIG are coming from public sector.
Why AFIGéO?
- To attract the private sector,
- To collect funds,
- To have the legal personality.
CNIG/AFIGéO Comparison of the organisations.
Operating aspects
- Office
- common to CNIG and AFIGéo
- put by IGN at our disposal
- in IGN's management building
- Staff of AFIGéO
- Ministry of Equipment:
- 3 engineers (incl. Secretary General)
- 2 half time employees
- – IGN (under Ministry of Equipment supervision)
Finances
- Annual budget = 1 to 2 MF.
- Income
- fees (4 levels = individuals, small companies, other companies, sponsors)
- government grants (part support to special purposes)
- participations of members to the realisation of specific studies or actions.
The purpose of AFIGéO
- to favour the development of geographic information in France to the advantage of all public and private actors
- to broaden to all professionnals and users the thoughts of CNIG, so that the technical progress will be better taken into account in the public policies
- AFIGéO denies itself any activity which could put it in competition with its members
Actions (1)
- Organisation of symposiums, scientific and technical workshops, exhibitions, conferences to favour exchanges between public and private actors in the sector.
- Every year at least:
- In April a one-day joint session CNIG/AFIGéO during MARI show in Paris. In 1998 "Geographic information in information society"
- In June a two days symposium, being held in one of the major cities in France and dedicated to the state-of-the-art in advanced domains. In 1998 "Internet and Geographic Information".
Actions (2a)
- Management of technical and economical studies which are intended to develop the use of geographic information
- AFIGéO leads these studies which are realised :
- by AFIGéO itself with the voluntary participation of some of its members through WG,
- by specialised consulting firms.
- In 1998 an academic study on training has been directly paid by the Ministry of Environment (DATAR° but led by AFIGéO.
Actions (2b)
- Some studies realised since 1996
- the French market (AFIGéO)
- the market of GI in United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands (Coopers & Lybrand/Urbatique)
- the influence of data prices on the marcket (Arthur Andersen/Urbatique)
- the use of GI within the framework of regulations bound to national and regional development (Ted Alitec/Siage)
- geographic information in information society (AFIGéO) "The white paper"
Actions (3)
- Development of international relations and representation of French community particularly at the European level;
- contribution to scientific and technical exchanges between France and foreign countries,
- participation to French representation in the international bodies of the sector (CEN, ISO, ...)
- representation of France within EUROGI and its executive Committee.
Actions (4)
- Increase in competitiveness of the French actors
- participation to actions enhancing the value of French know-how in export business.
- a special interest group is being created within AFIGéO to facilitate the access of industry to international market.
GI standardisation
- Participation to international organisations
- CEN/TC 287 during several years AFIGéO supplied the President and financed the office of Secretary
- ISO/TC 211 AFIGéO represents France
- Standards
- The inquiry for formal approval of EDIGéO (the French national standard is ongoing)
- at least 2 of the European provisional standards (metadata and quality) will be used again in France
GI metadata systems (a)
- Present state
- AFIGéO manages the directory of national databases
- a national profile of the European metadata standard is under development
- the existing system will evolute in accordance with the national profile
- at the different territorial levels (regions, departments, municipalities) the users are creating local systems compliant with the national profile.
GI metadata systems (b)
-
the future
- Things are running towards the setting up of an hierarchic system :
- directory of national databases (AFIGéO) at the central level
- more specific information at the regional level
- Strong dynamics at the local level, but not still an on-line system for data exchange.
AFIGéO's views for the immediate future
- At the present time
- a working group is thinking about training,
- members of Parliament are acting to promote the development of geographic information.
- AFIGéO intends particularly:
- to draw up the present state of research,
- (as a result of the French "White paper") to redefine the "mission of general inerest", this task being done
- either by CNIG/AFIGéO with a mandate of the government,
- or by members of Parliament working closely with CNIG/AFIGéO