For many years, the federal government has taken steps to coordinate  geospatial activities both within and outside the federal government. OMB and Interior generally agreed with  our recommendations. Specifically,  agencies differed on what investments they included as an IT investment. Implementing Established Policies Is Not a Federal Priority, Resulting in Duplicative Investments

While the President and OMB have established policies and procedures  for managing and coordinating investments in geospatial data, the FGDC,  federal departments and theme-lead agencies, and OMB itself have not  effectively implemented them. While the FGDC has developed and endorsed several standards, it  has not yet planned for or implemented an approach to manage data   as related groups of  themes and their associated key datasetsinvestments designed to allow agencies to more effectively plan  geospatial data collection efforts and minimize duplicative  investments. None of the three federal departments in our review have fully  implemented important activities for coordinating geospatial data and  assets, such as developing and implementing a strategy for  advancing geospatial activities within the department. The three theme-lead agencies in our review have implemented some  but not all important activities to ensure the national coverage and  stewardship of geospatial data themes. OMB’s annual budget reporting mechanisms have not provided  complete and reliable information to identify duplicative geospatial  investments. The primary cause for why the FGDC, federal departments and theme- lead agencies, and OMB have not yet fully implemented established  policies and procedures for coordinating geospatial investments is  because, according to OMB staff members and agency officials, they  have been focusing on other priorities. FGDC has prepared a strategic plan; however, it is missing key  components and has not been kept up-to-date. According to OMB guidance and the  executive order, federal departments and agencies that handle geospatial  data are to: designate a senior agency official for geospatial information that has  departmentwide responsibility, accountability, and authority for  geospatial information issues; prepare, maintain, publish, and implement a strategy for advancing  geographic information and related geospatial data activities  appropriate to their mission, and in support of the NSDI strategy; develop a policy that requires them to make their geospatial metadata  available on the clearinghouse; make all metadata associated with geospatial data available on the  clearinghouse, and use the metadata standard; and adopt internal procedures to ensure that they access the NSDI  clearinghouse before they expend funds to collect or produce new  geospatial data to determine (1) whether the information has already  been collected by others, or (2) whether cooperative efforts to obtain  the data are possible. According to OMB,provide the leadership necessary to ensure the national coverage and  stewardship of specific geospatial data themes, NSDI-designated theme- lead agencies are to:   in order to effectively manage geospatial data and designate a point of contact who is responsible for the development,  maintenance, coordination, and dissemination of data using the  clearinghouse; prepare goals relating to the theme that support the NSDI strategy,  and as needed, collect and analyze information from user needs and  include those needs in the theme-related goals; develop and implement a plan for the nationwide population of the  data theme that includes (1) the development of partnership programs  with states, tribes, academia, the private sector, other federal  agencies, and localities that meet the needs of users; (2) human and  financial resource needs; (3) standards, metadata, and the  clearinghouse needs; and (4) a timetable for the development for the  theme; and create a plan to develop and implement theme standards. All three agencies have  designated a point of contact. OMB Does Not Have Complete and Reliable Information to Identify Duplicative Geospatial Investments

OMB has oversight responsibilities for federal IT systems and acquisition  activities—including GIS—to help ensure their efficient and effective use. Interior participates in several efforts aimed at coordinating one of its  themes, orthoimagery. Further, until OMB establishes  a way to obtain reliable information about federal geospatial investments,  OMB will not be able to identify potentially duplicative geospatial  investments. Unless the FGDC, federal departments and agencies, and  OMB decide that investments in geospatial information are a priority,  these investments will remain uncoordinated, and although the extent of  duplication is unknown, the federal government will continue to acquire  duplicative geospatial information and waste taxpayer dollars. We are sending copies of this report to interested congressional  committees; the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Federal Geographic Data  Committee; the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; the  Secretaries of the Departments of Commerce, the Interior, and  Transportation; and the Administrator of the General Services  Administration. GAO staff who made  major contributions to this report are listed in appendix V.

Appendix I: Objective, Scope, and Methodology

Our objective was to determine the extent to which the federal  government has established and effectively implemented policies and  procedures for coordinating its investments in geospatial data and  avoiding duplication. We then reviewed FGDC and federal department documentation, such as  policies, procedures, strategic plans, implementation plans, technical  documentation of standards and metadata, committee charters and  meeting minutes, and budget documentation.
Why GAO Did This Study

The federal government collects, maintains, and uses geospatial information--information linked to specific geographic locations--to support many functions, including national security and disaster response. In 2012, the Department of the Interior (Interior) estimated that the federal government invests billions of dollars on geospatial data annually, and that duplication is common. GAO was asked to determine the extent to which the federal government has established and effectively implemented policies and procedures for coordinating its geospatial investments and avoiding duplication. To do so, GAO focused on FGDC coordination activities; efforts within the departments of Commerce, the Interior, and Transportation; and OMB oversight. GAO reviewed FGDC and department documentation, such as policies, procedures, and strategic plans; OMB guidance and an executive order; and reports concerning duplicative investments.

What GAO Found

While the President and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) have established policies and procedures for coordinating investments in geospatial data, governmentwide committees and federal departments and agencies have not effectively implemented them. The committee that was established to promote the coordination of geospatial data nationwide--the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)--has developed and endorsed key standards-- including a metadata standard that includes descriptive information about a particular set of geospatial data--and established a clearinghouse of metadata; however, the clearinghouse is not being used by agencies to identify planned geospatial investments to promote coordination and reduce duplication. The FGDC has not yet planned or implemented an approach to manage geospatial data as related groups of investments to allow agencies to more effectively plan geospatial data collection efforts and minimize duplicative investments; and its strategic plan is missing key elements, such as performance measures for many of its defined objectives. Further, none of the three federal departments in GAO's review have fully implemented important activities for coordinating geospatial data, such as preparing and implementing a strategy for advancing geospatial activities within their respective departments.
Further, the three agencies in GAO's review responsible for governmentwide management of specific geospatial data have implemented some but not all important activities for coordinating the national coverage of specific geospatial data. For example, only one agency has developed a plan for the nationwide population of the datasets under its responsibility, and none of the agencies have developed a plan to develop standards that facilitate the collection and sharing of geospatial data. Finally, while OMB has oversight responsibilities for geospatial data, OMB staff members acknowledged that OMB does not have complete and reliable information to identify potentially duplicative geospatial investments.
FGDC, federal departments and agencies, and OMB have not yet fully implemented policies and procedures for coordinating geospatial investments because these efforts have not been a priority. As a result, efforts to acquire data are uncoordinated and the federal government is acquiring duplicative geospatial data. For example, three agencies are independently acquiring road data, which is reported to have resulted in millions of wasted taxpayers' dollars. Unless OMB, the FGDC, and federal departments and agencies decide that coordinating geospatial investments is a priority, this situation will likely continue.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making recommendations aimed at improving coordination and reducing duplication, to include FGDC developing a national strategy for coordinating geospatial investments; federal agencies following federal guidance for managing geospatial investments; and OMB developing a mechanism to identify and report on geospatial investments. Two agencies and OMB generally agreed with GAO's recommendations and one agency neither agreed nor disagreed.