In support of the Abu Dhabi 2030 Environmental Vision, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has come closer to establishing itself as a leader within the global environmental community through the development of a partnership with Ordnance Survey International and the creation of a new GIS Roadmap.
Global sustainability is dependent on the availability of comprehensive, consistent and accessible information about the environment in which we live. This information is recognised as a critical asset, but it is not always accessible, complete or consistent. A reliable, credible and authoritative ‘single version of the truth’ is needed to underpin effective decision making at regional, Emirate and local levels in support of environmental sustainability.
EAD is committed to significantly improving the environmental sustainability of the Emirate and becoming a global advocate for environmental protection and sustainable living. Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General of EAD, has a vision to move EAD from data custodian to provider of geospatial intelligence through the adoption of a data-centric approach. To achieve this vision, EAD is embarking on a comprehensive geospatial transformation programme under the leadership of Mr. Anil Kumar, Director, Environment Information Management.
An invitation to tender was issued by EAD on 2 October 2014 to select an organisation to develop a new GIS Roadmap, which would enable the Agency to make a positive step-change and further develop its environmental geospatial maturity. A Roadmap is a description of all the activities which need to be carried out to enable the achievement of strategic objectives.
Ordnance Survey International submitted a proposal for this strategic project and was delighted to be selected to develop the new Roadmap in partnership with EAD and its stakeholders under the leadership of Mr. Anil Kumar.
The project was developed and delivered in under 10 weeks and was completed on 15 April 2015. The new Roadmap was created in accordance with the ‘GIS Roadmap Framework’ prepared by the Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (ADSIC) and aligns with Abu Dhabi Government policy and EAD’s Corporate Strategy and Environmental Information Management Strategy (EIMS).
The Roadmap provides EAD with a detailed structured plan which will enable the Agency to consolidate and build on the positive changes it has already made to the way environmental information is captured, maintained and disseminated across the Emirate in support of the 2030 Vision. A total of 52 initiatives have been agreed which when delivered will establish EAD as a visionary and cutting edge organisation within the global environmental community.
Pivotal to the success of the project was the way in which EAD and Ordnance Survey International engaged with stakeholders to ensure that the final Roadmap was sustainable, forward-looking and relevant.
Stakeholders from across the Emirate came together under Mr. Kumar’s leadership to exchange ideas, share thinking and contribute ideas to develop a Roadmap, which reflects the current and future needs of the stakeholder community. This ground-breaking approach to establishing a single and shared vision for change has ensured that the Roadmap is truly fit-for-the-future and engages hearts and minds across stakeholder entities within the Emirate.
This collaborative approach underpinned the delivery of the project from start to finish as EAD teams of specialists and the Ordnance Survey International delivery team worked in an integrated way to share ideas, develop new learning and exchange thinking.
For more information on the project, visit http://os.uk/eadgisroadmap