iGather The window on the Data LAs Need

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iGather - The window on the Data LAs Need
Innovator of the Year 2004
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Agenda

• Introduction
• About SciSys
• What is iGather ?
• Why is it needed?
• Features of the application
• Business Benefits
• The Future

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Introduction

• Ian Hartley
• SciSys Business Development Manager
• Public Sector
• SciSys
• Come and visit us on Stand F20

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About SciSys
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SciSys Overview

• SciSys is part of the CODASciSys group of
  companies

SciSys InnovativeSolutions
BC KnowledgeCollaboration
CODA FinancialIntelligence
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SciSys Business Focus

• IT Consultancy
• e-Business
• Process management and business change
• Bespoke software development
• Systems integration
• Knowledge Collaboration
• Application support
• Outsourcing FM

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SciSys Public Sector Summary

• Regulation / Licensing
• Environmental Management
• Strategic Consultancy
• Asset Management
• Complex Billing Systems
• Business Intelligence
• e-Business

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What is iGather
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What is iGather?

• A new web-based information service
• Collaboration between South West e-Gov group and
  Scisys
• Funded by ODPM
• Originally intended as an aid to compiling
  sustainability assessments
• Now expanded and re-named iGather

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What is iGather?

• Web-based information retrieval and visualisation
  tool
• Uses GIS to identify geographic areas
• Data catalogue supporting key indicators
• Interfaces with web services such as ONS portal
• Generates boundary specific reports
• Search, display and download data

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Why is it needed?
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Business drivers

• Transformational Government
• The Governments aim is to deliver world-class
  public services through sustained investment
  matched by far reaching reform
• Comprehensive Spending review 2007
• t-Gov Implementation Plan and Local Government
  Discussion papers released
• World-class public services are driven by world
  class polices

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Business drivers-Strategic Sustainability
Assessment

• 2001 - European Union Directive on Strategic
  Environmental Assessment
• 2004 - Strategic Environmental Assessment
  Regulation
• Supporting Government strategic objectives
• Sustainable communities
• e-Government
• Integral to the Planning Process
• Systematic and Iterative

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Impact of SEA Directive

• Planning Authorities (including LAs) now need
  conform to Strategic Environmental Assessment
  regulation
• Need to undertake Strategic Sustainability
  Appraisals (SA SEA) on plans and programmes of
  their Local Development Frameworks
• Identification and collection of SEA baseline
  data is time-consuming and costly

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One Stop Sustainability Appraisal Shop

• SWeGG wanted to deliver web based toolkit to
• Avoid duplication
• Provide quick and easy collection of and access
  to baseline datasets
• GIS output
• Utilise existing data in SWID and other
  intelligence networks
• Connect using Government Gateway

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The Environmental Assessment Process
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Is this you?

• Cant find your data
• Too much paper
• No time

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Help is at hand!!

• iGather
• Information service
• Not just sustainability
• One stop data shop
• XML Data schemas
• iGather standard format for datasets
• Metadata schema for pre-population of the data
  catalogue

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Finding the right data i-Gather

• High Level Issues
• - Evidence based policy making
• New Sustainability Directive
• Partner/government/audit demand
• - Data interoperability remains a problem

Business Problems - Finding data on local
issues from wide variety of sources- Collating
data based on administrative area or subject
theme- Production of reports takes too long and
involves too many valuable resources
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Use and display of data i-Gather

• Approach to problem
• Gather pointers to trusted data sources in one
  database (Documents, Statistics, Maps)
• A data catalogue of quality regime specific
  information to support key indicators
• Link to open web services for other data
• sets (e.g. census)
• Use mapping to select areas and collate data
• Creation of XML schemas to support internal and
  external datasets

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Access data by map query screens

• The Map Interface is for...
• Identifying areas for investigation
• Selecting boundaries to be used in the retrieval
  of Information
• Displaying spatial information artefacts
• Downloading Geographical Images

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Access data by map query screens

• The query screen is for
• Specifying the Area of interest
• Using the map interface
• Using the Hierarchical Boundary List
• Specifying the Subject of Interest
• Specifying period of Interest

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Example Map Query i-Gather
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iGather Boundaries
Great Britain
Country
Region
County
Authority
Ward
MSOA
Parish
LSOA
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iGather Boundaries
Great Britain
Country
Region
County
Authority
Ward
MSOA
Parish
LSOA
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iGather Boundaries
Great Britain
Country
Region
County
Authority
Ward
MSOA
Parish
LSOA
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iGather Boundaries
Great Britain
Country
Region
County
Authority
Ward
MSOA
Parish
LSOA
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iGather Boundaries
Great Britain
Country
Region
County
Authority
Ward
MSOA
Parish
LSOA
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iGather Videos
Map selection - population
Different Artifact types Download
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Benefits

• Sustainability assessments completed in less time
  with less people
• Faster turnaround for LAA returns
• More effective policy making
• Easy access to external data providers such as
  ONS Environment Agency
• Data interoperability issues taken away
• Key resources freed for front-line work

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The future

• iGather will be tried and tested in the South
  West
• An iGather user group will be formed
• Enhancements will be developed
• National roadshow
• Everyone can benefit from iGather
• Its the tip of the iceberg, where next?