1.0 TITLE: Kansas Geographic Information Systems Metadata Standard

1.1 EFFECTIVE DATE: October 14, 1999

1.2 TYPE OF ACTION: Policy Update - Approved March 10, 2020

2.0 PURPOSE: To establish a policy concerning the documentation standard for geographic information systems (GIS) databases.

3.0 ORGANIZATIONS AFFECTED: All Branches, Boards, Commissions, Departments, Divisions, and Agencies of state government, hereafter referred to as entities.

4.0 REFERENCES:

4.1 K.S.A. 1998 Supp. 75-7203 authorizes the ITEC to: Adopt information resource policies and procedures and provide direction and coordination for the application of the state's information technology resources for all state entities.

4.2 K.S.A 2012 74-99f01 thru 09 directs the Kansas Geographic Information Officer to recommend to the executive chief information technology officer rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement the provisions of the Kansas one map act.

5.0 DEFINITIONS/BACKGROUND:

5.1 DEFINITIONS

5.1.1 Metadata is data about data.  More specifically, geospatial metadata contains information such as the title, abstract, publication date, access instructions, contact information, use constraints, and other descriptive information.  Current, complete, and well-constructed metadata is essential to data dissemination and preservation.

5.1.2 The Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) is the GIS database documentation standard developed by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC). 

5.1.3 ISO 19115:2003 is a suite of metadata standards for geographic information developed by the International Standards Organization and endorsed by the FGDC.

5.1.4 FGDC was established by Office of Management and Budget Circular A-16 and coordinates development, use, sharing, and dissemination of geographic, or geospatial, data.

5.1.5 GIS databases are defined as those databases that are designed and developed for use with GIS software. These include all databases with locational, or geospatial, components that may be used to link tabular data to location specific points, lines, and polygons.

5.1.6 Kansas GIS Data Access and Support Center (DASC) is an enterprise geospatial data clearinghouse that provides a central store and catalog of Kansas data and mapping services.

5.1.7 Kansas GIS Community is defined as the growing community of users of GIS technology in Kansas. This community includes users at all levels of government, academic institutions, and public and private organizations throughout Kansas.

5.1.8 Kansas GIS Policy Board is established by K.S.A 2012 74-99f01-09 to promote the use of geographic information systems technologies as tools to break through structural and administrative boundaries to collaborate on shared problems and enhance information analysis and decision-making processes within all levels of government. The Kansas GIS Policy Board is a standing committee of the Kansas Information Technology Executive Council.

5.2 BACKGROUND

5.2.1 In the mid-1990’s the GIS Standards Task Force was created to develop GIS policies and standards; including data documentation, otherwise referred to as metadata.  With membership from state and local government, private sector, and professional associations, the task force held multiple forums to which members of the Kansas GIS community were invited to attend.  The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) was recommended for adoption at one of these forums.  The Kansas GIS Policy Board approved adoption of this policy and also encouraged adoption by all GIS practitioners in Kansas.  To this day, the CSDGM still remains a widely adopted and effective documentation standard.

In 1991, ISO’s technical committee on geographic information and geomatics began aligning the CSDGM with other geospatial data and services standards.  The ISO 19115 Geographic Information Metadata Standard was published in 2003 and endorsed by FGDC in 2010.  A 2015 revision is under review and is expected to be endorsed by FGDC.

6.0 POLICY:

6.1 All entities shall develop and maintain digital documentation of their GIS databases in compliance with the Kansas GIS Metadata Standard, or an official sub-set thereof, if defined and approved by the Kansas GIS Policy Board.

6.2 The Information Technology Executive Council delegates authority for the implementation and maintenance of this Policy to the Kansas GIS Policy Board.

7.0 PROCEDURES:

7.1 This Policy is effective upon approval by the Information Technology Executive Council. All entities, boards, commissions, and Regent's Institutions were to comply with the original KIRC Policy by no later than July 1, 1997.

7.2 The Information Technology Executive Council instructs the Kansas GIS Policy Board to insure that all GIS databases that are accepted as part of the Kansas Geodatabase and distributed by DASC be documented in compliance with this Policy by no later than January 1, 2020, as specified by the original policy.

7.3 For the purposes of this Policy the Kansas GIS Metadata Standard is considered to be the same as, and compliant with, the Federal Geographic Data Center's Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata or the most recently FGDC-endorsed ISO suite of metadata standards for geographic information.

7.4 The Kansas GIS Policy Board may define a sub-set of the Kansas GIS Metadata Standard, should the Board deem such a sub-set in the best interests of the Kansas GIS community.

8.0 RESPONSIBILITIES:

8.1 Heads of entities will establish procedures for their organization's compliance with the requirements of this policy.

8.2 The Chief Information Technology Officer, Executive Branch, is responsible for the maintenance of this policy.

8.3 DASC is responsible for working with data stewards to ensure compliant metadata is developed and maintained for all databases made available through the clearinghouse portal.

9.0 CANCELLATION: None