The Full Picture

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the fast development of GDIs. At the institutional level

organizations should be aware of the new roles of govern-

ment, the new economic and market conditions and thus

their changing business environment.

Partnerships, networks and globalization of

service supply chains

International partnerships providing joint educational

programmes are of great importance for CD. Building

them requires a substantial investment by the partners

in staff time, material provisions and institutional

arrangements. Such investment is only worthwhile when

partnerships are sustainable. Three types of sustainabil-

ity are important

Academic sustainability

– the partners should be able

to continuously upgrade the contents of their joint

programmes in correspondence with the related profes-

sional, scientific and market developments. This implies

that joint education activities should complement joint

research.

Institutional sustainability

– partnerships have a proper

institutional or legal setting, ie, the partners should have

Within the modern information society new business and geo-ICT

environments are emerging which force GI-providers to develop new

business strategies. These require scenario studies anticipating the

opportunities of new technology and new geo-data infrastructures

(GDIs). Hence, permanent capacity development of entire organi-

zations is required so that ‘lifelong learning’ does not only apply to

professionals, but also to their organizations.

Modern technology, the changing role of government and the glob-

alization of the economy have a fundamental impact on the

development of GDIs. Governments have a regulatory role with

respect to information provision. They should facilitate the devel-

opment of infrastructure through which geo-information is provided.

But should they also be providers, or even producers? Clearly the

development of GDIs is not only a responsibility of the public sector;

GDIs will develop through public-private interactions. This implies

that a strong private sector, and thus a private industry, is a prereq-

uisite for sustainable GDIs.

Governments also have a direct interest in the use of geo-infor-

mation, which is indispensable to the management of our living

environment and resources. Governments have an important role

here in the context of the international agendas and treaties for the

sustainable development of our planet. Geo-information is a prereq-

uisite for good governance at all aggregation levels, as well as at

supra- or international levels. Because almost all human activities

have a spatial footprint we could say that: ‘good governance requires

good geo-information’.

Capacity development for the Earth observation and

geo-ICT sector

All this implies that Capacity Development (CD) should have a high

priority for organizations introducing new working methods and

procedures, which will ultimately result in the structural adjustment

of their geo-ICT architecture.

CD comprises human resources development, organizational

strengthening and institutional strengthening as implied in the

following two definitions. Capacity Development is to improve:

• The ability of people, organizations and society as a whole to

manage their affairs successfully

• The ability of individuals, institutions and societies to perform

functions, solve problems, and set and achieve objectives in a

sustainable manner

The aim of CD is to strengthen organizations and institutions and

through them civil society at large. For the international Earth obser-

vation and geo-ICT sector this means that not only technology

oriented professionals are required but also staff that can formulate,

design, manage and negotiate with other organizations and govern-

ment in order to address organizational and institutional issues.

Therefore three levels for capacity development have been recognized.

CD programs should help the international Earth observation and

geo-ICT sector to understand how technological, institutional and

market developments lead to new geo-information products and

services. They should be able to formulate geo ICT strategies to secure

their institutional position and mandates in this field and to sustain

their relevance. A profound knowledge of technological trends should

therefore be complemented with a deep insight in the role that geo-

information plays in the context of spatial policy and decision making.

GI-providers and users formulating new strategies should anticipate

Source: ITC

Three levels for capacity development

Human resources development

– aims at changing attitudes

and behaviours, most frequently through training and

education. It involves learning by doing, participation,

ownership, and processes associated with increasing

performance through changes in management, motivation,

morale, and levels of accountability and responsibility.

Organizational strengthening

– focuses on overall

performance and functioning capabilities, such as developing

mandates, tools, guidelines and information management

systems for the ability of the organization to adapt to change.

It aims to develop its constituent individuals and groups, as

well as its relationship to the outside.

Institutional strengthening

– concerned with the creation of

‘enabling environments’, ie the overall policy, economic,

regulatory, and accountability frameworks within which

institutions and individuals operate. Relationships and

processes between institutions, both formal and informal, as

well as their mandates, are important.

Purpose

Human Resources

Development

Organizational

Strengthening

Institutional

Strengthening

Focus

Supply of technical and professional

personnel

Strengthening the management

capacity of organizations:

embedding GITC (systems and

processes)

embedding strategic management

principles

Strengthening the capacity to develop

and negotiate appropriate mandates

and modus operandi as well as

appropriate legal and regulatory

frameworks