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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Every year URISA puts together an advocacy agenda of issues and problems it works to address. This agenda is based completely on input from you, the GIS Professionals that are in the trenches every day. So, is a lack of training or funding holding you back? Do you struggle to justify the value of GIS to your boss? Would data standards, data-sharing agreements, and metadata make your professional life better or worse? What are the topics of conversation when you meet with your peers? Or are there others.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Let us know what you think URISA should try to focus on to make GIS a stronger profession and successful community. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2012WorkChallenges">http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2012WorkChallenges</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>URISA continues to make advances based on the Advocacy Agenda items, including:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>URISA has continued to produce high quality educational webinars, including content on addressing, redistricting, the Capability Maturity Model, flood hazards, web mapping, and Lidar this year. Based on feedback from last year’s Advocacy Agenda survey, URISA has developed several low cost training webinars and is working on even more. Further, they are continuing to experiment with various methods to stream and record conference sessions. Expect several of the Key presentations from this year’s GIS Pro Conference to be made available to URISA members. (Advocacy Agenda #3)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>URISA developed a Return on Investment (ROI) Model to help members prove the value of GIS. King County, Washington GIS program, using the URISA Return on Investment model, produced a report indicating it has achieved approximately a 10:1 ROI from GIS over the course of the program’s 20-year lifespan. Multnomah County, Oregon is nearing completion of a study using the URISA ROI Model, with results expected later this year. (Advocacy Agenda #1)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:1.8pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>URISA’s Local Agency GIS Capability Maturity Model (GISCMM) has been tested by several local governments to assess the state of their GIS operations and a task force in 2011 recommended changes. Now that the URISA Geospatial Management Competency Model has been accepted by the US Department of Labor, the GISCMM will be refined by the new GIS Management Institute and available for use in 2013. (Advocacy Agenda #2)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:1.8pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>The URISA Board continues to work with NSGIC on a national addressing initiative. NSGIC has taken the lead, forming a work group, and the URISA Board has a member on the work group. The work group is led by URISA and NSGIC Past President Will Craig. (Advocacy Agenda #2)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:1.8pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>URISA continues to work with the Coalition of Geospatial Organizations to implement their national Geospatial Report Card. An Expert Panel, led by former Wyoming Governor Jim Geringer, has been meeting to devise the first Report Card, expected in advance of the November election. (Advocacy Agenda #2)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:1.8pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>URISA is leading a work group of the Coalition of Geospatial Organizations on data sharing, to develop a legal and policy framework that will guide local, regional, tribal, and state governments in changing their data sharing policies, statutes, and ordinances to promote better data sharing. (Advocacy Agenda #2)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>URISA developed a formal data sharing policy that reflects URISA’s role as an international organization and the need for the organization to be aware of data policies and situations in many countries. http://www.urisa.org/amicus_pr2_2012 (Advocacy Agenda #2)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:1.8pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>URISA co-signed a Letter of Support for funding the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, which was under fire in the U.S. House of Representatives. This Survey is a crucial source of data for decisions at all levels of government in the U.S. 2012-05-16_Senate_Census_Budget_Ltr-SenateLeadership-Final-Signed.pdf (Advocacy Agenda #1)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:1.8pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>The Federal Geographic Data Committee endorsed the Thoroughfare, Landmark and Postal Address Standard, which was initiated by URISA and worked on for many years by the geospatial community, under URISA leadership. <a href="http://www.urisa.org/about/initiatives/addressstandard">http://www.urisa.org/about/initiatives/addressstandard</a> (Advocacy Agenda #2)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:1.8pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>The U.S. Department of Labor adopted URISA’s Geospatial Management Competency Model as part of its Geospatial Technology Competency Model, also developed by URISA. Of the 20 industry’s that have developed Technology Competency Models for the Department of Labor, the geospatial industry is the only one that has completed a Management Competency Model, thanks to URISA. (Advocacy Agenda #4)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:1.8pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>URISA launched the GIS Management Institute (GMI) to advance the stature of the GIS Profession and promote professional GIS management on a stature equal to engineering, survey, IT, and project management. By defining the practice and value of professional GIS management, the GMI will foster executive support and demonstrate the value of sustainable funding for GIS. (Advocacy Agenda #1)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:1.8pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]>The GMI will include development of a GIS Management Body of Knowledge (GMBOK) that will inform geospatial management curricula and lead to future accreditation programs. (Advocacy Agenda #4)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>So URISA has been busy supporting the GIS community across all fronts. These activities are primarily based on the input we receive for the GIS Community as a whole. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Tripp Corbin, MCP, CFM, GISP</span></i></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>| Chief Executive Officer</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><br></span><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#244061'><a href="http://www.egisassociates.com/"><span style='color:#244061;text-decoration:none'>eGIS Associates, Inc.</span></a></span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><a href="mailto:tcorbin@egisassociates.com"><span style='color:blue'>tcorbin@egisassociates.com</span></a> | <a href="www.egisassociates.com"><span style='color:blue'>www.egisassociates.com</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>678-710-9710 ext 21 | 866-</span><span lang=EN style='color:#244061'>304-3864 Fax</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Esri Certified Trainer | Esri Certified Desktop Associate</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>