SDI Convergence - Nederlandse Commissie voor Geodesie - KNAW
SDI Convergence - Nederlandse Commissie voor Geodesie - KNAW
SDI Convergence - Nederlandse Commissie voor Geodesie - KNAW
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appears at low levels and can seek its way upwards. The other way is much harder.<br />
Cooperation initiated at top level often has great difficulty in penetrating downwards in<br />
the organisation. In short one could say that cooperation and organisations that are<br />
very hierarchical oriented seldom match very well.<br />
From a theoretical standpoint, cooperation can be explained, by three characteristics:<br />
(1) reciprocity, (2) stability, and (3) robustness. Reciprocity is perhaps the most important<br />
quality of cooperation. It means that the cooperating parties have a mutual understanding<br />
and act in similar if not exactly the same ways. There is also an element of<br />
equality between the parties. Stability is the capacity to resist attacks from outside<br />
aimed at the destruction of the cooperation. Robustness is the capacity to grow in an<br />
environment that alters from time to time.<br />
3. SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURES<br />
<strong>SDI</strong> represents the important parts of a framework for effective production, handling<br />
and dissemination of spatial data within a nation or a region. In this context there is a<br />
frequent need of referencing not only to this framework (<strong>SDI</strong>) but also to the total spatial<br />
system or network that is held together and served by the <strong>SDI</strong> in question. This<br />
feature is referred to in this article as the ‘<strong>SDI</strong>-based network’.<br />
An <strong>SDI</strong>-based network is a very complex construction. It consists of a number of cooperating<br />
organisations with different goals and cultures that to some extent at least produce<br />
spatial data of common interest to society. Based on agreements, or law, they<br />
form a network and try to follow a set of standards and rules to fulfil an overarching<br />
goal benefiting society. Fulfilling these standards and rules and participation in constructing<br />
them can be seen as acts of cooperation. Practical implementation in particular<br />
often calls for advanced mutual planning and coordination of activities at the base<br />
level of the organisations concerned. This can be problematic and a possible explanation<br />
why even established <strong>SDI</strong> principles are difficult to realise in practise.<br />
Relating <strong>SDI</strong> to the basic concept of cooperation raises two questions in particular:<br />
1. Is the ‘<strong>SDI</strong>-based network’ in question robust enough to guarantee sustainable data<br />
access on defined terms?<br />
2. Is the ‘<strong>SDI</strong>-based network’ in question flexible enough to adapt to new conditions in<br />
the future in terms of, for instance, technical standards and pricing policies?<br />
These questions are closely related to the fact that an ‘<strong>SDI</strong>-based network’ does not<br />
exist in a vacuum but in close connection to the rest of society. This can be simplified<br />
by saying that we have two very strong ’magnets’ pulling the ‘<strong>SDI</strong>-based network’ and<br />
with the ultimate capacity to change or even destroy the ‘<strong>SDI</strong>-based network’. One<br />
magnet is ’the users as a whole’. The users represent the reason why the <strong>SDI</strong> network<br />
was constructed and are the primary beneficiaries. The other magnet is government,<br />
including the European Union, which sets many rules and lays down conditions for<br />
operating the system.<br />
The ‘<strong>SDI</strong>-based network’ has to live within the ’magnetic field’ between these two<br />
strong magnetic poles (see Figure 1). So, the <strong>SDI</strong>-based network is not only a complex<br />
construction in itself, but is also constantly subject to developments and changes in the<br />
‘magnetic field’ between users and the government.<br />
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