Data System Governance and Sustainability

From Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP)

Back to < Community Air Quality Data Systems Strategy

http://www.delicious.com/tag/integratinginitiative+governance


Data System Governance

Chapter text here.


Comments from Data Summit Workshop

Governance

Group discussed that, along with need to build a community that would operate on a voluntary “opt in” basis there would also need to be some group constituted with enough decision making authority to establish stability and confidence in the standards and protocols on which the system would rely. Group discussed a wide variety of possible structures.. Governance Models:

  • FACA (new or existing) - Does EPA already have a FACA that could do that?
  • NADP - National Atmospheric Deposition Program
  • CASAC - Clean Air Science Advisory Committee (Existing FACA) - Steering committee on ambient methods
  • ESIP - Earth Science Information Partners
  • EPAR10: Air Consortia—mesoscale modeling through UW and AQ model through WSU
  • IMPROVE: Steering Committee that governs the improve program. Voluntary
  • NARSTO: Interagency Private Sector Consortium – legal entity with Charter

Sustainability

During the discussion of sustainability, consensus from participants was that maintaining some forum ala the air quality data summit is very important. The group agreed that some aspect of sustainability is enabling the community to self-organize and operate under the principle of openness. Everybody agreed that establishing a common vision/framework from which community members can make decisions is the only way to assure that the most prudent decisions—those that benefit the community as a whole—are consistently made. Participants felt that the most pressing next steps are to take action to make sure the momentum created by this meeting is continued. Next steps could include:

  • Investigate Wikis and establishing an ongoing ‘place’ for the community to self-organize.
  • Execute an inventory and assessment of existing systems to establish baseline information, e.g., lifecycle, users, ROI to users/agency, data sources, redundancy, and cost.
  • Establish a mechanism for community strategic planning and vet a vision for the AQ community with the AQ community.

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