Twin Cities GECCo Workshop After Action Report and Improvement Plan

After an extended period of dialogue and consideration by Twin Cities geospatial stakeholders, last week the Geospatial Information and Technology Association (GITA) formally released the Twin Cities GECCo Workshop After Action Report and Improvement Plan (AAR/IP).  In addition to providing a comprehensive review of findings from the Geospatial Enabling Community Collaboration (GECCo) workshop held at Fort Snelling, Minnesota in October 2011, the document’s Improvement Plan outlines steps that can be taken to create an ongoing, metro-focused process that will improve geospatial data collaboration and cooperation among the region’s business, emergency services, infrastructure and geospatial communities.  MetroGIS, a voluntary collaboration of local and regional governments, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations and businesses in the Twin Cities, will initially coordinate efforts to pursue Improvement Plan recommendations.

Although written with a focus on Twin Cities issues, it is thought much of the report has value for other U.S. major metropolitan areas as well.

To download a copy of the AAR/IP, and an explanatory cover letter that accompanied its release, click the link below (look for these items at the bottom of the page that opens):

Twin Cities GECCo "Post Event" Web Page

Comment: This AAR/IP is believed to be the first time the Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP) report template has been used to deliver findings from a geospatially focused event.  Although the HSEEP standardized format substantially contributed to the document’s overall size of 96 pages, it also allows for selective/speed reading, with delivery of details as needed.  Thus, the following “quick read” sequence for the document is thought appropriate for most:  

• Executive Summary (pages 5-10), 
• Section 3 as needed to clarify Executive Summary details (pages 25-37), 
• Section 4 (pages 39-40), and 
• other pages as desired.

With issuance of the report, the Twin Cities GECCo is officially complete.  Kudos and thanks go out to GITA, Department of Homeland Security, and all individuals who volunteered their time to make the Twin Cities GECCo possible!