This paper was delivered at the 2013 North Carolina GIS Conference. It describes the GMCM and its intended use within the URISA GIS Management Institute.

1. Greg Babinski, MA, GISP
Finance & Marketing Manager
King County GIS Center
Seattle, WA
URISA Past-President
URISA GIS Management Institute Committee Chair
COGO Secretary
2013 Washington GIS Conference Co-Chair
Founding Summit Chief Editor
18 Steps to Success as a GIS Manager:
URISA’s Geospatial Management Competency Model
2013 North Carolina GIS Conference
February 7, 2013
Raleigh, North Carolina

2. Agenda
 Two Basic Questions
 URISA’s GIS Capability Maturity Model
 URISA’s Geospatial Management Competency Model
 URISA’s GIS Management Institute
 The GMI, the 18 Steps & You!
 Questions & Discussion

3. Two Basic Questions for all GIS Managers and the
Organizations that Employ Them:
 What causes variation in city, county & regional GIS operations?
 Why do some GIS operations deliver significant ROI while others
struggle or fail?
Variable Factors:
 Each municipality is unique
 City and county business focus often varies
 Population
 Nature and level of economic development
 GIS development history and funding
 GIS operational budget and staffing
 Municipality’s institutional expectations
Controllable Factors:
 GIS capability
 GIS operational maturity
 GIS management

4. URISA’s Local Agency GIS Capability Maturity Model
Begins to address controllable factors:
 GIS capability
 GIS operational maturity
 GIS management
URISA’s GIS Capability Maturity Model
 Maturity for the model indicates progression of an organization
towards GIS capability that maximizes:
 Potential for the use of state of the art GIS technology
 Commonly recognized quality data
 Organizational best practices appropriate for municipal business use
 The Municipal GIS Capability Maturity Model assumes two broad
areas of GIS operational development:
 Enabling capability
 Execution process ability
See: URISA Proposes a Local Government GIS Capability Maturity Model:
http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/winter1011articles/urisa-
proposes.html

5. Municipal GIS Capability Maturity
Model
URISA’s GIS Capability Maturity Model
Enabling
Capability
Components:

6. URISA’s GIS Capability Maturity Model
Execution
Ability
Components:

7. URISA’s Geospatial Management Competency Model:
Addresses controllable factors:
 GIS operational maturity
 GIS management
2010 -URISA Commits to Develop Tier 9:
The Geospatial Management Competency
Model
URISA GMCM Core Team:
 David DiBiase
 Patrick Kennelly
 Greg Babinski
 Coordination with USDOLETA
 URISA’s GMCM delivered to DOLETA
June 8, 2012
http://www.urisa.org/gmcm

8. The Geospatial Management Competency Model
Competency Domains n=4
Based on Hays Group
Management Model
 Manage yourself
 Manage your team
 Manage collaborations
 Manage the work
Competency Clusters n=18
(The 18 steps)
A. Geospatial technology competency
B. Self-management
C. Human resource management
D. Performance management
E. Legal affairs & policy management
F. Communication
G. Team management
H. Relationship management
I. Business development
J. Leadership
K. Professional development
L. Strategic planning and action
M. Work management
N. Geospatial project management
O. Political skills
P. Contract management
Q. Financial management
R. Asset management

9. The Geospatial Management Competency Model

10. The Ah-ha Moment:
GIS operational process maturity
(aka the GIS Capability Maturity Model)
and…
GIS management capability
(aka the Geospatial Management Competency Model)
Can both best be defined against…
A body of geospatial management best practices and
standards, or a GIS Management Body of Knowledge
What do GIS Managers and the Agencies that Employ
Them Need to Address the Basic Questions?

11. URISA Establishes the GIS Management Institute:
First, URISA considered other basic questions:
 Is there a GIS profession?
 What is the GIS Profession’s Moral Imperative?
 Does GIS provide value to society?
Is There a GIS Profession?
ArcNews, Summer 2012: Strengthening the GIS Profession, by David
DiBiase
What is the Moral Imperative of the GIS Profession?
The GIS profession uses geographic theory, spatial analysis, and
geospatial technology to help society manage the Earth’s finite space,
with its natural resources and communities, on a just and sustainable
basis, for the benefit of humanity.
Does GIS Provide Value to Society?
ArcNews, Summer 2012: King County Documents ROI of GIS
(minimum $776 million net benefit over 18 years, $87 million in 2010)
http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/summer12articles/tofc-summer12.html

12.  Develop and maintain the URISA GIS Management Body of
Knowledge (GMBOK)
 Maintain the URISA Geospatial Management Competency Model
(GMCM)
 Maintain the URISA GIS Capability Maturity Model (GCMM)
 Identify core KSA’s for GIS managers (the 18 steps)
 Accredit the capability and maturity of county, city, and regional
GIS operations against the GCMM
 Accredit GIS Management educational programs for alignment
with the URISA GMBOK and GMCM
 Develop a GISP-Management program for certification by GISCI
 Be the advocate for the GIS Profession
URISA’s GIS Management Institute
What will the URISA GIS Management Institute do?

13. URISA’s GIS Management Institute
How will the GMI Operate?
GMBOK:
GIS Management
Body of Knowledge
Municipal
GIS
Operations
GCMM
Accreditation
GCMM: GIS
Capability
Maturity
Model
URISA
Education
ULA & UMA
GIS
Management
Educational
Program
Accreditation
GISCI
GIS Managers
Certification
Component
GMCM:
Geospatial
Management
Competency
Model
Future:
ROI Services
Other
Accreditation
Benchmarking

14.  GIS operations are maturing – or they should be
 GIS operations manage large capital investments
 GIS operations require large operating budgets
 GIS is a proven technology for effective municipal
administration (standard of care)
 GIS operations deliver huge returns on investment
 Local agency leaders and managers must deploy GIS for
cost-effective government services (and to comply with the
standard of care concept)
 Geospatial technology is complex, continues to evolve, and
continues to provide new opportunities
 The management of municipal GIS operations is complex,
evolving, and requires a scientific, professional approach
URISA’s GIS Management Institute
What is the Business Need?

15. Is GIS management distinct from other types of municipal
management?
 The management of GIS requires knowledge skills and abilities that set it apart from and
above many other management domains, due to its complexity, importance for effective
services, and integrative role in local government enterprise operations.
 Proposals that GIS operations should be under the supervision of licensed engineers or
surveyors are not supported by the breadth of knowledge domains required for GIS
management.
URISA’s GIS Management Institute
What is the Business Need?
Knowledge Domains
Management Areas
GIS Survey Engineering IT Project Mgt Geography
GIS Technology X O O
Survey O X O O
Engineering O X O
General IT X X O
PM X O X
Geography X X
Cartography X O X
GIS Science X O
Databases X X
Programming X X
Geospatial Law X
Contracting X O O X X
Governance X X O

16.  Include an advisory council from other geospatial
management professional stakeholders
 Include international stakeholders
 Advance the future certification of GIS Managers by
developing a GIS Managers designation of the GISP in
partnership with GISCI
URISA’s GIS Management Institute
What will the GMI do with in cooperation with
others?

17.  URISA developed and launched GISCI
 URISA developed and manages GISCorps
 URISA has 50 years of study, experience & intellectual
capital related to GIS development and management
 URISA has a portfolio of publications and educational
offerings, including the ULA, that can be aligned to
support GIS management
 URISA has a history of 31 years of ESIG awards that
form an initial resource for recognizing GIS
management best practices
 URISA has designated the development of the GIS
Management Institute as a priority initiative
URISA’s GIS Management Institute
Why URISA?

18. URISA’s GIS Management Institute
Who will use the GMI, and why?
Babinski’sTheory of GIS Management: As GIS Operational Maturity Improves,ROI Increases

19.  GIS Managers – to assess their competency against the GMCM and
GMBOK and plan their professional development
 Organizations with GIS Operations – to assess their capability and
process maturity against peer agencies and by becoming GMI
accredited against the GMBOK via the GCMM
 Geospatial professionals – to assess and align their own practices
against the GMBOK
 GIS management educational programs – to assess and refine their
curriculum by becoming GMI accredited against the GMBOK, GMCM
& GCMM
 GIS management consultants – to assess and refine their practices
against the GMBOK, GMCM & GCMM
 In the future, GIS managers will use GMI products and services to
prepare for achieving a GISP manager designation through GISCI
URISA’s GIS Management Institute
Who will use the GMI, and why?

20.  GMI approved as a separate URISA program
 Dedicated GMI funding has been received
 A GMI Committee has been mobilized, with international
participation
 Several organizations identified for GMI Advisory Committee
 The GIS Capability Maturity Model is under review and revision
 A URISA Labs committee has been mobilized, first topics with PI’s
identified, and methodology development under way – First reports
at GIS-Pro 2013 in Providence, RI
 Winter 2012 ArcNews article:
http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/fall12articles/geospatial-
society-the-gis-profession-and-urisas-gis-management-
institute.html
URISA’s GIS Management Institute
Status Report:

21. URISA’s GIS Management Institute & 18 Steps to
a Successful GIS Management Career
GIS Management Body of Knowledge (GMBOK):
 Individual Best Practices and Professional Standards (n=35+/-)
 Developed and Maintained by URISA Labs
 GMBOK cross-referenced to the GISCMM and GMCM
 GMBOK will provide:
 Peer developed and reviewed best practices and professional
standards
 Cross-referenced guidelines related to the 18 GMCM
competency categories and 74 individual competencies
 Learning objectives to guide managers and educational
content developers
 Curriculum guidelines to support GMI accreditation of GIS
management educational programs
 Assessment guidelines to support GMI accreditation of city,
county and local agency GIS programs
 Development requirements to support GISP-Management
certification by GISCI

22. URISA’s GIS Management Institute & 18 Steps to
a Successful GIS Management Career
What can you do?
 Review the Geospatial Management Competency Model and
perform a personal self-assessment
 Study the GIS Capability Maturity Model and perform a self-
assessment of your organization
 Self assessments with comments can be sent to me
 Watch for the revised GCMM and participate in public
comments
 Join URISA and contribute to URISA Labs
 Volunteer as a Lab PI or Research Associate
 Watch for GMI draft Best Practices and participate in peer-
review

23. References and Additional Reading
Capability Maturity Model, Wikepedia Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capability_Maturity_Model Accessed 8/3/2009).
Selena Rezvani, M.S.W., An Introduction to Organizational Maturity Assessment: Measuring
Organizational Capabilities, International Public Management Association Assessment
Council, ND.
Jerry Simonoff, Director, IT Investment & Enterprise Solutions, Improving IT investment
Management in the Commonwealth, Virginia Information Technology Agency, 2008.
Curtis, B., Hefley, W. E., and Miller, S. A.; People Capability Maturity Model (P-CMM),
Software Engineering Institute, 2001.
Niessink, F., Clerca, V., Tijdinka, T., and van Vlietb, H., The IT Service Capability Maturity
Model, CIBIT Consultants | Educators, 2005
Ford-Bey, M., PA Consulting Group, Proving the Business Benefits of GeoWeb Initiatives: An
ROI-Driven Approach, GeoWeb Conference, 2008.
Niessink, F. and van Vliet, H., Towards Mature IT Services, Faculty of Mathematics and
Computer Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, ND.
Gaudet, C., Annulis, H., and Carr, J., Workforce Development Models for Geospatial
Technology, University of Southern Mississippi, 2001.

24. References and Additional Reading
Additional Resources
Babinski, G. (2010-11). URISA Proposes GIS Capability Maturity Model. ArcNews, Winter
2010/11. http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/winter1011articles/urisa-proposes.html
Croswell, P. (2009). The GIS Management Handbook: Concepts, Practices, and Tools for
Planning, Implementing, and Managing Geographic Information System Projects and
Programs. Kessey Dweitt Publications.
DiBiase, D., Corbin, T., Fox, T., Francica, J., Green, K., Jackson, J., Jeffress, G., Jones, B.,
Mennis, J., Schuckman, K., Smith, C., and Van Sickle, J. (2010). The New Geospatial
Technology Competency Model: Bringing Workforce Needs into Focus. URISA Journal 22:2,
55-72. psu.edu/files/sites/file/DiBiase_etal_2010_GTCM_URISA_Journal.pdf
Ennis, M. R. (2008). Competency Models: A Review of the Literature and the Role of the
Employment and Training Administration (ETA).
http://www.careeronestop.org/COMPETENCYMODEL/info_documents/OPDRLiteratureRevi
ew.pdf.
HayGroup (2001). The Manager Competency Model. http://www.professionallearning.
com/MCPBriefGuide.pdf
PDRI, Inc., and Aguirre International (2005). Technical Assistance Guide for Development
and Using Competency Models—One Solution for a Demand-Driven Workforce System.
http://www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/Info_Documents/TAG.pdf.
U.S. Office of Personnel Management (2011). Competency Model for IT Program
Management.
http://www.chcoc.gov/transmittals/TransmittalDetails.aspx?TransmittalID=4058

25. URISA’s GIS Management Institute & 18 Steps to
a Successful GIS Management Career
Questions, Comments, Suggestions?

26. Greg Babinski, MA, GISP
URISA Past-President
URISA GIS Management Institute Committee Chair
COGO Secretary
2013 Washington GIS Conference Co-Chair
SUMMIT Founder and At-Large Editor
Finance & Marketing Manager
King County GIS Center
201 South Jackson Street, Suite 706
Seattle, WA 98104
206-263-3753
greg.babinski@kingcounty.gov
www.kingcounty.gov/gis