This report is the result of a joint research initiative between Esri Canada and Open North. The objective of this research was to learn more about geospatial capacity in municipalities across Canada, how they are harnessing this capacity to meet current and future needs, and how collaboration with other municipalities, levels of government, and supporting organizations can help boost municipal capacity.
Part 1: Setting the context
Municipalities are the level of government closest to residents. Geospatial data is critical in planning the infrastructure and delivering the services that residents interact with daily. More broadly, sharing geospatial capacity can enable municipalities to collectively address challenges extending beyond any community’s borders.
Yet, the ability to fully leverage geospatial data varies significantly between communities. Collaboration – that is, sharing data assets, infrastructure, and knowledge – can help municipalities to gain capacity they would not otherwise be able to access in order to:
- Improve internal data practices;
- Share collective intelligence and make mutual decisions on issues of regional importance;
- Unlock geospatial information for community-based economic, social, and environmental initiatives;
- Present a united ask for resources from higher levels of government.
Part 2: Mapping the data collaboration journey
The process of embarking on a collaboration is divided into four key stages: Identifying and evaluating the opportunity; Understanding current capabilities; Designing and implementing the collaboration, and; Measuring outcomes and sharing successes. Each stage brings its own set of considerations which are framed as a series of prompting questions for municipal staff:
Stage 1: Identifying and evaluating the opportunity:
- What are the internal and external drivers of collaboration?
- Who are potential partners?
Stage 2: Understanding current capabilities:
- What human and technological resources are available?
- What financial resources are available?
- What data is available?
Stage 3: Designing and implementing the collaboration:
- What form should the collaboration take and how will it be governed?
- What standards, processes, and procedures need to be adopted?
Stage 4: Measuring outcomes and sharing successes:
- How will progress toward objectives be measured?
- How can partners raise awareness of the collaboration?
- Examples of successful collaborations are referenced throughout this section.
Part 3: Conclusion and recommendations
The report concludes with recommendations for several groups of actors – provincial and regional governments, civil society actors, and the private sector – to support municipal geospatial capacity while promoting beneficial collaborations.
For provincial government actors:
- Develop targeted grant and support programs for building municipal geospatial capacity;
- Invest in high-speed internet infrastructure for rural and remote communities.
For regional government actors:
- Develop tailored support services, resources and funding opportunities aimed at developing capacity and supporting collaborative activities among lower-tier municipalities.
For civil society actors:
- Convene forums and communities of practice for municipalities facing similar challenges;
- Create partnerships with municipalities to facilitate mutual learning and capacity-building.
For private sector actors:
- Develop tailored support services and products aimed at the small, rural, and remote municipal market;
- Demonstrate the value of making key datasets open and available from a public as well as commercial perspective.
Ultimately, there is still much to be learned about how municipalities can collaborate effectively and sustainably, and how non-municipal actors can best support them. It is hoped that the recommendations offered here will catalyze further conversation and research in this space.