OSi’s National Mapping Agreement: Do more with maps
The National Mapping Agreement gives public service bodies access to digital mapping and geospatial data. Stuart Doherty from Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) explains how public sector organisations can take advantage of the wealth of resources available and do more with maps to improve the delivery of services for citizens.
In the five years since its inception, the National Mapping Agreement has transformed and dramatically extended the use of geospatial information within Ireland’s public sector. More than 100 organisations, from the Office of the Taoiseach and central government departments to local authorities and universities, now take advantage of this centrally funded scheme to access and use up-to-date and authoritative maps, aerial imagery, and spatial data from OSi.
The initiative is open to all government departments, local authorities, enterprise boards, non-commercial semi-state bodies, health services, emergency services, schools, and universities, as well as many other public bodies. OSi’s aim is to make geospatial services as accessible as possible to the public sector to help organisations plan and deliver new services for citizens. Eligible bodies are merely required to sign up to the National Mapping Agreement which can be arranged through correspondence with the Corporate Sales team in OSi, CorporateSales@osi.ie.
As the National Mapping Agreement is funded by the Irish Government, there are no cost barriers for individual organisations. Furthermore, as the agreement covers OSi’s web services, organisations can also access the data they need online, without having to invest in the IT infrastructure to store and manage geospatial data in house. Besides OSi’s large and small-scale mapping data, the agreement also provides access to many other valuable resources including OSi’s archived aerial imagery, small and medium scale data, boundary data, and historic mapping.
Public service bodies can use the OSi digital maps, data, and services available through the National Mapping Agreement to:
Communicate information more effectively to citizens
Many public service bodies use OSi data and services through the National Mapping Agreement to help them communicate information to citizens in more visual ways. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, for example, has created an interactive web app to show citizens exactly where large capital investments are taking place across Ireland. It improves transparency about government spending and brings Project Ireland 2040 to life for people across the country. Many other public service bodies, from citizen information services to tourism groups and sporting organisations, could develop similar solutions to make people more aware of the locations of public services, places of interest, and facilities.
Improve understanding of complex challenges
Across all areas of public service there are challenges that need to be addressed, whether these relate to mitigating the impacts of climate change, creating equitable access to services, or driving down costs. OSi data can be analysed in conjunction with open data to improve understanding of incredibly complex issues. Dublin City Council has used OSi data and services to shine a light on trends in the Dublin housing market and make accurate, up-to-date, and authoritative data accessible to policy makers and the public. An interactive mapping interface makes it easy for policy makers to analyse challenges in different parts of the city and implement new strategies to make Dublin an affordable and sustainable place to live.
“Public service bodies of all sizes, including those in health, transport, and emergency services, can use OSi data, together with demographic data, to identify where there is greatest need for their services.”
Deliver more efficient, targeted public services
Public service bodies of all sizes, including those in health, transport, and emergency services, can use OSi data, together with demographic data, to identify where there is greatest need for their services. They can then focus on these specific locations to deliver the right services to the right people more efficiently. The Central Statistics Office is just one organisation that has successfully used OSi data to undertake proximity analysis and better understand where new public services, such as maternity hospitals, ATMs, and remote working hubs, are most needed.
Make better-informed decisions
Whether they are providing family support, promoting public safety, or developing infrastructure, all public service bodies need relevant, timely and meaningful information to help them make informed decisions. OSi data was instrumental in the development of the national Covid-19 data hub used by the National Public Health Emergency Team, Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer, the Taoiseach’s office, and other senior decision makers. Providing daily updates on a wide range of key indicators, such as capacity in intensive care units, the hub delivered the information that was vitally important to inform critical decisions throughout the pandemic.
Collaborate on innovative new projects
As the National Mapping Agreement provides the whole public sector in Ireland with access to the same consistent set of core datasets from OSi, it is easier for organisations to collaborate and share data. There are also fewer technical barriers in joint projects, as potential data inconsistences and incompatibilities are eliminated, paving the way for innovative new collaborations. University College Dublin, for instance, has successfully collaborated with a range of partners and stakeholders in a ground-breaking project to make environmental data and standardised sensitivity mapping methods available to planners, engineers, and environmental consultants.
In these ways and others, the National Mapping Agreement is helping to deliver a new level of spatial understanding across the whole public sector in Ireland and giving organisations the data they need to transform public services. So, whether public service bodies are already using OSi data and services or just discovering them for the first time, there is so much more that they can all do with maps.
Stuart Doherty is Corporate Sales and Partner Network Development Manager at Ordnance Survey Ireland
For more information about the National Mapping Agreement or to arrange a discussion with one of the OSi team, please visit: www.osi.ie/services/national-mapping-agreement/
