[Aust-NZ] Finding a way forward - GeoNetwork as platform to support ANZLIC Profile of ISO 19115/19139

[Bruce Bannerman]

Please ensure that the Aust-NZ OSGeo list <Aust-NZ at lists.osgeo.org> is
included in your reply to this email thread. (This is a public mailing
list - http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/aust-nz).


I'm writing this email as a member of the Australia - New Zealand
Chapter of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo-AustNZ). This
chapter is currently in the final stages of formation.



I'm concerned at how ANZLIC's adoption of the GeoNetwork open source
application as our spatial metadata tool is being handled and also at a
perceived lack of progress in getting a production version of this
application out.



Please note: This email is not about trying to apportion blame, but
about ***trying to find a way forward that benefits us all***. 



_Situation_

I participated in a two day ANZLIC GeoNetwork Workshop in September last
year http://www.osdm.gov.au/Metadata/GeoNetwork/Committees/default.aspx.

I understood from this workshop that we would have a version of
GeoNetwork to use in a Production environment within a short period of
time (weeks, not months).

The Victorian Spatial Information Infrastructure organisation
subsequently commissioned the CRC-Spatial Information to undertake
testing of the tool to determine its suitability. I understand that this
work found the tool to be suitable.

ANZLIC and the Australian Government subsequently adopted GeoNetwork for
spatial metadata use
http://www.osdm.gov.au/Metadata/GeoNetwork/default.aspx.
  


*** Eight months *** after this workshop we still **do not** have a
production version of GeoNetwork that supports the 'ANZLIC Profile of
ISO 19115/19139' (AP)



What we are doing at the moment as an ANZLIC spatial community is
clearly not working.



I'm hearing a number of reports of organisations considering attempting
to implement their own independent solutions.

If this did occur, we as an Australian and New Zealand spatial community
would have lost a wonderful opportunity to pool resources to develop a
superior resource that benefits us all.


However, regardless of the problems, we still have considerable good
will in trying to get this to work and to find a way forward.



_Finding new ways forward_


I see this as a critical issue for both the (AustNZ) Open Source spatial
community and for the ANZLIC community to resolve together:


- ANZLIC have taken a calculated gamble that open source software would
be a good way to provide a free version of a tool that supports the AP
and have invested significant time and effort into trying to make this
happen.

- Significant momentum is being developed for the use of Open Source
software within the Australian and New Zealand Governments and industry
alike.

- OSGeo-AustNZ is developing considerable momentum as the local focal
point for Open Source spatial software. OSGeo-AustNZ has been
successful in attracting the International Conference for Free and Open
Source Software for Geospatial to Sydney Australia in 2009
(FOSS4G-2009).



We all understand that utilising Open Source software and development
models is an area that is not well understood in many organisations.


Is there a role for OSGeo-AustNZ to *help* move the AP work forward to
enable:

- ANZLIC and the Australian and New Zealand spatial communities to have
a production version of GeoNetwork that supports the AP in a reasonably
short period of time;

- OSGeo-AustNZ and ANZLIC to have a success story for FOSS4G-2009;

- Australia and New Zealand have a vibrant open source community to
support GeoNetwork (the OS application), the GeoNetwork OS community and
more importantly ongoing AP development work based on GeoNetwork?



We have a considerable depth of experience in both spatial and a wide
variety of Open Source projects within OSGeo-AustNZ. How can this be
used?




How can we harness the good intent of a large number of government
departments and companies to build a GeoNetwork AP community where:

- anyone is free to commission work;

- anyone with the relevant technical background can develop the
necessary skills to actively participate in development effort;

- we ensure that there is appropriate QA on design, build, test and
implementation to deliver a high quality product;

- we work as a part of the parent GeoNetwork community and regularly
contribute development upstream;

- we release early and often, to ensure that the ANZLIC spatial
communities have quality tools to work with?




I don't have the answers to these questions. However I believe that we
as a combined community (OSGeo-AustNZ and ANZLIC) do.




_Where to from here_

I'd like to see this issue debated openly on the OSGeo-AustNZ list and
using tried and tested Open Source methodology to find an effective way
forward.

If you are not on this list yet, please consider subscribing to the list
at:

http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/aust-nz




I look forward to reading your responses.




Bruce Bannerman







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