ABSTRACT
The learning objective of this chapter is to understand the value and methodology of needs analysis for GIS application projects.
MAJOR TOPICS
LIST OF CHAPTER ACRONYMS
COTS Commercial Off-the-Shelf DBMS Database Management System GUI Graphical User Interface IT Information Technology RDBMS Relational Database Management System
OCEAN COUNTY’S STRATEGIC PLAN
Ocean County Utilities Authority, located in central New Jersey, serves 36 municipalities through three wastewater treatment plants with a combined capacity of 80 MGD. The sewage collection system consists of 200 mi of sewer lines and 40 pumping stations. The Authority developed a GIS program as an integral part of its information technology (IT) strategy. Instead of treating the GIS as a standalone system, the Authority envisioned using it as integrated part of its other enterprise systems such as the SAP Maintenance Management System. Authority’s IT-based approach included the following steps (Stupar et al., 2002):
INTRODUCTION
Needs analysis (or needs assessment) identifies and quantifies the GIS needs of an organization and its stakeholders. Performing a needs analysis is the crucial first step to a successful GIS project. Needs analysis is analogous to strategic planning; it is a blueprint for funding, implementing, and managing a GIS. Like strategic planning, a careful needs analysis is critical to a successful GIS implementation and
should be the first task of any GIS project. Needs analysis clarifies the project’s specific needs and defines how a GIS will benefit an organization by relating specific organizational resources and needs to specific GIS capabilities (Wells, 1991). There are three major goals of needs analysis:
Needs analysis identifies potential applications that can be performed more efficiently using GIS technology. The applications are identified through stakeholder interviews and through an inventory of potential data resources.
