the defence geospatial strategy 2010 · information and services provide the fundamentals for...

The Defence Geospatial Strategy 2010A New Geospatial Domain

“To take maximum advantage of the suite of sensors, weapons and other systems that are being acquired, Defence needs to ensure that it adheres to a centrally coordinated plan to link those elements together in what will over time become the networked force.”

(Defence White Paper 2009 P9.95)

1 The Defence Geospatial Strategy 2010 – A New Geospatial Domain

ContentsBeyond Maps – The Case For Change 3

Part 1: Introduction 4Why is geospatial information important? 4

Part 2: The Defence Geospatial Strategy – A New Geo Domain 5Purpose 5

The Geo Domain 5

Defence Geo Domain Vision 6

Defence Geo Domain Mission 6

Strategy Development 7

Who is the Strategy for? 7

Part 3: Delivering The Future – The Geospatial Strategic Priorities 9Strategic Priorities 9

Priority One: Improve Geospatial Data and Knowledge Management 10

Priority Two: Design Better Systems and Technology 12

Priority Three: Align, Develop and Inform People 14

Priority Four: Exploit and Influence Future Capability 15

Priority Five: Deliver Outcomes Through Effective Governance 16

Part 4: Conclusion 17

Acknowledgements 19

Glossary 20

2The Defence Geospatial Strategy 2010 – A New Geospatial Domain


Beyond Maps – The Case For Change

The Defence White Paper 2009 identified that future operations of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) will be shaped by advances in military technology. These new technologies will increasingly rely on a significant investment in geospatial data, information and services. Without relevant, timely and trusted geospatial information, Defence will not be able to reach its full potential operating capability or gain the intelligence, knowledge or capability edge over adversaries.

Generating and maintaining the geospatial inputs required by these emerging technologies is complex, time intensive, and expensive. Geospatial information requirements need to be planned for and understood well in advance and must be seen as an integral part of the capability projects they support. Initial and ongoing sustainment and resourcing must be determined. Defence cannot continue to operate as it has done in the past – accepting the capability limitations in systems and platforms that result from failing to consider geospatial requirements. In a strategic reform environment costs associated with delivering piecemeal geospatial solutions are unsustainable.

The coordination of geospatial information collection and production capabilities, and its delivery to ADF and wider Defence customers, is fundamental to network centric warfare. The proliferation of modern, open source, geospatial technologies now available to everyone on the internet, is impacting on the expectations of Defence geospatial users. To meet these increasing expectations Defence must focus on improving the integration and coordination of our collective geospatial capability.

With a number of Joint Projects aimed at delivering geospatial capabilities being considered by Government in the next 1—5 years, there is a clear obligation for Defence to optimise the return on investment for Defence and Government. Geospatial interoperability across the systems, platforms, and capabilities – and by the people that deliver or consume geospatial information – must be our goal. To achieve this goal, capabilities must be acquired in a cross-project collaborative way, meet agreed open standards, and be interoperable. For these reasons our vision is to achieve an integrated, coordinated Defence Geo Domain that effectively supports Australia’s security and national interests through geospatial information superiority.

Effective governance will play a key role in delivering outcomes and, in line with the Strategic Reform Program, Defence will re-engineer geospatial business processes across the enterprise. This approach will include a more flexible and agile acquisition process to deliver enhanced geospatial capability. Close partnerships with industry will be critical to the success of the agile acquisition model.

During 2010—11, Deputy Secretary Intelligence and Security will be sponsoring the development of a number of key documents including: a Geospatial Capability Plan; a Geospatial Governance Framework; an Engagement Strategy; a Geospatial Information Coordination Plan; a Geospatial Workforce Plan; and a Defence Spatial Standardisation Framework. Together these documents will articulate how Defence will achieve the priorities laid out in this Strategy.

As the Joint Capability Coordinator and the Capability Coordinator for Geospatial Information respectively, we are excited about our geospatial future. We are also committed to supporting a networked force, consolidating resources, and working towards providing Defence with enhanced geospatial capabilities that will deliver information superiority and knowledge dominance for Defence, Government and our international partners.

Stephen Merchant Deputy Secretary Intelligence and Security Defence Capability Coordinator - Geospatial Information 16 December 2010

LTGEN David Hurley Vice Chief of the Defence Force Joint Capability Coordinator 16 December 2010


Part 1: Introduction

Why is geospatial information important?

1.1. Knowledge of the environment and its impact on Defence operations is vital. Geospatial information and services are not just about maps. Although there will always be a place for maps, particularly for planning and some tactical operations, Defence is moving beyond maps toward a modern, four-dimensional1, geospatially enabled, networked force.

1.2. Geospatial information relates an object or event or feature to a location on the earth and a respective time. Geospatial services enable warfighter capabilities and platforms to generate and use this information over a network to achieve an effect. Together, geospatial information and services provide the fundamentals for knowledge dominance and are key elements of the framework for Defence planning, mission and business execution.

1.3. Specifically, geospatial information is a core enabler for the ADF’s future joint warfighting concept and force collaboration efforts, including, but not limited to:

• Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance;• Targeting;• Joint Fires; and• Air / Space / Surface Integration.

1.4. The reality is that everything that flies, drives, floats or walks in the Defence inventory produces and/or, consumes geospatial information or services. Command and control systems, precision weapons, ships, vehicles and aircraft, just to name a few, require highly accurate geospatial information to reach final operating capability (FOC). Successful and seamless interoperability with our allies and partners, and integration of ADF capability in a joint domain will be dependent on standardised geospatial information.

1.5. Simulation, training and logistics also rely on accurate geospatial information and services. Defence also supports whole-of-government activities such as national security support, foreign intelligence and disaster recovery through the provision of geospatial intelligence, information and services to other Government agencies. While on the corporate side, accurate geospatial information is crucial for Defence Estate and environmental management. This means that a tightly coordinated effort and a commitment across all Defence Groups and Services, other Government agencies, international and industry partners is required to deliver the highest levels of interoperability for Defence and Government.

1.6. The individual Service Chiefs and Group Heads are responsible for raising, training and sustaining in-service capabilities through the coordination of Fundamental Inputs to Capability and for contributing to the identification of new capability requirements within their Service or Group. The appointment of Deputy Secretary Intelligence and Security as the Capability Coordinator for Geospatial Information recognised that Defence required a single authority to exercise oversight and coordination of geospatial Fundamental Inputs to Capability so that Defence capabilities are developed efficiently and are synchronised to achieve the best outcomes for Defence.

1.7. A four-dimensional geospatial environment provides Defence with an opportunity to seamlessly exchange authoritative geospatial information and services between systems that support the warfighter, the intelligence community and the corporate decision maker. Shaping of the Defence Geospatial Domain (Geo Domain) will centre on re-engineering business processes, doctrine and policy together with changes to the communications technology and systems that deliver the capability.

1.8. The Geo Domain crosses almost every Defence business domain, yet no single organisation has the authority to perform all aspects of the delivery of this capability. The ubiquitous and fundamental nature of geospatial information and services to Defence business has resulted in the requirement for the Defence Capability Coordinator for Geospatial Information to publish this Defence Geospatial Strategy.

1 ‘Four-dimensional’ refers to location (x, y, z) + time.


Part 2: The Defence Geospatial Strategy – A New Geo Domain

Purpose

2.1. The Defence Geospatial Strategy describes the vision, mission, strategic priorities and objectives for the Geo Domain (Figure 1). The Strategy provides the foundation for:

• defining the approach needed to ensure the Geo Domain meets the ongoing and future requirements of Defence;• establishing geospatial business process reforms in support of the Strategic Reform Program;• developing subordinate strategies and plans;• the efficient operation of the Geo Domain through the management of data;• achieving greater levels of interoperability, across as many Defence capabilities as possible, by encouraging an increased use

of standard data;• encouraging investment in the recruitment and training of people to develop the right skills to make the vision a reality for Defence; • Defence to link with other Government departments and industry groups in the future development of geospatial capability and

geospatially enabled capabilities;• fostering cooperation across organisational boundaries to deliver a coordinated future end state where geospatial technologies are

interoperable and successfully integrated and exploited; • enhanced strategic planning for user and producer requirements; and• a wider and better understanding of the importance of geospatial information and services to Defence and Government business.

The Geo Domain

2.2. The Geo Domain comprises the strategy, information, technology, people, organisations and governance arrangements that deliver geospatial information and services to the Defence enterprise. The Geo Domain includes the capability to collect, produce, manage, disseminate and use geospatial information and services. An integrated and coordinated Geo Domain is an enterprise level capability working toward a common purpose – supporting Australia’s security and national interests through geospatial information superiority.


Defence Geo Domain Vision

2.3. An integrated, coordinated Defence Geo Domain supporting Australia's security and national interests through geospatial information superiority.

Defence Geo Domain Mission

2.4. To provide relevant and trusted geospatial information and services that are easily accessible, able to be shared, secure and are fit for purpose to enable operational effectiveness for Defence and to support Government and international partners.

Figure 1: The Defence Geospatial Strategy Structure


Strategy Development

2.5. The Defence White Paper 2009 informs the Defence Geospatial Strategy. Operating Concepts for the Joint and Single service environments and Australian Defence Doctrine have also been considered (Figure 2).

Defence White Paper

2009

ADDP 2.3 Geospatial

Information and Service

Future Joint Operation Concept

Defence Geospatial Strategy

Future Maritime Operating Concept

ADFP 2.3.1 Rapid

Environmental Analysis

Adaptive Campaigning - Future Land Operating Concept

Future Air and Space Operating Concept

Implementation Plans Defence Capability Plan

Figure 2: Strategic Guidance

Who is the Strategy for?

2.6. This is an enterprise-level Strategy for Defence. The Strategy, and subsequent supporting documents, will influence and benefit all Defence stakeholders, other Government agencies, international partners and industry. The Defence Geospatial Strategy will inform individual Group and Service geospatial policies, processes and doctrine and influence joint future operating concepts.


Part 3: Delivering The Future – The Geospatial Strategic Priorities

Strategic Priorities

3.1. The Defence Geospatial Community of Practice – comprising geospatial producers, users, supporting elements, policy and strategic organisations – has collaborated to determine five enduring Strategic Priorities. These Priorities will help Defence obtain the best return on investment from Government’s expenditure by delivering a high quality geospatial capability for Defence.

3.2. The Strategic Priorities are:

1. Improve Geospatial Data and Knowledge Management;2. Design Better Systems and Technology;3. Align, Develop and Inform People;4. Exploit and Influence Future Capability; and5. Deliver Outcomes Through Effective Governance.

3.3. The Geo Domain will improve, design, exploit and align contemporary geospatial technologies to deliver geospatial information superiority (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Defence Geospatial Strategic Priorities

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Design Better Systems an

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Priority One: Improve Geospatial Data and Knowledge Management

3.4. Future ADF warfighting concepts depend upon accurate and relevant information. Dated information may lack operational and tactical value, and inaccurate data may lead to fatal errors, unacceptable collateral damage, or poor decisions. For these reasons it is critical that Defence improve the quality of systems and processes used to produce and manage geospatial data, information and knowledge. To achieve this Defence must implement a comprehensive system to track and manage both user and producer requirements.

3.5. From a geospatial perspective the Defence primary operational environment presents a real challenge for Defence operational preparedness. The physical geographies of the South East Asian and Oceania regions (including Australia) remain largely unsupported by appropriate geospatial information. This is partly due to terrain and weather issues, but also due to limited resources and low priority for collection. These crucial information gaps within Australia’s primary operational environment need to be addressed to satisfy Australia’s Strategic Interests and the Principle Tasks of the ADF outlined in the Defence White Paper 2009. Commercial and other Government sources provide a partial solution to filling the information gaps. For operations outside the primary operational environment, Australia relies on its international partnerships but a more strategic prioritisation to data collection and production must be implemented.

Figure 4: The Defence Primary Operational Environment


3.6. Geospatial information is a key Defence strategic enterprise level asset that must be managed in a logical and coordinated manner. This strategic priority will help ensure that discrete elements of geospatial information, over any given area, are created or acquired once and made available to as many users as possible.

3.7. Geospatial information within the primary operational environment has been identified by the Chief of Joint Operations (CJOPS) as critical to operations. In order to meet Joint Operations Command operational requirements the Capability Coordinator for Geospatial Information will ensure that the extant production priorities are aligned to CJOPS requirements and collection priorities. The geospatial information collection and production plan will be managed through the appropriate governance bodies identified in the Geospatial Governance Framework.

3.8. The application of Defence geospatial information and technology standards is vital to achieving a geospatially networked force. In order to allow geospatial information to be delivered seamlessly across the network from the strategic to the tactical level the capabilities that Defence acquires in the future must be able to ingest standard data formats. Non-compliance with standards will result in additional costs and delays in the acquisition of systems. Once operational, non-compliant platforms adversely affect interoperability and create an ongoing requirement to convert proprietary data formats into standard data formats resulting in systems that are expensive and unsupportable in the long term. It is important, therefore, that Geospatial Standards, including metadata standards, are collaboratively developed, managed and published across all of Defence.

3.9. The Capability Coordinator for Geospatial Information will be responsible for developing and implementing a Defence Spatial Standardisation Framework, which will be modelled on the Defence and Government frameworks. The Framework will articulate the process for ensuring that future capabilities are built to consume and inform standard geospatial information and services with consideration to existing Service and Group Standardisation Agreements. By adopting an open standards approach, information services (including capabilities such as visualisation and geo-processing services) can be modified or evolved without extensive and costly re-integration overheads.

3.10. While this Strategy places a priority on managing geospatial data more effectively, the reality is that many current and future Defence platforms will continue to tie the Services to closed-source data sets for the foreseeable future. To address this issue a Geospatial Information Coordination Plan will be developed to support the Geo Domain. The Plan will outline Defence data and information requirements including the intended methodology for accommodating legacy systems and future platforms which may require proprietary data. The Plan will also address data integration, quality, assurance, modelling, organisational roles and responsibilities, security and privacy. The Geospatial Information Coordination Plan will guide Defence capability development activities in order to align future capability with the enterprise architecture intent.

Priority One Objectives: Improve Geospatial Data And Knowledge Management

Develop and publish a Geospatial Information Coordination Plan

Develop and publish a Defence Spatial Standardisation Framework

Implement a process that ensures , where possible, Defence acquires capability that consumes standard geospatial data and services

Implement a comprehensive system to track and manage geospatial user and producer requirements and align this with CJOPS operational priorities

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Priority Two: Design Better Systems and Technology

3.11. Achieving geospatial information superiority by designing better systems that employ leading edge technologies is a Defence priority. The smart use of technology to improve business processes across the Defence Geo Domain will deliver operational effectiveness and efficiencies that can be re-invested back into capability.

3.12. The Geo Domain will use the common elements of the Single Information Environment (SIE) and the Integrated Defence Architecture (IDA) developed and managed by the Chief Information Officer Group (CIOG). The IDA defines the enterprise architecture for Defence through the Networked Battlespace Architecture (NBA), the Joint Intelligence Architecture (JIA) and the Defence Corporate Architecture (DCA).

3.13. CIOG and the Intelligence and Security Group’s Chief Technology Officer will provide the common infrastructure, which includes the services backbone, data backbone, storage and computation services, and the required network connectivity and communications at the Restricted, Secret, and Top Secret level respectively. The Geo Domain will build upon the common infrastructure by defining user requirements, composite applications, geospatial business processes, and the geospatial information, communication and technology services required for the Defence enterprise.

3.14. The Geo Domain baseline comprises numerous extant systems, software and processes. The baseline will be tested and evolved, where improvements are needed, to achieve better outcomes for the users. The Geo Domain reference architecture will be based on a common core of open interoperable standards, software and data formats. Defence will adopt a ‘one-to-many’ service relationship, or a ‘produce once use many’ philosophy, and will move from being a product centric model to an information sharing model based on the provision of data and services (Figure 5).

Figure 5: Geospatial Services Delivery

Data Sources

Users

Data Sources

Users

Current Situation NCW Enabled

Geos

patia

l Serv

ices


3.15. This open standard architecture will facilitate improved information discovery and sharing. The approach will incorporate technology evolution in a modular and loosely coupled fashion, improving flexibility and responsiveness. Geospatial information and service consumers will have simultaneous and instant access to revised information and processing capabilities. Standard web-based networks will provide widespread access to geospatial services and a variety of information sources when and where the users need it.

3.16. Improving the acquisition process for geospatial information and services capability will reduce the acquisition time and improve network resilience to evolving threats. The Geospatial Services Delivery approach builds redundancy into the network through replicated data stores and organisational behaviours that guarantee operations despite potential disruptions to the network.

3.17. Core authoritative and quality assured data will be consumed directly by client applications across open standards based interfaces, reducing the requirement for bespoke data production. Data custodians will follow the principle that their output is another’s input and will produce geospatial information via services that are easy to understand, integrate, interpret and use across the enterprise.

3.18. Better systems and technology will be delivered, in consultation with the relevant stakeholders, in a coordinated and planned way. The capability plan will be articulated in a formal Geospatial Capability Plan which will aim to optimise Government’s investment in the Defence collective geospatial capability.

3.19. As part of the development of the Geo Domain, Defence will establish a Geospatial Innovation Centre (GIC) that will be the executive agent for the implementation of the Geospatial Capability Plan. The GIC will be responsible for evolutionary development and aquisition as distinguished from Major Capability development. The GIC will operate under the direction of the Capability Coordinator for Geospatial Information with the assistance of the Capability Coordinator for the Defence Information Environment (DIE) (Chief Information Officer Group). The GIC will also work closely with the Capability Coordinator for Rapid Environmental Assessment (Joint Operations Command) and the Joint Capability Coordination Division to ensure that the requirements of Defence consumers are met. The Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) will support the activities of the GIC by developing, testing and evaluating concepts. The Capability Development Group will manage the Defence requirements to ensure the enterprise architecture principles are implemented, and the Defence Materiel Organisation will acquire the technical infrastructure components and material requirements.

3.20. In collaboration with relevant Services and Groups, the primary responsibilities of the GIC will be:• capability realisation;• business process development;• system requirements management;• Geo Domain architecture and design; and• operational development and integration.

3.21. The GIC will progressively evolve the Geo Domain by engaging and partnering with industry and Free and Open Source Software providers who are developing innovative geospatial business solutions.

Priority Two Objectives: Design Better Systems and Technology

Develop and publish a Geospatial Capability Plan

Establish a Geospatial Innovation Centre as the executive agent for the implementation of the Geospatial Capability Plan

Deliver a services-based future architecture for the Geo Domain in collaboration with CIOG and in line with the Defence Information and Communications Technology Strategy 2009

Achieve leading-edge geospatial systems through the use of evolutionary development and acquisition modelsPrio

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Priority Three: Align, Develop and Inform People

3.22. People, both military and civilian, are critical in all aspects of the development, use and management of geospatial information and services. Rapid advances in technology demand Defence sustain an agile workforce with relevant knowledge and skill sets. For these reasons, aligning organisational structures and investing in people to develop these core skill sets will be a priority for the realisation, and sustainment of the Geo Domain.

3.23. The Geo Domain will need to continue to maintain traditional and enduring skill sets such as mapping, charting, geodesy and meteorology. In the future, Defence will require a number of new critical skills, and there will be a greater need to share skilled professionals between interdependent organisations. The alignment of geospatial workforce planning across Groups and Services, and other Government agencies will be the first step in building the force for the Geo Domain.

3.24. Geospatial Data Managers, Enterprise Architects, Software Engineers and other ICT Specialists are all needed to deliver the modern day geospatial information architecture and application layers – such as those seen on the World Wide Web today. A range of spatial science professionals, including Geospatial and Imagery Analysts, Imagery Scientists and Data Producers, effectively interpret, exploit, research and develop geospatial information, services and systems. As the Defence digital environment continues to evolve there will be a rapid expansion of non-specialist users who will be provided with geospatial services that will allow them to gain maximum leverage from geospatial information through tailored training approaches.

3.25. A coordinated approach is required to attract and retain a sustainable and skilled geospatial workforce, and train an increasing user base of geospatial products and services. The Geospatial Workforce Plan will identify the future skill sets that Defence will require, and how these skills can be acquired, developed and managed. As part of the Workforce Plan a training needs analysis will be conducted together with a review of the cost and benefits of joint training facilities for the Geo Domain. Joint training activities, accreditation and Defence engagement with academia and the broader geospatial profession will be steered by a Geospatial Training Advisory Group.

3.26. Informing and improving senior leadership awareness about the value of geospatial data and information, and the skill sets necessary to deliver the capability will be an enduring objective of this strategic priority. The Capability Coordinator for Geospatial Information will lead an education campaign targeting relevant Service and Group Committees.

Priority Three Objectives: Align, Develop and Inform People

Collaborate with the Services and Groups on a Geospatial Workforce Plan

Using the Geospatial Workforce Plan, build opportunities to expand industry and professional relationships to exploit synergies of professional expertise across Defence, whole-of-government and industry

Conduct a training needs analysis

Review options for joint training

Establish a Geospatial Training Advisory Group to steer joint training activities and build partnerships with academia and the broader external geospatial profession

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Priority Four: Exploit and Influence Future Capability

3.27. Defence will develop future geospatial capabilities by exploiting and influencing leading edge geospatial technologies. Externally, information and communication technologies are transforming business by providing new ways to collect, maintain, access, share and use geospatial information. Advances in geospatial technologies are at the forefront of intelligence, warfighting, business process reform and decision making. Defence will benefit from advances in technology by engaging closely with industry leaders and niche technologies to deliver the best geospatial solution. To achieve this, partnerships with industry, international partners, research bodies (such as the Corporate Research Centre for Spatial Information) and academia will be formalised through an Engagement Strategy.

3.28. Geospatial capabilities are software and ICT intensive, highly interactive, and have a diverse range of users. The fast paced nature of the technologies involved means that obsolescence is a significant issue that must be addressed. Evolutionary sustainment which involves regular and planned upgrade and replacement of hardware items, as well as regular and planned software upgrades, will be used to maintain and incrementally enhance a capability’s functionality consistent with commercial technological change and development. Through this capability model and the endeavours of the GIC, Defence will manage the redundancy of systems and maintain a resilient capability.

3.29. Major upgrades or significant expansion of supported systems will be managed through a major or minor project which will be supplemented by evolutionary sustainment. Evolutionary sustainment mitigates capability risk where there is a requirement to integrate fast changing technology into a capability or system to ensure its ongoing sustainability. This approach is well suited where there is a necessity to quickly meet user needs and the technologies involved are Commercial off the Shelf (COTS).

3.30. The new capability priorities for Force 2030 outlined in the Defence White Paper 2009 (Chapter 9), will result in a significant increase in Air, Space and Surface sensors that can potentially be used as geospatial collection systems. Exploitation of these collection assets will be a priority. A number of joint projects programmed in the Defence Capability Plan will deliver specific geospatial collection systems - including a Remote Sensing Satellite - but there are many systems that could, if guided appropriately, contribute significantly to Defence geospatial data and information collection. This Priority aims to link information from these new capabilities to the Geo Domain. The Capability Coordinator for Geospatial Information, in collaboration with the relevant Services, Groups, geospatial users and geospatial production agencies, will provide guidance to projects that may potentially contribute to the Geo Domain. Projects will be encouraged to consume standard data, or develop a cost effective data conversion process during the project definition phase.

3.31. DSTO will also play a pivotal role in exploiting and influencing future capability. DSTO provides a coordinated and integrated Research and Development Program which will be aligned with the Defence Geospatial Strategy. The Research and Development program enhances the Defence geospatial capability through the development of leading edge algorithms, innovative systems and targeted support for projects and programs across the Defence enterprise. The Research and Development Program will focus on future system capabilities and requirements and provide technical guidance and advice on the various components of the system, in particular user capabilities, data management and Service Orientated Architecture components. These activities aim to guide the evolutionary development of the system thereby reducing technical risk and ensuring appropriate technologies are implemented.

Priority Four Objectives: Exploit and Influence Future Capability Develop and publish an Engagement Strategy to support ongoing injection of leading edge approaches, technology and professional mastery into the Geo Domain

Develop a Geospatial Research and Development Program and conduct test-bed activities in collaboration with Defence Science and Technology Organisation

Engage with Capability Development officers to identify any potential enterprise-level geospatial information production or consumption capabilities

Implement geospatial requirements and standards into future Defence capability planning process

Foster a culture of cross-project collaboration

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Priority Five: Deliver Outcomes Through Effective Governance

3.32. The Strategic Priority objectives will be achieved by establishing and maintaining appropriate cross-organisational governance arrangements. Effective governance relies on consultation, cooperation and coordination in the best interests for Defence. Governance must involve robust engagement across the Geo Domain and be synchronised with whole-of-government, international partners and industry.

3.33. A Geospatial Governance Framework will be developed, published and implemented. The Framework will recognise and support internal and external relationships. Governance of the Geo Domain incorporates a large community of stakeholders who are involved in the conceptualisation, design, acquisition and operation of systems requiring or producing geospatial information or services. One of the key elements of the Framework will be the role of the Defence Spatial Standards Office in monitoring adherence to geospatial standards. Geospatial users also play an important role by identifying and progressing their respective Service or Group requirements. All governing bodies will align and work together to remove duplication and inefficiencies.

3.34. The Geo Domain will require multiple layers of governing bodies and working groups, supported by a defined set of policies, rules and enforcement mechanisms in order to streamline the production and exploitation of geospatial data, information and services. Governing bodies will comprise representatives of key agencies involved in the development, acquisition and operation of geospatial capability. The Framework will bring together senior representatives from the Defence leadership team who will steer the future direction of geospatial information and services, and be responsible for oversight of the architecture and the day to day operations of the Geo Domain.

3.35. The Capability Coordinator for Geospatial Information will commit resources to leading, managing and administering the governance structure.

Priority Five Objectives: Deliver Outcomes Through Effective Governance

Develop, publish and implement a Geospatial Governance Framework

Coordinate the Major Geospatial Capability Projects to ensure optimal outcomes across the Geo Domain

The Capability Coordinator for Geospatial Information will represent the Geo Domain in whole-of-government, allied and industry engagement with regard to standards and coordination

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Part 4: Conclusion

4.1. Achieving the priorities and objectives laid out in this Strategy will help Defence satisfy Australia’s Strategic Interests and the Principle Tasks of the ADF outlined in the Defence White Paper 2009. It will optimise the value of Defence geospatial resources and deliver the best possible geospatial data, imagery, information and services to Defence consumers.

4.2. The Geo Domain will provide a professional environment within which learning can be promoted, ideas are encouraged and tested, and change is achieved in a manner that is cognisant of operational tempo. It will be world leading, adaptive, responsive to producer and user needs, innovative and technologically superior to actual and potential adversaries.

4.3. Advances across the range of geospatial information and service technologies provides both risks and opportunities for Defence. Risks arise from the multitude of capable sub-systems, variety of applications and diversity of skill sets needed to best support Defence. An informed, deliberate and coordinated approach is required to identify needs, develop requirements, acquire effective systems and employ these systems and processes to meet the geospatial information and service requirements of Defence. These systems will be used throughout the hierarchy of Defence and across the Services and Groups with outputs informing other national and international customers and partners. Many of these partners are able to contribute to refining Defence needs which demands the establishment and maintenance of close working relationships with Government, international partners, academia and industry.

4.4. Implementation of the Strategy requires the cooperation and collaboration of a dispersed community of producers, users, developers and key stakeholders. The geospatial community is highly proficient in designated lines of operation and Defence will benefit from greater synergy within the community. Benefits will be realised through:• a wider understanding of geospatial issues in capability development and operational planning;• more efficient use of geospatial production resources and procurement relationships; and• the provision of geospatial information and services enabling the success of Defence customers.

4.5. The Defence Geospatial Community shares the responsibility for enabling the geospatial information superiority required to meet strategic interests. The Defence Geospatial Strategy provides the vision for supporting Defence into the future, and the Priorities for realising that intent.

The development of Force 2030 “...presents new challenges in the way Defence manages projects that deliver capability and will require significant coordination, cross project collaboration and industry liaison.”

(Defence White Paper 2009 9.95)


Acknowledgements

The Geospatial Strategy was developed by the Office of the Capability Coordinator for Geospatial Information in conjunction with:• Military Strategy Branch, Strategic Policy Division• Enterprise Solutions Branch, Chief Information Officer Group• Defence Science and Technology Organisation• Capability Development Group• Navy Hydrography and METOC Branch• Aeronautical Information Service – Air Force.• 1st Topographical Survey Squadron, Army• Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation• Army Headquarters• Command and Support Systems Branch, Electronic Systems Division, Defence Materiel Organisation• Headquarters Joint Operation Command• Defence Support Group• Army School of Military Engineering• Joint Capability Coordination Division


Glossary

Defence Information Environment

A capability that consists of the information used by Defence and the means by which it is created, managed, manipulated, stored, disseminated and protected. Defence's information can be regarded as falling within one of two information domains: management and operations, to form the Defence's Information Domains (DID), which is supported by the Defence Information Infrastructure (DII), comprising software, hardware and other information and communications technologies (ICT).

Fundamental Inputs to Capability (FIC)

The effective generation of a capability consists of a range of inputs. To ensure consistency, these have been consolidated as the FIC. The FIC are a guide that may be used to quantify capability. The eight FIC are organisation, personnel, collective training, supplies, facilities, major systems, support and command and management.

Geospatial Information (GI) Spatial data and other related information exploited to produce geospatial intelligence and other geospatial products such as maps and charts.

Geospatial Information and Services (GI&S)The definition, assessment, collection, management, exploitation and dissemination of information about objects and attributes located in space and time, which provides a fundamental means to achieve an effect.

Intelligence

The product resulting from the processing of information concerning foreign nations, hostile or potentially hostile forces or elements, or areas of actual or potential operations. The term is also applied to the activity which results in the product and to the organisations engaged in such activity.

Intelligence, Surveillance and ReconnaissanceA collection activity that synchronises and integrates the acquisition, processing and provision of information and single source intelligence by sources and agencies tasked to satisfy a collection requirement.

JointActivities, operations, organisations etc in which elements of more than one Service of the same nation participate. (When all Services are not involved, the participating Services shall be identified, eg Joint Army-Navy).

Joint Fires Fires applied during the employment of forces from two or more components, in a coordinated action toward a common objective.

Rapid environmental assessment (REA)

REA refers to the process of direction, collection, processing and dissemination of relevant information to provide a comprehensive and thorough understanding of the physical operating environment and its impact on military operations. REA provides the underlying environmental data and information required to generate a suite of focused mission-specific environmental products in response to specific operational requirements.

Single Information EnvironmentThe Single Information Environment provides the intended architectural direction for Defence information services that are stable, secure, consolidated, standardised, optimised and able to leverage emerging technologies to address new business needs.

Targeting Targeting is the process of selecting and prioritising targets and matching the appropriate response to them taking account of operational requirements and capabilities.

Warfighting Government directed use of military force to pursue specific national objectives.

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