Working on GIS project

Learning Objectives

• Learn project management methods for GIS
• Learn how to structure GIS projects
• Study a solved project

Introduction

To prepare you for independent project work, this document begins by surveying the basics of project management in the context of GIS. You will learn about project life cycles and project components. After you’ve learned basic project structure and management, you will review a simple and short, but complete, project.

Project Management

Projects are challenging. You must define the problem, decide which factors to ignore and which are important, deal with uncertainties (including whether the project outcome will be valuable or not), and carry out the work. Fortunately, the field of project management brings structure to GIS project work. There are entire textbooks and courses devoted to project management, but the few concepts we introduce here will give you a good start on managing GIS projects.

Project Life Cycle

Projects have phases that can be organized in a systems development life cycle. The most widely used model is called the waterfall model because it assumes that a project flows from one phase to the next, like water going over a series of waterfalls. Ideally, like water that does not reverse direction and flow upstream, project phases are sequential. Once a phase is completed, it is not revisited. However, in reality most projects cycle back, repeating parts of the earlier phases, with steps being reexamined and modified as one learns or as conditions change. Nevertheless, the waterfall model is a good starting place for getting organized.

The major phases of any project are bulleted below (see Kendall and Kendall 1995). Each project phase is described in terms of what you must do. While the material presented covers the major phases of a project, ultimately this chapter has you follow an abbreviated, simpler life cycle suited to a small student project.

• Problem identification phase: Parts are: (1) state the problem, opportunity, issue, or objective; (2) provide an approach for a solution; and (3) define the scope of the project—that is, what it will and will not attempt to solve. It’s important to restrict a project to only a few issues and to state them clearly. Include background on the problem area and a few references for general information. Generally, it is also a good idea to provide a rationale for why the parts studied are important. The deliverable, or product of this phase, is a short report that is the project proposal. A client (or your instructor) must comment on and approve the proposal, and you should expect some helpful suggestions.
• Analysis phase: Determine the specifics of a solution, collect data, and envision the solution. You should identify data sources and collect the data, determine specific attributes (variables) that represent underlying performance or behavioral measures, and provide a verbal or schematic representation of the finished system that can be discussed and easily modified before proceeding to building the solution.
• Design phase: While both the problem identification and analysis phases focus on thought processes and the feasibility of carrying out the project, most of the computer and other hands-on work occurs in the design phase. Process the data and build the system or models that provide a solution. The deliverable for this phase is a working GIS, ready for use.
• Implementation phase: Provide access to the solution as a GIS and a report.

GIS Project Components

Student GIS projects are limited in scope, so this chapter presents a corresponding, abbreviated systems development life cycle. The project phases are combined and streamlined into three components:

• Project Proposal: This project phase’s deliverable combines the phases for Problem Identification and Analysis. The proposal states the problem or issue, limits the scope of the project to a geographic area and specific purposes, and lists map layers and data to be downloaded or otherwise obtained. The project proposal is a Word document that can be evaluated and commented upon by an instructor. Some of the text and other material of the proposal can be reused in the project’s report.
• Process Log: The deliverable for this project component lists each major step you’ve taken to build the analytical GIS. We have a well-developed and structured approach for building a GIS, so you already know how to design and build much of the solution. Thus, you can just list major steps. (A detailed log is useful so that you do not have to reinvent steps if you have to revise parts of the project.) Include the process log as an appendix in your report. A process log is especially valuable for student projects so instructors can assess and diagnose student work and provide feedback. Otherwise, many of the processing steps could remain hidden, and students would not get credit for their hard work.
• GIS and Report: The folders and files of your GIS and a report are the major deliverables of the project. Map layouts are key parts of the report, which can be included in a Word document. The report structure follows the lines of the systems development life cycle: problem identification, analysis, solution, and results. Also, include a paragraph on future work with notes implications for additional study. There is always more that can be done on a project, and it is important to summarize your ideas about additional work that might be done if time and resources are available. Special note: Be sure to cite references for ideas, facts, and data.

Project Proposal