Spatial data infrastructures may be thought of as socio-technical frameworks for coordinating the development, management, sharing and use of geospatial data across multiple organizational jurisdictions and varying geographic extents. The United States was an early adopter of the SDI concept and the U.S. National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) is an example of a country-wide SDI implementation facilitated by coordination at the federal-government level. At the time of its establishment in the early 1990s, a unique characteristic of the NSDI was a mandate for federal agencies to establish partnerships with state- and local-level government. This entry summarizes the origins of the NSDI’s establishment, its original core components and how they’ve evolved over the last 25 years, the role of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), and the anticipated impact of passage of the Geospatial Data Act of 2018. For broader technical information about SDIs, readers are referred to GIST BoK Entry DM-60: Spatial Data Infrastructures (Hu and Li 2017). For additional details on the history of the NSDI, readers are referred to Rhind (1999). For the latest information on recent and emerging NSDI initiatives, please visit the FGDC web site (www.fgdc.gov).
Professional workforce development, the education of an individual for a particular task or trade, traces its origins from the programs that linked apprentices with the master craftsmen of pre-industrial societies. With the emergence of digital technologies, the emphasis has shifted to making an individual more technically proficient across ever-changing technological platforms. In the Geographic Information Science & Technologies (GIS&T) sector, individuals generally acquire knowledge and skills through degrees and certificates offered by colleges and universities, as well as the various professional and technical certifications that provide evidence of training and development for the workforce. Establishment of the GeoTech Center, the Geospatial Technology Competency Model, and the GIS Certification Institute have all been significant in GIS&T workforce development. Challenges include the lack of standardized duties and responsibilities for occupational titles as well as gaps between industry needs and skill sets provided through formal degrees and certificates.