Phase I was focused on defining industry components, characteristics, and skills required to fill geospatial occupations. The major work efforts involved in this phase were two thought-leader roundtables held in Washington, D.C., in October 2005 and January 2006; development of on online feedback mechanism to gather responses to critical issues in defining the industry; and analysis of those responses.

A detailed report on the findings of Phase I of the grant can be found at http://www.aag.org/giwis/. Appendices documenting some of the more detailed analyses can also be accessed. All geospatial professionals are encouraged to read the findings and provide comments based on their unique perspective of the industry. A link is provided to submit responses to Mary Ann Stewart, the GITA Project Manager for the grant, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

“GITA and the AAG ask that all interested geospatial professionals review the report and provide comments, reactions, supporting information, or ask questions,” said GITA Executive Director Bob Samborski. “We’d like to obtain input from as many geospatial industry professionals as possible.”

In order to best support the analysis of comments, respondents are asked to provide their name, company name, address, and phone or e-mail contact information. All responses must be submitted by June 30, 2006.

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 The above project is funded by a grant awarded under the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training administration.

The mission of the Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) is to provide excellence in education and information exchange on the use and benefits of geospatial information and technology in business, utility, and government applications worldwide.