MAPPS has requested that DOL describe geospatial as a profession limited to the discipline of Architecture-Engineering as defined by Federal regulations rather than as a cross-cutting industry falling within the fields of Architecture-Engineering, Information Technology, finance, earth science, health care, and on and on as we grow into mainstream technology.  MAPPS believes that our description of geospatial as an industry broader than Architecture-Engineering will have harmful effects on individual practitioners and professional firms in the areas of Federal procurement, employment classification, professional liability, university accreditation, and tax and accounting measures.

DOL proposes to respond to MAPPS with a rebranding from the current Geospatial Technology Industry to the revised brand of Geographic Information Sciences & Technology as well as a repositioning of the geospatial community, removing the statement that it is an information technology field of practice.

We believe that this rebranding would not best serve the needs of the broad range of geospatial business efforts and practitioners served by Department of Labor efforts.  We would very much appreciate receiving your comments and reactions to the following:

1.Is there a geospatial industry?

2.Are there geospatial practitioners outside the realm of Architecture-Engineering professions?

3.Should geospatial be restricted to the Architecture-Engineering discipline?

4.Would you or your business experience any harmful effects from a broader definition of geospatial as an industry?

5.Would you or your business experience any harmful effects from the restricted definition of the geospatial industry?

We are currently preparing comments to DOL and would appreciate your responses by Tuesday, July 18th.

Thanks for your thinking on this!

Bob Samborski, Executive Director, GITA
Mary Ann Stewart, GITA Project Manager for DOLs High-Growth Grant

Originally posted to the GITA GEOXchange list - please send your comments to the original sender of this message (Mary Ann Stewart at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it