The PowerPoint slides created for the 2009 GIS Day keynote address at the University of Ottawa are contained in this file. The presentation begins by identifying a number of problematic decision points faced by citizens, governments and business, and illustrates the weakness of the anatomical sourcing approach when parts of the anatomy other than the brain are used to make decisions, A total of 20 different ways of using GIS and geomatics to obtain new evidence about spatial matters are listed, and 34 methods and techniques used in decision making are also listed. The ways that GIS and geomatics obtain new evidence are graphically combined with the methods and techniques as a means for achieving better decisions through better information.

1. Dr. Barry Wellar
Professor Emeritus of Geography and
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Distinguished Geomatics Scientist,
Lab for Applied Geomatics and GIS Science
University of Ottawa,
Program Director, Geography Awareness Week,
Canadian Association of Geographers
C di A i ti fG h
wellarb@uottawa.ca
http://www.wellarconsulting.com/
PowerPoint Slides for Keynote Address
GIS Day 2009
University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
November 18, 2009
Slide 1

2. QUESTION: WHY DO WE NEED NEW WAYS TO ACHIEVE
NEW EVIDENCE FOR BETTER DECISIONS?
Answer: Because too often Decisions Based on the
“Anatomical Sourcing” Approach Fail the Logic Test.
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Slide 2

3. DECISION PRESSURE POINTS?
YES, A FEW COME TO MIND
• End of oil
• Pandemics
• Climate change
• Rainforest destruction
Slide 3

4. DECISION PRESSURE POINTS?
AS DO A FEW MORE
• Toxic waste
• Urban sprawl
• Loss of habitat
• Holes in the ozone layer
Slide 4

5. DECISION PRESSURE POINTS?
AND A FEW MORE
• Auto industry
• Immigration levels
• Drought there and there
• Flooding here, here, and here
Slide 5

6. DECISION PRESSURE POINTS?
AND A FEW MORE
• Air pollution
• National security
• Solid waste disposal
• Threats to fish stocks
Slide 6

7. DECISION PRESSURE POINTS?
AND A FEW MORE
• Urban intensification
• Regional development
• Extreme weather events
• Threats to the boreal forest
Slide 7

8. DECISION PRESSURE POINTS?
AND A FEW MORE
• Infrastructure deterioration
• Interdependent infrastructures
• National high‐speed rail system
• National spatial data infrastructure
Slide 8

9. DECISION PRESSURE POINTS?
AND A FEW MORE
• Loss of prime agricultural land
• Need for alternative energy supplies
• Shift to more sustainable urban transport
• Water quality problems there, there, and there
Slide 9

10. PHRASES THAT ILLUSTRATE THE
“ANATOMICAL SOURCING” APPROACH
TO MAKING DECISIONS
Was that comment right off the top of your head?
I support this policy from the bottom of my heart!
I hi li f h b f h !
I have a gut feeling about this LRT plan.
When asked questions she often gives off‐the‐cuff
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opinions.
Slide 10

11. MORE PHRASES THAT ILLUSTRATE THE
“ANATOMICAL SOURCING” APPROACH
TO MAKING DECISIONS
Simple rule of thumb notions ignore reality.
The mayor is flying by the seat of his pants on this one!
That is another knee‐jerk reaction based on ideology.
Are there people in that department who use their
brains before policies are adopted?
Slide 11

12. “ANATOMICAL SOURCING” Q&A
Question: Can the “Anatomical Sourcing” approach
effectively deal with the challenges represented
by the decision pressure points?
Answer: On the evidence, only when our brains are fully
engaged, and the other parts of the anatomy play little
to no role.
to no role.
Slide 12

13. AS FOR “OUR” BRAINS, “OUR” INCLUDES
• I di id l
Individuals and families
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• Institutions
• Governments
• Corporations
• Advocacy groups
• Interest groups
• Professional groups
Slide 13

14. NEW WAYS TO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
This listing of the ways that GIS and GeoSkills contribute evidence pertinent to
decision pressure points is illustrative.
decision pressure points is illustrative
1. Cartography 11. GIS fundamentals
2. Digital imaging 12. GIS principles
3. Geographic field methods
3 G hi fi ld h d 13. GIS science
13 GIS i
4. Geographic research 14. GIS technology
methods 15. GPS applications
5. Geographic research 16. Mapping systems
techniques
q 17. Remote sensing g
6. Geomatics 18. Spatial analysis
7. Geomodelling 19. Spatial decision support
8. Geoscience methodology systems
9. Geostatistics 20. Spatial synthesis
10. GIS applications
10 GIS applications
Slide 14

15. WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES OF NEW WAYS
TO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
Geography Awareness Week
Applied Geography Showcase
http://www.cag‐acg.ca/files/pdf/GAW/Applied_Geography_Showcase.pdf
Slide 15

16. WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES OF NEW WAYS
TO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
Geography Awareness Week
Guide to Applied Geography Resources
http://www.cag‐acg.ca/files/pdf/GAW/
GAW_2009_Guide_Applied_Resources.pdf
Slide 16

17. WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES OF NEW WAYS
TO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
Geography Awareness Week
GeoSkills Showcase
http://www.cag‐acg.ca/files/pdf/GAW/GAW2009_GeoSkills.pdf
Slide 17

18. WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES OF NEW WAYS
TO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
Geography Awareness Week
Guide to GeoSkills Resources
http://www.cagacg.ca/files/pdf/GAW/
GAW_2009_Guide_GeoSkills_Resources.pdf
Slide 18

19. WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES OF NEW WAYS
TO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
Geography Awareness Week
Theme Day Websites
Climate and Weather
Climate and Weather
Water
Energy
Transportation
Food and Health
http://www.cag‐acg.ca/en/geography_week_2009.html
Slide 19

20. WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES OF NEW WAYS
TO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
GIS Day Websites
http://www.cag‐acg.ca/files/pdf/GAW/GIS_Day.pdf
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http://www.esricanada.com/english/7301.asp
Slide 20

21. WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES OF NEW WAYS
TO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
Professional organizations such as the Urban and Regional
Information Systems Association (URISA)
http://www.urisa.org/
Slide 21

22. WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES OF NEW WAYS
TO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
GIS Day Posters
The following URL illustrates how universities, colleges, and
other academic institutions could make student
other academic institutions could make student
GIS Day posters available online.
http://www.geomatics.uottawa.ca/gaw09
Slide 22

23. FIRST STEP TO ACHIEVE
BETTER DECISIONS?
Ask the pointed question:
What are the names of the
decision‐making methodologies
that you use when making decisions?
Slide 23

24. SECOND STEP TO ACHIEVE
BETTER DECISIONS?
If an informed answer is not received,
repeat the question:
What are the names of the
decision‐making methodologies
that you use when making decisions?
Slide 24

25. THIRD STEP TO ACHIEVE
BETTER DECISIONS?
Crank up the juice:
If you hear the Humma, Humma, Humma chorus instead of an informed
answer, be ready with a list of names of decision methods and techniques to
answer be ready with a list of names of decision methods and techniques to
raise the level of the discussion and apply pressure.
The following approach may be helpful.
Slide 25

26. “CAN’T REMEMBER THE NAMES OF THE METHODS AND
“CAN’T REMEMBER THE NAMES OF THE METHODS AND
TECHNIQUES YOU USE TO MAKE DECISIONS? PERHAPS
THIS LIST MAY JOG YOUR MEMORY.”
1. Attitudinal Surveys 18. Input‐Output Analysis
2. Brainstorming 19. Life‐Cycle Analysis
3. Charrette 20. Modelling
4. Committee Approach 21. Normative Delphi
5.
5 Comparative A l i
C ti Analysis 22.
22 Optimization Techniques
6. Cost‐Benefit Analysis 23. Panel Evaluation
7. Cost‐Effectiveness Analysis 24. Pilot Study
8. Counterfoil Research 25. Policy Delphi
9. Cross‐Impact Analysis 26. Pre‐Test
10. Econometric Analysis 27. Referenda
11. Expert Panels 28.
28 Risk Assessment
Ri k A t
12. Focus Groups 29. Roundtables
13. Forecasting Delphi 30. Scaling
14. Highest and Best Use 31. Sensitivity Analysis
15. Impact Assessment 32. Simulation
16. Indicators 33. Trial Run
17. Indexing 34. Workshops
Slide 26

27. GETTING OUR ACT TOGETHER:
NEW WAYS TO ACHIEVE
BETTER DECISIONS?
Combine the ways that GIS and GeoSkills provide
evidence (Slide 14) with the methods and techniques
of rational decision making (Slide 26).
Slide 27

28. GETTING OUR ACT TOGETHER:
NEW WAYS TO ACHIEVE
BETTER DECISIONS?
GIS and GeoSkills
X = BETTER DECISIONS
Decision Methods and Techniques
Slide 28

29. CHALLENGE 1 TO THE
GIS AND GEOSKILLS COMMUNITIES:
Build a casebook demonstrating how GIS and GeoSkills are
combined with decision methods and techniques to
bi d i h d i i h d d h i
produce better decisions.
Slide 29

30. CHALLENGE 2 TO THE
GIS AND GEOSKILLS COMMUNITIES:
Build a casebook demonstrating how GIS and GeoSkills could be
combined with decision methods and techniques to
bi d i h d i i h d d h i
produce better decisions.
Slide 30

31. CHALLENGE 3 TO THE
GIS AND GEOSKILLS COMMUNITIES:
Build a casebook demonstrating how GIS and GeoSkills should be
combined with decision methods and techniques to
bi d i h d i i h d d h i
produce better decisions.
Slide 31

32. CLOSING COMMENT
The GIS and Geoskills communities have a distinguished record of
devising new ways to achieve new evidence for better decision
making. However, Canada faces a number of major social, economic,
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environmental, governance, and other challenges, and few if any of
them are self‐correcting. We have much good work yet to do.
LET’S GET IT DONE!!
Slide 32

33. REFERENCES and SOURCES 1
I wish to acknowledge the contributions made to this presentation by previous
presentations and published reports. The following list identifies some of these
references, and includes the URLs for the convenience of readers who may
wish to examine the original materials.
wish to examine the original materials
Wellar, B. 2006. Geography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS):
New Realities of Canada as an Emerging Information Society. GIS Day Keynote, University of Ottawa.
http://www.slideshare.net/
http://www slideshare net/
Wellar, B. 2007. Sustainable Transport: Does Anybody Here Know How to Win This Game? Presentation to the Kiwanis Club of
Ottawa. http://www.geomatics.uottawa.ca/docs/Kiwani_ST_laggiss.pdf
Wellar, B. 2007. Making Weather Connections: From Science to Common Sense, and Public Lethargy to Activism. CMOS Lecture.
http://www.slideshare.net/
http://www slideshare net/
Wellar, B. 2008. From NASA Satellite Images (1966) to Google Earth (2008):
Geography, Geomatics and GIS Have Come a Long Way. Sigma Xi Lecture.
http://www.geomatics.uottawa.ca/WellarPresentstheTriple.htm
Slide 33

34. REFERENCES and SOURCES 2
Wellar, B. 2009. Sampler of Commentaries on Methods and Techniques that Could be Used in Making Decisions about
Identifying, Adopting, or Implementing Sustainable Transport Practices. Transport Canada Project, Research Report 3.
http://www.wellarconsulting.com/
Wellar, B. 2009. Core Information Challenges and Opportunities, 2010‐2020: Building on Strengths. URISA Annual Conference
Keynote Address. http://www.urisa.org/annual/keynote
Wellar, B. 2009. Elements of a Framework for GeoSkills as the Focus of New Approaches in Applied Geography Education and
Training. Wellar GeoSkills Lecture, University of Ottawa. http://www.slideshare.net/
Wellar, B. and W.L. Garrison 2009. Enriching Sustainable Transport Decisions: Inputs from Operations Research and the
Management Sciences. Research Report. Berkeley, CA: University of California at Berkeley, Institute for Transportation Studies.
Posted at the eScholarship Repository, http://repositories.cdlib.org/its/reports/UCB‐ITS‐2009‐1/
Acknowledgement. Thanks are given to Sam Herold for the graphics work.
A k l d t Th k i t S H ld f th hi k
Slide 34