1) GIS projects can fail due to poor planning, lack of management support, and poor project management. Key factors include inadequate staffing, funding, and software development processes. 2) A GIS implementation plan is important to reduce mistakes, integrate management of data, computing, staff, and technology. It provides guidelines for an efficient implementation. 3) The GIS planning and implementation process has five phases - planning, requirements analysis, design, acquisition/development, and operations/maintenance. Planning defines the project scope and develops a general plan.

1. GIS PROJECT PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION
(GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
SYSTEM)
UNIT – V
Dr. Rambabu Palaka, Professor, BVRITMar. 2019

2. Why GIS Projects fail?
GIS projects take a big role in making better decision in the improvement of the country.
Mismanagement of projects would, of course, means failure. Analyzing the possible reasons
will draw you lesson to be learned that will definitely prevent similar mistakes from repeating its
fate in every project ventures.
GIS project failed may be because of as follows:
1. Poor planning
The proclaimed father of GIS, Dr. Roger Tomlinson once said “One culprit is often to blame-
poor planning”.
2. Lack of corporate management support
It includes inadequate staffing, unfilled commitment and inadequate funding. Just like any
kinds of project, it does really need a cooperation and support from the management. If not,
then be ready for cancellation or cutbacks.

3. Why GIS Projects fail?
3. Poor project management
Project management can be divided into two categories, which is the software development
process and the responsibilities of the project manager. Software development process –
Every project need a series of steps for making the concept that is built on one’s mind into
reality that will be soon useful to its client. Without a good software development process, any
project will come running down. Mostly of the organization never realized its importance. And
definitely increase the risk to the project in predicting and controlling its factors. Aside from
that, project manager should know every responsibility that is given to him/her. It is in his/her
hands to make the project effective, efficient and completed.

4. Need of GIS Implementation Plan
The most important benefits for applying GIS to any project generally stem from the following
two major groups of GIS functions:
1) To provide a user-friendly database so that a wide variety of data can be accessed easily,
manipulated visually, analyzed spatially, and presented graphically.
2) To serve as a logical, coherent, and consistent platform so that diverse databases can be
integrated and shared among various divisions of an agency.
Because of the nature of rapid changes in GIS and related information technology, a well-
developed GIS implementation plan is essential for the following reasons:
1) To reduce the chance of making mistakes.
2) To provide for an integrated management of the various aspects of data issues,
3) computing environment, organizational structure, staff behavior, and information
technology application.
4) To provide a reliable platform for dealing with unexpected issues

5. Benefits of GIS Implementation Plan
The specific benefits of the GIS implementation plan are outlined as follows:
1) It can provide early warnings of potential problems and serve as the basis for
understanding the implications and identifying the solutions.
2) It can help define goals and future directions for the GIS program.
3) It permits the project manager and related staff to proceed with confidence, which
improves productivity and efficiency.
4) It provides guidelines for an organized, systematic, and efficient implementation of
this new technology so that all the components of a complex system work well.
5) It can serve as a background for developing budget requests and staff
requirements to ensure that the present and future needs of all users will be met
through the proposed GIS.
6) It can help justify the program and provide top-level managers with the level of
understanding and confidence needed to approve the program.

6. Phases of Planning & Implementation
The GIS planning and implementation process comprises five basic phases:
1) Planning: defining the scope of the GIS and developing a general plan;
2) Requirements analysis: determining users’ specific requirements.
3) Design: integrating all requirements and developing data and system
specifications;
4) Acquisition and development: acquiring system components and putting them
together to create a unique system; and
5) Operations and maintenance: putting the system into operation and
maintaining the data and the system.

8. Major Aspects considered in Planning Phase
Planning is an important step for any type of GIS. It provides a firm foundation for
GIS implementation and operation, and helps avoid costly mistakes. Planning
establishes the direction for the GIS. The major aspects that are addressed during
the planning phase include:
1. Scope.
The basic nature of the GIS and its role in the organization are defined. This
includes recognition of the GIS as a one-time project or ongoing program, the types
of applications and users that will be included, how much (if any) integration with
other systems and databases will be required, and how the GIS will affect the way
the organization does business. The scope, nature, and role of the GIS indicate
directions for further planning and implementation activities.

9. Major Aspects considered in Planning Phase
2. Participants.
Participants may include users and stakeholders, management and policy makers,
the task team that will plan and implement the GIS, and a designated project
manager. Also, to ensure that the identified participants can participate effectively in
the subsequent implementation steps, adequate GIS background and education is
provided, based on individuals’ needs.
3. Resources.
Resources include money, time (in terms of a schedule), labor force, and skill sets.
In addition, the scope of the GIS indicates the general types of benefits that can be
expected, so it is possible to do a general comparison of benefits to costs.
Estimates made at this early stage in GIS planning are necessarily very rough
estimates, but help establish basic planning resources and goals.

10. Major Aspects considered in Planning Phase
4. Approach
Finally, a general plan is developed at this point. Again, the scope of the GIS is the
major determinant. It indicates the type of planning and implementation approach
that is required. For a small or simple GIS project, the decisions may be obvious
and easily made. For larger and/or more complex GISs, more complex planning
methods are needed. For example, a simple, single-purpose GIS project that will
map resource sites may necessitate only a simple implementation process that is
carried out by the end-user. The data and system needs may be straightforward. A
multipurpose, enterprise-wide GIS program for a local government, on the other
hand, would require a complex planning and implementation process that would aid
decision making, and choices from among myriad options. It would also require the
involvement of many participants, and often outside assistance.

11. Key Components considered in Design Phase
GIS design is the culmination of the requirements analysis, and often included as
the last part of that step. It involves putting all of the requirements together, and
designing the GIS components that will support all the users’ needs. This task is
preparatory to obtaining GIS software and data.
In the design task, the key components of the GIS are specified, including:
1. Database.
Data are the most important component of a GIS. Case studies and industry
experience indicate that organizations spend the largest portion (as much as 80
percent) of their GIS budgets on data. Database design includes identifying all the
data that must be in the GIS, the characteristics of those data, and how they are to
be structured and organized in order to meet the users’ and the organization’s
needs. Data modeling is an important component of database design

12. Key Components considered in Design Phase
2. System.
The system components include GIS-specific software and applications, as well as
database support, hardware, supporting systems software, and systems integration.
Small GIS projects may require only a self-contained system, using simple
geospatial databases and software. Larger, multipurpose GISs usually involve
complex database systems, a suite of GIS software products, specially developed
applications, and systems integration. Furthermore, organizations developing multi-
participant GISs usually attempt to minimize the number of different GIS software
packages that they use in order to minimize redundancy and simplify support.
Increasingly, web access to GIS data and applications is becoming an important
component of GIS programs

13. Key Components considered in Design Phase
3. Organization and management.
In addition to the technical database and system components, the GIS design also
specifies the management components that will support them. Management
aspects include organizational components such as GIS support staff, the GIS labor
force for tasks such as data creation, and training. Important management
components include data management, system management, and project
management for GIS implementation
4. Resources
Resources involved in the GIS, as designed, are also detailed at this point. This
includes a detailed cost/benefit analysis based on the detailed GIS design, budget,
and funding sources, and implementation plans for resource utilization and system
implementation