NSDI | Geospatial Standards

Why Standards Matter
Standards improve the utility and value of geospatial data. They improve interoperability, reusability, and make it easier to aggregate, link, integrate, and share information among Federal, state, Tribal, regional, and municipal governments, private industry, non-governmental organizations, and academia.

Authority
The Geospatial Data Act of 2018 (GDA), 43 USC Ch. 46, Section §2802, establishes the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), Chaired by the Department of Interior, as the lead entity in the Executive Branch for the development, implementation, and review of policies, practices, and standards relating to geospatial data.

The GDA also details the responsibilities of Covered Agencies. These responsibilities are further detailed by the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Circulars A-16 and A-119. Circular A-16 directs the "Coordination of Geographic Information and Related Spatial Data Activities." Circular A-119 addresses the development and use of voluntary consensus standards.

FGDC Current Standards Process
The FGDC approved a geospatial standards endorsement/retirement process on September 16, 2024. This process will be used to develop a new list of FGDC endorsed standards, established under the GDA, and replacing the FGDC’s legacy list approved prior to GDA enactment. The FGDC Standards Process includes five steps, through which a standard goes to become an FGDC endorsed or retired standard. These steps are: 1) Nomination, 2) Review, 3) Recommendation, 4) Endorsement, and 5) Monitoring. Details of each step are below.

To submit a standard for endorsement or action, please use the FGDC Nomination Application and email it to Standards@fgdc.gov.

1. Nomination Step - The sponsoring agency nominates a standard for FGDC endorsement completing and submitting a standards nomination application (included as Appendix A) to the FGDC OS. Standards may be nominated by anyone in the FGDC community but must be coordinated with and approved by their agency’s FGDC SAOGI prior to submission. The sponsoring agency is responsible for responding to questions from the FGDC OS, other agencies, the ExCom, or the FGDC if questions arise during the process.
2. Review Step - The FGDC OS reviews the agency submitted form for completeness, returning incomplete forms to the sponsoring agency. The FGDC OS sends completed forms forward to the SWG, who reviews and vets each nominated standard. The SWG evaluates each standard and provides a brief summary of the evaluation to the ExCom. For the standards that meet the requirements and have completed forms, the FGDC OS prepares a vote for the ExCom using its administrative processes.
3. Recommendation Step - The ExCom receives the vote and supporting materials, reviews the requests, and votes on whether to recommend each standard for FGDC endorsement. The ExCom may request additional information from the endorsing agency.
4. Voting Step - In accordance with the FGDC Charter, the FGDC OS prepares and submits standards recommended by the ExCom to the Steering Committee for a vote. Any standard not endorsed will be returned to the sponsoring agency with the FGDC’s reason for non-endorsement. Any standard that is voted to be endorsed becomes an established FGDC standard and will be posted on the FGDC website.
5. Monitoring Step - A periodic revalidation of the standard will keep the established list of standards current.

• The sponsoring agency will monitor their sponsored standard to ensure that any new versions or changes are addressed and warranted action initiated to keep the standard current. This may occur at any time.
• The FGDC OS will provide to the SWG a list of the standards that are approaching their 3-year endorsement date anniversary.
• The SWG will review the provided list and work with the sponsoring agency to revalidate the existing standard for another 3-year period, or to recommend retirement and potentially the nomination of a replacement standard. For example: if a new version of the standard now exists, the SWG will work with the sponsoring agency to retire the old version and sponsor and nominate the new replacement version.

Note:  Many standards approved by the FGDC prior to the enactment of the GDA remain in use and continue to provide value and improve interoperability. Agencies should nominate current and in-use standards from the legacy list for review and FGDC endorsement, using the process provided above.

Standards facilitate development, sharing, and use of geospatial data and services. The FGDC develops or adopts geospatial standards for implementing the NSDI, in consultation and cooperation with State, local, and tribal governments, the private sector and academic community, and, to the extent feasible, the international community.

Federal agencies that collect, use, or disseminate geographic information and/or carry out related spatial data activities shall use FGDC-endorsed standards both internally and through their activities involving partners, grants, and contracts.

Non-Federal agencies are encouraged to use FGDC-endorsed standards to facilitate data sharing.