Dr. Barry Wellar Professor Emeritus of Geography and
Distinguished Geomatics Scientist, Lab for Applied Geomatics and GIS Science
University of Ottawa,Program Director, Geography Awareness Week,
Canadian Association of [email protected]
http://www.wellarconsulting.com/
PowerPoint Slides for Keynote Address
GIS Day 2009
University of Ottawa
November 18, 2009
Slide 1
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.
Slide 2
DECISION PRESSURE POINTS?YES, A FEW COME TO MIND
• End of oil
• Pandemics
• Climate change
• Rainforest destruction
Slide 3
DECISION PRESSURE POINTS?AS DO A FEW MORE
• Toxic waste
• Urban sprawl
• Loss of habitat
• Holes in the ozone layer
Slide 4
DECISION PRESSURE POINTS?AND A FEW MORE
• Auto industry
• Immigration levels
• Drought there and there
• Flooding here, here, and here
Slide 5
DECISION PRESSURE POINTS?AND A FEW MORE
• Air pollution
• National security
• Solid waste disposal
• Threats to fish stocks
Slide 6
DECISION PRESSURE POINTS?AND A FEW MORE
• Urban intensification
• Regional development
• Extreme weather events
• Threats to the boreal forest
Slide 7
DECISION PRESSURE POINTS?AND A FEW MORE
• Infrastructure deterioration
• Interdependent infrastructures
• National high-speed rail system
• National spatial data infrastructure
Slide 8
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
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 have a gut feeling about this LRT plan.
When asked questions she often gives off-the-cuff
opinions.
Slide 10
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
“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.
Slide 12
AS FOR “OUR” BRAINS, “OUR” INCLUDES
• Individuals and families
• Institutions
• Governments
• Corporations
• Advocacy groups
• Interest groups
• Professional groups
Slide 13
NEW WAYS TO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
This listing of the ways that GIS and GeoSkills contribute evidence pertinent to decision pressure points is illustrative.
1. Cartography2. Digital imaging3. Geographic field methods4. Geographic research methods5. Geographic research techniques6. Geomatics7. Geomodelling8. Geoscience methodology9. Geostatistics10. GIS applications
11. GIS fundamentals12. GIS principles13. GIS science14. GIS technology15. GPS applications16. Mapping systems17. Remote sensing18. Spatial analysis19. Spatial decision support systems20. Spatial synthesis
Slide 14
WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES OF NEW WAYSTO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
Geography Awareness WeekApplied Geography Showcase
http://www.cag-acg.ca/files/pdf/GAW/Applied_Geography_Showcase.pdf
Slide 15
WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES OF NEW WAYSTO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
Geography Awareness WeekGuide to Applied Geography Resources
http://www.cag-acg.ca/files/pdf/GAW/
GAW_2009_Guide_Applied_Resources.pdf
Slide 16
WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES OF NEW WAYS TO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
Geography Awareness WeekGeoSkills Showcase
http://www.cag-acg.ca/files/pdf/GAW/GAW2009_GeoSkills.pdf
Slide 17
Geography Awareness WeekGuide to GeoSkills Resources
http://www.cagacg.ca/files/pdf/GAW/
GAW_2009_Guide_GeoSkills_Resources.pdf
WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES OF NEW WAYS TO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
Slide 18
WHERE TO FIND EXAMPLES OF NEW WAYS TO ACHIEVE NEW EVIDENCE?
Geography Awareness WeekTheme Day Websites
Climate and Weather
WaterEnergy
TransportationFood and Health
http://www.cag-acg.ca/en/geography_week_2009.html
Slide 19
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
http://www.esricanada.com/english/7301.asp
Slide 20
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
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
GIS Day posters available online.
http://www.geomatics.uottawa.ca/gaw09
Slide 22
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
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
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
raise the level of the discussion and apply pressure.
The following approach may be helpful.
Slide 25
“CAN’T REMEMBER THE NAMES OF THE METHODS AND TECHNIQUES YOU USE TO MAKE DECISIONS? PERHAPS THIS LIST MAY JOG YOUR MEMORY.”
Slide 26
1. Attitudinal Surveys2. Brainstorming3. Charrette4. Committee Approach5. Comparative Analysis6. Cost-Benefit Analysis7. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis8. Counterfoil Research9. Cross-Impact Analysis10. Econometric Analysis11. Expert Panels12. Focus Groups13. Forecasting Delphi 14. Highest and Best Use 15. Impact Assessment16. Indicators17. Indexing
18.Input-Output Analysis19.Life-Cycle Analysis20. Modelling21. Normative Delphi 22. Optimization Techniques23. Panel Evaluation24. Pilot Study25. Policy Delphi 26. Pre-Test27. Referenda28. Risk Assessment 29.Roundtables30. Scaling 31. Sensitivity Analysis32. Simulation33. Trial Run34. Workshops
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
GETTING OUR ACT TOGETHER:NEW WAYS TO ACHIEVE BETTER DECISIONS?
GIS and GeoSkills X
Decision Methods and Techniques
Slide 28
BETTER DECISIONS=
CHALLENGE 1 TO THE GIS AND GEOSKILLS COMMUNITIES:
Build a casebook demonstrating how GIS and GeoSkills are
combined with decision methods and techniques to
produce better decisions.
Slide 29
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
produce better decisions.
Slide 30
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
produce better decisions.
Slide 31
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,
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
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.
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/
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/
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
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.
Slide 34