Monitoring compliance to Spatial Data Infrastructure policies and legislation A South African story
ISBN 978-85-88783-11-9
Authors
1Chauke, M.M.M.
1DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM Email: mmmchauke@ruraldevelopment.gov.za
Abstract
South Africa is a politically stable, multi-racial democratic country with a vibrant civil society. However, as a developing country, South Africa is facing challenges common to all developing nations. Twenty years into democracy, South Africa remains a highly unequal society where too many people live in abject poverty and high employment rate. The quality of school education for most black learners is poor. The apartheid spatial divide continues to dominate the landscape. A large proportion of young people feel that the odds are stacked against them. And the legacy of apartheid continues to determine the life opportunities for the vast majority. These immense challenges can only be addressed through a step change in the country's performance. This is according to the National Development Plan. A plan crafted and welcomed by all South African from all walks of life as Vision for the country. The National Development Plan: Vision 2030, which in spite of the current challenges, recognizes that South Africa has the potential and capacity to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality over the next two decades. More important, the Plan calls upon all South Africans to work cooperatively together to create jobs and livelihoods, expand infrastructure, transform urban and rural spaces, improve education and training, provide quality health care, build capable state, fighting corruption and enhance accountability, and transform society and unite the nation. These strategic objectives can only be achieved if supported by the accurate and reliably maintained Geo-spatial information. The Spatial Data Infrastructure Act, Act No 54 of 2003, was enacted as an Act of parliament of the Republic of South Africa, administered by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. The objectives of the Act amongst others is to establish the South African Spatial Data Infrastructure (SASDI) that will provide the coordinating of the infrastructure (technical, institutional, human resources, data policies and standards) needed to support the collection, maintenance, access to and use of spatial information for improved decision making to improve the lives of all South Africans. The implementation of the objects of the act was difficult because of the lack of common vision. With the SDI Act and the vision of the country in place, what is required is to continuously monitor compliance of Data Custodians to ensure that the spatial data in their custody are managed and maintained properly to support development planning and decision making necessary to assist the country achieve its objectives. A national mapping agency organization within the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform will be used as a case study to trial the Draft South African Spatial Data Infrastructure (SASDI) Compliance guidelines and assess the level of compliance with such. The audit/assessment results will be communicated to the Committee for Spatial Information and the community. The SASDI compliance guidelines specify the compliance expectation from Data Custodians and are informed by the principles of the SDI Act, policies and other relevant legislation.
Keywords
SDI; Compliance; Responsibility Data Custodians