Perspectives

What Does It Mean to Be a GIS 'Champion'?

Geographic information system (GIS) development and applications often include a 'Champion' - someone that drives the project forward. While we might visualise someone holding a gold plated badge over their head like Rocky did in the movie, the fact is, anyone can be a GIS Champion. Such individuals focus on the project, attempting to ensure smooth sailing through rough seas, and try to steer the project members toward the destination safely, and successfully.

GIS projects often begin with many intentions, ideas, wants, wishes and needs. The development of a project can follow many paths, curves and questions. Both those working on GIS projects and those outside the immediate boundaries, may move from periods of excitement to questioning. They may flourish with funding, and at other times, find the pot is drier and that making a case for funding requires some cool thinking, specific approaches and different avenues of pursuit.

Like all projects, GIS projects can be both long or short - many tend to be long - especially as users begin to realise benefits and ask (demand) more solutions and services. As those centrally involved GIS related acitivities gain experience, becoming more confident and gathering more wisdom, the richness of applications grows and communication patterns begin to expand because they can conceptualise possibilities and stir them to action.

GIS 'Champions' do not necessarily have to have hands-on experience, though many of them do. For example, as Jack Welch, the former chairman of GE company says, "if you are the leader and think you are the smartest one on the team, then you got a a real problem."  Fact is, there are many bright and intelligent people around, and recognising that is a key piece of wisdom a 'Champion' carry's - they keep talent connected to the spatial objectives.  For those involved with GIS, who know the details of how technology works, they gain advantages in understanding the language and terminology quicker, but I would wonder if other characteristics do not match their effectiveness when it comes to being a 'Champion'.

A large part of being a GIS Champion has to do with talking about, representing the project and communicating about a GIS project. Without prior experience, many new projects need to be conveyed to managers and executives, and they need to be framed and expressed in terms these individuals can understand.

Money matters, and anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong. Champions know two things about funding a) they need it to implement their projects and b) whomever the project is for, had better be saving some of it with the project's implementation.  There are undoubtedly non-tangible benefits, and they can be many. But funds are measurable.  I'm a capitalist and think most others are too.

Champions will promote their projects not just to people, but the correct people - those with decision-making responsibilities that can impact the outcomes of the GIS projects. They will answer all questions, understand all aspects of the project, and will have a good grasp of the enterprise workflows so that business cases related to the projects can be identified, included and improved.

GIS Champions are not marketers per se, but they market. They are not technicians per se, but they can talk about technical matters. They empathise with managers and executives, respect technical staff and understand their constraints, and they act as bridges between the two - slowly rolling the rough edges of a project into a smoother finish and ensuring the direction is pointing in the finished direction - in completeness.  A good Champion has lots of compassion, but tempers that with the realities of business related issues.

So why are they important? Because GIS projects due to their integrated nature can flip-flop in many directions. And without someone steering them, enhancing their presence and communicating all those flips and flops to outsiders eyes, they can appear vague, wandering and confusing - although they aren't. Champions ensure they understood  and that those viewing them understand them and have a place to venture questions when they do feel doubt. Champions will address all issues, going the extra kilometer to ensure they maintain course.

This is part intelligence, part experience, part wisdom, part caring and part magic.