GINIE workshop on SDIs:WG1: Coordination & Organisation

Lessons form existing SDIs shows that:– Strong multi-sector coordination is important– Legislation is often helpful to build momentum– Must be sustained over time to overcome agency’s silos

mentality– Must provide technical support as well as leadership– Must nurture sustained political support– Must help make the SDI relevant to other stakeholders,

demonstrate benefits, help with seed funding– Must disseminate and enforce common standards.

For a European SDI……

There is a need for a coordinating body at the European level to make it happen

Priority areas:– Support the development of National SDIs through

information sharing, comparative studies with common methodology, institutional capacity building

– Technical advice and support + technology watch– Promote international standards – Education and awareness + dissemination of demonstration

projects, quick win implementations in driving themes such as environment and e-government

Who should be in it?

EC and other EU institutions Private Sector Member States NSDIs and relevant pan-European orgs. Citizen organisations (e.g. NGOs, Friends of

the Earth, etc. ) Relevant thematic applications and priorities,

with strong link to e-government

Structure

The Coordinating body does not need to be big (FGDC = 15 staff)

But also need for a broader reference group Authoritative in the professional communities

and national constituencies. Own budget