In NDP 3 launched on 26 November 2008, the former Central
Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the predecessor to the National Statistics Agency
(NSA), was tasked to take the lead in formalising the National Spatial Data
Infrastructure (NSDI) for Namibia. Taking the lead did not mean that CBS was
taking the central position in the NSDI, but that it was tasked to facilitate
the process.
The word infrastructure in SDI is used to promote the
concept of a reliable supporting environment, much like a telecommunications
network, that facilitates access to geospatial information or geographical
information (GI). For many years stakeholders involved the NSDI in Namibia
wished to see a policy in place that regulates access to geoinformation and
sets a guideline for sharing and pricing. Some initiatives towards formalizing
the NSDI in Namibia have taken place, most noteworthy that of the Ministry of
Environment and Tourism (MET) in 2003. This resulted in a draft policy that was
however not implemented.
The present NSDI Policy (2015) draws credit from the
2003 draft policy. In forming the Policy a research was conducted on
recommendations that could be useful for Namibia in establishing the process to
get to a successful NSDI. These recommendations are many but can be summarized
as follows:
- Develop a common view on the
NSDI
- Address the need for policies
that promote access and sharing of information
- Apply free access for public
sector GI with limited number of exemptions
- Promote transparency of user
restrictions
- Promote documentation of
metadata
- Promote free viewing of public
sector GI
- Promote free availability of GI
within government
- Create a one-stop shop to give
information about available GI
- Promote the development of
private value-added services
- Implement capacity building in
its widest definition (including change management and conflict resolving)
- Carry out institutional
development
- Aggregate services and content
in the SDI
- Promote Public-Private Partnerships
NSDI Governance Structure
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The Statistician-General administers the NSDI through the committee of Spatial Data and report to the NSA board on a quarterly basis.
