OGRIP
The Ohio Geographically Referenced Information Program (OGRIP) supports the OGRIP Council, which is the coordinating body for state and local government GIS activities. OGRIP also maintains the GIS Support Center, which provides GIS support activities to state agencies.
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OGRIP History
OGRIP began informally in 1989 to coordinate GIS activities among State agencies. OGRIP was formally recognized by executive order in 1993, perpetuated by subsequent executive orders until in 2008 when the legislature modified the make-up of the Council and codified the existence of this Governor appointed Council. OGRIP has an operating budget and office space for an Executive Director and support staff that is provided by the Ohio Department of Administrative Services – Office of Information Technology.
As the GIS coordinating body for State and local Government in Ohio, the goals of the 15 member OGRIP Council are to:
encourage the creation of digital geographic data of value to multiple users,
foster the ability to easily determine what geographic data exists and
foster the ability to easily access and use this data.
What does OGRIP do?
Coordination is OGRIP's primary function, through the development of statewide geospatial initiatives that benefit all levels of government OGRIP achieves its goals through leadership, communication, assistance and education. OGRIP provides leadership by promoting GIS technology for the state and demonstrating the value of geographic information for effective decision support. OGRIP supports communication by providing a place to come together to examine issues, articulate ideas and build consensus through cooperative and coordinated activities. OGRIP offers assistance by developing and endorsing standards and guidelines helpful to users of GIS and geospatial information. OGRIP continues to support and provide educational opportunities in GIS for users at all levels of understanding of the technology.
OGRIP Benefits
OGRIP provides significant value for data scientists, GIS managers, planners and organizational leaders who seek to leverage Ohio's standardized geospatial data. The datasets that OGRIP provides save time, effort and costs versus traditional means of data collecting and analysis. Additional cost savings can be leveraged through the continued use of the Ohio cooperative purchasing agreements available for all levels of government. Purchases of data collections through the Ohio Statewide Imagery Program has saved Ohio's local government entities millions of dollars through this cooperative purchasing.
OGRIP also offers invaluable contacts through networking with subject matter experts knowledgeable in GIS and often employed by government entities but also reaching private sector and public citizens who share your interests. OGRIP participation means being on the "ground floor" in the formation of statewide GIS policies, standards and guidelines.
OGRIP Organization
Historically, OGRIP is a two-tiered organization and is composed of a Council and a Forum.
The OGRIP Council is a 15-member Governor appointed organization that is the GIS coordinating body for state and local government. The Department of Administrative Services, Office of Information Technology houses the OGRIP Office and provides administrative support to the Council. In addition to the Council, OGRIP forms workgroups made up of volunteers who share a common interest in the development of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and use of geographic information within Ohio. These volunteers include representatives of several state agencies, local and regional governments, utilities, universities, private organizations, and other interested individuals.
The Governor-appointed Council serves as a policy body for OGRIP, overseeing the bylaws, rules, procedures and financial affairs. It consists of the Directors, or their designees, of the departments of Administrative Services, Transportation and Natural Resources and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and three at-large representatives from local government, universities and utilities.
When the Forum is active, which assists the Council in the coordination of GIS activities, it is comprised of volunteers. It is open to anyone interested in contributing and attend the meetings. Members of the Forum are generally representatives from state, federal and local governments, universities, utilities, the private sector and the general public.
OGRIP Office: 77 S. High St., 19th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215 | 614-466-4747 Phone | 614-728-5297 FAX | Email