The OGRIP Ohio GIS Best Practices Award is presented annually at the Ohio GIS Conference.  This program is designed to recognize organizations in Ohio that have or are implementing GIS in a manner consistent with OGRIP’s goals and objectives.  OGRIP encourages your organization to consider submitting an application for your GIS program.  Also, if you know of other outstanding GIS programs deserving recognition, please encourage them to submit their application.

First held in 1990, the Ohio GIS Conference occurs in September every year in Columbus, Ohio.

2022 Ohio GIS Best Practices Award Application (PDF)

Ohio Best Practices Award Evaluation Process and Criteria

1. Embraces the goals and objectives of OGRIP (as defined in the OGRIP strategic plan).

1. The GIS program demonstrates an enterprise-wide approach and community resource perspective.  This approach and perspective can be demonstrated in a variety of manners.  One such manner is to be multi-participant in nature, which is defined as taking into account other users needs and providing multi-participant involvement through interaction of funding.

2. The GIS program supports and facilitates data sharing through an increase in interaction between entities.

3. The GIS program demonstrates the use of GIS as an analysis and decision support tool.

2. Demonstrates the integration of GIS and spatial data into daily operations of the program.  This integration can be at a departmental, divisional, office-wide or consortium-wide level of participation.

3. Demonstrates consistency with the Federal Geographic Data Committee’s (FGDC) National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Framework.

Award Submission Criteria

1. GIS Program Description - a general description of the main features of the GIS program including the following subheadings:

1. 1. Overall purpose or objective of GIS program - Describe the main objective of the GIS program and provide the mission statement.
   2. Funding approach (short & long term) - Describe the funding mechanism and structure from the start-up of the GIS program and the   mechanisms to ensure continuation of the program in the future.
   3. GIS program participants & roles - Identify all participant organizations and their roles and responsibilities as a participant.
   4. Organizational structure - Describe the current organizational structure for managing the GIS program from a policy and technical standpoint.
   5. History & background - Provide a brief history or background of how the GIS initiative evolved into an actual program. 

2. GIS Program Scope and Approach - a description of the scope and breadth of the program including the following subheadings:

1. Implementation - Describe the approach taken for implementation.
2. Maintenance - Describe how the program is addressing maintenance and technology integration.
3. Data information - Describe the data layer and data level structure, data sets created, data sets shared, data distribution, hardware/software platforms supported and network/communication.
4. Schedule - Detail the schedule and status of activities for this program.

3. Benefits of the GIS Program – a description of the tangible and intangible benefits of the program including the following subheadings:

1. Success factors - Define the success factors and/or measurements.
2. Benefits - Describe the tangible and intangible benefits of the program.
3. Major applications - Describe the major applications developed and currently in use as well as their perceived benefits.
4. Uses - Provide instance of the use of GIS as a decision-support tool for the program. 

4. Future Direction and Objectives – a description of the future direction of the program including the following subheadings:

1. Future direction - Describe the future direction of the application and the future technology integration of the GIS program. 
2. New participants - Describe any possible new participants and/or integration of external data sources.

5. Summary - a description of the reasons why the GIS program meets and/or exceeds the goals and objectives of OGRIP and why it should be recognized as a site of excellence in Ohio for GIS.

Past Awards