ethics and the geospatial profession - nc gis...

Ethics and the Geospatial Profession

Max Baber, Ph.D., FBCart.S

Director of Academic Programs

United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation

NC GIS Conference – 26 February 2015

USGIF Strategic Partners

GEOINT Professional Credentialing

2011: USD(I) mandates development of professional certifications for several National Security workforce categories

2012: NGA submits policy manual outlining plans for GEOINT professional certification

2013: NGA beta-tests Proficiency Level 1 (PL-1) exam, begins development of PL-2 exams for various NGA analyst work categories

2013: USGIF signs CRADA with NGA to support GEOINT professional certification effort

2014: USGIF gathers input from government, industry, and academia for Certification Blueprint

2015: USGIF launching professional GEOINT Analyst credentialing process for industry/academia

Ethics and Geospatial Organizations

• GIS Certification Institute

– GIS Code of Ethics

• American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing

– Code of Ethics

• Association of American Geographers

– Statement on Professional Ethics

• Urban and Regional Information Systems Association

– GIS Code of Ethics

• National Society of Professional Surveyors

– Code of Ethics and Business Conduct

• State problem

• Check facts

• Identify relevant factors

• Develop list of options

• Test those options – Harm, publcity, defensibility, reversibility, colleagues profession, organization

• Choose among options

• Review previous steps

Guide to EthicalDecision-Making

(Davis, 1999)

What is Geospatial Intelligence?

Elements• Location• Sensors• Platforms• Imagery• Processing• Features• Attributes• Data Science • Analytics• Visualization• Tradecraft

Definition: Government

The term “geospatial intelligence”means the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess, and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on the Earth. GEOINT consists of imagery, imagery intelligence, and geospatial information.

Title 10 United States Code §467

What is Geospatial Intelligence?

Elements• Location• Sensors• Platforms• Imagery• Processing• Features• Attributes• Data Science • Analytics• Visualization• Tradecraft

Definition: Academic

Geospatial intelligence is actionable knowledge, a process, and a profession. It is the ability to describe, understand, and interpret so as to anticipate the human impact of an event or action within a spatiotemporal environment. It is also the ability to identify, collect, store, and manipulate data to create geospatial knowledge through critical thinking, geospatial reasoning, and analytical techniques. Finally, it is the ability to present knowledge in a way that is appropriate to the decision-makingenvironment.

Todd Bacastow & Dennis BellafioreAmerican Intelligence Journal (2009)

What is Geospatial Intelligence?

Elements• Location• Sensors• Platforms• Imagery• Processing• Features• Attributes• Data Science • Analytics• Visualization• Tradecraft

Definition: Industry

GEOINT is the professional practice of integrating and interpreting all forms of geospatial data to create historical and anticipatory intelligence products used for planning or that answer questions posed by decision makers.

Darryl Murdock and Robert M. ClarkThe Five Disciplines of Intelligence Collection (2015)

Implementing Geographic Information Technologies Ethically (Onsrud, 2008)

• Societal controls

• Globalization

• Law vs Ethics

• Core ethical values

• Intellectual property

• Ethics driven implementations

• Ethics driven design

Get Involved!

@USGIF

Dr. Max Baber, Director of Academic Programs

Max.Baber@usgif.org

• twitter.com/USGIF• trajectorymagazine.com• geoint2015.com• www.USGIF.org