Geographic information / Geomatics — Qualification and certification of personnel

ISO/TR 19122:2004 is applicable to the following aspects of the field of Geographic Information/Geomatics: To develop a Type 3 report, which describes a system for the qualification and certification, by a central independent body, of personnel in the field of Geographic Information/Geomatics. To define the boundaries between Geographic Information/ Geomatics and other related disciplines and professions. To specify technologies and tasks pertaining to Geographic Information/Geomatics. To establish skill sets and competency levels for technologists, professional staff and management in the field. To research the relationship between this initiative and other similar certification processes performed by existing professional associations. To develop a plan for the accreditation of candidate institutions and programs, for the certification of individuals in the workforce, and for collaboration with other professional bodies.

Information géographique — Qualification et accréditation du personnel

Geografske informacije/Geomatika - Usposobljenost in certificiranje osebja

General Information

Status
Withdrawn
Publication Date
22-Nov-2004
Withdrawal Date
22-Nov-2004
Current Stage
9599 - Withdrawal of International Standard
Completion Date
27-Jun-2019

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TECHNICAL ISO/TR
REPORT 19122
First edition
2004-11-15

Geographic information/Geomatics —
Qualification and certification of
personnel
Information géographique — Qualification et accréditation du personnel




Reference number
ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
©
ISO 2004

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
PDF disclaimer
This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but
shall not be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In
downloading this file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat
accepts no liability in this area.
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation
parameters were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In
the unlikely event that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.


©  ISO 2004
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or
ISO's member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail copyright@iso.org
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland

ii © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------
ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
Contents Page
Foreword. v
Introduction . vi
1 Scope. 1
2 Terms and definitions. 1
3 Abbreviated terms. 3
4 Review of existing qualifications and certification systems. 3
4.1 Introduction . 3
4.2 Questionnaire results . 4
4.3 General comments. 5
5 National case studies . 5
5.1 Introduction . 5
5.2 Australia. 5
5.3 Austria. 5
5.4 Canada . 5
5.5 China . 5
5.6 Finland. 6
5.7 Germany. 6
5.8 Japan. 6
5.9 Korea . 6
5.10 Portugal. 6
5.11 Saudi Arabia . 6
5.12 South Africa. 6
5.13 United Kingdom . 6
5.14 United States . 7
5.15 International case studies. 7
6 Discussion . 7
6.1 Introduction . 7
6.2 Definitions. 8
6.3 National professional organizations. 8
6.4 Current qualifications and certification initiatives .8
6.5 Future directions. 9
7 Recommendations. 10
Annex A (informative) National case studies — Australia . 11
Annex B (informative) National case studies — Austria . 20
Annex C (informative) National case studies — Canada. 26
Annex D (informative) National case studies — Finland. 33
Annex E (informative) National case studies — Germany . 34
Annex F (informative) National case studies — Japan. 44
Annex G (informative) National case studies — Korea . 47
Annex H (informative) National case studies — Portugal . 48
Annex I (informative) National case studies — Saudi Arabia . 51
Annex J (informative) National case studies — South Africa. 60
Annex K (informative) National case studies — United Kingdom. 66
© ISO 2004 – All rights reserved iii

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ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
Annex L (informative) National case studies — USA.78
Annex M (informative) International Case Study .86
Bibliography.98

iv © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

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ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
In exceptional circumstances, when a technical committee has collected data of a different kind from that
which is normally published as an International Standard (“state of the art”, for example), it may decide by a
simple majority vote of its participating members to publish a Technical Report. A Technical Report is entirely
informative in nature and does not have to be reviewed until the data it provides are considered to be no
longer valid or useful.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/TR 19122 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 211, Geographic information/Geomatics in
collaboration with the following ISO/TC 211 Class A liaison organizations:
 International Federation of Surveyors (FIG)
 International Cartographic Association (ICA)
 International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
 International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS)
 Open GIS Consortium, Incorporated (OGC)
 World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

© ISO 2004 – All rights reserved v

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ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
Introduction
In 1998, the Canadian delegation made a proposal that the domain of interest for ISO/TC 211 should extend
beyond data standards and encompass issues of certification and qualification of personnel. This proved to be
a radical shift. From the beginning, the work encountered some difficulty. The voting on the original work item
reflected ambiguity on the perceived value of the work. The initial reaction centred on whether there was a
need for a single system of certification and whether it should be implemented through a central body.
After several years of discussion, a questionnaire was developed to obtain some of the background on
different initiatives across the ISO/TC 211 membership. In August 2001, a small working group met to review
the first eight case studies, analyse their content and develop recommendations to ISO/TC 211 through this
Technical Report. Subsequently, five more case studies were added to this Technical Report.
To make further progress on the original Project Team 19122 agenda, there existed a continued need to
expand the membership to represent better the different domains and approaches to certification and
qualification of personnel. Nationally, this means the involvement of experts beyond the data standards arena;
internationally, it means representation of the full range of professions and disciplines embraced by the broad
geographic information/geomatics domain.
Certification in a technical subject domain raises issues for individual practitioners, education and training
institutions, government agencies, professional organizations and the private sector. There remains the need
for a mechanism that permits fair comparisons across jurisdictional boundaries; however the measures of skill
and competency must be flexible and be cognizant of the social and cultural context.
The universal nature of geographic information/geomatics and the recent and ongoing publication of
ISO/TC 211 data standards dictate a common international requirement for a deeper understanding of
different education and training systems, and the available processes for the recognition of professional
qualifications across a broad subject domain. In addition, this domain is changing rapidly as the result of the
changes in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) industry and the integration of GI
Technologies into an ever-expanding range of applications. This rapid rate of change has significant
implications for educational institutions, professional associations as well as standard setting organizations. All
of these must take care to build change management into any standards established. The Project Team
hopes this report will initiate a broad dialog towards greater understanding of national and disciplinary
differences.

vi © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

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TECHNICAL REPORT ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)

Geographic information/Geomatics — Qualification and
certification of personnel
1 Scope
This Technical Report describes and defines the following objectives of the field of Geographic
Information/Geomatics.
 To develop a Type 3 report, which describes a system for the qualification and certification, by a central
independent body, of personnel in the field of Geographic Information/Geomatics.
 To define the boundaries between Geographic Information/ Geomatics and other related disciplines and
professions.
 To specify technologies and tasks pertaining to Geographic Information/Geomatics.
 To establish skill sets and competency levels for technologists, professional staff and management in the
field.
 To research the relationship between this initiative and other similar certification processes performed by
existing professional associations.
 To develop a plan for the accreditation of candidate institutions and programs, for the certification of
individuals in the workforce, and for collaboration with other professional bodies.
While the background research leading to this Technical Report has remained true to the framework provided
by these objectives, the focus has shifted to a more comprehensive, descriptive study of the current situation
in some member countries and the ongoing activities of some of those international professional associations
which cover the subject domain. This is in contrast to a prescriptive study, where the solution would be
dictated by ISO/TC 211.
2 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
2.1
qualification
knowledge, skills, training and experience required to perform properly GIS/Geomatics tasks, normally
achieved through formal education
2.2
certification
procedure leading to a written testimony of the qualification of an individual’s professional competence
provided by a range of public, private and professional institutions
© ISO 2004 – All rights reserved 1

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ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
2.3
subject domain
disciplines included in the following subdivisions:
 Geographic information (ref: ISO/TC211/WG1 N119)
 knowledge obtained as the result of the synthesis, analysis or integration of geographic data;
 information concerning phenomena implicitly or explicitly associated with a location relative to the
Earth.
 Geographic Information Services (ref: ISO/TC211/WG1 40.6)
 services that transform, manage or present geographic information to users.
 Geomatics (ref: ISO/TC211/WG1 N119)
 discipline concerned with the collection, distribution, storage, analysis, processing, presentation of
geographic data or geographic information
 Geographic Information Science (ref: Mark. 2000)
 Geographic Information Science (GIScience) is the basic research field that seeks to redefine
geographic concepts and their use in the context of geographic information systems. GIScience also
examines the impacts of GIS on individuals and society, and the influences of society on GIS.
GIScience re-examines some of the most fundamental themes in traditional spatially oriented fields
such as geography, cartography, and geodesy, while incorporating more recent developments in
cognitive and information science.
NOTE 1 When defining the subject domains, it is important to recognize the suite of tools which most professionals
accept as directly applicable to geographic information/geomatics. These tools include GIS, Remote Sensing, Global
Navigation Satellite Systems and others, all of which are information and communication technologies (ICT).
NOTE 2 Each country has its own terms and their definitions for the subject domains encompassed under ISO/TC 211.
The wide variance in definition and their acceptance, especially within the academic community, is indicative of the
challenge for standardization in the human resources (personnel) arena. Later in this report the range of definitions used is
outlined. However for clarity, we provide here the definitions that have been previously specified by ISO/TC 211. The
fourth term is added since that domain has not been previously defined within the ISO/TC 211 context.
2.4
Education systems
academic and technical instruction and training at the post-secondary level
NOTE 1 The education system within a country is influenced by historical and cultural factors that impact the
relationship between government and society. In Europe, education systems can traditionally be described, for example, in
terms of the “British system”, the “German system” and the “French system”. Current European Union initiatives to
harmonize education systems across Europe required by Article 149 and 150 of the Treaty of Amsterdam of the European
Union are leading to rapid changes in national systems that may or may not resolve these differences. Globally, many
countries have education systems based on these European foundations as the result of colonial expansion, while other
systems, such as the North American one, have less relationship to colonial roots. Systems in Korea, Japan, China and
the Arabic speaking world likewise show important variations.
NOTE 2 Within the context of this report, these systems affect the level of autonomy between the needs of the national
government for skilled manpower and the curriculum at the higher education institutions. This in turn affects the
relationship between academic and technical education and training (i.e. university and community college in North
America, or Universität, Fachhochschule and Technikerschule in Germany).
2 © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

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ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
3 Abbreviated terms
AGI Association of Geographic Information
ASPRS American Society for Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing
CIG Canadian Institute of Geomatics
CRSS Canadian Remote Sensing Society
EU European Union
FIG International Federation of Surveyors
GI Geographic Information
GIS Geographic Information System
GISSA Geo-Information Society of South Africa
IAG International Association of Geodesy
ICA International Cartographic Association
IHO International Hydrographic Office
ISO International Organization for Standardization (iso – Greek for “same”)
ISPRS International Society for Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing
NCGIA National Center for Geographic Information & Analysis
OGC Open Geospatial Consortium
TC Technical Committee
UCGIS University Consortium for Geographic Information Science
UNIGIS University Consortium for Certificate & Graduate Programs in GIS
URISA Urban & Regional Information System Association
WMO World Meteorological Organization
4 Review of existing qualifications and certification systems
4.1 Introduction
To develop an understanding of the need for a system for the qualification and certification of personnel, the
Project Team 19122 completed two activities: a questionnaire and review of submitted case studies. The
questionnaire represented a preliminary effort to gain an overall appreciation of the national variability on the
topic. The case study approach permitted nations to elaborate on their within country variation. It also
provided international professional associations with the opportunity to make a contribution.
© ISO 2004 – All rights reserved 3

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ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
4.2 Questionnaire results
The questionnaire can be found in ISO/TC 211 N 902. Replies were received from eighteen P member
countries and two Class A liaison members. The questionnaire included nine questions.
1) Does your country have a set of guidelines for the qualification and certification of personnel in the
field of geographic information/geomatics?
9 Yes 6 No 2 Yes/No 1 Unknown
Many of the Yes respondents qualified their answer with respect to specific subject areas e.g.
surveying, photogrammetry. Given the national emphasis, international Class A members could not
provide a valid answer.
2) If No to Question #1, are you planning to initiate this activity in the near future?
9 Yes 6 No 2 Yes/No 1 Unknown
Curiously, the response follows closely the first question. Countries that replied Yes to Question #1
also replied Yes to Question #2.
3) Do you have national legislation for certification of personnel?
10 Yes 6 No 2 Yes/No
Legislation applied only to the Surveying profession.
4) Do you have legislation for certification at the regional level?
4 Yes 13 No 1 Unknown
Regional legislation exists for surveyors in Australia, Canada, Germany and the United States.
5) Do you have industry standards?
5 Yes 12 No 1 Unknown
Standards exist for surveyors in Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and the United States.
6) Is there a group that has defined a model curriculum?
6 Yes 9 No 3 Unknown
Curricula have been developed in Germany, Iran, South Africa, Thailand, United Kingdom and United
States.
7) Do you have a mechanism for program accreditation?
6 Yes 9 No 2 Yes/No 1 Unknown
8) How many higher education institutions teach geographic information/geomatics?
The response varied from two to a maximum of over seven hundred in the United States.
9) What geographic information/geomatics professional associations exist in your country?
The response ranged from two to a maximum of twenty-two (Japan).
4 © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

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ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
4.3 General comments
Most of the respondents provided the perspective from the surveying profession. There was limited input from
the broader geographic information professional. The variation of content and the range in the amount of
detail of the questionnaire responses pointed out the need for more in-depth analysis of individual country
situations.
5 National case studies
5.1 Introduction
The preparation of comprehensive national case studies needed input from different sectors and disciplines.
As well, in those countries with a large geographic extent, there may be different approaches within the
individual states or provinces (e.g. United States, Canada). The project leader distributed the Canadian case
study as a template of topics i.e. terminology, professional associations, current qualifications and certification
initiatives and future directions. This allowed each case study to use the terms in common usage in their
country and to identify those agencies which had taken a leadership role in the subject of education and
training of Geomatics personnel.
Case studies (Annex A) have been received from Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, Japan, Korea,
Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States. The reader should refer to the
individual submissions for the details. In this section, the emphasis is upon the key features of each case
study.
5.2 Australia
Australia is divided into a number of states and thus implementation of qualifications and certification in
Geomatics will vary across the country. At the national level, there has been an emphasis on national
vocational (technical) standards. In terms of subject domain, there are different viewpoints from those
disciplines which apply Geomatics technologies for resource management and those disciplines which
emphasize the base data sets for surveying and mapping (see Annex A for details).
5.3 Austria
The Austrian contribution offers insight into recent changes in their higher education system which reflect
broader European Union (EU) initiatives encouraging cooperation between member states with respect to
education. Variations in the structures for higher education in geographic information/geomatics in Austria are
outlined (see Annex B for details).
5.4 Canada
Canada exhibits the same jurisdictional variations in the education system at the provincial level as found in
Australia and the United States. Nationally, the federal government is a strong proponent of Geomatics and
commissioned a consulting study of the personnel requirements for this industry. The response to that study
indicated considerable ambivalence towards certification. Currently, there are several voluntary certification
programs in place, supported by their respective professional associations (e.g. CIG, CRSS) (see Annex C for
details).
5.5 China
The Chinese contribution is an expansion of the original questionnaire. It does not provide sufficient detail to
be incorporated here as a national case study.
© ISO 2004 – All rights reserved 5

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ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
5.6 Finland
The Finnish report summarizes their contribution to the 1995 Allan report which provides an analysis of the
different education and professional profiles for Geodetic Surveyors in Western Europe. Although this
information does not contribute to the current study, reference to the Allan report provides useful historical
insight into the pre-cooperation situation in Europe for a subset of the broader geographic
information/geomatics domain (see Annex D for details).
5.7 Germany
One of the defining characteristics of the German case study is the formal system of education in the country.
Equal emphasis is placed on academic education and technical training (see Annex E for details).
5.8 Japan
The Japan case study focused on surveying and mapping. In this case, a national examining body is
responsible for determining achievement of certification (see Annex F for details).
5.9 Korea
Based on the working group discussion, the Korean model is very similar to the approach in Japan and China.
There exist a series of levels and the movement to the next level depends upon a combination of formal
education and work experience. To reach the next level, the candidate must pass an exam set by the national
body (see Annex G for details).
5.10 Portugal
Training for cartographic production and management of the cadastre of real property is accredited through
the National Mapping Agency. The structure of university level education described here will be affected by
the new European Union policies (see Annex H for details).
5.11 Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has a traditional university system. To meet the need for technical Geomatics personnel, they
have been investigating the concept of technical institutes or colleges. At the same time, they continue to
actively study the different models in North America, Europe and Australia (see Annex I for details).
5.12 South Africa
South Africa is unique in that there is a general recognition of the need to redress past unfair discrimination in
education, training and employment opportunities and the need to recognize prior learning. A concerted
national effort is underway to define the qualifications needed by GIS professionals at various levels of
qualification. A formal system of learning objectives and qualifications is expected to be in place very soon
(see Annex J for details).
5.13 United Kingdom
The response to this work item was prepared by the Association for Geographic Information (AGI) who has
developed a program for continuous professional development. They believe that there is no need for a
system of qualifications and certification of personnel since the marketplace is too dynamic; there is too much
overlap between the different disciplinary interests; and that a certification system would not serve the
interests of the public
...

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
SIST-TP ISO/TR 19122:2009
01-september-2009
Geografske informacije/Geomatika - Usposobljenost in certificiranje osebja
Geographic information / Geomatics - Qualification and certification of personnel
Information géographique - Qualification et accréditation du personnel
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: ISO/TR 19122:2004
ICS:
35.240.70 Uporabniške rešitve IT v IT applications in science
znanosti
SIST-TP ISO/TR 19122:2009 en
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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SIST-TP ISO/TR 19122:2009

---------------------- Page: 2 ----------------------

SIST-TP ISO/TR 19122:2009


TECHNICAL ISO/TR
REPORT 19122
First edition
2004-11-15

Geographic information/Geomatics —
Qualification and certification of
personnel
Information géographique — Qualification et accréditation du personnel




Reference number
ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
©
ISO 2004

---------------------- Page: 3 ----------------------

SIST-TP ISO/TR 19122:2009
ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
PDF disclaimer
This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but
shall not be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In
downloading this file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat
accepts no liability in this area.
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation
parameters were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In
the unlikely event that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.


©  ISO 2004
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or
ISO's member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail copyright@iso.org
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland

ii © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 4 ----------------------

SIST-TP ISO/TR 19122:2009
ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
Contents Page
Foreword. v
Introduction . vi
1 Scope. 1
2 Terms and definitions. 1
3 Abbreviated terms. 3
4 Review of existing qualifications and certification systems. 3
4.1 Introduction . 3
4.2 Questionnaire results . 4
4.3 General comments. 5
5 National case studies . 5
5.1 Introduction . 5
5.2 Australia. 5
5.3 Austria. 5
5.4 Canada . 5
5.5 China . 5
5.6 Finland. 6
5.7 Germany. 6
5.8 Japan. 6
5.9 Korea . 6
5.10 Portugal. 6
5.11 Saudi Arabia . 6
5.12 South Africa. 6
5.13 United Kingdom . 6
5.14 United States . 7
5.15 International case studies. 7
6 Discussion . 7
6.1 Introduction . 7
6.2 Definitions. 8
6.3 National professional organizations. 8
6.4 Current qualifications and certification initiatives .8
6.5 Future directions. 9
7 Recommendations. 10
Annex A (informative) National case studies — Australia . 11
Annex B (informative) National case studies — Austria . 20
Annex C (informative) National case studies — Canada. 26
Annex D (informative) National case studies — Finland. 33
Annex E (informative) National case studies — Germany . 34
Annex F (informative) National case studies — Japan. 44
Annex G (informative) National case studies — Korea . 47
Annex H (informative) National case studies — Portugal . 48
Annex I (informative) National case studies — Saudi Arabia . 51
Annex J (informative) National case studies — South Africa. 60
Annex K (informative) National case studies — United Kingdom. 66
© ISO 2004 – All rights reserved iii

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SIST-TP ISO/TR 19122:2009
ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
Annex L (informative) National case studies — USA.78
Annex M (informative) International Case Study .86
Bibliography.98

iv © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

---------------------- Page: 6 ----------------------

SIST-TP ISO/TR 19122:2009
ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
In exceptional circumstances, when a technical committee has collected data of a different kind from that
which is normally published as an International Standard (“state of the art”, for example), it may decide by a
simple majority vote of its participating members to publish a Technical Report. A Technical Report is entirely
informative in nature and does not have to be reviewed until the data it provides are considered to be no
longer valid or useful.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/TR 19122 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 211, Geographic information/Geomatics in
collaboration with the following ISO/TC 211 Class A liaison organizations:
 International Federation of Surveyors (FIG)
 International Cartographic Association (ICA)
 International Hydrographic Organization (IHO)
 International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS)
 Open GIS Consortium, Incorporated (OGC)
 World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

© ISO 2004 – All rights reserved v

---------------------- Page: 7 ----------------------

SIST-TP ISO/TR 19122:2009
ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)
Introduction
In 1998, the Canadian delegation made a proposal that the domain of interest for ISO/TC 211 should extend
beyond data standards and encompass issues of certification and qualification of personnel. This proved to be
a radical shift. From the beginning, the work encountered some difficulty. The voting on the original work item
reflected ambiguity on the perceived value of the work. The initial reaction centred on whether there was a
need for a single system of certification and whether it should be implemented through a central body.
After several years of discussion, a questionnaire was developed to obtain some of the background on
different initiatives across the ISO/TC 211 membership. In August 2001, a small working group met to review
the first eight case studies, analyse their content and develop recommendations to ISO/TC 211 through this
Technical Report. Subsequently, five more case studies were added to this Technical Report.
To make further progress on the original Project Team 19122 agenda, there existed a continued need to
expand the membership to represent better the different domains and approaches to certification and
qualification of personnel. Nationally, this means the involvement of experts beyond the data standards arena;
internationally, it means representation of the full range of professions and disciplines embraced by the broad
geographic information/geomatics domain.
Certification in a technical subject domain raises issues for individual practitioners, education and training
institutions, government agencies, professional organizations and the private sector. There remains the need
for a mechanism that permits fair comparisons across jurisdictional boundaries; however the measures of skill
and competency must be flexible and be cognizant of the social and cultural context.
The universal nature of geographic information/geomatics and the recent and ongoing publication of
ISO/TC 211 data standards dictate a common international requirement for a deeper understanding of
different education and training systems, and the available processes for the recognition of professional
qualifications across a broad subject domain. In addition, this domain is changing rapidly as the result of the
changes in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) industry and the integration of GI
Technologies into an ever-expanding range of applications. This rapid rate of change has significant
implications for educational institutions, professional associations as well as standard setting organizations. All
of these must take care to build change management into any standards established. The Project Team
hopes this report will initiate a broad dialog towards greater understanding of national and disciplinary
differences.

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TECHNICAL REPORT ISO/TR 19122:2004(E)

Geographic information/Geomatics — Qualification and
certification of personnel
1 Scope
This Technical Report describes and defines the following objectives of the field of Geographic
Information/Geomatics.
 To develop a Type 3 report, which describes a system for the qualification and certification, by a central
independent body, of personnel in the field of Geographic Information/Geomatics.
 To define the boundaries between Geographic Information/ Geomatics and other related disciplines and
professions.
 To specify technologies and tasks pertaining to Geographic Information/Geomatics.
 To establish skill sets and competency levels for technologists, professional staff and management in the
field.
 To research the relationship between this initiative and other similar certification processes performed by
existing professional associations.
 To develop a plan for the accreditation of candidate institutions and programs, for the certification of
individuals in the workforce, and for collaboration with other professional bodies.
While the background research leading to this Technical Report has remained true to the framework provided
by these objectives, the focus has shifted to a more comprehensive, descriptive study of the current situation
in some member countries and the ongoing activities of some of those international professional associations
which cover the subject domain. This is in contrast to a prescriptive study, where the solution would be
dictated by ISO/TC 211.
2 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
2.1
qualification
knowledge, skills, training and experience required to perform properly GIS/Geomatics tasks, normally
achieved through formal education
2.2
certification
procedure leading to a written testimony of the qualification of an individual’s professional competence
provided by a range of public, private and professional institutions
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2.3
subject domain
disciplines included in the following subdivisions:
 Geographic information (ref: ISO/TC211/WG1 N119)
 knowledge obtained as the result of the synthesis, analysis or integration of geographic data;
 information concerning phenomena implicitly or explicitly associated with a location relative to the
Earth.
 Geographic Information Services (ref: ISO/TC211/WG1 40.6)
 services that transform, manage or present geographic information to users.
 Geomatics (ref: ISO/TC211/WG1 N119)
 discipline concerned with the collection, distribution, storage, analysis, processing, presentation of
geographic data or geographic information
 Geographic Information Science (ref: Mark. 2000)
 Geographic Information Science (GIScience) is the basic research field that seeks to redefine
geographic concepts and their use in the context of geographic information systems. GIScience also
examines the impacts of GIS on individuals and society, and the influences of society on GIS.
GIScience re-examines some of the most fundamental themes in traditional spatially oriented fields
such as geography, cartography, and geodesy, while incorporating more recent developments in
cognitive and information science.
NOTE 1 When defining the subject domains, it is important to recognize the suite of tools which most professionals
accept as directly applicable to geographic information/geomatics. These tools include GIS, Remote Sensing, Global
Navigation Satellite Systems and others, all of which are information and communication technologies (ICT).
NOTE 2 Each country has its own terms and their definitions for the subject domains encompassed under ISO/TC 211.
The wide variance in definition and their acceptance, especially within the academic community, is indicative of the
challenge for standardization in the human resources (personnel) arena. Later in this report the range of definitions used is
outlined. However for clarity, we provide here the definitions that have been previously specified by ISO/TC 211. The
fourth term is added since that domain has not been previously defined within the ISO/TC 211 context.
2.4
Education systems
academic and technical instruction and training at the post-secondary level
NOTE 1 The education system within a country is influenced by historical and cultural factors that impact the
relationship between government and society. In Europe, education systems can traditionally be described, for example, in
terms of the “British system”, the “German system” and the “French system”. Current European Union initiatives to
harmonize education systems across Europe required by Article 149 and 150 of the Treaty of Amsterdam of the European
Union are leading to rapid changes in national systems that may or may not resolve these differences. Globally, many
countries have education systems based on these European foundations as the result of colonial expansion, while other
systems, such as the North American one, have less relationship to colonial roots. Systems in Korea, Japan, China and
the Arabic speaking world likewise show important variations.
NOTE 2 Within the context of this report, these systems affect the level of autonomy between the needs of the national
government for skilled manpower and the curriculum at the higher education institutions. This in turn affects the
relationship between academic and technical education and training (i.e. university and community college in North
America, or Universität, Fachhochschule and Technikerschule in Germany).
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3 Abbreviated terms
AGI Association of Geographic Information
ASPRS American Society for Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing
CIG Canadian Institute of Geomatics
CRSS Canadian Remote Sensing Society
EU European Union
FIG International Federation of Surveyors
GI Geographic Information
GIS Geographic Information System
GISSA Geo-Information Society of South Africa
IAG International Association of Geodesy
ICA International Cartographic Association
IHO International Hydrographic Office
ISO International Organization for Standardization (iso – Greek for “same”)
ISPRS International Society for Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing
NCGIA National Center for Geographic Information & Analysis
OGC Open Geospatial Consortium
TC Technical Committee
UCGIS University Consortium for Geographic Information Science
UNIGIS University Consortium for Certificate & Graduate Programs in GIS
URISA Urban & Regional Information System Association
WMO World Meteorological Organization
4 Review of existing qualifications and certification systems
4.1 Introduction
To develop an understanding of the need for a system for the qualification and certification of personnel, the
Project Team 19122 completed two activities: a questionnaire and review of submitted case studies. The
questionnaire represented a preliminary effort to gain an overall appreciation of the national variability on the
topic. The case study approach permitted nations to elaborate on their within country variation. It also
provided international professional associations with the opportunity to make a contribution.
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4.2 Questionnaire results
The questionnaire can be found in ISO/TC 211 N 902. Replies were received from eighteen P member
countries and two Class A liaison members. The questionnaire included nine questions.
1) Does your country have a set of guidelines for the qualification and certification of personnel in the
field of geographic information/geomatics?
9 Yes 6 No 2 Yes/No 1 Unknown
Many of the Yes respondents qualified their answer with respect to specific subject areas e.g.
surveying, photogrammetry. Given the national emphasis, international Class A members could not
provide a valid answer.
2) If No to Question #1, are you planning to initiate this activity in the near future?
9 Yes 6 No 2 Yes/No 1 Unknown
Curiously, the response follows closely the first question. Countries that replied Yes to Question #1
also replied Yes to Question #2.
3) Do you have national legislation for certification of personnel?
10 Yes 6 No 2 Yes/No
Legislation applied only to the Surveying profession.
4) Do you have legislation for certification at the regional level?
4 Yes 13 No 1 Unknown
Regional legislation exists for surveyors in Australia, Canada, Germany and the United States.
5) Do you have industry standards?
5 Yes 12 No 1 Unknown
Standards exist for surveyors in Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and the United States.
6) Is there a group that has defined a model curriculum?
6 Yes 9 No 3 Unknown
Curricula have been developed in Germany, Iran, South Africa, Thailand, United Kingdom and United
States.
7) Do you have a mechanism for program accreditation?
6 Yes 9 No 2 Yes/No 1 Unknown
8) How many higher education institutions teach geographic information/geomatics?
The response varied from two to a maximum of over seven hundred in the United States.
9) What geographic information/geomatics professional associations exist in your country?
The response ranged from two to a maximum of twenty-two (Japan).
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4.3 General comments
Most of the respondents provided the perspective from the surveying profession. There was limited input from
the broader geographic information professional. The variation of content and the range in the amount of
detail of the questionnaire responses pointed out the need for more in-depth analysis of individual country
situations.
5 National case studies
5.1 Introduction
The preparation of comprehensive national case studies needed input from different sectors and disciplines.
As well, in those countries with a large geographic extent, there may be different approaches within the
individual states or provinces (e.g. United States, Canada). The project leader distributed the Canadian case
study as a template of topics i.e. terminology, professional associations, current qualifications and certification
initiatives and future directions. This allowed each case study to use the terms in common usage in their
country and to identify those agencies which had taken a leadership role in the subject of education and
training of Geomatics personnel.
Case studies (Annex A) have been received from Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, Japan, Korea,
Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States. The reader should refer to the
individual submissions for the details. In this section, the emphasis is upon the key features of each case
study.
5.2 Australia
Australia is divided into a number of states and thus implementation of qualifications and certification in
Geomatics will vary across the country. At the national level, there has been an emphasis on national
vocational (technical) standards. In terms of subject domain, there are different viewpoints from those
disciplines which apply Geomatics technologies for resource management and those disciplines which
emphasize the base data sets for surveying and mapping (see Annex A for details).
5.3 Austria
The Austrian contribution offers insight into recent changes in their higher education system which reflect
broader European Union (EU) initiatives encouraging cooperation between member states with respect to
education. Variations in the structures for higher education in geographic information/geomatics in Austria are
outlined (see Annex B for details).
5.4 Canada
Canada exhibits the same jurisdictional variations in the education system at the provincial level as found in
Australia and the United States. Nationally, the federal government is a strong proponent of Geomatics and
commissioned a consulting study of the personnel requirements for this industry. The response to that study
indicated considerable ambivalence towards certification. Currently, there are several voluntary certification
programs in place, supported by their respective professional associations (e.g. CIG, CRSS) (see Annex C for
details).
5.5 China
The Chinese contribution is an expansion of the original questionnaire. It does not provide sufficient detail to
be incorporated here as a national case study.
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5.6 Finland
The Finnish report summarizes their contribution to the 1995 Allan report which provides an analysis of the
different education and professional profiles for Geodetic Surveyors in Western Europe. Although this
information does not contribute to the current study, reference to the Allan report provides useful historical
insight into the pre-cooperation situation in Europe for a subset of the broader geographic
information/geomatics domain (see Annex D for details).
5.7 Germany
One of the defining characteristics of the German case study is the formal system of education in the country.
Equal emphasis is placed on academic education and technical training (see Annex E for details).
5.8 Japan
The Japan case study focused on surveying and mapping. In this case, a national examining body is
responsible for determining achievement of certification (see Annex F for details).
5.9 Korea
Based on the working group discussion, the Korean model is very similar to the approach in Japan and China.
There exist a series of levels and the movement to the next level depends upon a combination of formal
education and work experience. To reach the next level, the candidate must pass an exam set by the national
body (see Annex G for details).
5.10 Portugal
Training for cartographic production and management of the cadastre of real property is accredited through
the National Mapping Agency. The structure of university level education described here will be affected by
the new European Union policies (see Annex H for details).
5.11 Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has a traditional university system. To meet the need for technical Geomatics personnel, they
have been investigating the concept of technical institutes or colleges. At the same time, they continue to
actively study
...

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