"Unconference" Brings Managers Together Continued from page 61 His "Rules of the Sandbox" grew out of the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) code of ethics. With these rules, "everybody will have reasonable expectations of how their data will be treated." Trust and data sharing were also themes of other sessions: GIS Data Organization Ownership and Stakeholder Engagement. Demonstrating the value of GIS to the organization and building trust were aspects of sessions entitled Plugging In GIS to Other Departments and Identifying and Delivering Value to Stakeholders. Other sessions fell into two broad categories: dealing with GIS technology issues and aspects of management specific to GIS departments. Technology issues ranged from managing deployments to cloud computing. GIS-specific topics were concerned with establishing and evaluating performance metrics, enterprise strategies, optimal workflows, and best practices. Although breakout sessions were the main feature of the summit, two speakers addressed the group. To start off the day, Lew Nelson, Esri law enforcement industry manager, spoke to the group. A former police chief for Redlands, California, Nelson became a GIS manager by "leading a sea of Type As— aggressive Type As, armed Type As." He was quick to point out the missteps he made on the way to starting a successful GIS program for the department in the 1990s. "When I was telling them what GIS was going to do for them, I forgot to ask what they wanted it to do for them." He urged his audience to remember that GIS is a team sport that requires collaboration to be successful. "Don't assume everyone will see the value of GIS—you need to communicate it to them," he said. The value of GIS is greatly enhanced when it is implemented across the enterprise. Nelson characterized most organizations as data rich and information poor. The "build once and use many times by many people" enterprise model addresses that problem. Although Nelson observed that creating an enterprise GIS is not an undertaking for the timid, "you have to believe in the power of geospatial data." To be successful, he suggested these strategies:  Connect with policy makers and technical people in the organization.  Use a strategic approach but be willing to change tactics to accomplish goals.  Plan for inclusion.  Realize that it doesn't get easier as the GIS grows. The corollary is that you must delegate so the GIS can grow.  Keep them connected.  Make training a priority.  Promise conservatively, then over-deliver. Following the morning breakout session, Ross Smith of PA Consulting Group explained the value and methodology of return on investment (ROI)-based analysis described in The Business Benefits of GIS: An ROI Approach. This Esri Press book, authored David Maguire, Smith, and the summit's organizer, Victoria Kouyoumjian, was furnished to conference attendees. Attendees had another takeaway from the conference. The summit's goals were to build a community and share information and experiences. This community would address the unique requirements of GIS managers who must understand the technology and recognize how best to apply it while performing classic management functions and overcoming organizational challenges specific to implementing GIS. To continue the discussions that were started in San Diego, a new group, Managers in GIS, has been started on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). All summit attendees have been preapproved, but all GIS managers are welcome. to ant t w don' er, but y "The togeth have in k wor do they graphy," o t wha on? Ge ovac. m d Vrh e com bserv o Russell Vrhovac led one of several sessions that discussed how to communicate the value of GIS to the larger organization. Ross Smith of pA Consulting Group explained the value and methodology of the ROIbased analysis described in The Business Benefits of GIS: An ROI Approach. 62 ArcUser Fall 2010 www.esri.com