National COP Trial Project

FACT SHEET 2008-9

BACKGROUND

The NSIM Spatial Strategic Plan 2007-10 (the Plan) aims to optimise the safety and resilience of the community by supporting the use of spatial information for effective operational, strategic and executive decision making.

Within the Plan the 2007-2010 Strategic Framework proposes to deliver six key capability outcomes, via seven strategic pathways, by December 2010. Briefly, the seven strategic pathways are:

1. Develop an agreed policy framework

2. Build an operational governance structure

3. Specify user requirements

4. Establish common operating protocols

5. Establish effective data capture and sharing arrangements

6. Develop a national spatial “library”

7. Implement education and awareness programs

NSIM members recognise that implementing the Plan requires practical steps to test and demonstrate the successful/beneficial sharing of spatial information. A key activity is the National COP Trial Project.

NATIONAL COP TRIAL

Across all Australian states and territories, spatial information is being used to support a number of strategic and operational activities for counter terrorism and national security and for other emergencies including, fire fighting, floods and storm damage, emergency call services, computer aided dispatch and crime reporting.

The jurisdictions involved are at different stages of maturity with their spatial capabilities, have varying levels of resources available, and are tasked to deliver outcomes in accordance with their own priorities and objectives. However, the Plan’s aim is to provide enough flexibility to cater for these variations within a coordinated and common national framework.

NATIONAL SPATIAL & INFORMATION MANAGEMENT WORKING GROUP

The National Spatial and Information Management (NSIM) Working Group is a peak body set up under the strategic guidance of the National Counter- Terrorism Committee, the Australian Emergency Management Committee and the National Committee on Critical Infrastructure Protection.

The work of NSIM will enhance decision support capabilities through improved access and use of spatial and other relevant information. It will support counterterrorism (CT), emergency management (EM) and critical infrastructure protection (CIP) across Australia. This work will encompass prevention, preparedness, response and recovery to enhance the safety and security of all Australians.

NSIM will provide a forum to build on individual capabilities through coordination and collaboration, enabling the sharing of information, knowledge and experiences across the broad CT, EM and CIP arenas.

The Common Operating Picture (COP) Trial will be used to examine the issues associated with implementing the Plan’s strategic pathways.

Put simply, a COP provides a way to organise, share and use distributed capabilities and to view and analyse data and information in common displays. A COP should have consistent characteristics, interoperable processes, and supporting operations and procedures configured for specific hazard requirements and operational roles. The successful delivery of a COP requires technology, data access, administrative and policy requirements to be specified, agreed, tested and in place.

TRIAL GOALS

The COP trial will facilitate the collaborative exchange of spatial information and mapping outputs between trial participants across the nation. By leveraging existing established architectures and spatial capabilities within jurisdictions the trial will identify processes, and propose solutions to potential impediments, associated with establishing a national spatial capability.

An additional important outcome of the trial is to initiate the development of policy and governance arrangements for the design of a high level architecture for a National Spatial Data Library (NSDL). The development of a NSDL is a critical step in delivering the remaining milestones of the Strategic Plan.

The COP trial is scheduled to commence in early 2009, with exercise activities completed in time for report findings and recommendations to be delivered to the NCTC in mid 2009.

The COP trial is a collaborative activity where national security responsibilities apply across the Commonwealth and state and territory governments. Your engagement in the trial will significantly contribute to the development of a national “all hazards” spatial capability which is a key component of an interconnected operational environment to support national security.

For more information on the COP trial project please contact:

Aaron Cashion
COP Trial Project Manager
(03) 6233 3667
aaron.cashion@dpiw.tas.gov.au

Download a copy of this fact sheet:

  National COP Trial Project [PDF 158KB]