23, 
24. 
25. 
CHALLENGES RELATING TO EDUCATIONAL ISSUES 
The introduction of digital technology is a 
complex operation and it can affect NMA's in 
the way they relate to clients and other 
mapping organisations; the vay mapping units 
relate to each other; the production lines; 
the working methods; etc. These implications 
have to be studied carefully and plans have to 
be developed for staff training at all levels 
so that the NMA vill be able to cope vith the 
new situation. 
Other educational challenges include: 
- in view of the changing environment vithin 
which survey and mapping agencies operate, 
formal training programmes have to shift the 
emphasis from a technology orientation to- 
wards the application and management of 
technology, including aspects such as inter- 
action with users; adaptation of technology 
to local requirements; etc. A typical 
example of this change of emphasis can be 
found when treating the establishment of a 
GIS. Here, the technological aspects related 
to data capture, data storage and the con- 
version of data into information through 
data processing and data manipulation 
obviously require attention, but equal or 
even more attention must be paid to the 
management aspects related to the GIS infra- 
structure the information management model 
within which a GIS operates. Such a model is 
complex, since it includes organisational 
structures and linkages to suppliers and 
users, institutional policies, economic and 
social issues, and even legal constraints, 
such as those encountered in data capture in 
many cadastral systems. 
- innovative staff development programmes need 
to be considered, such as formal courses, 
refresher courses and on-the-job training 
through staff exchange programmes with other 
production agencies. 
- when contemplating training on new equip- 
ment, do not forget the areas of equipment 
maintenance and facility management and 
schedule this training such that it is 
completed well before the equipment arrives. 
In recognition of the need for inter-disci- 
plinary activity to meet these new challenges, 
ITC has integrated the disciplines of aerial 
photography, photogrammetry, cartography, 
digital remote sensing and computer science in 
a nev Department of Geoinformatics. 
Furthermore, the educational programmes, which 
were in the form of disciplinary courses given 
at different levels (technician, technologist, 
post-graduate and master) were completely re- 
designed into disciplinary and inter-disci- 
plinary courses, aimed at developing leader- 
ship in key functions within survey and 
mapping agencies. 
The figure below shows the four target groups 
identified by the Department for its new 
programme. To date, the following programme 
elements, related to these target groups, have 
been realised: 
- Production Supervision (A): disciplinary 
courses in Photogrammetry and Cartography 
(one year at technologist and post-graduate 
level) and in Digital Remote Sensing (four 
month certificate course). 
- Production Management (B): inter-discipli- 
nary course in Integrated Map and Geo- 
information Production (four month 
certificate course). 
- Engineering Support and Production Develop- 
ment (C): inter-disciplinary course in 
Integrated Map and Geoinformation Production 
with a specialisation in Photogrammetry, 
Cartography or Digital Remote Sensing for 
those participants going on to the M.Sc. 
programme; inter-disciplinary course in 
Cadastral Land Information Systems. 
Furthermore the Department also provides the 
opportunity to study for a doctorate degree 
(PhD equivalent) on a topic related to the 
Department’s research priorities. 
- Executive Development (D): short seminars on 
strategic issues for senior executives of 
national mapping agencies. 
Potitiesi system 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
| — Canograonv 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A 
CEO-DATA BASE 
  
  
  
  
I 
  
  
  
  
CONCLUDING REMARKS 
26. NMA’s stand at the threshold of a challenging 
344 
period of deciding upon the surveying and 
mapping services needed to support their 
country’s social and economic development and 
how to provide these services efficiently and 
effectively. From the foregoing paragraphs of 
this paper, it should evident that no blue- 
prints are available on what to do in a par- 
ticular situation. Each NMA must therefore 
determine for itself what success it can 
reasonably expect to achieve in a particular 
time frame, given the internal and external 
constraints it faces. 
SELECTED REFERENCES 
Beek "K.J., Éroot R., "Kure- J.: Prospects of 
computer assisted systems and processing in a 
national information environment, South East Asian 
Survey Congress, Bali, 1988. 
Groot, R.: Proceedings of the Executive Workshop 
"Entering the 21st century: strategies for 
national surveys and mapping", Enschede 1988. 
Groot, R., Kure, J.: Report of the Executive 
Seminar "Strategic issues for the next decade", 
Enschede 1991.