Harmonisation Initiatives of Copernicus Data Quality Control

The Copernicus Space Component Data Access system (CSCDA) incorporates data contributions from a wide range of satellite missions. Through EO data handling and distribution, CSCDA serves a set of Copernicus Services related to Land, Marine and Atmosphere Monitoring, Emergency Management and Security and Climate Change. The quality of the delivered EO products is the responsibility of each contributing mission, and the Copernicus data Quality Control (CQC) service supports and complements such data quality control activities. The mission of the CQC is to provide a service of quality assessment on the provided imagery, to support the investigation related to product quality anomalies, and to guarantee harmonisation and traceability of the quality information. In terms of product quality control, the CQC carries out analysis of representative sample products for each contributing mission as well as coordinating data quality investigation related to issues found or raised by Copernicus users. Results from the product analysis are systematically collected and the derived quality reports stored in a searchable database. The CQC service can be seen as a privileged focal point with unique comparison capacities over the data providers. The comparison among products from different missions suggests the need for a strong, common effort of harmonisation. Technical terms, definitions, metadata, file formats, processing levels, algorithms, cal/val procedures etc. are far from being homogeneous, and this may generate inconsistencies and confusion among users of EO data. The CSCDA CQC team plays a significant role in promoting harmonisation initiatives across the numerous contributing missions, so that a common effort can achieve optimal complementarity and compatibility among the EO data from multiple data providers. This effort is done in coordination with important initiatives already working towards these goals (e.g. INSPIRE directive, CEOS initiatives, OGC standards, QA4EO etc.). This paper describes the main actions being undertaken by CQC to encourage harmonisation among space-based EO systems currently in service

Evaluating a collaborative IT based research and development project

In common with all projects, evaluating an Information Technology (IT) based research and development project is necessary in order to discover whether or not the outcomes of the project are successful. However, evaluating large-scale collaborative projects is especially difficult as: (i) stakeholders from different countries are involved who, almost inevitably, have diverse technological and/or application domain backgrounds and objectives; (ii) multiple and sometimes conflicting application specific and user-defined requirements exist; and (iii) multiple and often conflicting technological research and development objectives are apparent. In this paper, we share our experiences based on the large-scale integrated research project - The HUMBOLDT project - with project duration of 54 months, involving contributions from 27 partner organisations, plus 4 sub-contractors from 14 different European countries. In the HUMBOLDT project, a specific evaluation methodology was defined and utilised for the user evaluation of the project outcomes. The user evaluation performed on the HUMBOLDT Framework and its associated nine application scenarios from various application domains, resulted in not only an evaluation of the integrated project, but also revealed the benefits and disadvantages of the evaluation methodology. This paper presents the evaluation methodology, discusses in detail the process of applying it to the HUMBOLDT project and provides an in-depth analysis of the results, which can be usefully applied to other collaborative research projects in a variety of domains. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd

Spatial Data Harmonisation in Regional Context in Accordance with INSPIRE Implementing Rules

Spatial data seamless exchange and interoperable usage has become a necessity in efficient data management and competitive positioning in the European Union. Conceptual and technical framework for the spatial data and services interoperability is specified within the EU INSPIRE Directive. The Directive provides flexible and modular structure, giving the opportunity for customisation of the data specifications and usage. From the data publisher level to the European spatial data infrastructure, this opened the question of disharmony of the spatial data structure and sharing. Arisen challenges in data harmonisation process are thus subject of interest for different formalisation approaches. This study approaches the spatial data harmonisation process focusing on the area of Western Balkans, the region of Europe with countries that have similar interest for implementation of the INSPIRE Directive. With the main aim to propose the improvement to regional data harmonisation process, the study is focused on geology as the spatial theme. The study (1) analyses the INSPIRE data harmonisation process, (2) assesses critical factors of the process in the region and (3) tests the implementation of the INSPIRE data model harmonised in accordance with user needs. Results of the analysis present the structure and formalisation concepts of the INSPIRE data model, its extensibility, means for securing interoperability and standardised approach in defining data model elements. Critical factors of the harmonisation process are assessed through semi-structured questionnaire answered by competent representatives of the Western Balkans countries. The results show that, on a regional level, spatial data managers have made progress towards compliance and are familiar with the Directive. However, they lack a coordinated approach and implementation guidance. Aside from the low capacities, due to the current state of the data structures, harmonisation is a highly complex process and a goal that is difficult to reach. The outcomes of the INSPIRE defined harmonisation process and user needs are implemented on a practical example, a INSPIRE Theme Geology dataset from a Western Balkans region stakeholder. The user needs and data model structure characteristics of the regional geology dataset were integrated in the formal description of the source and transformed to target INSPIRE data model. The concept required structuring the source model to meet both INSPIRE and local requirements. The study general aim was reached by implementing the INSPIRE data harmonisation with fulfilling the main objectives – creating market-oriented, interoperable and accessible dataset, meeting national legal requirements towards the geological data management and increasing efficiency of data usage. Further application of the developed approach is seen as the implementation methodology for other INSPIRE themes and other geographical regions.Spatial data seamless usage and exchange has become a necessity in management of natural resources, environmental risk assessment, infrastructural planning and various other industrial domains. Framework for spatial data seamless usage is specified within the EU INSPIRE Directive on the continent-wide level. The Directive enables customisation of the data specifications and usage. However, high-level specification raised the issue of disharmony of the spatial data structure and sharing on regional level. Challenges in data harmonisation process therefore became subject of interest for different research approaches. This study approaches the spatial data harmonisation process focusing on the area of Western Balkans, the region of Europe with countries that have similar interest for implementation of the INSPIRE Directive. With the main aim to propose the improvement to regional data harmonisation process, the study is focused on geology as the spatial theme. The study assesses the regional needs and, in that light, develops the example of geological spatial data harmonisation. The needs and the critical factors of the harmonisation process are assessed through a questionnaire answered by competent representatives of the Western Balkans countries. It was found that spatial data managers in the region have made progress towards compliance and are familiar with the Directive. However, they lack a coordinated approach and implementation guidance. Moreover, the current state of the datasets structure makes harmonisation a complex process and a goal that is difficult to reach. Geology dataset from a Western Balkans region stakeholder was used as a practical example for testing the harmonisation process in accordance with user needs and INSPIRE requirements. The result was harmonised INSPIRE conformant spatial dataset, with validated seamless sharing and usage possibilities of the spatial dataset on both local and EU-wide level. The study showed the possibility of applying the INSPIRE data harmonisation, with fulfilling the main objectives of (1) creating market-oriented, interoperable and accessible dataset, (2) meeting national legal requirements towards the geological data management and (3) increasing efficiency of data usage. Further application of the presented approach is seen as the implementation methodology for other spatial themes and different geographical regions