The NJ Office of GIS (NJOGIS) was established within NJ Office of Information Technology (NJOIT) in 2001 by Executive Order 122, and charged to coordinate the adoption of GIS across state agencies, to create and maintain a clearinghouse for GIS data discovery, to assist state agencies in developing and improving GIS capability, and to serve as the state’s liaison with national GIS organizations. This continues to be the mission of NJOGIS.
The coordination and oversight role of NJOGIS is focused primarily on data. More so than probably any other IT discipline, in GIS, data development and maintenance have always represented a very large portion of the cost. Our focus on data reuse has resulted in huge cost savings by avoiding the creation of redundant data sets. Whenever the creation of new GIS data is proposed, we emphasize the “build once, use many times” mindset. We strive to maintain an awareness of the broad uses for GIS data in order to guide the planning and design of new data sets, and wherever possible, we promote the use of established standards for data development in order to maximize interoperability.
Data reuse is only effectively accomplished if users know the data sets exist and can understand their quality and other characteristics. Documentation and a discovery mechanism are key elements. Since our inception, NJOGIS has promoted the use of standardized metadata to document GIS data. And using various technologies over the years, we have provided data discovery through a searchable catalog of that metadata. In 2019 we launched the third generation of the New Jersey Geographic Information Network (NJGIN), continuing the clearinghouse role established in our founding executive order.
To foster communication across the state’s geospatial community, NJOGIS supports the New Jersey Geospatial Forum (NJGF), which is New Jersey’s coordinating body for GIS technology issues. Geospatial professionals from all levels of government from municipal to federal, private sector, education, nonprofit, and licensed land surveyors are represented. The group meets quarterly to raise and discuss issues of common interest, and task forces are formed as needed to address specific topics. Within the executive branch of state government, NJOGIS coordinates on an ongoing basis with GIS leads from all agencies that use the technology through the GIS Coordinators Roundtable.
NJOGIS is the primary steward for a number of framework statewide data layers, including aerial imagery, government boundaries, and address points. We share stewardship for roads data with NJ Department of Transportation (NJDOT), and we are the aggregators of statewide property boundary information that is created at the local level. These data sets are made available to all users.
In addition to making data available for download, NJOGIS operates web GIS capability that provides web services of a variety of data layers (including many created by other state agencies), basemaps, and geoprocessing functions. Our infrastructure also hosts interactive mapping applications for state agencies, and we administer a comprehensive data repository that is available to all state agencies on our internal network.
Finally, NJOGIS provides technical oversight and guidance for the use of GIS related technologies and projects for NJ state agencies.
Official Site of The State of New Jersey