Framework data are those themes of geographic data that are produced and used by a large proportion of organisations and have widespread usefulness. 

Geographic data is essential to many operations, yet they are expensive and time consuming to produce. Many organisations need the same geographic data for their applications and spend precious resources duplicating the same data sets that exist elsewhere. Others go without data because they can not afford the production costs. Furthermore, when an application covers more than one jurisdiction, it is often difficult to find and combine existing data. The Framework Data exercise aims to meet these needs by providing a reliable, standardized source for commonly needed and used geo-spatial data themes.

By attaching their own geographic data — which can cover innumerable subjects and themes — to the common data in the framework, users can build their applications more easily and at less cost. The identification of framework data sets should provide the following foundation:

• basic data that can be used in applications,

• a base to which users can add or attach geographic details and attributes,

• a reference source for accurately registering and compiling participants’ own data sets, and;

• a reference map for displaying the locations and the results of an analysis of other data.

The framework should also include standardisation, procedures, guidelines, and technology to enable participants to build, integrate, maintain, distribute, and use this framework data. These elements should ensure that:

• Users can depend on accurate, detailed data that can be certified and integrated into the framework to create a trustworthy data source;

• Users can update their data holdings from the framework data; and

• Users can attach additional information to the framework.

Several geographic data themes have been identified as representative of South Africa's framework data through a series of workshops with the geospatial community.  The framework data will be a growing data resource to which geographic data producers can contribute. It will continually evolve and improve.

The NSIF wishes to incorporate as wide participation as possible in this excersise, and therefore, should you as a data producer feel that there are certain geographic data themes that should be incorporated into the framework, please contact us at NSIF@dla.gov.za. Specific comments regarding accuracy, completeness, discrepancies etc. in the data should be directed towards the Framework Data Set Producers.

The 7 geographic data themes identified are currently:

•  

  Framework Data Sets	Producers
  1. Cadastral Boundaries (Urban & Rural – 1: 50 000) **	Chief Surveyor General
  2. Land Cover (1:250 000)	CSIR
  3. Hydrographic Perrenial Rivers (1: 50 000)** Non-Perrenial Rivers (1: 50 000)** Dams (1: 50 000)** Catchment Areas (primary / secondary & tertiary)** Lagoons** Lakes** Lakes/Vlei** Canals** Perrenial Pans** Non-Perrenial Pans** Dam Areas** Dam Walls**	Surveys and Mapping Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
  4. Service and Utility Roads (1: 50 000)** Powerlines (1: 50 000)** Railways (1: 50 000)** Pipelines (1: 50 000)** Airports/Airfields** Post offices Schools Hospitals Clinics Police Stations	Surveys and Mapping Human Sciences Research Council Department of Transport ESKOM TransNet Department of Water Affairs and Forestry Department of Education Department of Health
  5. Elevation Elevation (maximum resolution DEM available over any area)	Surveys and Mapping
  6. Administrative Boundaries International** Provincial** Magisterial Districts** Local Authorities Enumerator Areas Voting Districts Electoral Wards Tribal authorities Village Boundaries	Chief Surveyor General Municipal Demarcation Board Statistics SA IEC Public Land Inventory
  7. Digital Orthophoto Images  (1:10 000)	Surveys and Mapping

** Indicates whether the data layer is currently included within the Framework Data Set Viewer

Back