Developing sustainable Geographic Information System (GIS) services for parliamentary clients

Parliamentary libraries and research centres work primarily with text-based documents and reports. A common challenge faced by Members of Parliaments and their staff is finding time to read all of the information surrounding a complex issue. Visualization of this information can lead to a faster and improved understanding of multidimensional policy issues. Geographical Information System (GIS) services can provide such visual presentation and analysis. This paper describes what is involved in setting up a reputable GIS service as well as some of the challenges encountered in making it sustainable in times of budget constraints.