Office of the Chief Information Officer &
High Performance Computing and Communications

NOAA Web Mapping Applications Policy

This policy is issued by the NOAA Chief Information Officer.
Certified by: NOAA CIO Council
Effective Date:June 25, 2010

Policy:

All Web mapping applications on NOAA websites are required to have the following elements:

NOAA Logo: The NOAA logo must be included on all NOAA Web mapping applications, where feasible. If including the NOAA logo is not technically feasible, NOAA must be credited by including the text, "NOAA" or "National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration" prominently on the Web mapping application. This also applies to print (including pdf) and graphic outputs.

Metadata for Downloadable NOAA Data: All NOAA data that is available for download (excluding illustrative graphics or background data that is not critical for map interpretation) must include metadata that complies with the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Metadata Standard. A link titled "metadata" must be provided on the Web mapping application website that directs users to the detailed metadata documentation. Metadata records may document Web mapping applications (as a single entity or application) or may document individual data layers.

Data Will Be Made Available in Industry Standard Formats: All NOAA data that is available for download will be made available in appropriate Industry Standard Formats .

Identifying Map Data Layers: When interpretation, analysis, or measurement is the purpose of a Web mapping application, the primary layers of the map should be identified, either via a legend or by interactive identification tools that can display, when "clicked", the type and attributes of a feature or layer. The determination of "primary" layers is left to the discretion of the mapmaker. In some cases where the purpose of the map is narrow and the number of layers is small, the relationship between layers and symbols on a map may be self-explanatory, and no additional identifying information is required.

Data Layers Provided by Non-Federal Agencies: Data layers provided by sources other than federal agencies (third-parties, parties outside of the federal government, non-governmental organizations, or other entities) and displayed on NOAA Web pages must be used judiciously, because these situations present special challenges with respect to maintaining agency Information Quality (IQ) Act standards. Such data layers must meet NOAA IQ requirements for NOAA use of third-party information. Thus they must be of known quality and consistent with NOAA IQ Guidelines for ensuring the quality of information disseminated by federal agencies, and any limitations, assumptions, collection methods, or uncertainties must be taken into account and disclosed. In addition, any external data from third-party providers must meet the following criteria:

  • The data must be must be necessary for, and material to, the presentation of agency information or the delivery of agency services, and the map must credit the contributing source of the data or provide a direct link back to the third-party source data provider.
  • The data must be relevant and timely, and complete steps must have been taken to ensure that data layers are actively updated to achieve the highest level of quality possible.
Research and Development (R&D) or "Non-Operational" Web Mapping Applications:
 NOAA Web mapping applications that exist for R&D or "non-operational" purposes may be publicly available to allow project partners to view the development status or to obtain end user feedback. NOAA R&D Web mapping applications must be annotated as such and are not subject to this policy until the application becomes operational.

Purpose:

The purpose of this policy is to provide direction on the use of publicly-available, operational NOAA Web mapping applications and to ensure that these applications are developed and made available to the public consistent with existing NOAA and federal agency policies and best practices.

Scope:

This policy applies to all Web mapping applications available to the public via NOAA websites.

Exceptions:

Grandfather Exemption and Waiver Option:
Websites in production operation on the effective date of this policy are exempted, provided that, within 90 days of the effective date of this policy, a list of such exempted Web mapping applications is given to the NOAA CIO by the line office CIO or, in the case of staff and corporate offices, by the staff or corporate office director.

A waiver or partial waiver from the provisions of this policy may be granted by a line office CIO or, in the case of staff and corporate offices, by the staff or corporate office director. A justification for the waiver must be submitted to the NOAA CIO and will be accepted or rejected within three weeks.

Deadline for Implementation:

Web mapping applications must implement this policy no later than December 31, 2010.

Terms:

Web Mapping Application: A software application that provides or displays data by creating, using, or disseminating maps via the Web. Such applications typically integrate hardware, software, and data in the course of capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying geographically referenced information.

Industry Standard Formats: Industry Standard Formats are formats endorsed by common standards organizations that adopt, develop, and endorse standards related to geospatial data access, data publication, and data formats. For purposes of the NOAA Web Mapping Applications Policy, "Industry Standard Formats" also include other commonly used geospatial data formats that are not endorsed by the above common standards organizations, but are considered "industry-standard." A list of these common standards organizations, along with a list of other geospatial data formats considered "industry-standard," may be found here: Industry Standard Formats

Discussion:

Web mapping applications are increasingly gaining capabilities to display and analyze NOAA data on both traditional desktop computers and on mobile devices. With the rising popularity of these mapping applications, NOAA must ensure that the rich, interactive user experience that they provide is accompanied by metadata and other map elements that describe the content and quality of data, provide interpretive guidance, and notify the user of possible limitations in the data, especially when these data come from third-party providers.

The nature of Web mapping technologies and methods for data access are changing rapidly. Many Web mapping applications simply provide a framework for integrated data display and analysis, and data may flow in near real-time via syndication or other services from a range of sources.

Guidance and Resources:

Implementation Guidance: This guidance document has been developed by the NOAA GIS Committee to assist developers and web managers with implementing the policy.

Compliance with Applicable Laws, Regulations, Policies, and Guidance: In addition to this policy, all content in NOAA's web presence must comply with all relevant statutes, regulations, policy, and other applicable guidance. Under existing NOAA and Department of Commerce (DOC) Web management policy, the noaa.gov domain may be used only for sites that are fully compliant with NOAA and DOC policies, as well as all applicable laws and government directives. (See NOAA policies relating to Department of Commerce Web Policies and NOAA Web Content Management.)

Waivers and exemptions from this policy do not give permission to violate any other policy, law, regulation, or contract. For example, licensing provisions and requirements will still apply for exempted and waived applications, as will the IQ guidelines, the Partnership Policy, and all other requirements not created by this policy.

Metadata for Non-Downloadable Data: The Office of Management and Budget mandates require all federal agencies to use the FGDC Metadata Standard to document their geospatial data sets, and to make this metadata publically available with the data. Providing links to the NOAA FGDC metadata records directly from the Web mapping application page or within the map legend is recommended for all data layers. In addition to providing metadata for downloadable data, links to metadata for other key data layers should be provided within Web mapping applications.

Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities: To conform to Section 508 requirements of accessibility for persons with disabilities, all data and information layers produced by Web mapping applications must also be made available in an alternative, accessible format. Some acceptable alternative formats include text files describing the information presented on the map, text input fields as alternatives to "mouse clicks", and the use of "hatching" or patterns to avoid use of color alone to convey information. Specific standards required by Section 508 are posted at the Section 508 Web site.

Information Quality Act: All websites must comply with IQ Act guidelines for maximizing the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information disseminated by the agency. See NOAA Information Quality Guidelines.

NOAA Google Earth® and Google Maps® Contract (example of third-party provider contract for Web mapping applications): For any Web mapping application developed using software licensed under the NOAA Google Geospatial Enterprise Licensing Agreement, NOAA staff members using Google Earth® or Google Maps® software to develop Web mapping applications must use the authorized software and licenses provided by Google.

NOAA Partnership Policy: The NOAA Partnership Policy relates to the provision of "environmental information services" (defined as 'information and services about weather, water, and climate that include chemical, biological, and ecological parameters") by all of NOAA's programs. The public benefits from government information disseminated both by federal agencies and by diverse non-federal parties, including commercial and not-for-profit entities; this fact is relevant to the context of the NOAA Web Mapping Applications Policy.

NWS Directive: The NWS Directive: Third Party Provided Mapping Applications and Services on NWS Web Pages is a National Weather Service (NWS) information technology directive providing specific guidance on use of third-party mapping applications by NWS personnel.

NOAA GIS Community Website: The NOAA GIS Community Website provides additional information for NOAA's geospatial user community.