Geospatial Enhancement for the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) (Geo4NIEM)

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The Geo4NIEM Project was organized to address specific functional requirements to meet the following objectives:

Develop recommendations for the inclusion and standard use of embedded GML with NIEM IEPDs.
Develop recommendations for the standardize use of Naming and Design Rules and the use of adaptors (e.g. NIEM wrapper for GML)
Test and demonstrate use of a standardized embedded GML and adaptors within NIEM IEPDs.
Develop Architecture documentation and fact sheet for the use of embedded GML and adaptors for use with NIEM IEPDs
Develop Recommendations for the inclusion of a Geospatial Domain within NIEM

The Geo4NIEM initiative, which began in February 2013 and ended in October 2013, addressed important Information Exchange requirements leading to development of recommendations to enhance the geospatial capabilities within the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM). Sponsors identified specific Information Exchange Packages (IEPs) from Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Justice/Law Enforcement domain and Maritime domain as representative examples for investigation in this initiative. The focus of efforts was to address requirements in the context of the following information exchange domain areas:

Justice/Law Enforcement. The Justice/Law Enforcement domain in NIEM is defined by the Global Justice XML Data Model (Global JXDM). The Global Justice XML Data Model (Global JXDM), created in March 2001, evolved from a reconciliation of data definitions into an XML-based framework that would enable the entire justice and public safety communities to effectively share information at all levels. In 2005, GJXDM 3.0.3 became the first domain in NIEM. The Justice domain continues to provide the criminal justice system with the data elements, objects, and properties it needs to share critical information between jurisdictions and levels of government.
Maritime Domain Awareness. The Maritime domain supports the effective understanding of anything associated with global maritime that could impact the United States’ security, safety, economy, or environment. NIEM facilitates this understanding through effective, timely sharing of vital, secure information among many key partners by representing vessels, people, cargo, and maritime locations and activities.

Geo4NIEM initiative Sponsors were:

Program Manager – Information Sharing Environment (PM-ISE)
National Information Exchange Model – Program Management Office (NIEM PMO)

Final Demonstration

In a demonstration that concluded the Geo4NIEM project, working from a scenario in which a hurricane strikes New York City, the initiative’s technology provider participants showed how enhanced geospatial capabilities enable situational awareness through the ability to identify, process, and comprehend critical information about an incident. OGC Geo4NIEM Initiative technology provider participants included OGC members Galdos, The Carbon Project, Luciad and ArdentMC.

In the demo, specific Information Exchange Packages (IEPs) from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were implemented using widely employed open standards to support rapid and flexible communication of geospatial information in cross-community information exchange domains such as public safety, emergency management and maritime operations oversight. The following two NIEM information exchanges were used for testing and demonstration in this project.

The NIEM Request for Information (RFI) exchange facilitates interagency processes involving requirements, tasking and information gathering activities that support data collection and awareness within intelligence, public safety, emergency management and response operations. A NIEM RFI exchange document provides the mechanism through which intelligence analysts and operations managers can request and receive relevant information for processing and analysis.

The NIEM Vessel Position exchange from the Maritime Domain supports the effective understanding of anything associated with global maritime that could impact the United States’ security, safety, economy, or environment. NIEM facilitates this understanding through effective, timely sharing of vital, secure information among many key partners by representing vessels, people, cargo, and maritime locations and activities.

See videos at the link below for two NIEM specific use cases that were used to test findings and recommendations arising from the Geo4NIEM project. The two NIEM Information Exchange use cases were: