The Countywide Geographic Information System (CWGIS) in Palm Beach County includes the technical infrastructure, applications, human resources, and GIS data. CWGIS has become a valuable resource that is available to agencies that access the County's wide area network. The infrastructure is in place for local governments and other public sector agencies to utilize geographic and land data to support informed decision making, cost efficiency and responsible management.
CWGIS also benefits taxpayers through efficient information access. By facilitating citizen access to government data and providing timely answers and feed-back, government can be strategically directed to respond to the needs of the taxpayers. Sharing GIS data with other governmental agencies promotes the efficient use of taxpayer dollars, especially for smaller entities which do not have GIS professionals on staff.
Government can stimulate productive business partnerships by being more market and enterprise oriented. Examples of this include data sharing partnerships with municipalities and other public entities, as well as the annual South Florida GIS Expo, which operates as a public/private partnership.
Palm Beach County has built its EGIS on the foundation of a strong organizational model and technical innovation. The use of GIS as an embedded, transparent part of business processes is unique and powerful.