Update on National Geospatial Technical Operations Center review

Adena over at the AllPoints blog posted a link yesterday to the USGS site, where the final report on the review of the decision process that led to the selection of Denver as the site for the NGTOC was posted. There doesn’t seem to be an associated press release and the results, which upheld the earlier decision, are not surprising. This also clears the way for the competitivie sourcing process to get underway.

Jesse’s 2 cents: I agree that this isn’t really surprising. Still, I am we are not a proponent for centralizing in such a manner. I work with (not for) the NRCS and I have seen what impact multiple offices, centers, structures, etc have on an organization, and while at times it causes redundancy it also creates important feedback. This feedback is a blend of positives and negatives that usually work out in the end to create a better product for their customers, the US citizens. While the decision to centralize isn’t surprising since funding is tight throughout the government, the customers (all of us) are clamoring for more products. Perhaps the onus should be on the government to stay abreast of their customers needs and remain technological savvy to supply ever improving products as opposed to closing doors on some opportunities and important jobs.