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enterprise-wide GIS activity support as well as support to departments beyond what existing staff requires . A successful GIS effort must be results-oriented . Therefore , the expertise and quality of analysis conducted by User Support staff are vital . It is recommended that the GIS Director provide User Support for those departments that he/she deems appropriate : additional support will be provided by specific departmental resources . As GIS usage grows throughout the County, those departments/divisions / offices that require a great deal of user support should consider hiring a department-specific GIS Specialist or GIS Technician in the future ( such as the recommended GIS Specialist and GIS Technician in the Public Works Department) . Data Collection / Production : A great deal of time and effort is spent by most organizations to develop accurate and effective GIS datasets . This data must be maintained properly for it to retain its usefulness . This is primarily the role of GIS Technicians and GIS Interns . As GIS develops within an organization , new data will be collected and will need to be converted to adhere to data standards . Specific tasks such as digitizing , scanning , and metadato creation are also the responsibility of GIS Technicians and / or GIS Interns . It is recommended that the GIS Director coordinate and provision the appropriate resources to collect, produce , and maintain GIS datasets for those departments that do not have the necessary staff to perform this task . Kt Hiring vs. Retraining A fundamental question encountered by organizations during implementation of an enterprise-wide GIS is : " When should we hire additional GIS staff, and when should we retrain existing staff to handle GIS responsibilities ? " The answer to this , in large part, depends on the existing status of GIS within each organization . Large and mid-size counties will require GIS staff in several functional areas (outlined in the previous section ) . There are two general categories for the hiring or retraining of staff. The first is core GIS staff . As outlined previously in this chapter, even decentralized GIS organizational structures require core GIS staff to handle non-department specific GIS issues . Many of the responsibilities of core GIS staff require specific knowledge of GIS and Information Technology issues . As a general rule, a large organization without existing staff to handle all of these responsibilities will need to hire additional staff . Staffing issues in GIS-participating departments are more complex when compared to core GIS staff . A primary reason for implementing an enterprise-wide GIS is to facilitate and improve existing business processes . A large organization utilizing enterprise-wide GIS will have more end-users of GIS than specific GIS staff . The majority of staff within GIS- participating departments will primarily utilize GIS data browsers . Although basic GIS data browsing and querying require limited training , the functionality required for advanced spatial analysis , using robust applications such as ArcEditor or ArcView , is much more complex . Individual departments will need to have staff with appropriate knowledge to effectively operate these applications . At present , the County has several staff members with the skills and knowledge to utilize more advanced applications , such as ArcView and Arc Editor. " In general , it is easier to hire a professional for the required business function ( such as engineer or planner) , and train them in GIS , than it is to hire a GIS-trained staff member and 2-9 GIS Needs Assessment and Implementation Plan Chapter 2 - GIS Organizational Structure and Staffing