Year of publication
2023
Excerpt
Access to data is essential for making well-informed decisions. A Soil Information System (SIS) is designed to efficiently manage, produce, organize, analyse, and disseminate soil data and information at various scales, from local to national. The report, Development Options for a Soil Information Workflow and System, serves as a guide for soil data practitioners (users and producers) in designing a SIS. It provides an overview of the available options, choices, results, and boundary conditions, along with links to detailed resources for executing the design and implementation of a SIS, from field data collection to delivering organized and analysed soil information products.
The report follows the steps of a generic Soil Information Workflow, which can vary significantly depending on user needs and the specific context in which the workflows are implemented. An initial step in this process is to align the user’s needs and capabilities with specific components of the soil information workflow. This report identifies eight key components:
1. Needs assessment
2. Data collection
3. Laboratory analysis
4. Soil archiving
5. Data organization
6. Modelling and mapping primary soil data (soil properties/types)
7. Applying soil information
8. Data and information serving
For each component, the report offers options for methods, tools, standards, and implementation steps, enabling users to make optimal choices based on the needs, capabilities, and specific conditions of the target area or topic.
This report was developed as part of the project A Process Toward Strengthening National Soil Information Services (SIS), funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and led by CAB International in collaboration with ISRIC – World Soil Information. The project aims to review existing SISs, identify effective and ineffective intervention approaches, determine the best solutions, and scale up innovations. This information is intended to guide improved SIS intervention design and enhance impact.
The report follows the steps of a generic Soil Information Workflow, which can vary significantly depending on user needs and the specific context in which the workflows are implemented. An initial step in this process is to align the user’s needs and capabilities with specific components of the soil information workflow. This report identifies eight key components:
1. Needs assessment
2. Data collection
3. Laboratory analysis
4. Soil archiving
5. Data organization
6. Modelling and mapping primary soil data (soil properties/types)
7. Applying soil information
8. Data and information serving
For each component, the report offers options for methods, tools, standards, and implementation steps, enabling users to make optimal choices based on the needs, capabilities, and specific conditions of the target area or topic.
This report was developed as part of the project A Process Toward Strengthening National Soil Information Services (SIS), funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and led by CAB International in collaboration with ISRIC – World Soil Information. The project aims to review existing SISs, identify effective and ineffective intervention approaches, determine the best solutions, and scale up innovations. This information is intended to guide improved SIS intervention design and enhance impact.