GIS Assessment & Integration

About this Project

Urban GIS and SDI Enterprises were tasked by the Cook County Recorder of Deeds (CCRD) to improve and expand upon the use of GIS technology, and align the CCRD’s IT strategy with the adjacent Cook County administration. The team performed an in-depth analysis of all current business practices involving GIS technologies and also determined where GIS can be integrated into additional business processes to improve analytical review, strategic planning, data validation, data reporting, and data visualization.

Urban GIS staff completed an extensive GIS assessment through staff interviews, software and hardware inventories, and participatory discussions with staff and industry experts to develop a GIS integration approach specific to the CCRD. This multi-faceted approach resulted in a thorough picture of the CCRD’s existing utilization. From this assessment, Urban GIS developed a plan that the Recorder could use to quickly build on their GIS capabilities while addressing core enterprise needs.

The value of GIS is increasingly being recognized by government agencies around the country. While the CCRD had an existing GIS team, Urban GIS identified that the work conducted by this team was only utilized within the team and not the greater CCRD office. Urban GIS’s recommendations will not only help the CCRD to better take advantage of its existing GIS production but will also facilitate improved data communication with other branches of the Cook County government, while helping the Recorder to provide a higher level of service to the public.