Governance
Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council
The Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council (MGAC) acts as the state endorsed coordinating body for the Minnesota geospatial community. It represents a cross-section of organizations that include counties, cities, universities, business, nonprofit organizations, federal and state agencies, tribal government, surveyors and other stakeholder groups that benefit from geospatial technology. The MGAC is a legally enacted Minnesota state government entity under Minnesota statute 16E.30. Members of the MGAC are appointed by the Governor of Minnesota.
The council is supplemented and supported by committees and workgroups which are open to participation by all citizens of Minnesota. The Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC) is one several standing committees of the MGAC.
Committee Guidance
The EPC, like all other committees, must maintain two documents to comply with MGAC governance requirements. Those documents are:
- Charter - The charter defines why a committee exists and sets out general expectations for how the committee will function. The EPC's charter was last updated in March 2021. Click the link below to read the EPC Charter
- Work Plan - Annually, each committee must create a work plan for the following calendar year which lays out expectations for what the committee will accomplish. Use the link below to read the EPC's current work plan.
Committee Organization
By charter, the EPC is led by a chair. The chair is assisted with leadership activities by a vice-chair and a Leadership Team comprised of the chairs of the EPC's Project Teams. The Leadership Team manages overall EPC direction and work plan management. Project Team chairs are responsible for work plan accomplishment on their respective projects. Correspondingly, projects functionally operate within four main areas:
- Data: These Project Teams work to ensure accuracy and appropriateness of Minnesota GIS data needed for EM planning on the local, state and federal levels.
- Education: Project Teams in this area develop training standards and programs for the Minnesota GIS and EM communities that will promote productive interaction, provide training to those communities, and facilitate state and national training opportunities.
- Outreach: Some of the types of activities facilitated by Outreach Project Teams include promoting awareness of EPC efforts, arranging a quarterly EPC meeting featuring topics appropriate for both the Emergency Management (EM) and GIS communities, and working with local EM entities to develop GIS support for their response plans.
- Response: These Project Teams work hand-in-hand with EM agencies to develop suggested GIS standards and enterprise solutions that will facilitate Emergency Operations Center situational awareness and interoperability, develop and update the vision for the Minnesota Common Operating Picture (COP), and if need be, stand ready during disasters to augment the GIS capabilities of various city, county and state response organizations.