1 Background and Problem Analysis
The mini-project for "Information Systems and GIS" was included in the SMLC project to address the facts that: i) limited environmental information is available on GIS, and ii) MLCs' environmental management units have limited experience with use of GIS.

GIS applications and base maps are available at the GJMC and the MLCs but it has not been standardised and has not been used for systematising environmental data. There is a need for the MLCs' Environmental Management Units to be able to extract GIS based environmental information for the units' decision making, especially for development control applications.

2 Immediate Objectives
The key objectives of the mini-project are:

• Basic environmental GIS capability established at EMA/D
• Procedures established for continued up-dating of GIS (data entry and hardware/software) established.
• EMA/D staff trained in GIS operations.

3 Outputs
The overall output of the mini-project will be the establishment of environmental database and GIS applications including:

GIS compatible databases developed for:

Surface water quality (chemical and biological)

Status of boreholes including quality and yield

Ambient air quality

Ambient noise and noise zoning

Meteorological data (rainfall, temp, wind speed & direction)

Pollution point sources (with pollution profiles)

Mining activities (incl. abandoned dumps)

Environmental/geo-technical hazardous areas

Environmental sensitive areas and ecological info.

Cultural, historical and archaeological resources

Stormwater runoff & flood lines

Environmental monitoring stations

Agricultural potential

System capable of accepting and locating erf details (to assess whether development applications fall in hazardous or sensitive areas).

1. GIS layers developed for above items
2. Standard GIS report formats
3. Procedures and user manuals for data entry and report abstraction
4. EMA/D staff trained in operating database and GIS applications

4 Activities
The main activities will include the following:

• Audit existing databases on environmental parameters
• Assess current system's potential for environmental GIS
• Design environmental GIS system requirements (data and report formats)
• Develop/revise databases for selected parameters
• Design interface between environmental GIS and current land-use GIS
• Prepare procedures for updating environmental GIS on regular basis
• Determine staffing requirements for operating env. GIS
• Identify and appoint staff
• Determine training needs for system operators
• Prepare training and users' manuals
• Train staff
• Data entry as on-the-job training

5 Inputs and Budget
The main inputs from the involved Metro authorities will include:

• Staff time
• Office facilities for consultants
• Access to overall GIS hardware and software, and land use GIS
• Data and databases for relevant parameters
• Venues for meetings, workshops and training

The input from DANCED will include:

• CTA part-time
• SA Project Manager part-time
• 4 months of SA consultants
• 50,000 ZAR for procurement of hardware/software.

6 Assumptions
The key assumptions are as follows:

• Council inputs in terms of overall GIS hardware and software will be made available for development, installation and operation of environmental GIS applications.
• Council input in terms of staff requirements will be made available.

7 Indicators and Means of Verification
The indicators and means of verification will be:

• TOR for consultants
• Report on current GIS system and recommendations for amending environmental GIS.
• Report with specification of parameters, databases and environmental GIS layers.
• Environmental GIS implemented on existing Council GIS system
• Training and operators' manuals produced.
• Council staff capable of operating and maintaining system.
• Procedures manual for up-dating of system.
• Formats of GIS maps and data reports.

8 Project Organisation
The project will be organised as follows:

• The PMU for the Environmental Planning component will be responsible to the Project Steering Committee for planning and implementation of the mini-projects of the environmental planning component;
• A Reference Group for the Environmental Planning component representing all relevant Metro authorities will be supervising and participate in the planning and implementation of the mini-projects of the Environmental Planning component;
• A Working Group will have the day-to-day responsibility for implementing this particular mini-project.