The Ministry of Housing and Water is moving towards expanding its Geographic Information System (GIS) to integrate data for more effective decision-making in the housing sector.

A Government Informa-tion Agency (GINA) press release said Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali and a team from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) recently met with Canadian Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and Consumer Services of Ontario Fareed Amin and GIS Coordinator, Information Management and Planning, Community Services I and IT Cluster Jay Thatcher met to determine the type of system the local ministry needed.

According to GINA, Ali told the media that the meeting came about after bilateral discussions conducted during last year between the Ontario Housing Authority and his ministry, on ways in which both ministries could collaborate to make the housing sector in Guyana more efficient, dynamic and pro-active.

He said from those discussions, a number of interventions and methodologies materialised and an arrangement was put in place for the Housing Ministry in Ontario to deploy a consultant to Guyana to assist the ministry in the utilization of the GIS technology.  “We are basically looking at expanding that technology and other relevant technology that would help us in moving our housing sector from where it is now on par with that of any develop country because the target we are setting is to be the best that there is,” he said. He added that the target is to emulate an advanced housing sector. Meanwhile, Amin said that his mission is simply to ensure that that there is a clear understanding of the type of system the local ministry uses and to determine the type of expertise needed.

He noted that despite the differences in the geography and economy of the two countries, his mission does not intend to impose a solution from Ontario but to bring the necessary support and skills and determine its relevance to Guyana. “I think it is very exciting, it is a great project, a good opportunity…for the Ministry of Housing to move towards the GIS system…If Ontario can give any assistance I think we would be more than happy to help,” Amin said. “This trip is to build on a commitment that we made last year to help the Minister develop this GIS system. This is a great opportunity, GIS has all kinds of potential and the system that we would build or perhaps propose is a system here in Guyana that could be used not only for housing but other kinds of public infrastructure,” he added.

He also noted the potential for other kinds of linear and special projects to be part of the GIS system and that his ministry is looking forward to collaborating with senior staff as well as to help the minister build the GIS system in Guyana. According to Amin, “We are living in a global environment and unless countries are able to provide information instantaneously you can sometimes lose your funding or investment opportunities…We are building a system to get us there, building a system that is scaleable, identifying a system that we want to achieve and work towards that objectives.”

Thatcher explained that the GIS is a digital map of various databases of locations including planning projects, housing complexes and transportation networks which allow persons to view, understand, ask questions, interpret and visualize data by a way of a map. Meanwhile, Development Manager within the CH&PA Germene Stewart, who updated media personnel about the project, said it is currently collecting and analysing data at the macro and micro levels from other agencies.

She said the data collected is on drainage and roads to determine the plans and designs for new housing schemes or for improvement plans for squatting areas.

Stewart further explained that on the micro level a GIS data of the CH&PA’s housing schemes is being created with parcels, roads and drainage to help it to manage its decision-making process. Also, the CH&PA has started a pilot project for the Diamond/Grove area and also has a Management Information System with data on housing schemes that would be integrated into the GIS system, Stewart said. She said ultimately the ministry will expand its coverage from housing schemes to other areas. “We have a planning commission function where we monitor and regulate development not only in our housing scheme but generally nationwide…we are starting at our settlements then we are going to spread coverage until we cover the entire Guyana,” she added.

CH&PA CEO Myrna Pitt said that the GIS is currently at the fledging stage.

She said the Authority is a land-based agency and the GIS will certainly help to move towards advancing and improving the activities of the organisation.

It used the GIS as recently as last month-end for a presentation and, according to Pitt it has proven to be “a very powerful tool…a tool that is necessary for CHPA to ensure that the decisions we make are well informed and have proper and technical basis.”