Moving forward: The Survey Department has forged ahead with several initiatives since last year's GIS Day, says Surveyor-General Hj Mohd Jamil. Picture: Fahmi Abas
Saturday, November 24, 2007
SINCE it organised the first GIS Day celebration last year, the Survey Department has proved itself serious in promoting widespread use of GIS (geographic information systems) with a number of significant moves: it signed a $9.5 million e-Map project agreement with a consultancy company, signed another agreement with UBD and Brunei Press to produce the sultanate's second Road Map and Street Directory, and regularly reviews and improves its performance, particularly its customer service.
Surveyor-General Hj Mohd Jamil Hj Mohd Ali, speaking during the launching of the GIS Day 2007 on Wednesday, said that as an ISO9001-certified agency, the department conducts a review of its workings, to ensure that its services, particularly those that are customer-oriented, are of quality.
He also pointed out that in the recent Quality Control Circle (QCC) Convention, two of the 11 teams that won the silver award, presented by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, came from the department.
The department will also be at the forefront of the e-Map project, as it is the provider of Brunei's maps, plans, aerial photographs, digital plots and photomaps. The e-Map will revolutionise the way the country will use geographical data, by providing common databases from which users can access, use and share spatial data over the Internet. GIS comes in as it allows the capturing,storing, managing, displaying and analysing of all kinds of geographic information.
The agreement between the department, UBD and Brunei Press which was made in October this year, presents another significant milestone.
It stipulates the publishing of the second edition of the Brunei Darussalam Road Map and Street Directory, the first edition of which was produced in 1997.
Much of these accomplishments are due to the rapid development of mapping technology, a renewed commitment to provide efficient service and the department's own efforts to raise awareness about this technology.
For instance, last year's GIS Day saw the department launching its guidebook on Brunei's mukim and village boundaries, a collection of revised and updated maps showing the boundaries and mukims within the country's four districts.
Previously the borders were set according to the department's BRIV map, produced in 1972. Brunei's development and growth since then and associated landscape changes have necessitated new maps.
The surveyor-general, in the guidebook's preface, has singled out GIS as responsible for facilitating the mapping process as it is less time consuming and more reliable than conventional mapping methods.
The Brunei Times
Surveyor-General Hj Mohd Jamil Hj Mohd Ali, speaking during the launching of the GIS Day 2007 on Wednesday, said that as an ISO9001-certified agency, the department conducts a review of its workings, to ensure that its services, particularly those that are customer-oriented, are of quality.
He also pointed out that in the recent Quality Control Circle (QCC) Convention, two of the 11 teams that won the silver award, presented by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, came from the department.
The department will also be at the forefront of the e-Map project, as it is the provider of Brunei's maps, plans, aerial photographs, digital plots and photomaps. The e-Map will revolutionise the way the country will use geographical data, by providing common databases from which users can access, use and share spatial data over the Internet. GIS comes in as it allows the capturing,storing, managing, displaying and analysing of all kinds of geographic information.
The agreement between the department, UBD and Brunei Press which was made in October this year, presents another significant milestone.
It stipulates the publishing of the second edition of the Brunei Darussalam Road Map and Street Directory, the first edition of which was produced in 1997.
Much of these accomplishments are due to the rapid development of mapping technology, a renewed commitment to provide efficient service and the department's own efforts to raise awareness about this technology.
For instance, last year's GIS Day saw the department launching its guidebook on Brunei's mukim and village boundaries, a collection of revised and updated maps showing the boundaries and mukims within the country's four districts.
Previously the borders were set according to the department's BRIV map, produced in 1972. Brunei's development and growth since then and associated landscape changes have necessitated new maps.
The surveyor-general, in the guidebook's preface, has singled out GIS as responsible for facilitating the mapping process as it is less time consuming and more reliable than conventional mapping methods.
The Brunei Times