Implementation of GIS in India: organizational issues and implications

Abstract

In this paper, we report results from our study of the efforts of the Ministry of Environment and Forests in India to apply geographical information systems (GIS) for the management of wastelands in the country. Some recent developments in information systems implementation research were drawn upon to provide a framework for case analysis, based on the concepts of social context, processes of implementation, and the linkages between them. We discuss two key aspects of the social context in India, namely organizational structures and the scientific tradition. We next describe the processes of initiation, operationalisation and continuation in the GIS project; and then we analyse the nature of linkages between these implementation processes and aspects of social context. We use our analysis to develop implications for the practice of GIS in India, and more generally in the developing countries. These implications involve: providing a better balance between the technical and social aspects of the project; providing continuity in project management activities; and developing more comprehensive data management strategies. We also discuss some implications for GIS implementation research.