About
The Soil Information System Framework has originally been developed by CABI and ISRIC in 2024, with contributions from the soil data community, as part of the Soil Information Systems Review project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The framework is currently maintained by a consortium of initiatives, hosted by ISRIC - World Soil Information.
The team
Having previously supported RwaSIS, TanSIS, Ethiopia NSIS and enabling data sharing in soil health investments, the CABI team that led this project brought expertise in data governance, data sharing policy development, private sector engagement, social science and soil science.
The ISRIC team that work on this project are experts in soil health, soil data management, soil information system development and previously worked together with CABI on building RwaSIS and supporting Ethiopia NSIS.
The Soil Information Systems Review project
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has made great progress in the past 10 years in exploring new and innovative digital soil mapping technologies and national SISs in Africa and South Asia to help organize new and existing soil information. However, constraints within countries stop the SISs from being sustainable and adaptable. The foundation sought to explore ways to make the SISs more responsive to local demand, leading to the Soil Information Systems Review project which was a collaborative effort between CABI and ISRIC - World Soil Information, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation.
The project's solution to these constraints is to involve key actors at the review and design phase to ensure technology and environmental factors, as well as potential issues and enablers, are considered. Having previously worked on national SISs projects, the project team understands that there is not a one-fit-for-all technology or approach across countries as each country has specific needs.
After a comprehensive review and analysis of existing and past SISs, CABI identified patterns of success factors and common limitations across SIS development and maintenance. Accompanied by ISRIC’s findings on best practice methods, standards and tools for SIS development, both technological and socio-institutional considerations were integrated to develop the framework for sustainable national soil information systems. More details on the evidence for this framework can be found here.
Using a participative approach, the project team included feedback from the global soil data community at each round of iteration and tested the framework in the initial development plans for ZamSIS and to support improvement plans of GhaSIS.
An important aspect of this framework is that it seeks to adopt the FAIR data principles. This means that soil data will be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. FAIR data is important for soil information systems because it ensures the highest value and usability of data. Throughout the SIS framework’s supporting resources, you will see reference to “FAIR Process Framework” steps, developed by CABI, that will enable you to implement best data practices throughout the development and lifecycle of a SIS.
The project approach
The project team inventoried all existing and past national SISs, from which nine countries were selected according to the criteria described in Chapter 2 of this report. In depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with SISs developers and owners for each of the nine countries to understand how the technical infrastructure, human capacities, financial, institutional and policy environment impacted the build of the SISs. Additionally, desk research was conducted on the history of these nine SISs, which can be found here.
The interview findings were analyzed and linked to ISRIC's Soil Information Workflow to identify commonly occurring success factors and gaps to provide the following recommendations for SIS owners and implementers:
- Understand the value model for soil data and how it contributes to stakeholders' decision processes.
- Benchmark new SIS initiatives on any ongoing related efforts and on existing and legacy soil data.
- Build long-term buy-in among national partners and support a SIS champion to coordinate across stakeholders.
- Match the technological design of the SIS with stakeholder needs and capacity building plans.
Click here to read the full report on A Process Towards Strengthening National Soil Information Services: New Evidence for a SISs Development Framework
As the SISs technical experts, ISRIC wrote a report on the Development Options for a Soil Information Workflow and System, which provides an extensive and thorough overview of the decision points, tools and resources, results, and typical workflow of successful SISs development, while offering clarifying definitions of important concepts.
The interview, desk research and technical report were synthesized to reveal what best practice and guidance for SISs funders, owners and implementers might look like to develop an initial framework for strengthening national SISs design. Through initiating a human-centred approach, key SISs actors and experts were involved throughout the iterative development process of the framework.
Click here to view the framework for sustainable national soil information systems
The framework was applied and tested in a workshop in Zambia (April 2024) and Ghana (2024), where CABI and ISRIC supported the national SISs owners, developers and key stakeholders to develop a roadmap towards their national SISs development. This involved taking stock of what's already been done in the country that could be built upon, developing partnerships for the SISs, understanding user needs, and planning for the long-term financial sustainability of the SISs.
Click here to view the framework for sustainable national soil information systems
As the framework for sustainable national SISs is intended for the global soil data community, CABI and ISRIC adopted a participatory approach for the development of the framework, including the global soil data community throughout the iterative process. For example, the team presented the framework at events such as the African Fertilizer Soil Health Summit, the International Union of Soil Science conference and GSP's International Network of Soil Information Institutions conference, seeking validation and feedback from the community to include in the next iteration to ensure it meets the needs of the users of the framework.
The framework is also now available in the Community of Practice.