The Framework

About

The framework for sustainable national soil information systems was developed by CABI and ISRIC, with contributions from the soil data community, as part of the the Soil Information Systems Review project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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.

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.

1

Initiation

2

Planning and Design

3

Implementation

4

Operational

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Who is it for?

The framework for sustainable national soil information systems follows a multi-stakeholder engagement approach and is for anyone in the soil community who is interested in developing or funding a SIS, or anyone who would like to improve their existing SIS. It also provides guidance for SIS owners, system developers, funders, implementing partners and research institutions involved to ensure their investment leads to sustainable outcomes.

How can I use it?

The framework has four phases: initiation, planning and design, implementation and operational. Within each phase there are what we call “components”, which contain suggested activities, accompanied by guiding questions, recommended tools and supporting resources to make the process as practical and as easily useable as possible. The activities within each component are intended as optional and the SIS project team decides which ones to execute.

All users of the framework should start with component 0: this checklist to help identify which Component is the best starting point, depending on how many activities you might have already covered in your SIS design.

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What are SIS archetypes?

SIS archetypes are a typical profile of enabling environment criteria descriptive of the co-occurrence of SIS conditions and outcomes. From CABI and ISRIC’s research across nine countries with a SIS, we identified four SIS archetypes that are indicative of enabling environment conditions (the social, institutional, or funding context prior to or during the active phases of the SIS development effort). These four archetypes are:

The presence and maturity of institutions and economic sectors that depend on soil for their business or other objectives often drive soil data demand. However, in countries where awareness of the utility and benefits of soil data are only now emerging, the capacities to meet this demand may still be lacking. Archetype 1 is defined by shortages in several important criteria in the SIS enabling environment (e.g., funding, technical capacities, lack of user assessment, and a lack of a SIS champion) that would need to be addressed to develop a SIS that matches needs of users and is sustainable.

While valuable insights can be gained from the long-term observation of soils in a particular place, under severe resource and capacity constraints it may not be feasible to develop soil data as a long-term commitment. In Archetype 2 there are several limitations in the SIS enabling environment that pose a challenge for the development of a SIS past the data organization stage (e.g., relatively low technical skills available in-country, lack of SIS champion, and only a single user). However, developing a SIS up to this stage, and approaching it as a discrete and time-bound project, may be sufficient depending on the intended use cases for soil data. Critically, in this archetype there is a relatively low level of institutional involvement or interest in soil data outside of government. Without a champion, a SIS is vulnerable to transitions in government, which may bring changes in policy agendas and funding that impact the sustainability of the SIS.

The sustained involvement and support of institutions–both within and outside of the national government–is a key factor in the success of a SIS, especially through fluctuations in funding and political support. Countries fitting Archetype 3 have a connection to a sustained coalition of institutions and networks to enable a soil information champion–an institution, or community of institutions, that advocates for soil data development and for the SIS. In this archetype, the country’s connections with external partners are strong, which facilitates the transfer of technical knowledge and expertise that can fill gaps in capacities for building and maintaining a SIS.

When pursued as a long-term project that is supported by the government as a national priority, soil data development has the potential to deliver significant and diverse benefits to civil society. In Archetype 4, a long-term investment in large-scale, high-quality soil data is supported by the national government with public funding. Soil data are valued for their potential contributions to a range of national-level agendas and activities. The capacities to build, maintain, and enhance a SIS are available in-country. Several coordinated institutional supporters, within and outside government, serve as champions, facilitators, and educators for the expansion of SIS data and products.

How can archetypes help me?

Whilst each country and context are unique, SIS archetypes serve as generalized scenarios founded on real-life SISs to assist new users of the framework with identifying what key activities might be a good starting point, based on the SIS development status.

Compare the status of key enabling environment factors for each SIS archetype in the table below:

Enabling environment:
what's the status?		 Archetype 1:
SIS is newly emerging		 Archetype 2:
SIS is approached as a discrete project		 Archetype 3:
SIS is supported through a sustained coalition		 Archetype 4:
SIS is a function of national government
Soil data institutions and partnerships Moderate Moderate Strong Strong
Data and info availability/ accessibility Needs Development Moderate Strong Strong
Initial funding for the SIS Needs Development Moderate Moderate Strong
Business case for the SIS Needs Development Moderate Moderate Strong
Users and beneficiaries Needs Development Needs Development Moderate Strong
Data governance, policies, licensing Needs Development Needs Development Moderate Strong
Technical expertise and capacities Needs Development Needs Development Moderate Strong
Digital and computing infrastructure Needs Development Needs Development Moderate Strong

To find out which archetype best describes your context to provide a suggested entry point to the framework, read through each archetype in the section below. Once you have done this, we also recommend completing component 0: the checklist.

If you are unable to identify which archetype best describes your context, please jump straight to component 0: the checklist.

Click here to read more on the typical factors of Archetype 1

Example Archetype 1 goals for the SIS:

  • Short-term goal: Establish a simple, functional SIS
  • Medium-term goal: Expand SIS functionality to additional users, temporal and/or spatial coverages
  • Long-term goal: Increase awareness of soil data as a key input to agriculture & land management decision-making

Suggested framework entry point: Component 1

With soil data development in its very earliest stages, it is critical to establish a foundation for a sustainable SIS by planning for the intersecting institutional, governance, financial, and technological aspects. At this early stage, all aspects of the SIS enabling environment will likely require attention, from financial considerations to partnership development, data governance considerations, and technological aspects of the platform itself. Starting at the beginning of the Framework will help ensure that these critical aspects are systematically considered.

Don't forget to complete component 0: the checklist.

Click here to read more on the typical factors of Archetype 2

Example Archetype 2 goals for the SIS:

  • Short-term goal: Move from a static database to a program intermittently or continuously updated
  • Medium-term goal: Demonstrate the utility of the SIS as a strategic tool and resource for soil policy and management
  • Long-term goal: Build a national community of soil data and information institutions

Suggested framework entry point: Component 4

With an existing SIS or soil database already developed, a likely next goal will be to transition the SIS to greater levels of maturity, utility, and long-term sustainability. Many options and directions may exist for evolving a static SIS to the next level, and a key step is to develop a strong working definition and description of what the ideal end-goal SIS would look like. This will help to focus subsequent efforts around what information and features the SIS will include (and which it will not), who it will serve (and who it will not be aimed to serve), and what challenges and needs it will address.

Don't forget to complete component 0: the checklist.

Click here to read more on the typical factors of Archetype 3

Example Archetype 3 goals for the SIS:

  • Short-term goal: Build capacity for in-country experts to maintain and enhance the SIS
  • Medium-term goal: Develop and codify soil data-sharing policy at national level
  • Long-term goal: Be a leading exemplar of soil data development and data-sharing

Suggested framework entry point: Component 7

With an existing SIS and well-established partnerships and institutional environment for soil data, a greater priority for SIS development will likely be technological and capacity-building considerations. National systems entering at this point will have access to an institutional network that may support in marshaling funding, expertise, and other contributions to holistically develop the SIS platform itself AND the environment around it, i.e. the people and processes needed to sustain it into the future.

Don't forget to complete component 0: the checklist.

Click here to read more on the typical factors of Archetype 4

Example Archetype 4 goals for the SIS:

  • Short-term goal: Adapt and update new technologies, extensions, and add-ons for the existing SIS
  • Medium-term goal: Galvanize public-private sector partnerships to support innovation in soil data development
  • Long-term goal: Support strategic national objectives and policy process with high quality soil data

Suggested framework entry point: Component 14

With an established SIS, existing institutional partnerships and expectations for sustained/long-term funding, SIS implementers may find useful to re-visit aspects of the framework intermittently to ensure that the project and outputs remain aligned with users, use cases, and other key considerations, especially as these may evolve over time and new priorities for soil data and information may emerge.

Don't forget to complete component 0: the checklist.

User Feedback!

We value hearing your feedback on your experience using the framework for your SIS interventions so we can improve it further to benefit future interventions. You can provide feedback using the contact form below: