[This is the synopsis of the proposal by the Second Runner-Up in the 1997 Fraser Institute/Financial Post Economy in Government Competition. This year's contest focused on the efficient delivery of programs at the local government level.]

The City of Surrey Mapping On-line System (COSMOS) involved the selection and implementation of software and processes to allow the display, query, and plotting of existing mapping data.

The provision of mapping information for both internal and external clients of the Engineering Department is one of the key challenges in accommodating growth in the City of Surrey. The city has grown from a population of 230,000 in 1991 to over 304,000 today.

Prior to implementing COSMOS, map data could be viewed manually at the Engineering front counter in pre-printed atlases. Information on specific areas such as legal, zoning, sanitary, roads, drainage, aerials, etc., were each available in a separate atlas. Information retrieval for inquiries from external clients and internal users was time consuming and potentially incomplete. Numerous record sources had to be researched to obtain a complete set of information for each project.

COSMOS was designed to meet the needs of Surrey's clients by improving the service levels and responsiveness to external and internal users. Speed and accuracy of information delivery along with reduced reliance on paper as a distribution medium was necessary. Staff and clients could revert back to the atlas records if the proposed system was insufficient or incomplete.

The City of Surrey On-line Mapping System has fulfilled and exceeded the expectations identified in the early business case proposals. COSMOS is proving to be a versatile and cost effective way to improve mapping data retrieval through a single, remotely accessible tool. Opportunities for enhancement and migration to other business processes within the City are numerous and will continue.

Implementation costs of just under $80,000 and expected annual savings of $65,000 have provided an initial payback of direct costs in approximately 16 months. Although this saving does not appear large, the impact on, and improvement to our data inquiry and retrieval has been substantial. In a survey, customers rated the system at over a 90 percent satisfaction rating because of the improvements made with COSMOS. The key has been meeting client needs by providing reliable data and an easy, intuitive, user interface.