Guidance

Geospatial Commission Framework Document

Updated 12 May 2025

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

Introduction

1.1 This framework document (“Framework Document”) has been drawn up by HM Government and the Geospatial Commission (“Commission”) to describe:

(a) The operating principles and governance arrangements within which the Commission is expected to operate
(b) reporting and other requirements with which it is required to comply
(c) Other relevant aspects of the relationship between government, the Commission, its Partner Bodies as defined below, the Devolved Administrations and the private sector.

1.2 This Framework Document reinforces the remit and purpose of the Commission as described in its Charter.

1.3 The Commission will be the UK’s geospatial guiding mind, aimed at unlocking billions of pounds of annual economic growth and consolidating the UK’s position as the best place in the world to start and grow a data driven business. The Commission will focus on geospatial matters, defined as:

(1) Geospatial data: Information where place is a key feature of its source and/or purpose for which it is used;
(2) Geospatial identifiers: Data that provides the means of anchoring positional data to core geospatial data;
(3) Positional data Groups of individual datasets that usually have location as a secondary purpose, and which describes activity or physical assets grounded in a particular place; and
(4) Geospatial services: Higher-level insights and products, often involving layers of various types of spatial information.

1.4 References to the Commission include its Board of Commissioners and the supporting unit of officials that work within it. The team of officials will be led by a civil service Director who will be the Accounting Officer for the Commission, and will also be a Commissioner. The Accounting Officer will be accountable to ministers and Parliament regarding the implementation of the geospatial strategy and spending of funds allocated to the Commission.

1.5 As part of providing strategic oversight of the geospatial ecosystem in the UK, the Commission will have a close relationship with six core “Partner Bodies” with diverse functions, organisational status and business models. These are:

(a) British Geological Survey;
(b) Coal Authority;
(c) Her Majesty’s Land Registry;
(d) Ordnance Survey;
(e) United Kingdom Hydrographic Office; and
(f) Valuation Office Agency.

1.6 The Partner Bodies have different geographical jurisdictions and operate in a partially devolved context. The Commission will be sensitive to this complexity and maintain consultative relationships with the devolved equivalents of the Partner Bodies and the Devolved Administrations to ensure that the different legal and regulatory environments are reflected in their strategy and recommendations.

Operating principles

2.1 The Commission will achieve its overarching objectives as set out in the Charter by:

(a) Taking evidence-based decisions, and articulating clearly the rationale for such decisions;
(b) Creating a coherent geospatial strategy, which aligns to the broader economic and industrial strategy of the government, and which will consider the social and environmental benefits and impacts of its decisions;
(c) Setting measurable and objective targets against which it reports;
(d) Proactively challenging the status quo and managing duplication, particularly with regard to the way Partner Bodies and departments create, provide and procure geospatial data;
(e) Ensuring that Partner Bodies, their Accounting Officers, Devolved Administrations and departments, are appropriately consulted ahead of decisions that may impact them;
(f) Coordinating closely with the Devolved Administrations, taking into account the varying needs and legal frameworks across the UK, to share best practice and maximise coherence in devolved matters while observing existing decision making structures;
(g) Allocating its programme funding as efficiently as possible, with a view to prioritising projects which maximise that funding’s impact and reflects the regional and demographic diversity of the UK; and
(h) Ensuring the Commission is accessible to those in industry and society who wish to engage with it.

Relationship with departments

Strategy and annual plans

3.1 The Commission will periodically present its strategy to unlock billions of pounds of economic growth to government. The timing is to be determined by the Commission, but under normal circumstances this would be expected to be every three to five years. The strategy must tie back to the objectives within the Commission’s Charter document.

3.2 Ministers shall input in to the Commission’s strategy, including proposed areas of work, before it is agreed. The Commission must seek departmental, Devolved Administration and Partner Body input during the strategy’s development. The strategy must be approved by the Minister for the Cabinet Office (“CDL/MCO”), who will be supported by colleagues in the Ministerial Steering Group (“MSG”). The final strategy must be signed off via the usual write round process as all departments and their Arm’s Length Bodies (“ALBs”) will align with the strategy.

3.3 The Commission will also present an annual plan to the CDL/MCO and MSG for approval, which will describe how activities set out in the strategy will be implemented during the forthcoming year. The Commission will seek input from ministers, departments, Devolved Administrations and Partner Bodies in the development of the annual plan.

3.4 Once the strategy and annual plans have been set, ministers will not seek to change those plans.

3.5 In line with the terms of managing public money, the Commission will seek Treasury approval for novel or contentious spending, spending above delegated limits and where recommendations within the strategy may lead to a reduction in value, loss or gifting of public assets

3.6 The Commission may refer issues to the MSG on an ad hoc basis, for example where there is conflict with or between Partner Bodies or departments or where this would facilitate a greater pace of implementation.

Governance

3.7 The Board of Commissioners will initially be classified as an Expert Committee and will be supported by a unit of civil servants. Together they will operate as the Geospatial Commission.

3.8 The Commission will:

(a) Operate within the terms of Managing Public Money, and other relevant government frameworks (unless exemptions are sought and are appropriate);
(b) Not seek new governance powers over the Partner Bodies. This does not preclude ministers’ ability to add new Partner Bodies to the Commission’s remit; and
(c) Be transparent in its governance arrangements, including:
i. Ensuring that minutes of Commission meetings are published in a timely manner;
ii. Monitoring and disclosing conflicts of interest for Commissioners and officials, ensuring such conflicts are acknowledged, taken in to account in decision-making, and that the Commission’s reputation is protected; and
iii. Publishing the details and backgrounds of Commission members and senior management.

Board of Commissioners

3.9 The Board of Commissioners, consists of:

(a) A Chair
(b) Five Commissioners who are not affiliated with the Commission’s Partner Bodies or civil servants (“Independent Commissioners”);
(c) Two Commissioners who are employees or appointed representatives of the Partner Bodies, to be nominated collectively by them; and
(d) The Accounting Officer of the Commission.

3.10 To be quorate, one Chair, the Accounting Officer (or their nominated official from the Commission) and at least four Commissioners must be present. This must include at least one Commissioner that was nominated by the Partner Bodies. Where matters are not unanimously agreed, it is for the Chair to decide whether and how such decisions are implemented.

3.11 The Chair will ensure that:

(a) The Board of Commissioners meets frequently enough to ensure that momentum is maintained in driving the objectives of the Commission. The Board of Commissioners is expected to meet at least six times a year;
(b) There is an appropriate balance of background, diversity and expertise across the Board of Commissioners (subject to Ministerial approval);
(c) There is appropriate rotation of the membership of the Board of Commissioners to ensure that it remains up to date and relevant to the Commission’s objectives, noting the fast-changing nature of geospatial data and its use (subject to Ministerial approval);
(d) Performance of Commission members meets the standards outlined in their appointment letters through the performance management process as established by the Accounting Officer;
(e) Conflicts of interest are appropriately dealt with and disclosed; and
(f) Working groups or sub-committees are established to augment Commissioners’ and officials’ specialist knowledge for the implementation of the Commission’s strategy.

3.12 Observers from each of the Devolved Administrations will be invited to the Board of Commissioners’ meetings. Where relevant, the Chair may also invite other observers.

Accounting Officer Responsibilities

3.13 The Director of the Commission is its Accounting Officer, and their responsibilities are set out in their letter of appointment.

3.14 Should recommendations made by the Board of Commissioners contradict the Accounting Officer’s duties, the Accounting Officer shall refer the matter to the CDL/MCO and Cabinet Office Principal Accounting Officer.

3.15 The Accounting Officer must also be satisfied that conflicts of interests amongst members of the Board of Commissioners are appropriately disclosed and taken account of during decision making. Where the Accounting Officer has concerns, they must first raise the issue with the Chair, and make the Principal Accounting Officer aware should the issue not be resolved to the Accounting Officer’s satisfaction.

Policy and Strategy Setting

3.16 The Commission will make private recommendations to the MSG for new policy and strategy. Where necessary, and where Ministers are content with those recommendations, the CDL/MCO will issue a write round to adopt the recommendations as government policy. The Commission and Cabinet Office will jointly publish information relating to new policy and strategy, once agreed.

3.17 Where issues are UK wide the Commission will consult with the Devolved Administrations to identify solutions that suit all parts of the UK. Where such matters are devolved or partially devolved the Commission will develop proposals, in consultation with the Devolved Administrations, that could be universally adopted by the relevant Administrations. Where mutually satisfactory solutions cannot be identified, the Commission will make recommendations to Whitehall ministers, making them aware of likely regional discrepancies. Devolved Administrations will continue to make their own decisions in line with what has been devolved.

Reporting

3.18 The Commission will:

(a) Report at least annually to the CDL/MCO, Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office and Devolved Administrations regarding its performance against its objectives (b) Periodically publish reports relating to priority geospatial data matters. This will include: i. Making recommendations to government and the wider geospatial community to drive economic growth; and ii. Reporting on the state of key elements of the geospatial ecosystem, the government’s performance against the published strategy and the progress that has been made in increasing economic growth and improving social and environmental outcomes through the use of geospatial data.

3.19 Reports by the Commission challenging existing government policy, the implementation of decisions in line with its agreed strategy, or the behaviour of private sector actors will not require further clearance from the CDL/MCO or ministers.

3.20 The Commission will deliver challenging messages candidly and use frequent reporting as a mechanism to maintain or accelerate the momentum of change in the geospatial ecosystem.

Information requests

3.21 The Commission will request information and new analysis from Partner Bodies, their sponsoring departments, and other government bodies, in order to be able to execute its duties. The Commission can expect that such reasonable requests will be accommodated (subject to any relevant legal or contractual obligations) and actively supported by ministers. The Commission must liaise with the relevant body before releasing any data publicly and respect relevant data protection, commercial and contractual obligations.

3.22 Such requests will be considered reasonable if they are proportionate and relevant, with the rationale for the request being sufficiently explained.

Appointments

3.23 The appointments of the Chair and the Independent Commissioners will be made by the CDL/MCO following best practice processes for public appointments. Once the Commission is fully established the CDL/MCO may require the appointments be considered as regulated public appointments with the process being subject to the Governance Code for Public Appointments. If agreed, these appointments would then be subject to the regulation of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

3.24 The CDL/MCO, in consultation with the Chair, shall approve the appointment of appropriate candidates nominated by the Partner Bodies to be Commissioners. Partner Bodies must ensure that appropriate recruitment processes in line with government guidance are followed, where relevant.

Dismissals

3.25 CDL/MCO may dismiss Commissioners, as set out in their appointment letter, having consulted with the Chair.

3.26 The CDL/MCO has the right to dismiss the Chair of the Commission as set out in their appointment letter.

Remuneration

3.27 Matters of remuneration, of both Commissioners and officials within the Commission, are subject to Cabinet Office approval in advance of any recruitment process.

Revision of the Framework Document

3.28 The Commission, the CDL/MCO, members of the MSG and Devolved Administrations can propose changes to the Framework Document.

3.29 Any amendment, update or replacement of any provision of this Framework Document must be consistent with the Commission’s Charter. Changes will be made in consultation with the Commission, Partner Bodies, CDL/MCO, MSG, and the Devolved Administrations and ultimately approved by the CDL/MCO.

3.30 It is expected that this Framework Document will be reviewed after one year to ensure it is fit for purpose. Subsequent changes will only be made in exceptional circumstances, and therefore only made infrequently.

Relationship with Devolved Administrations

4.1 As the Commission will set UK-wide strategy, it will coordinate with the Devolved Administrations but it will not usurp the Devolved Administrations’ powers or impinge on their relationships with the public and private sector bodies. Partner Bodies will be expected to maintain their relationships with the Devolved Administrations and keep them informed of relevant discussions and decisions.

4.2 The Commission will meet with the Devolved Administrations regularly to discuss: (a) Alignment of UK geospatial strategies, including those of the Partner Bodies, with Devolved Geospatial strategies; (b) Collaboration on innovation projects; and (c) Private sector engagement.

Relationship with Partner Bodies

Governance

5.1 The Partner Bodies should seek the Commission’s advice, iteratively, on the development of the domestic geospatial elements of their Public Task (or equivalent), multi-year strategic plan, annual business/implementation plans and/ or business cases for investment (where the investment is outside of the annual plans), to inform and ensure consistency with the government’s Geospatial strategy. The Commission should have sight of final drafts before they are submitted to ministers or relevant approving officer.

5.2 Subject to 5.3 to 5.5 below, the Commission will have the final say on what falls within the purview of domestic geospatial data for the purposes of the public task, strategic plan, annual business/implementation plan, and business case. Commission involvement will not relate to the discharge of statutory duties, financial or other metrics which shall be a matter for the Board or management of the relevant Partner Body.

5.3 The Commission shall make the Partner Body Board or equivalent aware of any objections that the Commission has with regards to the domestic geospatial elements of the plans of the Partner Body. Where the Partner Body Board or equivalent proceed despite Commission objections, the Partner Body Board shall write to the Partner Body’s Principal Accounting Officer and the Commission’s Accounting Officer to explain their reasons for proceeding. These written explanations will inform advice to Ministers or the approving officer on this issue.

5.4 Ministers or approving officers responsible for the Partner Bodies will consider the Commissions and the Partner Bodies Board’s views before approving these documents as part of their existing duties

5.5 Where the Partner Body’s board or sponsoring department, including Accounting Officers, have irreconcilable disagreements with the Commission, and all official level channels have been exhausted, the issue will be escalated to the MSG.

5.6 The Commission recognises that some of the Partner Bodies have important roles outside of the Geospatial objectives of the Commission. The Commission will work with each Partner Body to ensure that its engagement with the Partner Body will be as efficient as practicably possible and will minimize inadvertent, unavoidable delay in matters outside of the Commission’s concern.

5.7 The Commission will work with each Partner Body to reflect the working arrangements set out in the Framework Document within the Partner Body’s constitutional documents and processes. Working arrangements will take account of the differing nature of each Partner Body and the need for efficiency in Partner Body’s business. The Commission is expected to work closely and iteratively with each Partner Body.

5.8 The Commission will work through partners to encourage the international adoption of UK geospatial data standards where there is scope, or the UK-wide adoption of appropriate international standards, while respecting and championing the commercial autonomy of the Partner Bodies in international markets. Where Partner Bodies are aware that their international activities may have domestic geospatial implications, they will consult with the Commission. Where domestic geospatial matters have consequences for international or non-geospatial matters of the Partner Bodies the Commission must take this into account.

5.9 Unless otherwise mutually agreed, the Commission will meet with each of the Partner Bodies, CEO and Chair at least twice a year to discuss: (a) Partner Body performance compared to the UK geospatial data elements of their Public Task, strategic plan and annual business plan, and any other significant UK geospatial data activities including projects, products, services, fee setting and legislation; (b) The aspects of the Commission’s strategy relevant to the Partner Body including geospatial data standards setting, licensing, opening data sets and funding for initiatives; and (c) The Commission’s role in promoting the activities and plans of the Partner Body as part of the Commission’s own strategy.

5.10 The Commission will recognise and appropriately accommodate potential conflicts of interest between its role as government customer for geospatial data and the setting of the UK’s geospatial strategy.

Customer relationship

5.11 Where appropriate, the Commission will take ownership of negotiating and managing relevant geospatial data contracts with Partner Bodies from the parent departments.

Relationship with non-Partner Bodies

6.1 To perform its duties and achieve its objectives, the Commission is expected to engage with a wider set of organisations than its Partner Bodies. The Commission will engage with these organisations confidently and assertively, and can expect the full, proactive support of the CDL/MCO,

MSG and Partner Bodies in influencing and convening Local Authorities, regulators, regulated asset bases, government contractors and other private sector businesses. Where all other alternatives have been explored, the Commission may also propose legislative solutions to intransigent barriers for consideration by Ministers.

6.2 The government’s geospatial strategy will be delivered by departments and their ALB’s. The departments and their ALB’s will have the opportunity to influence the strategy as it is developed, before it is agreed by the CDL/MCO and MSG and then will adopt the strategy by the usual write round process. Once it is agreed all departments will be held accountable for their part in the strategy’s delivery.

6.3 The Commission will have oversight of government engagement with external parties on geospatial matters to ensure coherence with the geospatial strategy. Departments will make the Commission aware of all relevant enquiries, of a strategic or cross cutting nature.

Periodic Assessment of the Commission’s Relevance

7.1 The Commission will periodically be critically assessed as to whether its form and influence are sufficient and appropriate to enable it to unlock the economic potential of geospatial data. The reviews will follow Cabinet Office Tailored Review or successor guidance.

7.2 The independent review team should report its findings and recommendations to the MSG and Devolved Administrations to ensure the full economic value of geospatial data is realised for the UK.