A stakeholder-based assessment framework applied to evaluate development scenarios for the spatial data infrastructure for Flanders

• New approach to evaluate spatial data infrastructure deployment paths.
• The Multi Actor Multi Criteria Analysis (MAMCA) is capable to take multiple stakeholders into account.
• SDI is seen as a multi-disciplinary concept and several alternatives are evaluated regarding the multiple criteria.
• The new approach is applied in the context of the spatial data infrastructure in Flanders (Belgium).

Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is the integration of a number of components to create a platform which enables a wide variety of stakeholders to access, share and use spatial data in an efficient and effective way. The way this platform should be set up and governed is a difficult decision, in which all these stakeholders have different views and objectives. In this paper, the Multi Actor Multi Criteria Analysis (MAMCA), developed by Macharis, 2000 and Macharis, 2005, is discussed as a methodology for evaluating different development alternatives for SDI. The application of the methodology for the case in Flanders (Belgium) clearly shows its clear and visual interpretation strengths. This enables a thorough discussion of the possible implementation paths with their strengths and weaknesses by the stakeholders. The results show that the future of the SDI in Flanders could lie within the integration of the market in the SDI.