The United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Land Imaging Programme assesses satellite capabilities to identify solutions addressing civil agency and societal challenges, allowing relevant stakeholders such as policy makers or land managers to make informed decisions about natural resources and the environment.

Prerequisites:

• Institutional & political interest and support for utilising EO technologies for services 

• Understand national 

policies and identify national policies that utilise EO data

• Identify and build relationships with relevant ministries, local companies, and other stakeholders to gather comprehensive data on existing EO usage in the nation

• Inter-ministerial working group

• Partner support as needed

Cost:

• Ballpark: USD 10k–20k

• Includes: literature review, stakeholder consultations, expert advisory, report drafting and validation

Note: A complete study would range from USD 50k-250k and include multiple activities such as determining the relevance of the domain, identification of existing data sources, developing use cases, and a capability maturity assessment) 

Timeframe:

• Overall: 6–12 mo

• Phase: scoping (1–2 mo), consultation (2–4 mo), drafting (2–4 mo), validation (1–2 mo)

Pros:

• Resource Efficiency - Allows for focusing limited resources on the most important use cases, maximizing investment impact.

• Target Identification - Helps narrow down the target for solution design, enabling efficient service delivery.

• Project Viability - Increases the feasibility of projects and supports efficient resource allocation.

Considerations:

• Volatility - Use case prioritisation may be affected by uncertainties or unforeseen changes, requiring flexible planning.