Data Products ›› Data Product Quality

The LANDFIRE team focuses on producing and delivering quality products and has mechanisms in place to allow for assessments and feedback on product quality. This page is divided into three sections addressing LANDFIRE's procedure for evaluating product quality. The first addresses the feedback process, the second the review process, and the third section covers the product quality assessment process.

Feedback Process

LANDFIRE provides opportunities for users to provide feedback on the quality of the products and has a process in place to review and address user comments. Users of LANDFIRE data products can provide feedback through the Contact Us link (helpdesk@landfire.gov) and participation in After Action Reviews, workshops, and meetings (please see the How to Participate section of this website)

Following is an example of this feedback process:

Informal reviews of the initial maps of the Great Basin and Southwest raised concerns about the quality of some products. The issue was brought to the attention of the LANDFIRE organization and was reviewed and evaluated. A decision was made to proceed through a change request process with a formal agreement between the Bureau of Land Management and the LANDFIRE Project to remap certain LANDFIRE National geospatial layers to address the over-mapping of pinyon-juniper communities and the under-mapping of non-native grass communities. Click here for the complete report.

Review Process

LANDFIRE governance at times will initiate or conduct project reviews. In 2006, the Executive Oversight Committee of the project conducted a "General Management Review" which evaluated goals, objectives, scope, schedule, budget, quality, business practices, production processes, and customer satisfaction. In 2007, reviews from users elevated some concerns. LANDFIRE Project management initiated an external independent review of the production processes and deliverables. A report titled, "Review and Assessment of LANDFIRE Canopy Fuel Mapping Procedures" was produced, which focuses on canopy cover and canopy bulk density values, canopy base height, tree list data sources, data discontinuities within and between mapping zones, and refreshing/calibrating LANDFIRE data. Click here for the complete report.

Product Quality Assessment Process

The LANDFIRE team understands the importance of determining and communicating to users the characteristics of project products. To accomplish this end, LANDFIRE leadership established the Product Quality Working Team (PQWT). The PQWT is composed of LANDFIRE production team members and external experts:

A Product Quality Control and Assessment (PQCA) Plan was developed by the PQWT and accepted by the LANDFIRE Leadership Team and LANDFIRE Executive Oversight Committee. The plan includes quality control procedures for production processes as well as a product quality assessment approach where applicable. For details of the assessment approach, please download and review the PQCA Plan currently posted for the Western US Milestone.

For the western U.S. mapping zones, results are presented in two reports:

LANDFIRE National Western Milestone Agreement Assessment Summary

LANDFIRE National Western Milestone Agreement Assessment Super Zone Analysis