Healey (1997) proposed that enhancing the involvement of the public could aid spatial decision making processes. The National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis embraced this concept and developed Participatory GIS and coined the term Public Participation Geographical Information Systems (PPGIS) (Craig et al 1998). The term PPGIS does not exclude wider definitions (Kingston, 2006) and it is proposed in this research that the concept can be expanded to encourage ‘non-GIS’ organisational personnel to participate in using GIS to enhance business decision making processes.

The research presents initial findings from a study that investigated how existing organisational GIS capability could be efficiently strengthened by further diffusion of GIS into business processes, thus improving delivery of programs and decision making. The ILC was chosen as the case study organisation and the research began with an examination of other government agencies and Indigenous representative bodies that use geospatial methodologies in the acquisition and management of Australian Indigenous lands and waters. A business process review was initiated to assess ILC GIS use and reveal potential avenues for GIS expansion. The study, so far, has revealed an enthusiasm from the ILC as a whole towards GIS, a desire from its non-GIS personnel to engage further with GIS, and revealed opportunities to improve business practice e.g. non-GIS personnel creating/ editing database entries more efficiently and accurately by using the ILC Intranet Mapping Service. The next stage of the study will build upon these findings and assess how to operationalise them.