From the geospatial data component, we were certainly working very closely with Treasury Board. I mentioned earlier the Federal Committee on Geomatics and Earth Observations, which is a government-wide approach to looking at the horizontal coordination of our geospatial data and information and which is, by and large, open. We are looking at business models that look at particular forms of efficiency. We're guided by the mantra of build once, use many times. In terms of our search capabilities, we're working closely with Treasury Board to also implement the mantra of search once and find everything.
We know now that technology allows us to do that. We also know that there is a collaborative will within the federal government to work together. I think that the strategic review process and the strategic and operating reviews have forced departments to think about how it is they work together, and as a result, the efficiencies and the strategic retargeting of how it is you do business has forced us to come together in more effective and efficient business models. I think the work of the 21 departments that have come together as the Federal Committee on Geomatics and Earth Observations is a critical example of that.
The work we've done at NRCan also speaks to a business model that we implemented back in 1999 with the provinces and territories. We have the Canadian Council on Geomatics. Canada has always had a leadership role in geomatics, so we work together collaboratively with 13 governments, provinces and territories, to share geospatial data in open and collaborative ways.
We have a GeoConnections program at NRCan. That program is responsible for international and national geospatial standards and ensuring that there is vendor neutrality, technological interoperability as well as data interoperability, and we've been given a cabinet mandate. I believe it was Minister Paradis that reannounced the program back in 2011, if I'm not mistaken. I can check that fact for you.