(Washington DC) The DC Master Address Repository (DC MAR) received the FOSE Centers of Excellence Award during the 30th Anniversary of the FOSE Conference. A panel of editors from Government Computer News chose the database as one of five top projects to receive this honor. The FOSE Award recognizes DC MAR for its enhancement of the business of government.

The Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) of the District of Columbia developed DC MAR, a database of building locations and addresses, to solve inconsistencies in reporting addresses throughout local jurisdictions and government agencies. DC MAR is one of the first citywide applications to use the District’s new service-oriented architecture to allow DC agencies to view the capabilities of DC MAR as a series of web services that send and receive XML.

“Addresses are the most important location information in government; they are necessary for everything we do,” explained Suzanne Peck, chief technology officer for the District of Columbia. “Building permits, crime reports, tax assessments and emergency response are just a few examples of why correct and consistent information are key to making the District government run effectively.”

DC MAR standardizes the way the database stores addresses, eliminates inconsistencies in address reporting, improves analysis and strengthens inter-agency communication systems. The program’s address standardization allows the District government to compare information across databases and agencies more easily. DC MAR assigns a unique Address Identification Number (AID) and map coordinates to each address and also determines the address’s specific property square, lot number, ward, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) and Police Service Area (PSA).