FIG Council

Volunteering for the Future

Vice President Orhan Ercan
2017-2020

Curriculum Vitae

Date of birth: 
Nationality:Turkish
Status: Married and have two children
Current Position: Work as cadastre and land administration consultant at the private sector

The FIG General Assembly elected at its meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand in May 2016 Mr. Orhan Ercan as FIG Vice President for a four-year term of office 1.1.2017-31.12.2020.

Curriculum Vitae

Short Summary

Prof. Orhan Ercan is Turkish citizen born in Turkey at 1959. Orhan is married and have two children. Orhan is a surveying engineer. Orhan acquired his Bachelor’s degree in 1983. Orhan got his PhD in the year 1997.

Orhan has worked for the Turkish Government for almost quarter century and realized many cadastre and land administration works. Besides, he has been involved in many geodetic and surveying infrastructure projects; namely, CORS-TR, Preparatory Study on NSDI-TR, Land Registry and Cadastre Information System, Public-Private-Partnership etc. in Turkey. 

Parallel to his practitioner engagements, Orhan was also active in academic and research institutions and a part-time lecturer at the university.

After retiring from the Turkish General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre, he has been working in the private sector for several years.

Thus, he gained his private sector experience as well and widened his professional spectrum successively. In course of my private sector engagements, I have realized diverse national and international surveying and planning projects.

Beside others, Orhan is also the Chair of the International Relations Commission of the Turkish Chamber of Survey and Cadastre Engineers (HKMO).

Education

Institution: Yıldız Technical University / Istanbul - Geodesy and Photogrammetry Engineering
Degree: PhD - Excellent
Dates of obtainment: 1997

Institution: Yıldız Technical University / Istanbul - Geodesy and Photogrammetry Engineering
Degree: MSc Excellent
Dates of obtainment: 1988

Institution: Karadeniz Technical University / Trabzon - Geodesy and Photogrammetry Engineering
Degree: BSc - Good
Dates of obtainment: 1983

Other Training

Photogrammetry Postgraduate at ITC, the Netherlands (1988-1989)

 Membership of Professional Associations

  • FIG – International Federation of Surveyors
    National delegate, Turkey, (2012 - present),
    • FIG 2018 Co-Congress Director and board member, (2014- present),
    • National correspondence of Commission 7, (2012- present),
    • Member of Task Force on Real Estate Market Studies, (2015- present),
    • Member of FIG Working Group, 5.4, 2003-2004
  • Council of European Geodetic Surveyors (CLGE)
    • National delegate, Turkey, 2016
  • Turkish Chamber of Surveying and Cadastre Engineers:
    • Chair of International Relations Commission (2012 - present),
    • Head of FIG2018 Congress Organizing Committee (2014 - …….)
    • Member of Cadastre Commission (2007 - present),
    • Member of GIS Commission (2007 – 2011).
  • Chair of Commission II for Turkish National Union of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (TUFUAB) (1994-2007).
  • Scientific member of the European Organization for Experimental Photogrammetric Research Commission C – OEEPE (1992-1995).
  • Turkish Interministerial Board for the Coordination and Planning of Mapping Issues:
    • Secretary General of Planning Commission (1990-2007)
    • Member of Scientific Commissions (1990-2007)

Countries of Work Experience

  • Turkey (1983-2007 worked at Turkish Cadastre Organization)
  • Libya (2007-2011)
  • Turkey  and Libya (2011 - Present)

Languages

Language Reading Speaking Writing
English Good
 Good Good
Turkish Mother tongue

Employment Record

2015 - Present
Independent Consultant

2014- 2015
Employer: LTIS Co., Inc - Libyan Turkish Integrated Solutions
Positions held: Associated partner and General Manager

2007 - 2013
Employer: GEOTECH Group Geographical Information Technologies
Positions held: Associated partner and General Manager of Jeotek Ltd Turkey, Company Manager of Libyan Geotech and Company Manager of JeoIT

2001 - 2009
Employer: Atılım University
Positions held: Civil Engineering Department - Part time lecturer

1984 - 2007
Employer: General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre
Positions held: Senior engineer

  • Surveying engineer at Department of Photogrammetry
  • Surveying engineer at Beşiktaş Cadastre Office
  • Section Manager at the Department of Geodesy and Photogrammetry
  • Section Manager at the Department of Research Planning and Co-ordination

1977 - 1980
Employer: General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre
Positions held: Technical Staff

 Detailed Tasks Assigned

Orhan worked as a department manager at Land Registry and Cadastre for many years.  In content of this duty he developed/managed many geodetic, photogrammetric, cadastre and GIS/LIS projects in Turkey

At the same time, he worked as a secretary general of Interministerial Board for the Coordination Mapping Issues.

Orhan was the coordinator of

  • Marmara Emergency Reconstruction Project-Marmara Earthquake Region Land Information System (MEER/MERLIS) sub component Cadastre and,
  • Agricultural Reform Implementation Project (ARIP) projects between the years 2000-2007 which were financed by World Bank.

Work Undertaken that Best Illustrates Capability to Handle the Tasks Assigned

Besides other;

a) Name of assignment or project:  Land Registry and Cadastre Information System – TAKBİS-I
Year:  2000-2001
Location:  Ankara- Turkey
Client:  General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre
Main project features: Establishment of Land Registry and Cadastre Information System
Positions held:  Project team leader

Activities performed; Determination of the problems by analyzing the land registry and cadastral services under the content of GIS/LIS,  Creating solutions under the content of existing legislations through improving of work process, Establishment of Land registry and Cadastral services electronically. Pilot project consists of 1.000.000 cadastral parcel.

b) Name of assignment or project: Land Registry and Cadastre Information System – TAKBİS-II
Year:  2005
Location:  Ankara- Turkey
Client:  General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre
Main project features: Establishment of Land Registry and Cadastre Information System
Positions held:  Project team member

Activities performed; Bidding document preparation, bidding procedure, automation of land registration transaction in the concept of land related information system

c) Name of assignment or project:  Marmara Earthquake Emergency Reconstruction Project (MEER/MERLIS)
Year:  2001 - 2004
Location:  Marmara Earthquake region - Turkey
Client:  General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre
Main project features: Marmara earthquake region land information system
Positions held:  Project Coordinator

Activities performed; initial cadastre and cadastre renovation process of conversion and integration of existing analogue and digital cadastre, land registry and related topographic data into consistent and standardized files of TAKBIS input data.

This may involve map digitizing, mapping, staking out the existing legal map to the field and appropriate legal actions.

d) Name of assignment or project:  Marmara Earthquake Emergency Reconstruction Project (MEER)
Year:  2003 - 2004
Location:  Marmara Earthquake region - Turkey
Client:  General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre
Main project features: Marmara earthquake region geodetic network densification
Positions held:  Project Manager

Activities performed; Establishment of 373 geodetic ground control points in different accuracy levels, adjustment of them on GRS80 ellipsoid and ITRF 96 datum were completed. GPS leveling method was used on determining helmert orthometric heights. For this purpose 586 new height points was established and precise leveling is performed on 97 points.

e) Name of assignment or project:  Agricultural Reform Implementation Project, Sub Component A-2
Year:  2004 - 2006
Location:  Turkey
Client:  General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre
Main project features: Initial cadastre works in 11,000 villages
Positions held:  Project Coordinator

Activities performed; in the concept of 560 tenders the 13 million parcels produced.

f) Name of assignment or project:  Continuously Operating Reference Stations CORS-TR
Year:  2005 - 2006
Location:  Turkey
Client:  General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre – General Command of Mapping
Main project features: CORS
Positions held:  Project team member / Critical Researcher

Activities performed; CORS are geodetic quality GPS receivers and antennas that are permanently installed. These stations collect GPS data continuously, and transmit data via internet to a central server. At the server, the data is archived for future use, and made available for download by any user. The incoming data is also processed at the server to generate corrections which are made available over the internet users in real-time. The Turkish Network has been named CORS – TR (Transmission of Real-time corrections) to emphasize the expanded range of products available. Real-Time Kinematic GPS (RTK) is a method of surveying with GPS that provides positioning accuracy at a level of 1–3 cm. The CORS stations will serve as permanent bases.

g) Name of assignment or project: 3rd Generation Planning Program - Libya
Year:  2007 – 2011
Location:  Benghazi Region / Libya
Client:  Urban Planning Authority - Libya
Main project features: Urban planning
Positions held:  Technical adviser

Activities performed; 250K and 25K scale development plans at national, regional and sub-regional levels; 10K and 5K scale urban plans along with 1K scale implementation projects at local levels, respectively.

h) Name of assignment or project:  Initial Cadastre Projects
Year:  2007 – 2009
Location:  1) Ayvacık/Samsun, 2) Kavak 3) Beyşehir and 4) Sinop
Client:  General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre
Main project features: Implementation of initial cadastre works
Positions held:  Project Manager

Activities performed; Initial cadastral surveying of app. 53,000 cadastral parcels.

I) Name of assignment or project: Istanbul Photogrammetric Mapping Project
Year:  2007 – 2008
Location:  Istanbul
Client:  Istanbul Municipality
Main project features: 1K photogrammetric map production both vector and raster based 491 map sheets.
Positions held:  Project Manager

Activities performed; Geodetic works, aerial triangulation, plotting, editing, field verification, conversion to GIS

j) Name of assignment or project:  E-transformation Turkey
Year:  2004
Location:  Turkey
Client:  State Planning Organization
Main project features: Preliminary Study on establishment of Turkish National Geographic Information System
Positions held:  Coordinator

Activities performed; Evaluation of GIS projects, preparing future plans

k) Name of assignment or project:  E-transformation Turkey
Year:  2005
Location:  Turkey
Client:  State Planning Organization
Main project features: Preparatory works on constitution of Turkish National Spatial Data Infrastructure
Positions held:  Coordinator

Activities performed; Preliminary study on National Spatial Data Infrastructure

l) Name of assignment or project:  Libyan National Mapping and Geodatabase Project
Year:  2009 – 2011
Location:  Tripoli -  Libya
Client:  Surveying Department of Libya
Main project features: Main project features: Digital Mapping (CORS establishment, geoid determination, map production [aerial photography, aerial triangulation, orthophoto and line mapping of entire Libya with 50 cm gsd], Geodatabase and Portal GIS, Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building
Positions held:  Project Manager

Activities performed; preparation of technical specifications and RFP, bidding procedures, institutional development and capacity building

m) Name of assignment or project: Land Registry and Cadastre Information System – TAKBİS – III
Year:  2011
Location:  Ankara- Turkey
Client:  General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre
Main project features: Establishment of Land Registry and Cadastre Information System
Positions held:  Individual Consultant (worked for Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey)
Activities performed; Evaluation of TAKBIS Project

n) Name of assignment or project:  Designing a macro framework for Agricultural Land Use Planning
Year:  2013
Location:  Edirne, Kırklareli and Tekirdağ Provinces -  Turkey
Client:  General Directorate of Agricultural Reform 
Main project features: spatial and land use plans, 
Positions held:  Project Management
Activities performed; preparation of the planning methodology, elaborations in the pilot vicinities, and scheduling of the planning program.    

o) Name of assignment or project: Turkish Market Survey
Year:  2012
Location:  Ankara Turkey
Client:  Leica Switzerland

Main project features: It has requested to make a market study in the field of surveying equipment market by the client.  The focus of the Market Study was to get a clear answer of the followings;

  • Quantities & prices of key products
  • The market volume
  • Market positions by brand
  • Market prices + margins
  • Market trends (growth rate)
  •  Market opportunities

Detailed Market Survey about the Surveying Market (investments per year)
Positions held:  Project Coordination

Activities performed; The Market Study comprised the following activities: 

  • Contacts/investigations/preliminary work planning
  • Instruction of Contractor, clarification of task
  • Work planning/arrangements
  • Development/translation of questionnaire
  • Collection/scanning Address material
  • Distribution of questionnaires
  • Collection of answers incl. contacts for reminder and clarification
  • Interpretation of answers
  • Elaboration report market assessment and recommendations
  • Presentation and discussion of result

p) Name of assignment or project:  orthophoto production with 5cm GSD and the underlying DTM data using by Unmanned Air Vehicles.
Year:  2013
Location:  Antalya - Turkey
Client:  NZ Aerial Mapping Limited – New Zealand
Main project features: 5cm Aerial Imagery collection in Golf Course by UAV, DTM and Orthophoto production

Activities performed; project implementation

q) Name of assignment or project:  Development of Agricultural Land Use Planning and Soil Database
Year:  2013
Location:  Turkey
Client:  General Directorate of Agricultural Reform 
Main project features: spatial and land use plans, 
Positions held:  Project Developer, Adviser to Director General
Activities performed; Developing RFP and ToR

r) Name of assignment or project:  Software Development on Cadastral Applications Using by OpenSource Technology
Year:  2013
Location:  Turkey
Client:  General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre
Main project features: analysis, design and software development 
Positions held:  Project Manager
Activities performed; Software development

t) Others ; involved several projects in Turkey

  • Surveying projects (urban line map productions)
  • Engineering survey projects (road surveying projects)
  • Geodetic projects (geodetic networks)
  • Software development (esri-open source)
  • Consultancy etc..

Expertise, Qualifications, Skills & Publications

Expertise

Cadastre expert and Photogrammetrists

Qualifications              

Land administration, Photogrammetry, Geodesy, GIS Applications, Personnel, Budget and Project Planning & Management

Publications

  • Many Technical and Administrative Reports about the Projects
  • 1 Lecture Notes on Fundamentals of Surveying (Drafted, but not published yet)
  • 1 Mapping Dictionary (Membership of Dictionary Project Group)
  • Over 30 Articles/Papers in National Periodic
  • Over 10 Articles/Papers in International Conferences
  • Thesis Management and Advisory in Geodesy-Photogrammetry Engineering

Academic Works

Atılım University; part time Academic Staff for the courses of

Fundamentals of Surveying CE 209,

  •  Principles of GIS CE 414 / 512,
  • Digital Mapping Techniques CE 511,     (2001-2009)

Cadastre Vocational School; part time Lecturer for

  • Surveying III,
  • Cartography       

(1989-2004)

Middle East Technical University (METU), Geodetic and Geoinformatic Technologies Department

  •  Jury member of 4 GIS/GPS/RS related MSc Thesis (2000-2002)

MSc Thesis Supervisor (Chair);

  • Change Detection in Densely Populated Urban Area and Rural Area Using High Resolution Satellite Image, Atılım University, (2005)
  • Design and Implementation of Earthquake Management Project, Case Study: Körfez Municipality, Atılım University, (2005)