News — 26 December, 2023
Hub LAC Calls for Participation in the Humanitarian Mapping Brigade
Join the Humanitarian Mapping Brigade of HUB LAC and strengthen local capacities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Participate in effective emergency responses and foster an active culture of humanitarian mapping.
To enhance the reach and humanitarian response in emergency mapping activations and prevention in the region, the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) and the HUB LAC in Latin America and the Caribbean will introduce a new community-based working model in favor of emergency response and anticipatory mapping: the Humanitarian Mapping Brigade. This select group of up to 30 highly committed and technically skilled mappers will participate in specific projects, dedicating part of their time to mapping during emergencies. This mapping will be compensated for the time dedicated, based on the level of participation.
The Brigade will be deployed based on precise circumstances, temporality, and mapping extensions, providing support to projects at risk of not meeting deadlines. The group will not only focus on high-quality mapping tasks but also on validation and training. Its main objective is to support projects that may not be completed on time to meet real local needs. This team will play a key role in strengthening local capacity, promoting a rooted culture of humanitarian mapping in the region, and establishing a solid foundation for the continuous development of humanitarian and open mapping.
Join HUB LAC and contribute to strengthening local capacity, promoting an active and participatory culture of humanitarian mapping in the region. The application deadline is January 31: https://forms.gle/7bFZfdL1tuW7JWNB9.
Expected Impact
- Completion of priority activations within planned deadlines, strengthening humanitarian support.
- Improvement in emergency response and risk prevention, increasing base mapping capacity.
- Reduction of time and effort in the mapping and validation cycle, generating high-quality mappings from the start.
- Significant increase in overall map quality, avoiding gaps in validation capacity.
- Development of capabilities and leadership in humanitarian mapping in OSM.
- Increased visibility of open mapping for emergency management, facilitating the exchange of experience and participation in specialist networks.
Selection Criteria
- Intermediate and advanced OSM mappers.
- Regularly active in 2023, especially in HOT or similar projects.
- JOSM users.
- No recurrent or serious errors, with a positive evaluation of past mapping.
- Demonstrated interest in disaster management and commitment to humanitarian mapping.
Brigade Operation
- Organization in three groups: intermediate and advanced mappers, and validators.
- Activation in HOT emergency projects with mid-term delays.
- Quarterly or semi-annual compensation based on mapping quantity.
- No minimum or maximum participation limits, but quality and consistency are expected.
- Coordination and key meetings during activations.
- Benefit of periodic advanced OSM mapping training as needed.
Iterative approach
- The Brigade is an experiment with conditions in effect in the first half of 2024.
- Reevaluation with the group at the end of June 2024 to define terms of continuation.
Application Conditions
- Meet the previously established selection criteria.
- Complete the application form before January 31, 2024.
- Attend the informational meeting (date to be defined in February).
- Quality assessment of OSM mapping will be conducted through random review of recent changes.
- Active commitment to the mapping group, contributing consistently and parallel to main activities and as an extraprofessional activity, according to humanitarian needs in the region.
- Express interest in long-term participation.
- Selection will be based on prioritizing geographic location, maintaining coherence, and continuous voluntary participation in activations.
Activities Timeline December 2023 - January 2024:
- Application
- Pre-selection February:
- Introduction Meeting
- Test Mapping Evaluation and Selection
- Commitment Declaration and Agreement From February and following months:
- Continuous mapping according to emergencies March 28:
- Payment Management #1 June 27:
- Experimental Period Evaluation Meeting
- Payment Management #2 Within each activation:
- Kick-off Meeting
- Intermediate Meeting
- Closing Meeting
Español: El Hub LAC convoca a ser parte de la Brigada de Mapeo Humanitario
Português: O Hub LAC convoca para fazer parte da Brigada de Mapeamento Humanitário