Workshops

Matthieu Brient, Project Manager - OpenDataFrance

GreenData: how to limit data's environmental footprint?

Digital technology, including data collection, data provisioning and associated services are sources of a significant environmental footprint. How to reduce this negative externality? OpenDataFrance has developed some guidelines to help organizations understand and limit the environmental impact of open data (such as reducing the volume of data, offering specific geographical or temporal coverage and levels to limit data flows...). Join us to discover best practices of data sobriety to support sustainable data-driven services!

Here is a link to the presentation used in this workshop.

Gilles Cazaban, GIS Officer & Simon Violino, Product Owner - CartONG

Conducting data treatment and analysis using QGIS Graphical Modeler

Via an exercise centered on an environmental dataset, this 1h30 workshop aims at discovering and learning to use the graphical modeler of QGIS. If it does not compete with an ETL software, the graphical modeler of QGIS allows to set up processing chains intuitively to automate data analysis. This workshop is best suited to people with preexisting basic experience of QGIS as well as basic knowledge of spatial processes. Yet, everybody is welcome to join as the aim of the workshop is also to take a step back on analytical aspects and take a step by step approach with the graphical modeler.

Technical requirements: all participants will need access to a laptop that runs QGIS – we recommend the latest long term version of the software (3.22).

Paola Fava, Product Owner, Alison Lenaerts, GIS Project Manager & Anastasiia Tsymbalova, Web Development & IM Specialist - CartONG

How to set up self-organized and cross-functional teams to create meaningful products and process

In this workshop, you’ll learn how Agile principles and methodologies can support your coordination effort. As a project leader, are you looking for ways to realize the full potential of your team, increase productivity, motivation, and also improve the quality of your product or process?  It is time to discover Agile project management. One of the main values is “Individuals and interactions over process and tools”. An Agile self-organizing team builds projects around motivated members by giving them autonomy, support, and a conducive environment. Self-organized and cross-functional team shares principles, values, and purpose; they respect, trust, and support each other, and they want to thrive.  With the right resources, experience and processes, teams can collaborate better, and more effectively, and be satisfied with their work. The workshop will be presented in a format of a game and help you understand the characteristics of a Self-Organizing Team and how to build it. 

Target audience: Project Managers/Product Owners or Information Management Officers with field team, no prior knowledge of Agile is necessary
Format: onsite, laptops needed as we’ll use a Miro or Mural board

Here is a link to the presentation used in this workshop.

Caroline Fuhrer, Health Information Systems Specialist - World Health Organization
Pablo Timoner, Research Associate - GeoHealth Group at UNIGE

A discussion on how to measure and monitor availability and accessibility to essential health services: Experiences and case studies from the HeRAMS initiative

The HeRAMS Initiative aims to ensure that core information on essential health resources and services is readily available to decision makers at country, regional and global levels. Its mission is to support the establishment of collaborative and standard processes at country level for the continuous collection, analysis and dissemination of information on the availability of and accessibility to essential health services. It includes the establishment of a process to support the compilation, maintenance, regular update and continuous dissemination of an authoritative master list of health facilities.

Rapidly deployable and scalable to support emergency response and fragile states, HeRAMS can also be expanded to - or directly implemented as - an essential component of routine health information systems. Its modularity and scalability make it an essential component of emergency preparedness and response, health systems strengthening, universal health coverage and the humanitarian development nexus.

The data monitored by the HeRAMS initiative can form the basis to develop geographic accessibility models capturing the ease or complexity with which the target population can physically reach a health service. AccessMod is a World Health Organization-recognized, free and open source software tool that allows users to model the geographic accessibility of health services. Integrating AcessMod with HeRAMS has the potential to provide timely and high quality information on geographic access to health services and provides concrete data for policy and decision makers to target and optimize health system improvements.

Facilitating a group discussion, we will discuss challenges and possible solutions to implement a process to measure and monitor availability and accessibility to essential health services, drawing on the experience of the HeRAMS initiative and the expertise of the GeoHealth group from the University of Geneva.

The Culture Map: Looking at how people communicate, lead, and get things done across cultures

Have you ever wondered why the structure and timing of a workshop and its content might work better in some operations than in others? Have you experienced that explaining a new process or a new concept and getting people to support it, might not meet with the same enthusiasm across different country operations? And whilst everyone understands English just fine, you realize that you walked away from a meeting with different understanding on what is going to happen than some of your international and local colleagues? If yes, then maybe this workshop might help to shed some light on how cultural aspects could come into play in those type of situations.

This workshop looks at the study and groundwork by Erin Meyer, a professor at INSEAD who has identified eight different dimensions on how people are getting work done across cultures. We will look at those and interactively map some cultures during the workshop while discussing examples on how those dimensions could be affecting a multi-national team. No need to have prior knowledge or bring anything along but your curiosity on the topic.

Here is a link to the presentation used in this workshop.

Applying software development best practices to the design, development and deployment of mobile data collection and visualization tools in support of field interventions

Data management has become a key domain of expertise that nonprofit organizations have to master in order to properly design, execute and monitor their projects and programs. Building data collection and visualization tools has become increasingly easier with the arrival of no/low code tools such as KoboToolBox, DHIS2, CommCare to name just a few. The learning curve for these tools varies but it does allow individuals with low technical skillset to build data products that get deployed in production environments and that are used on a daily basis.
But too often, key design and development principles are not taken into account leading to unmaintainable, unscalable and/or unreplicable systems. In turn, organizations are not able to capitalize and to get the appropriate level of return on investment, and the data culture struggles to take foot, reducing the incentives to invest further.

Using a real world use case, we will unfold the methodology to design, develop and deploy Mobile Data Collection and visualization tools following key software development best practices that can be applied by anyone. Each step of the methodology will be discussed and a be subject to practical exercises. We will cover requirements gathering, workflows, data modeling, data entry approaches, versioning, project management, user support and more. We will also present tools that can help you each step of the way.

Paul Uithol, Director of Data - HOTOSM Netherlands

The HOT Protection Framework

The HOT Protection Framework is a set of tools and processes to help anyone considering mapping projects, activities, or datasets to assess and mitigate potential harm to people or communities. It specifically applied to projects involving open geospatial data - which 'traditional' protection policies and mechanisms may not be designed to accommodate. 

This session focuses on the people and communities being mapped , and will introduce the tools and provide a basic working familiarity with the process of assessing and mitigating protection risk and include exercises drawing on the participant's experience in humanitarian settings. It includes: 

• An introduction to the concept and ethical foundation of Protection in humanitarian and development work, and how it differs from Safety and Security 
• A framework for categorizing contexts, for example Stable, Complex Emergency, or Undeclared Interstate War, to guide the selection of appropriate Protection risk assessment ant mitigation tools in the context of (open) geospatial data 
• A framework for assessing project-specific data sensitivity and other contextual factors to further refine the categorization 
• Tools for prioritizing specific Protection risks and systematically considering migitations that can become part of the activity plans. 

This session can be valuable for anyone considering implementing mapping projects, particularly in new contexts, and/or with novel data collection methodologies.

Have you ever wondered how to put Information Management on your organization's agenda?

If you are reading this, you probably have. It's a difficult question to answer and organizations each approach it in a different way depending on priorities, mission, people, structure, organisational culture etc. Using our collective experiences and some sector resources as food for thought, we will work on identifying the key factors, preconditions and opportunities required to increase the adoption of Information Management at an organizational level.

How organizations can make Information Management work at the global level

The ActivityInfo team welcomes you to the session "How organizations can make Information Management work at the global level"!
During this session, the ActivityInfo team will explore the following topics:

• Understanding the dynamics of managing information across large organizations.
• Case studies on how some INGOs have successfully implemented their information management systems globally.
• Balancing local flexibility with global standards.
• Understand common pitfalls encountered by international MEAL departments in implementing their Information Management Systems.
• A roadmap for global information governance using ActivityInfo. 

We hope to see you there and we look forward to exchanging ideas and insights and discussing questions around this subject with you.
The workshop is open to all types of audiences but we consider it will be most beneficial to Heads of MEAL Departments at international NGOs, Monitoring and Evaluation professionals and Information Management officers.

From field to web: ArcGIS a sustainable solution to collect, share, present data and collaborate with other organizations

During this workshop, we will show you how to build a Survey123 form, to collect data in the field and share these data through different solutions (Dashboards, Webapps, StoryMaps, Hub). The workshops is open to everyone.

Survey design and data analysis: how to make your longitudinal monitoring easier

How to track infrastructure/vehicles over time using mobile data collection? How do these collected longitudinal data appear in the final database?  In this technical workshop, participants will learn how to design a survey aimed at monitoring infrastructures over time, using Mobile Data Collection (MDC). This workshop will enable participants to build a digital tracking form, using an XLS Form, compatible for different mobile data collection software. Participants will have an insight on how to make the best use of the collected data once downloaded. This workshop is intended for intermediary and advanced users of MDC tools (especially XLSForms coders). The objective of this workshop is that you test yourself the functionalities for longitudinal tracking on different MDC tools.

Target audience: M&E professionals, Project Managers specialized in data management. Prior intermediate to advanced knowledge on MDC software (especially on XLSForm coding). 

Here is a link to the presentation used in this workshop.

Make your data more resilient!

This workshop will explore the topic of data resilience by addressing it through different angles- first, on the importance of assessing the need and therefore the use to which the data will be put, and then also exploring the question of exposure to climate change risks, the availability of key features, as well as  security and usability over time. We'll explore collectively the best practices than can be set up to make your organisation's data more resilient.

Valentin Pistorozzi, Director of IT Development & Doug Smith, Director of Operations & Stephanie Thea, Project Manager (NEAT+) - Data Friendly Space

Bridging the gap between decision-makers and technology

All decisions, whether they are personal, public, or business-related, are based on the decision maker's beliefs and values. Technology can and should help decision makers by shaping their beliefs. Unfortunately, decision-makers are not often exposed to innovation activities; technology is not easily accessible, and tech teams might not understand decision-makers' information needs. Exchanging knowledge between decision makers and tech teams can strengthen the link between technology planning and organizational strategy. This workshop aims to equip decision-makers with the knowledge necessary to make sturdy technological decisions. The workshop will guide the participants through the innovation process. 

Case study used in the workshop: NEAT+. The NEAT+ is a project-level screening tool specifically designed for situations of displacement, which combines environmental data with site-specific and activity-based questions to analyze and flag priority environmental risks automatically. This allows the users and organizations to understand environmental sensitivities, receive information on mitigating risks, and find opportunities to collaborate on greener humanitarian operations.

Key takeaways: 

• Understand challenges around data in the humanitarian ecosystem, and specifically in the environment sector 
• Overview of the innovation process 
• Understand the potential of the digital tools
• Learn how to use the application
• Impact indicators
• Actionable takeaways on environmental impact assessment for organizations

The ACAPS Risk List: deep-dive into data gathering and analytical processes to enable horizon scanning and early warning in the humanitarian sector

The future is uncertain and hard to predict. Yet, risk analysis is essential to alert humanitarian decision-makers and responders on the possible emergence of new crises or significant deteriorations of existing humanitarian crises, and support preparedness for timely and adequate response. In this interactive session ACAPS will present the ACPS Risk List to discuss how data gathering and specific analytical methods can be used to facilitate horizon scanning and risk analysis for humanitarian purposes. Participants will be able to test their ability to identify upcoming risks that can have a humanitarian impact and exchange experiences on risk identification. We will also reflect on how data or information can be used to assess probability and impact of risks.

Anonymizing personal data using sdcMicro

This 1h30 workshop aims to cover the topic of careful anonymization of personal data, with the idea of allowing their reuse by other organizations without compromising the digital rights or privacy of the individuals concerned.

To this end, we will introduce the basics of using sdcMicro, which is both a library of functions in the R programming language, and - most importantly - a graphical application that allows the anonymization of data without having to know how to code in R.

During this session, we will focus on the simplest functionalities, as well as the basic concepts of "k-anonymity". A fake data table will be used to illustrate the different steps of anonymization in the graphical application (the sections, the fields and how to fill them in). We will also cover the aspects related to the anonymization report generated by the application to deduce the residual risk of re-identification.

Technical requirements: it is necessary for participants to install R, the sdcMicro library and its dependencies.

Climate Change as a Humanitarian Crisis

Participants will explore implications of climate change on policy, planning, and implementation in the context of humanitarian crises, and discuss the role of advanced analytics in supporting that decision making. Specifically, participants will learn how to access, analyze, and visualize climate, earth, and humanitarian data products using open-source tools. On-site speakers will facilitate an interactive, dynamic workshop that involves case examples, demonstrations of various open-source tools, and small group work.

Targeted audience: Data producers, data analysts, policy makers, and decision makers.

Pre-requisite: Knowledge of the international development sector, basic analysis skills. Participants are required to bring their laptops.

Fabien Lezeau - GIS Business Analyst & Johann Brunelot, Database & GIS Specialist - CartONG

Introduction to ETL, how to deal with "unusable" data. The use of ETL for integrating data from non GIS users in apps and maps.

As GIS, IM or DM specialists, we all had to deal with bad, incomplete, unprojected or poorly designed data. This workshop aims at describing how ETL tools can ease the work and allow integration of such data in maps and applications. You will see the variety of corrections and modifications allowed by ETL tools, and how all this work can be automated. The presentation is an introduction aimed at beginner users, no prior experience with ETL tools is required.

Bringing OSM to the next level: building equitable and sustainable bridges between OSM communities and humanitarian and development organizations

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is largely adopted by humanitarian & development practitioners around the world, and has proven its reactivity, sustainability and efficiency as a global tool for open and contributive mapping. However, those who are building organizations and communities around OSM-focussed activities face a multitude of sustainability challenges: from financial sustainability to volunteer retention, from leadership and governance to inclusivity, and more. In the 2 days that follow GeONG, and as part of the HOT unSummit Program, CartONG is hosting the GeONG Satellite Sustainability Exchange with participations from up to 10 OSM community leaders from Africa, Asia and America, that aims to (1) share, select, contextualize, co-design and innovate around sustainability approaches that worked (and didn’t!) (2) produce an actionable plan for implementing sustainable initiatives into current workflows (3) co-create a white paper to inform how organizations can better work with OSM communities and contribute to their sustainability goals. “Bringing OSM to the next level: building equitable and sustainable bridges between OSM communities and humanitarian and development organizations” is a preliminary workshop open to all that aims to gather ideas and insights to inform discussions and inputs pertaining to sustainability to build better bridges between OSM communities and humanitarian and development organizations.

Remote engagement: Tips and tactics for inclusive, high quality digital participation

This 2h30 workshop will explore good practices, case examples, and ideas on how to develop inclusive and safe digital approaches in development and humanitarian contexts. We’ll discuss key challenges with remote participation such as developing trust and rapport; addressing privacy, protection and data security; and ensuring data quality. We’ll cover topics such as:

• Working with connected community members to reach those without digital access
• Using messaging apps and other accessible channels
• Ensuring local organizations are involved in choosing, designing and applying tech approaches
• Assessing risks with remote engagement and deciding when NOT to use digital approaches
• Tactics and tips for quality remote engagement with communities, partners, and staff

Here is a link to the presentation used in this workshop.

Linda Menk, PhD Student - Salzburg University working in collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières

R & geospatial data: identifying vulnerable populations at risk

The R community working with geospatial data grew substantially within the past years and is contributing a plethora of useful "packages". Knowing how to work with R and having an idea of its’ packages bears vast potential for the humanitarian sector, besides, and in addition to, GIS software like ArcGIS and QGIS. In this workshop, participants will learn how to download, process and visualize well-known spatial data sources (e.g. Worldpop, ACLED, Malaria Atlas Project) in a transparent and reproducible manner using R.

Knowledge requirements: No R experience is required. Previous programming experience of any kind will definitely be helpful, but everybody is welcome. The course will be most interesting to those who have some R (or Python) experience and plan using R in the future to work with geohumanitarian data.

Technical requirements: All participants need access to a computer that runs R and RStudio: we recommend the most recent versions or R (R 4.2.1, released in June 22) and RStudio (2022.07.01, Build 554) on Windows 10, as it’ll be the ones used by the presenter and so as to avoid version-related problems during the workshop.

[en français] Connaître les forces et faiblesses de son organisation en gestion de données : réaliser un autodiagnostic

La gestion des données programmes et la gestion responsable des données sont des sujets sur lesquels les ONG sont convaincues de manquer de maturité et donc de devoir s’améliorer. Pour autant, ce sont des sujets dont elles ont du mal à se saisir et pour lesquels, les bénéfices opérationnels ne sont pas toujours bien clairs.
Pour appuyer le secteur de la solidarité internationale et aider les ONG à mieux appréhender leur degré de maturité en gestion des données programmes et le sujet, CartONG a développé une méthodologie d’autodiagnostic, composée de 3 outils principaux et utilisable par les organisations du secteur en pleine autonomie. Cet atelier vous propose de prendre en main la méthodologie développée via : 

• La présentation rapide de l’ensemble de la méthodologie 
• La prise en main et manipulation des outils, en sous-groupe, autour de cas pratiques et du partage d’expérience, tout en réfléchissant à l’intérêt de cette approche pour votre propre organisation

À la fin de cette atelier, vous serez, idéalement, en mesure d’utiliser cette méthodologie d’autodiagnostic dans votre organisation, d’en comprendre l’intérêt et d’identifier les éléments pour lesquels il est pertinent de l’appliquer.

Voici un lien vers la présentation utilisée lors de cet atelier.

Role of Emerging Technologies for Humanitarian Response: current advances and prospects of integrating AI with Earth observation?

This workshop will have two parts. In the first section, a comprehensive presentation will be provided on the role of emerging technologies like high spatio-temporal sensing technologies in optical and microwave domains for sensing and monitoring of humanitarian crises, generation, and provision of relevant information for decision-makers in operational humanitarian emergency response. It showcases current advances, prospects, and potential challenges of integrating earth observation data with artificial intelligence for humanitarian action. The second section of the workshop is the demo/use case will be presented. Interested participants can bring their laptops with ArcGIS pro (an offline version would be recommended). Knowledge of deep learning (computer vision), and programming is not required. Some experience on ArcMap or any GIS software is an added value but not mandatory. The dataset for the demo from openly available sources will be provided on the GitHub repository.

Benjamin Herfort, Research Associate - HeiGIT accompanied by counterparts from HOTOSM, CartONG, MapAction, and various OSM communities

OpenStreetMap marketplace and clinic

The Heidelberg Institute for Geoinformation Technology invites you to an "OpenStreetMap marketplace and clinic" at GeOnG 2022 to learn about current developments in regard to advanced OSM data access and analysis methods. HeiGIT will be presenting 3 innovations during a world cafe: the ohsome quality analyst to understand if OSM data is good enough for your analysis; the Sketch Map Tool, an extension of Field Papers that allows to collect spatial data together with communities; and how to monitor changes in OSM in near real-time, to derive statistics and quantify the impact of mapping campaigns. Each tool will benefit from a dedicated booth where participants will have the opportunity to learn how to use it, and receive advice on how to adapt it for their own needs. HeiGIT - together with expert guests from CartONG, HOT, MapAction and various OSM communities - will also perform a "data clinic" as an additional booth, where participants can bring their technical issues and questions around OSM and we'll try to fix them together!

Maja Bott, Digital Transformation Advisor, Department Innovation, Digitalization & Communication - KfW Development Bank

And joining from remote:
Dr. Achim Jaup, Senior Engineer - KfW Development Bank
Stephen Muthua, Chief Technical Adviser - ILO Somalia
Dr Boubacar Sadou Ousseini, Director - Direction Régionale de Santé Publique Tillabéry, Niger
Adonis Gnansounou, Consultant - CES Consulting Engineers Salzgitter GmbH

Remote Monitoring: How to choose the best approaches and tools for monitoring your project under site access restrictions using project examples

Are you interested in broadening your perspective of the possibilities for Remote Management, Monitoring, and Verification (RMMV) of your projects and in learning how to find the best mix of RMMV approaches and tools? For example, while working in a conflict setting or disaster zone: or because your target area is simply too large or there is a global pandemic... Then we have the perfect workshop for you! For this workshop we have prepared the following 2 actual project examples in conflict settings from which you can choose one example (parallel sessions):

• In English: Third Party Monitoring of employment-intensive (Cash for Work) rehabilitation of roads & markets infrastructure in Somalia
• In French: Remote Management, Monitoring and Verification of Niger’s Reproductive Health Program (Infrastructure Component) // Télégestion, suivi et vérification d’un programme de santé reproductive au Niger (volet infrastructure)

Representative of the project executing agency and KfW will state the personal challenges of successfully monitoring specific project locations remotely. It will be your task to develop recommendations for them in a group together with other participants that you will present at the end of the workshop. For this exercise you will be using KfW’s brand-new RMMV Guidebook which KfW produced as a digital public good. You will also have the opportunity to critically discuss your own experience and challenges with remotely monitoring humanitarian or development projects. Here you can already find our new fact sheets on RMMV tools and technologies.

Here is the new RMMV guidebook: https://www.kfw-entwicklungsbank.de/Service/Publications-Videos/Publications-by-topic/Digitalisation/RMMV-Guidebook/

Kindly find here the respective project information sheets: Niger & Somalia

Clémence Beugnot, Inclusive Projects Manager & Manon Viou, Participatory Mapping Project Manager & Missing Maps Project Coordinator - CartONG

Low-tech simple participatory mapping for non-specialists

Join us to explore new approaches of participatory field mapping and data collection! During this workshop, you will test simple, low-tech and inclusive mapping tools allowing you to collect data with communities even if your organization has zero GIS skills... and doesn't intend/cannot develop some. We will also explore alternative options to display and value collected data for decision-making, awareness raising and advocacy. We will practice in small groups in the field… of the city of Chambéry!

Lizmap: moving your QGIS projects to a free, opensourced and customizable web application

This practical workshop is designed for those who are already familiar with QGIS, and would like to discover Lizmap - a free and opensource solution that offers the possibility to push your QGIS projects further by transforming them into dynamic web maps. We will guide you through all the necessary steps to successfully implement Lizmap, going from the creation of a QGIS project to turning your GIS into a custom web application. The objective is to set up and publish one or more Climate Change-focused maps on a Lizmap server in the span of this 2h30 workshop.

Requirements:

1. Having a laptop with QGIS 3.22 in English
2. Being autonomous on QGIS