The Map Centre V2: an online GIS platform developed by CartONG to support MSF staff at HQ and in the field

CartONG has been supporting the work of MSF-Switzerland since 2013. As part of the current partnership between our 2 organizations, CartONG provides GIS and mapping services in support to the MSF GIS-Unit - which was created in 2014.

In the last couple of years, CartONG has also worked to support MSF staff by developing geographic web applications tailored to the needs and stakes of humanitarian operations. It is in this very context that the Map Centre was developed by CartONG for MSF. The Map Centre platform is a full-custom application created using Symfony framework, which acts as a single point of entry to access all geographical products used by MSF for its activities, both at headquarters and at field operations levels.

Watch our video to discover some of the main functionalities of the second version of the Map Centre, released in late 2018, in particular:

1. The Map Catalogue: an online library of more than 3,000 existing static maps (basemaps, epidemiological analysis of outbreaks, logistics or security maps), available to all MSF staff for consultation or download.
2. The GeoApps portal: a centralized portal of dynamic web maps called “GeoApps”. These web applications are able to analyze data from different sources, to allow interaction with geographical data, or provide dynamic chronological visualizations.
3. The Activation Portal: a feature of the Map Centre designed to gather and manage requests for new maps or GeoApps sent by MSF staff based at HQ or deployed in the field. It is similar to a ticketing system, helping users to formulate their requests in a simple and efficient way, and helping GIS experts obtain a unified view of all the ongoing requests.
4. The MSF Map: an internal tool to track the institutional presence of MSF teams around the world.

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If you’d like to learn more about CartONG’s expertise, we encourage you to visit the "What we do" page. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like our support for the development of web applications tailored to the needs and stakes of your organization's humanitarian operations.