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In our December newsletter, we usually take the time to review the year that has passed in our Highlight section. This year, we have a bit of a different announcement to make, but let us start by wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and a Happy 2022!
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CartONG is proud to introduce its first multi-year strategy!
Since the publication of our Associative Project in 2019, there had been a strong desire at CartONG to work on a strategic document that would guide the future action of the association while offering enough flexibility to adapt to new constraints or opportunities. After 15 years of existence, this momentum was seen as a new step of a larger consolidation and development process for the organization.
Staying true to its values, CartONG started to work on its very first multi-year strategy in November 2019, using a collaborative approach facilitated by the association's Board and management team. The final document, formally approved during the General Assembly of June 2021, thus represents the collective vision and ambition of CartONG’s employees, members, volunteers and Board members for the 2022-2024 period. Learn more about the process we undertook by reading our article.
The strategic areas and objectives chosen by CartONG for its first strategy take into account the challenges faced by our organization and the aid sector in an ever-evolving digital world. What’s more, they are meant to ensure that CartONG can sustain, diversify and enhance the Information Management support it provides to humanitarian, development and social action actors in the coming years, always keeping in mind their actual needs and the relevance of the technologies, methodologies and processes we use and promote.
We invite you to learn more about our first strategy by checking this abridged version. We hope you will enjoy reading it and will be reminded of the impact CartONG aims to have on the sector.
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~ Analytic Dashboard for Back to School Follow-up in Mexico with MapAction ~
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In May 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading worldwide, UNICEF Mexico launched the first activation of the 3-year Long Term Agreement signed by UNICEF HQ, CartONG and MapAction in the second half of 2019. This first activation occurred after UNICEF was approached by the Mexican Ministry of Education to support the creation of a dashboard aiming to display on both a map and a series of graphs, several key COVID-19 related indicators on schools at school, municipality, administrative division and country levels. As such, the dashboard was meant to play a key role in helping Mexico manage the return to school for millions of pupils in the context of the health crisis. Learn more about the development of the dashboard and the collaboration with MapAction in this news.
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~ Our volunteer offer is growing! ~
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The COVID-19 crisis has renewed the engagement practices of our growing volunteer community, with more support being carried out from remote. Building on this experience, and in line with our 2020-2023 Associative Life and Volunteer Involvement Strategy, CartONG submitted in June 2021 a project for the "Volontariat d'Échanges et de Compétences" call for proposals of Fonjep (following a mandate it received from MEAE). Thanks to this newly-obtained funding, our team will seek to formalize a clearer internal volunteering framework, propose 27 new volunteering missions to humanitarian, development and social action organizations, set up e-volunteering activities with private companies, and continue developing the skills of its volunteer community. Learn more here.
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~ A new version of the site mapping application has been released in support of UNHCR ~
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CartONG has been developing the site mapping application since 2015. In 2021 we did finalize the migration to a new technology, taking the opportunity to also add new features to the application. The main objective of this web map - which centralizes UNHCR site maps in one place - is to provide timely access to information for decision makers, allowing them to monitor, manage and make informed decisions. In a nutshell, it creates a complete digital inventory of all basic infrastructures available in a camp or settlement of refugees or IDPs. In 2021, CartONG worked on three main axes. First of all, on the back-end and technical side, we have completed the migration of the application to a new server and improved the development processes by putting in place automated testing and automated deployment. On top of using Vue.js as the main framework, we have updated some libraries such as MapLibre and implemented the use of TypeScript. Secondly, on the front-end side, we did improve the UX (user experience). Last but not least, we have implemented the vector tiles feature, one of this year’s major achievements! The vector tiles are built with ESRI and published on Agol, whilst the style is built with Mapbox style. The size of the data loaded on the browser is lighter, this allows a faster display and smoother zooming, and the style can be modified and updated easily depending on the needs. You can discover the latest version of the site mapping application here.
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~ Developing an emergency monitoring system for ACF France ~
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CartONG is supporting Action Contre la Faim France in putting together an emergency monitoring system. The objective of our support is to build a lightweight workflow to quickly channel standardized information from the field to help clarify the kind of support the emergency desk can deliver to each mission. The construction of the system, which delivers standardized reports based on the information submitted by the field via a Kobo form, is now almost complete. We are now heading towards a pilot phase to test the system in the field and enhance its functionalities, and we are very much looking forward to continuing our collaboration with ACF France in 2022.
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ADVANCING RESPONSIBLE DATA PRACTICES - We are embarking on a first partnership with the Centre de crise et de soutien of the French Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs for a 2-year project on a topic close to our heart: promoting and advancing responsible data management practices within the aid sector. This project is part of a new innovation fund dedicated to structural initiatives. In practice, we will be aiming at launching a community of practice and supporting humanitarian actors in their journey towards responsible data through the creation of a comprehensive toolbox, useful curated resources, and training materials.
RENEWED COLLABORATION WITH TDH - CartONG launches a new collaboration with its long-time partner, Terre des hommes (Tdh), to develop a new FACET tool. If you don’t already know, FACET is a mobile application measuring water supply and sanitation provision in public institutions. In the past, CartONG has already contributed to the technical development of data collection and analysis tools to analyze WaSH services in schools and health centers. This time, the new tool focuses on detention centers. An XLSform questionnaire and a Power BI dashboard template will be created by CartONG to make it possible for Tdh’s teams to analyze service levels in several areas (water, sanitation, hygiene, waste, maintenance and living space, environmental cleaning). A first pilot data collection will also be carried out by Tdh in March in 2 countries to test the data collection and analysis tools.
FOCUS ON CAPACITY-BUILDING FOR SI - CartONG is pursuing its collaboration with Solidarités International (SI), accompanying their field teams to build their capacities in Information Management. After following a first training on databases and Excel, the Myanmar’s team will receive both a GIS and a Power BI training in early 2022. Similar capacity-building support might follow in other countries of operation of SI later in the year.
NEW IM RESOURCES COMING UP SOON - You’ll be happy to hear about all the great new Information Management resources coming out of CartONG’s three-year initiative in support of the aid sector. First of all, we are currently adding a Learning Corner section to the IM Resource Portal to ensure that practical toolboxes are more easily accessible to field teams. In the coming weeks, you will discover there an Excel toolbox, a First steps in program data toolbox, a Data analysis toolbox as well as a Self-assessment tool to evaluate your level in program data! If you are struggling to keep up, you can find your way in the tens of resources that have already come out since the project started two years ago through this compass of resources (available in French).
DATA PROTECTION TRAINING ROUND 2 - For the second time, CartONG has been selected by VENRO, the umbrella organization of development and humanitarian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Germany, to provide an online training on data protection in humanitarian assistance. We are hoping to gather a dozen participants for 6 online training sessions in February 2022.
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CARTONG IN NUMBERS THIS QUARTER
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7on-site mapathons and 10 remote mapathons organized in the fall with 188 participants attending in total |
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800hours spent by our team on preparing, supporting, giving or following up on training sessions |
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MISSIONS AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES
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MISSION - CartONG is implementing with OpenStreetMap Madagascar a mission to support Secours Islamique France’s project Avotia in Southwest Madagascar. A training was organized this week to kickstart a OSM group among the students of the University of Toliara. CartONG will also be supporting SIF’s team on OSM in Morombe as well as on data collection, and we will help them prepare a participatory workshop with local communities.
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MISSION - This quarter, we also deployed a GIS staff to the coordination offices of Médecins Sans Frontières Lebanon in Beirut for several weeks in order to support and follow up with their on-site GIS specialist. The support provided by CartONG enabled the monitoring of in-country activities as well as field visits to two MSF Lebanon projects in the Bekaa Valley.
The quarter was marked by a strong focus on capacity-building activities - an overview below:
ONSITE TRAINING & AWARENESS RAISING ACTIVITIES
As part of the participatory mapping project in Tajikistan, our local partner Little Earth, with our support, organized several training sessions on baseline mapping and validation in OSM, JOSM and OsmAnd in the last three months for local partners such as TATOS, GRC and local universities, as well as for the OSM community of volunteers. In addition, a Mapping Club has been launched and is meeting every week at the American Space. In order to motivate our OSM mapping volunteers, 17 mappers and 4 validators also received a certification. This project is implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German government.
Thanks to a RECITAL funding and in partnership with AQCV (a social center based in Chambéry), a staff from CartONG facilitated 5 workshops of Education for Citizenship and International Solidarity in a local secondary school in December. Through these workshops, 33 students discussed the topic of inequalities in urban areas and learned how to create subjective maps.
In November, CartONG co-facilitated an introduction to digital mapping tools for teenagers entitled "Around the world... with maps" at the Jean-Jacques Rousseau Library in Chambéry. We will repeat this workshop on January 5th, 2022 at the multimedia workshop of the Georges Brassens Library, thanks to the support of FDVA Savoie.
TRAINING ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED FROM REMOTE
Following an introduction to GIS that took place during the summer, CartONG provided two 3-day QGIS training sessions to key M&E staff of the RESILAC project, one being conducted in English and the other one in French.
Similarly to last year, CartONG conducted a training on Mobile Data Collection, consisting of 6 sessions of 2 hours each, for 16 French-speaking Terre des hommes’ staff - most of them working in Monitoring & Evaluation.
CartONG carried out 3 training sessions at Bioforce in Vénissieux in the last quarter. We gave two 2-day training sessions to RETLH profiles (future work environment and humanitarian logistics managers), as well as one day of training to program coordinator profiles.
CartONG brought its support and technical expertise to Groupe URD for the delivery of 2 Monitoring & Evaluation training sessions - one organized in Paris and the other one taking place online - to the teams of Expertise France. After this round of pilot training, more sessions are to come in 2022!
2 field officers from UNHCR operations in Syria and Nigeria were trained during 2 webinar sessions as part of our support to the Division of Resilience and Solutions.
With the end of the year comes the yearly KAP data collection for UNHCR’s field teams. To support this effort, CartONG delivered 5 cycles of training - each cycle comprising 3 webinars - on the KAP survey data collection and analysis to 104 staff.
A GIS Basic light training of 3 half days was given remotely early December to introduce 14 MSF staff to GIS concepts and basic tools such as OSMAnd, Google Earth and the MSF Mapper, an internal GIS tool.
A GIS online training of 5 half days was given by CartONG to 7 GIS focal points of the French Development Agency in the Gulf of Guinea. The training included numerous homework exercises.
CartONG supported remotely 6 UNHCR staff and 6 staff of UNHCR's local partners on a site mapping exercise in Ethiopia in the last quarter, as part of its support to the Global Data Service of UNHCR.
And last but not least... thanks to the support of the FDVA, we were able to offer training to our community of volunteers again this year. 9 of our members recently attended 2 online training sessions on OSM tools for data collection and field mapping, which both included ample time for practical exercises.
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Latest publications on the IM Resource Portal
This post from The Engine Room, helps define what to keep in mind when dealing with data as an aid organization and what responsible data implies for humanitarian project management. It also provides a list of key resources to help you kick off your responsible data journey!
This blog post by Translators without Borders / CLEAR Global aims at helping NGOs and International Organisations close the data language gap by improving the integration of language in data collection and more generally communication with communities. Integrating this kind of data in response plans and program decisions is a prerequisite for improving the effectiveness, reach, and accountability of humanitarian action across these countries.
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Other recommended publications
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~ Save the date, the GeOnG forum is back! ~
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Join us on 24-25-26 October, 2022 for three exciting days of exchanges on the current and future stakes of Information Management in the aid sector. For the first time ever, the GeOnG forum will be held in a hybrid format, with participants being able to either join us in Chambéry, France for the full event or attend the main sessions online.
By choosing for its main theme “Do no harm” in the era of environmental emergency: revisiting Information Management in the aid sector, the 2022 GeOnG forum will provide a platform through which aid practitioners can discuss how the humanitarian and development sector can reconsider its Information Management approaches to adjust to the environmental emergency.
Find more about the 2022 GeOnG forum here. We also encourage all interested actors to submit ideas for sessions via our Open Call for Suggestions.
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~ Save the date for the fourth exchange day on
program data management ~
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The 4th exchange day on program data management will be held on February 8, 2022! Organized by CartONG, this exchange day is intended for all French-speaking CSO representatives interested in program data management and wishing to exchange with their peers on the subject. We are pleased to announce that WaterAid will be hosting a session on their data management practices. Please note that one or two of the day's sessions will also be accessible remotely. The location of the event, the registration link and the full agenda will be communicated in the near future.
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Would you like to know more about CartONG volunteer activities? Register for your first online participatory mapping session (also called mapathon) here. We also invite you to discover our activities by participating in one of our monthly online volunteer happy hour sessions. These take place every second Wednesday of the month, from 6 to 8 pm. The next dates will be on 12/01, 09/02, 09/03. Register by sending an email to Clara!
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~ Ongoing volunteer projects ~
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New activities are coming up! Here is a highlight of two organizations that our volunteer community will be supporting in the coming months.
Oceaneye is a non-profit association documenting water pollution caused by plastics, as well as its roots and its impacts. Working with CartONG staff, two volunteers will develop an interactive map for Oceaneye which will aim to highlight their data and actions.
People and the Sea is an association aiming to protect the seabed in the Philippines by combining marine resource analysis and capacity building of local communities. Two of our volunteers will support the association to map the seagrass beds around Malapascua Island, thanks to remote sensing methodologies. This would allow the association to follow their evolution, and also help raise awareness on the topic locally.
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CartONG is currently looking for a:
- Event Management Intern for the 2022 GeOnG forum - more information here
- Information Management & Mobile Data Collection Officer - more information here
- GIS Officer - more information here
- GIS Officer - webmaps, applications & servers - more information here
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