The whole world's attention is focused on one thing only at the moment: the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a crisis like no other we’ve ever seen before. This morning, the number of contaminated people worldwide was just shy of 1.3 million. More than 3 billion individuals are currently confined at home globally. And multiple, ongoing humanitarian, economic, social and environmental crises will be exacerbated by this pandemic.
CartONG is adapting its response and the support it provides to its partners and the sector as a whole thanks to the dedication of its staff and of its network of volunteers. We’ve witnessed an incredible response and we are extremely grateful to them. As needs evolve, we will continue to adapt the assistance we provide over the weeks and months to come. Here is a snapshot of what we have been doing so far.
In the last few weeks, we have tirelessly been working on data harvesting as well as creating dashboards and (web)maps, in particular in support of our partners MSF, UNHCR, Humanity & Inclusion and the RUSH initiative.
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Extended support to MSF
CartONG has developed a first dashboard based on ESRI technology and displaying daily updated data on travel restrictions and quarantine measures per country, as well as on international airport statuses and on constraints on the MSF supply chain. Thanks to our volunteers for their amazing support!
Read more here.
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A new dashboard for UNHCR
CartONG has built a new COVID-19 dashboard for UNHCR to centralize in one tool various health and WASH data alongside refugees’ and asylum seekers’ information. Built on ESRI technology and thanks to specific interoperability processes, this new dashboard allows reading in data from various data sources.
Read more here.
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We were also recently contacted through the French-speaking Accountability Community of Practice (facilitated by the Groupe URD), to support monitoring & evaluation processes for NGOs in the current context. More specifically, there are growing needs to advise humanitarian and development organizations on existing alternatives to face-to-face interviews and on the modalities of implementing data protection principles from remote during the crisis.
Do not hesitate to contact us for similar needs. We will work to tackle as much as possible consistently the response to such requests, in particular to avoid duplicating data collection efforts as well as the creation of guidance or visualization tools on the same topics.
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~ Looking back at our 18-month journey towards responsible data ~
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Implementation of encryption on mobile data collection tools, design of databases containing sensitive information, (web)mapping of stigmatizing illnesses, development of web applications containing personal data: data protection has been a long-standing concern of CartONG. With the introduction of the GDPR in 2018, our organization decided it was time to move to the next level and embarked upon a vast institutionalization process of responsible data management in-house. We invite you to discover the main first steps of this - still ongoing - change management journey and the lessons that we have learned from it. Read more here.
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~ 6 recommendations to better consider GIS needs within aid organizations ~
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Compared to the majority of English-speaking western NGOs and International Organizations, most French NGOs can be seen as being rather behind in their approach to and use of geographic information. This situation has long been acknowledged at Humanity & Inclusion. In 2019, their Innovation, Impact & Information team asked for a GIS needs assessment of HQ and field operations - which was conducted by CartONG. Following this experience, our team compiled a list of 6 recommendations aiming at improving the GIS practices and better integrating geographic data into the preexisting information systems, methods and tools of any aid organization. Read more here.
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~ MapATI, a volunteer participatory mapping initiative supported by CartONG ~
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As part of its 2019 Call for Ideas, CartONG is supporting two volunteer initiatives this year, called MapATI and YAKA. We invite you to discover more about the first initiative, called MapATI (or “tree mapping” project) which aims at raising awareness about the lack of urban green spaces in the Atikoumé district of Lomé and which is led by one of our volunteers, also member of the OpenStreetMap-Togo community. Read more here.
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~ At a glimpse: CartONG's support to the MSF GIS Unit in 2019 ~
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This first quarter of 2020 was also an opportunity for our team to reflect on last year’s achievements. We’d like in particular to outline the significant work undertaken by our GIS, webdev and data management teams in 2019 as part of the MSF GIS Unit.
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- As part of the launch of our new multi-year project to strengthen Information Management within French-speaking CSOs, we have focused our efforts during this first quarter on the first deliverable which aims to identify and formalize an inventory of the needs and practices of CSOs on the topic. To this end, more than fifteen interviews with key actors and a documentary review of nearly 60 resources were conducted. A survey was also designed and widely disseminated, which allowed for the collection of feedback from more than 35 CSOs of all sizes and of both sectors. We are currently in the data analysis stage and the study is expected to be shared this spring. Follow us on social media so you don't miss its release!
- As part of an approach facilitated by the F3E, CartONG and Groupe URD will be working together in the following 15 months to support the teams of NGO Asmae in setting up a monitoring and evaluation system for their international projects. CartONG will focus on the information management dimension and will, in particular, be responsible for designing their data collection, consolidation and visualization system.
- CartONG continues the support which began last year for the RESILAC consortium in the Lake Chad area via Groupe URD. After carrying out an information management diagnostic in 2019, we will support the consortium this year, notably through the design and deployment of a regional dashboard (and new related databases) to facilitate project monitoring, as well as through data literacy training.
- CartONG also continues to accompany the Bioforce Institute in its support to the Permanent Secretariat for NGOs (SPONG) of the Central African Republic. After carrying out a diagnosis of the needs of the SPONG in the summer of 2019, CartONG will focus its support this year on the operationalization of the SPONG databases.
- In March 2020, CartONG has started (together with the SCET) a project to support the local development agency EPFAM in the French overseas territory of Mayotte. The goal is to build an innovative consultation process based on the facilitation of participatory and sensitive mapping activities to spatially translate the diversify of views on the territory of Mayotte as part of a tourism development project.
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CARTONG IN NUMBERS THIS QUARTER
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30 the number of people who (re)-registered as members in the last 3 months
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1like the 1st salary grid that CartONG ever released and made public to be fully transparent |
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18,000 the number of boreholes that are hosted in the WASH GIS portal developed by CartONG for UNHCR |
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100% the percentage of the CartONG team working fully in remote since March 16th, in France and elsewhere |
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MISSIONS AND TRAINING WORKSHOPS
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CartONG conducted in February and March 2020 a joint support consultancy for the Bangladesh & Myanmar teams of Solidarités International. Its objective was to help their program teams make better usage of the data being collected and processed in their daily project follow-up, monitoring and reporting. This entailed assessing the current processes, practices and tools being used for data collection and analysis, as well as working on what they wished for in the future. Most of the work that resulted from the mission corresponded to discussions with the sector teams (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in particular) and the Monitoring & Evaluation teams on their needs and goals in terms of data management to optimize their work. Workshops with different teams were conducted to agree on the tools and processes that work best, in order to start using them accordingly in a consistent manner. The support provided by CartONG will continue remotely in the coming months, with help on the implementation of the action plans and recommendations as well as the remote validation/development/improvement (depending on the need!) of some of the tools and data processes decided upon.
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Given the current health situation in France, all public events (mapathons, participation in the Nuit de la Géographie, monthly volunteer gatherings in Paris, etc.) had to be either canceled or postponed. In particular, CartONG will not be able to organize its traditional “Get-Together” this spring that was scheduled to take place in Dullin on April 25th & 26th. The same applies to the General Assembly that is postponed for the moment. However, we hope to organize convivial meetings at the regional or local level later in the year (hopefully in early summer). We’ll make sure to get in touch with our members and volunteers with more details once we have decided on a clear course of action!
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In the meantime, our team has concocted an online program worthy of the name mixing remote mapathons and virtual “Volunteer Happy Hour” gatherings. More information is available in the public events published on our Facebook page:
- Mapathons à distance (remote mapathon) events.
- Apéros bénévoles (virtual “Volunteer Happy Hour”) events: get to meet new people, ask questions about CartONG and learn all about the currently available “volunteer missions”.
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~ A quick update about the GeOnG! ~
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We have been asked on several occasions in the last few weeks if the GeOnG will go on as planned this fall. Although it is difficult to say how the situation will evolve in the coming weeks and months, both cancelation or postponement of the forum and moving to an online format seem premature at this stage. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will update you accordingly in due course.
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For the 7th edition of the GeOnG, CartONG is partnering up with Alternatives Humanitaires to bring more original contents to the agenda of the forum, by ensuring a larger dissemination of the Open Call for Suggestions and by building on the content of issue n°8 on the rise of new technologies in the humanitarian sector. Through this partnership, we also hope to reach new actors to help increase the number and diversify the type of organizations represented at the GeOnG. Lastly, this partnership is also an opportunity for CartONG to highlight the importance of the work that Alternatives Humanitaires do in support of aid actors.
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~ A big thank you! ~
Thank you to all the volunteers who took part in the New Year best resolution campaign in January 2020, as well as to all the great volunteers who have tirelessly contributed to the Missing Maps projects and initiatives last year!
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~ Let us know what you'd like to see happen ~
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As part of the development of CartONG's "Voluntary and Associative Life" strategy for the next 3 years, we wish to collectively define new objectives for volunteer participation. To this end, we invite all members of our volunteer community (active volunteers, former volunteers, or CartONG’s supporters) to fill out this form (in French) before April 8th: let us know more about what volunteering is to you, what your aspirations are for CartONG and for CartONG volunteers, what types of projects you’d like to support, and anything that is relevant to you!
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