|
Dear all, we are pleased to share with you this third newsletter for 2021. This short intro to highlight the fact that there are quite a few events, mentioned in this letter, that will be taking place in the next few months - events that CartONG is organizing and/or attending, or events that we encourage you to join. Learn more below and have a nice reading!
|
|
|
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the Tiberon Peninsula in southwest Haiti on Saturday August 14th, 2021 at 14:29 p.m. (French time) causing significant human and material damage.
|
|
The MSF GIS Centre activated a crisis unit the same day at 8 p.m. (French time) to urgently mobilize CartONG’s GIS team and provide mapping support to the MSF's teams in the field. Proactivity was the key word of the support as communication with the field was very limited due to their sudden overload of work and the lack of connectivity.
The CartONG's team first focused on the compilation of resources produced by other organizations, before releasing a dozen of static maps on the status of health structures, the presence of MSF's teams in the field, as well as ports with possible berthing or even emergency air transport capacity. The scope of activities have now decreased but our team remains mobilized.
|
|
|
~ The IM Resource Portal is waiting for you! ~
|
|
The library keeps growing! Since July, more than 70 Information Management resources, covering a large variety of topics (mapping, responsible data, data collection, data visualization, data analysis, MEAL, survey design and more!) and from a wide range of actors, have been added to the portal. Have a look here.
|
|
|
~ Support for the improvement of Sidaction's M&E system ~
|
|
In collaboration with Groupe URD, CartONG began a project to support Sidaction - a French association specialized in the fight against AIDS - and its teams to improve their monitoring and evaluation system. To this end, CartONG and Groupe URD started by carrying out an inventory and diagnosis of the current situation, in order to advise Sidaction on the best way forward. The two organizations jointly carried out the diagnosis and as part of this, CartONG collected significant data about how information management is managed within the organization, be it in terms of processes, tools, information collected and/or needed, and the organization's internal capacities. In particular, CartONG carried out a mapping exercise of information flows, which highlighted the missing links and blockages to the proper circulation of data and information internally. It was immediately followed by a series of recommendations which will be implemented by Sidaction with the support of CartONG and Groupe URD in the coming months.
|
|
|
~ A new toolbox: hosting artistic mediation workshops with migrant populations using the subjective mapping methodology ~
|
|
Written by CartONG within the framework of the Maps from here & abroad project and with the support of an art therapist, this toolbox outlines an artistic mediation workshop methodology based on subjective mapping which has been adapted for migrant populations. It combines general guidance, feedback from CartONG's own experience, as well as testimonies from participants and several social actors in order to support organizations working with migrant populations or mental health care facilities in France that would like to offer such a type of workshops. Learn more here (article and toolbox available in French only).
|
|
|
~ The OPSMAPS, a generic web application adapted to your context ~
|
|
The initial goal of the OPSMAP is to provide humanitarian actors with a web application to view Internal Displaced Person (IDP) site profiles so they can quickly gain insights into collected data and facilitate the access to information. While we are talking about IDP sites around the world, these are located in a wide range of contexts and types of operations. The level of information as well as the technique and methods of data collection therefore are or could be different. However, at CartONG, we had the vision to create a tool easily and quickly deployable for any context even if the data structure and information collected were in fact slightly different. That is the project our team has been working on for almost one year now, and we recently came up with the final version 1 of the OPSMAPs. The structure and the architecture of the code of the application is hosted on a core repository on GitLab from where the team can easily fork* and create a repository for the requested operation. With this new application and the related improved processes, we aim at dividing the time of creation by 4. Let's see in a future article if we have managed to reach our goal!
*For those of you not familiar with the term, please note that a project fork happens when web developers take a copy of source code from one software package or application and start independent development on it, creating a distinct and/or separate piece of software or application.
|
|
NEW PROJECT - CartONG has been awarded a FONJEP grant to develop innovative volunteering activities. This new project will allow us to better answer the mapping and data management needs of small NGOs via e-volunteering support and volunteer field missions. Through this initiative, our objective is also to reach new profiles of volunteers through partnerships with companies and local authorities.
RENEWED COLLABORATION - CartONG is once again teaming up with Groupe URD to design a Monitoring & Evaluation learning path for the staff of Expertise France. Indeed, after the launch of their new M&E Policy, Expertise France is now aiming to build the capacity of its team on the topic by having a mix of on-site and on-line training sessions on M&E, logical frameworks, how to create an analysis plan as well as change theory. Stay tuned for more!
STARTING AGAIN - CartONG continues its yearly collaboration with Bioforce by conducting short training sessions on humanitarian Information Management to its students; in particular, to future logisticians and project coordinators. The curriculum intends to be an initiation to what Information Management, including Geographic Information Systems and Mobile Data Collection, is all about in the field.
|
|
|
CARTONG IN NUMBERS THIS QUARTER
|
|
|
MISSIONS AND TRAINING WORKSHOPS
|
|
MISSIONS - The first two field missions of the project “Participatory mapping in Tajikistan”, supported by GIZ and financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), were held over the summer in collaboration with the German Red Cross. The first field visit was carried out in the villages of Shing and Panjrud in Penjikent district. A climate change awareness raising session was organized in the presence of the local community and thematic mapping activities were conducted with their support, using FieldPapers for the data collection. The second field visit was carried out in the villages of Marguzor and Padrud in the same district. The same activities were organized in the presence of the local community, using OsmAnd this time around for data collection in the field, as well as a subjective mapping workshop. This workshop aimed at taking into account gender as a factor in how climate change might be interpreted at a local level. The participants, split into two groups (one of men and one of women), were asked to draw a map of their village and identify the places - either current or from the past - which had been or were still been affected by climate change and natural disasters according to them.
|
 |
|
TRAINING CYCLE - In August, we concluded the IM training cycle in support of SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL's Myanmar team which aimed to strengthen their Excel capacities. It covered the basics to the more advanced functionalities of the software via statistical concepts, to learn to use it more efficiently.
TRAINING - After designing a MDC form for the survey conducted by Fairtrade International in West Africa, as part of its West Africa Cocoa Program, CartONG trained about 25 data collectors and supervisors from remote, on how to manage the newly designed survey to ensure a smooth process for data collection.
WORKSHOP - CartONG conducted an introduction workshop about GIS for Humanity & Inclusion's English-speaking countries of operations over two sessions gathering respectively 9 and 17 staff members.
TRAINING CYCLE - Our team provided support to the DRC team of UNHCR on WASH KAP surveys. The full training cycle, delivered in three sessions, aimed at giving more details on how to implement the Mobile Data Collection of the survey, how to plan it adequately and also ensure potential modifications to it, as well as learn how to analyze the data.
TRAINING - As part of its support to the RESILAC consortium and project (learn more about it here), CartONG recently concluded the data literacy training it was delivering to the MEAL managers based in each of the 4 countries of the project. In addition, our team also provided to the same group of participants an intro session on GIS as well as 2 training sessions on QGIS.
AWARENESS RAISING - As part of the Maps from here & abroad project, CartONG organized 2 training sessions for mental health professionals working with migrants in France. These sessions aimed to brief them on the artistic mediation workshop methodology, which is based on subjective mapping (see Project Updates for more information).
|
|
|
1 - IM Resource Portal
This toolbox aims to be a gateway for aid actors willing to get a better grasp of mapping without knowing how to tackle the subject. It introduces theoretical concepts, provides good practices and compiles tutorials of tools (produced by CartONG and other actors) useful in the practice of mapping and - for more advanced profiles - Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
|
|
|
2 - Recommended publication
|
|
CartONG is participating in the Festival International de Géographie in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges (France), on October 1st to 3rd. A team of 2 volunteers and 2 civic service volunteers will hold a booth at the “geo-digital space” to present our activities and, in particular, our volunteering activities, with a few demos on OpenStreetMap. We will also deliver a 30-minute talk on existing volunteers’ projects and opportunities at CartONG. It’s not too late to sign up!
|
|
|
|
~ Save the date for the third exchange day with francophone CSOs! ~
|
|
The third francophone exchange day on Information Management will occur on the 9th of November. We will, among other things, be welcoming a few members from Oxfam who will share their program data journey of the past few years. We will also have an open discussion on the question of how data can be used at the different steps of a project to evaluate their quality. Stay posted here for the detailed program and registration link!
|
|
|
~ Sign up to the 2021 CDAC Online Annual Public Forum ~
|
|
This year’s forum, held online across Thursday October 7th and Friday October 8th, will provide a platform through which thought leaders in humanitarian futures, aid technologists, communications and media development actors and local activists will interrogate ways to ensure the effective, equitable and ethical use of the rapidly expanding technical toolset in humanitarian action. Find out more here!
|
|
|
~ Take part in the 2021 ALNAP Annual Meeting ~
|
|
This year’s ALNAP Meeting will provide a unique space for the sector to come together to identify the kinds of disruptions that are taking place; where and why they are happening; and what we can learn from them. The aim of this year’s meeting is to understand the new trajectories of humanitarian action and be in a better position to manage these changes and disruptions to bring about more effective responses for crisis-affected people. The meeting will take place online from 19 to 21 October and will gather speakers from The New Humanitarian, IFRC, Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) among others. More information here!
|
|
|
~ Meet us at Soliway 2021! ~
|
|
Our team will facilitate a session on the current issues related to program data management in the aid sector during the first day of the event, which is designed for humanitarian and development professionals. On November 6th, the second day of the event which open to the public, CartONG will take part in a “Zoom Métier” on the new professions of the aid sector as well as facilitate a subjective mapping workshop. Click here for more information and follow this link to sign up!
|
|
|
~ The 2021/2022 online mapathons’ calendar is out! ~
|
|
Given the success of the remote mapathons that CartONG has been facilitating since April 2020, we have decided to keep it up and we are therefore pleased to announce our 2021/2022 calendar! As you might already know, remote mapathons take place every Monday at 6pm on a dedicated Skype group. Don't hesitate to join us and have a try. To learn more and register, it's right there!
|
|
|
~ Onsite mapathon evenings are back! ~
|
|
We are really happy to announce that on-site mapathons have started again and that we have planned a great program for you all! Come and map with us once per month in a different city, via our “Tour de France des Mapathons”. The first stop was in Grenoble, and we are now heading to Lyon for a great mapathon at La Géothèque on October 19th (sign up here!). We will then be in Toulouse, Pau and Bordeaux, and more dates are yet to be announced in Paris, Marseille, Chambéry and Brest! Stay informed via our Facebook event.
|
|
|
~ Join us for an online “Volunteer Happy Hour” every second Wednesday of the month ~
|
|
CartONG's online “Volunteer Happy Hours” are also back! We invite you to join us every second Wednesday of the month from 6 to 8pm to discover the association's volunteering activities. The next meeting will be held on October 13th. More info here.
|
|
|
~ Get-Together 2021: Save the Date! ~
|
|
|
Our next Get-Together - the bi-annual meeting of CartONG's volunteers and staff - will take place on the weekend of December 11th & 12th, near Lake Aiguebelette in France. Save the date if you want to discover more about our association, discuss current projects and future initiatives! More information will be shared soon through a Facebook event.
|
|
CartONG is currently looking for a:
- GIS and Change Management Officer - more information here
- IM & Mobile Data Collection Officer - Junior - more information here
|
|
|
|
|
English 
Français
