Humanitarian OSM Team/Open Mapping Hub - Asia Pacific/Open Mapping Guru Project
Background
The Open Mapping Hub - Asia Pacific (AP Hub) envisions creating a sustainable OpenStreetMap (OSM) ecosystem in the region where governments, humanitarian and development agencies, underrepresented sectors, entrepreneurial and economic actors, and the common citizen are part of the open mapping movement. In the past 3 years, AP Hub has continuously catalyzed communities, organizations, and local groups in the region through different projects like She Leads and She Inspires, Booster Grants, OSM Hackfest, Student Club Sponsorships, etc. to achieve its vision and aspirations.
The extensive geographical scope and diverse cultural makeup of the open mapping landscape in the Asia Pacific region are among the observable challenges in implementing regional projects. Furthermore, deterring factors, unavailability of time, language barriers, lack of local support, and internet inaccessibility, have caused disinterest for new and experienced mappers to engage.
Learning (training sessions, trainers, and materials) has and will continuously play an integral role in the growth of the global open mapping movement. And the localization of training sessions, access to local trainers, and the local contextualization of training materials can potentially scale up local participation. In line with this, OSM communities should have the capacity for this anticipated increase in demand for training. Beginner and experienced OSM contributors should be motivated and interested to contribute in community building to achieve a sustainable OSM ecosystem.
The AP Hub with the Open Mapping Gurus (OM Gurus), co-created the Open Mapping Guru Project (OM Guru) to catalyze a regional network of dedicated and experienced OSM contributors, champions, and mappers to support localized and regional community building through recognition, incentivization, skill sharing, capacity development, creation of training materials, and diverse opportunities to make meaningful contributions. Furthermore, this project empowers the Gurus to reach/motivate beginner mappers to build up their OSM skills and training experience to emerge as contributing open mapping community members in the future.
By the end of 2023, bringing in the same direction and objectives, the project was expanded to a wider public audience with the addition of the Guru Network and the Fellowship Tracks.
The Guru Network shall serve as the AP region-wide network of Gurus that will have access to open mapping opportunities. They shall serve as an expert pool to accommodate both internal and external support requests to HOT/AP Hub.
While under the network, the OM Guru Fellowship shall be a dedicated group of 50 Gurus from the Guru Network that will be locked in for the next 5 months to undergo intensive guidance and training to develop skills, knowledge, and capacity that is aligned with AP Hub’s activities.
Project Timeline
| Batch | Duration | Milestones |
| 1 | March 2023 - June 2023 | - Establishment of the Open Mapping Guru Project
- Development of Guru Project Design - First Batch of Gurus launched in online and remote trainings |
| 2 | October 2023 - June 2024 | - Guru Project Redesign to include the Guru Network and the Guru Fellowship
- First public-wide call for Gurus |
What is an Open Mapping Guru (Guru)
Open Mapping Gurus, under the Guru Network, are experienced and motivated OSM mappers that have been trained and engaged to lead on training, production of learning materials, and support open mapping activities in the Asia Pacific region. They will serves as trainer, mapper, validator, or resource person for ad hoc requests which includes Hub Sub-Project and Partner Requests. The Gurus’ role is multifaceted; catalyzing the growth of the open mapping movement in Asia Pacific.
Responsibilities
- lead trainings and organize mapathons for beginners on different free and open-source tools and data
- serve as mentors in a network of skilled experts on open mapping
- support in the mapping and data validation in areas at-risk of climate change and disasters
- develop learning materials and maintain a repository of available resources for the community
- serve as local community representatives on behalf of the Open Mapping Hub and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team
Qualifications
All Gurus must have the following requirements and qualifications:
- Age must be 18 and above
- Must have a passing score of 50% in the OM Guru Exam conducted by the Open Mapping Hub - Asia Pacific
- Must complete the AP Hub administrative forms (Communications Release Form, Due Diligence Requirements, and Banking Forms)
- Must understand and acknowledge the OM Guru Network Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Must adhere to the HOT Code of Conduct for themselves and their sessions
- Must be motivated to advocate for open mapping in their communities
- Preferably based within the AP Hub’s 25 priority countries
- Must have an active bank account for stipend disbursement and reimbursement (Disclaimer: The AP Hub may not be able to provide disbursement services to all countries, which means that not all engagements may be eligible for disbursement of funds.
How to become an Open Mapping Guru?
- Interested individuals join the OM Guru Admission Portal. You are able to access the resources and assignments under the Classwork Tab found on the upper right corner of the page.
- This Google Classroom will have three (3) important sections that the applicant is required to complete.
- Available open mapping resources
- They Register via Registration Form
- Take the Guru Exam 2023
- Exam Passers are notified and redirected to the OM Guru Network Portal
- Once the Guru has completed the required administrative forms, they are formally enrolled in the OM Guru Database where they will receive notifications for support requests.
OM Guru Network
| Date/s | Activity | Guru/s Involved | Project Name | Partners | Project Area | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 October 2023 | Nepal Road Network Mapathon | START Network Nepal Road Validation Project | START Network, KIRDARC, OSM Nepal | Nepal - Mugu, Jumla, Kalikot | ||
| 5 November 2023 | Map Road: Make Your Way | START Network Nepal Road Validation Project | START Network, KIRDARC, OSM Nepal | Nepal - Mugu, Jumla, Kalikot | ||
| 6 November - 10 November 2023 | IIT Roorkee OSM Training | IIT Roorkee, OSM India | India | |||
| 8 November 2023
11 November 2023 |
Mapping Saga | START Network Nepal Road Validation Project | START Network, KIRDARC, OSM Nepal | Nepal - Mugu, Jumla, Kalikot | ||
| 10 November 2023 | BOSC Training Mapathon | AP Hub Student Club Sponsorships | BOSC | Nepal | ||
| 25 November 2023 | START Network Road Mapping Project | START Network Nepal Road Validation Project | START Network, KIRDARC, OSM Nepal | Nepal - Mugu, Jumla, Kalikot | ||
| 1 December 2023 - 6 January 2024 | Remote Validation of Roads | START Network Nepal Road Validation Project | START Network, KIRDARC, OSM Nepal | Nepal - Mugu, Jumla, Kalikot |
OM Guru Network Training Resources
OM Guru Fellowship
Training Fellowship
| Date/s | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| January 2024 | ||
| February 2024 | ||
| March 2024 | ||
| April 2024 | ||
| May 2024 |
Mapping Fellowship
| Date/s | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| January 2024 | ||
| February 2024 | ||
| March 2024 | ||
| April 2024 | ||
| May 2024 |
Validation Fellowship
| Date/s | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| January 2024 | ||
| February 2024 | ||
| March 2024 | ||
| April 2024 | ||
| May 2024 |