1. Leveraging VGI for Long Term Development Projects
Preparing for Reconstruction in Syria
Edward Walsh
Advisor: Anthony Robinson

2. Overview
Relevant Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) and Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) Concepts
Examples of VGI in Development and During Conflict
Project Goals & Methodology
Expected Significance
Challenges
Project Timeline

3. Relevant VGI Concepts
Web 2.0 / Data Generated by Public / Data Sharing
Improved Foundational Geographic Data
Enhanced Attribution: facilitated VGI (fVGI), PPGIS
Empowering Citizens and eGovernance
Digital Divide
Web 2.0
Evolution of the web from static web pages to pages and web-based applications allow for users to dynamically generate content
Opens geographic data generation realm to the public, no longer have to be a trained GIS professional
Emergence of VGI in the mid 2000s, major ones including Google Map Maker, OSM, and Wikimapia
Foundational Geographic Data
SDI’s, where available, tend to be outdated or incomplete, governments finding it increasingly difficult to keep authoritative data in SDIs relevant, in many developing countries VGI is the best source for foundational geospatial data such as roads and place names
Enhanced Attribution
In contrast to traditional data generation, VGI allows for specific information, that cannot be assessed remotely from imagery, to be collected quickly from the public, Goodchild introduced this idea in his concept of “citizen sensor”
In what has been termed facilitated VGI or Public Participation GIS, there are examples where applications have been developed to guide users on collecting specific features and attributes and even in the context of urban planning provide them with simulated landscapes and receive feedback from the public in the form of geospatial information
Empowering Citizens & eGovernance
To many, contributing geographic data used in decisions affecting their community is empowering, especially in developing countries where SDIs are non-existant
VGI platforms are being studied and considered as a form of eGovernance, using Technology to improve communication between Governments and their Citizens with the goal of improving Government services
Digital Divide
Refers to the fact that VGI is not equally accessible, access to technology and internet connection varies and the VGI applications themselves may by design appeal to some groups over others

4. VGI in International Development
Incentives
Goals
Methods of Engagement
Emergency Response Resource Distribution (Refugee Volunteer Map)
Coordinate Logistics and Resource allocation between Donors, NGOs, Volunteers
Involve and provide access and training to NGOs
Lack of institutional data (South Sudan Google Map Maker)
Basic mapping coverage
Reach out to existing volunteer mappers and diaspora
Policy Change on government data (US State Dept. releasing imagery under MapGive)
Update authoritative spatial data
Release data to volunteer community
Environmental monitoring through citizen science (Google Earth Outreach, Community Mapping for exposure in Indonesia)
Need for infrastructure support (STARS project, Verplanke et al., 2010 Water infrastructure complaints Figure 3)
Deliver government services
Direct investment, employ contributors (ex: scholarships to students, Map Kibera paying contributors)
Elicit feedback on proposed communal area layout (Seeger, 2008)
Community Planning
Custom application and visualization
Since it’s emergence VGI, has become a useful tool for Agencies and NGOs that focus on development challenges faced by countries with lower levels of well being
In reviewing the literature and from my experience I’ve noted in this table some goals of VGI projects in the development sphere and the methods that have been used to engage contributors
As the goals become more specific, and the data required is more detailed, organizations invest more in some cases employing data contributors or building custom applications

5. Emergency Response & Resource Distribution
Now I will present some uses for VGI:
In this example, volunteers responding to the needs of refugees in Greece use VGI to coordinate supply and personnel needs and provide status updates on the number of refugees and camp conditions
Source: Google Maps, Refugee Volunteer Map

6. Delivering Government Services
In this example, researchers gathered VGI data in an attempt to identify areas where government water services were lacking and infrastructure improvements may be most needed
Source: Verplanke et al 2010, Citizen Surveillance of the State: A mirror for eGovernment?

7. Facilitated VGI
In the urban planning field, specific applications, such as this one, have been developed to help guide the user to provide specific types of geographic information
In this application the user is asked to provide his/her preference on where certain park facilities could be located
Source: Seeger 2008, The role of facilitated volunteered geographic information in the landscape planning and site design process.

8. VGI Use During Conflict – Hawajez Damascus
This is an example where Syrians are already using VGI during the conflict
This Damascus based group allows Damascus residents to report locations of checkpoints, snipers, and troop gatherings on facebook; the group then updates a data layer on google maps
This layer can be loaded into google’s desktop or mobile map application to help activists and citizens to identify routes to help them safely navigate in Damascus
Source: Google Maps, Hawajez of Damascus and it’s Outskirts Map
Source: Hawajez Facebook Page

9. Research Goals Evaluate Available VGI Data for Syria
Understand Possible Use Cases for VGI Technology in Long Term Development Projects
Advancing Capabilities of VGI Applications to Support Development Projects
Data input
Collaboration between Stakeholders

10. Goal 1: Evaluate Available VGI Data for Syria
Which data?
Open Street Map
Wikimapia
How to evaluate it?
Automated language detection tools & GIS analysis (Quinn, 2016)
Research Questions
Understand contributions by locals vs armchair mappers
Recent additions in conflict areas? What types of features?
Areas where data outdated? Why?
Indicators on how data is used?
Possible that Syrian refugee diaspora is contributing?
Armchair mappers who have never been to the location
May compare a city that has seen heavy conflict to one that hasn’t i.e. Hama and Latakia
Difference in the number of & types of features added since conflict start

11. Goal 2: Understand Use Cases
Surveys or interviews with experts (USAID, World Bank, UN, etc)
Is current VGI data useful? How is it lacking?
Thoughts on expanded uses of VGI
Ordinance Clearing
Damage Assessment
Coordination between Stakeholders
Fundraising
Logistics
Planning & Deliberation
Accountability & Grievance Reports
Speaking to experts to understand how GIS is current utilized in development projects, what they see as limitations in using VGI to inform decisions in development and reconstruction,

12. Goal 3: Identify Areas of Advancement for VGI
Key opportunities for the use of VGI in reconstruction efforts
Data interoperability with GIS systems of experts?
Language and digital divide
Data entry and visualization

13. Expected Significance
Demonstrate the value & limitations of current Syria VGI data
Further stimulate interest to use VGI for development projects by experts and locals
Encourage more research on developing VGI tools for
benefit of affected populations
informing development decisions
facilitating collaboration between stakeholders
What do you think success in this project could lead toward in the future?
VGI useful not just for relief efforts but in longer term development as well, encourage GIS and mapping communities of developing countries to advocate for VGI technologies
Get more out of VGI technologies, how to develop them so that they enable affected people to contribute and become more involved in the development of their communities
Facilitate collaboration & deliberation between stakeholders, which relies heavily on how data is entered into the application and how it is visualized

14. Challenges & Limitations
Acquiring VGI data in a format that can be evaluated in GIS software
Automated Language Detection
Difficult to identify location of contributors, date stamps on features
Access to international development experts for interviews
What are some known challenges before you start?
If using Arc GIS must be able to download data and convert it to shapefiles, temporal component important
Automation has limitations, selecting features based on Arabic name when there are no tags and misspelling
May not be possible to distinguish b/t on the ground and diaspora contributions for example

15. Project Timeline January: Initiate contact with development experts
January: Data Acquisition and Processing (OSM and Wikimapia)
February: Data Analysis/Evaluation
Interview (pending contact with experts)
Fall 2017: Finalize findings and presentation
HESN Techcon – Unconfirmed for 2017
State of the Map OSM Conference – Fall 2017
ESRI Middle East Conference – Fall 2017
Complete data evaluation prior to interviews with experts in order to get their feedback on the deficiencies of the data and challenges in using it
HESN: Higher Education Solutions Network: brings together students and academic community, development experts, field practitioners, and private sector representatives focused on highlighting solutions to critical development challenges

16. Conclusion Core contribution: State of VGI Data over Syrian
Future: Improve utility of VGI in long term development projects
Best capture local knowledge and needs
Facilitate more inclusive and interactive planning of projects
Coordinate during project execution
Highlight your next steps in this work, reiterate what think core contribution will be for this project to advance the state of the art in our field
For decades GIS systems have been designed with expert use in mind, in order to best be utilized in the development arena they must be designed with different users and use cases in mind
VGI was in it’s infancy during reconstruction in Iraq and conditions prevented it from being a tool at that time. VGI is likely to be a factor in reconstruction in Syria and it’s important to understand and begin planning on how to advance the concept so it can best be used in long term development scenarios such as reconstruction.

17. Questions? Comments
Edward Walsh
Advisor: Anthony Robinson