🤗 Welcome To The Field Mapping Documentation 🤗

What is ONE thing all the greatest solutions out there have in common?

They never forget the people they are building for (^^)

So who are we building field mapping solutions for? In short, we build solutions for:

The field mapping manager (coordinating field mapping)

The field mapping manager is responsible for coordinating field mapping activities, ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the data collected, and managing the data itself. This involves a number of key steps, including:

• Planning: The field mapping manager must develop a clear plan for the data collection process, including identifying key areas of focus and establishing timelines and targets.

• Recruitment: The field mapping manager must recruit and train field mappers, ensuring that they have the necessary skills and expertise to collect accurate and high-quality data.

• Coordination: The field mapping manager must coordinate the activities of the field mappers, ensuring that they are working together effectively and efficiently.

  

The field mapper (collecting data)

The field mapper is responsible for collecting data in the field. To ensure the success of the field mapper, we must consider a number of key factors. These include:

• Ease of use: The field mapper must be able to easily and efficiently collect data, without requiring extensive training or technical expertise.

• Accessibility: The field mapper must be able to access and collect data from a wide range of environments, including remote or hard-to-reach locations.

• Data quality: The field mapper must be able to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the data they collect, as well as identify and address any errors or issues that arise.

The validator (quality checking the data)

The validator is responsible for quality checking the data collected by the field mapper, ensuring that it is accurate, complete, and free from errors. The validator faces a number of challenges and issues, including:

• Incomplete or inaccurate data: The validator must identify and address any data that is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise flawed.

• Conflicting data: The validator may encounter data that conflicts with other data sources, requiring them to identify and resolve any discrepancies.

• Data validation protocols: The validator must adhere to strict validation protocols and guidelines, ensuring that the data meets a high level of quality and accuracy.

Click here to see an overview of who you are building for, which actions they take and some ideas for solutions!

Below is an overview of the user flow of the Field Mapper, the Mapping Coordinator / Field Mapping Manager and the Validator.

The Field Mapping Manager (The person who coordinates field mapping)

The Field Mapping Manager is tasked with coordinating all mapping activities, ensuring that Field Mappers are safe and qualified to work, as well as monitoring data quality. The Field Mapping Manager has to consider 3 main activities:

1. Pre-field data collection activities
   • Setting up and testing tools
   • Creating a form
   • Training field mappers (making sure that they understand the form and how to fill it)
   • Creating an area of interest within the location to be mapped
2. Data collection activities
   • Preparing daily, weekly and monthly activity plans
   • Deploying team (assessing safety and qualifications of mappers)
   • Data quality monitoring
3. Post-field data collection activities
   • Daily review of data
   • Giving and recieving team feedback
   • Updating tools and methodoligies

If you want more information, click on this virtual whiteboard! to see all the steps a Field Mapping Coordinator or Manager goes through. Here's a sneak-peek:

• See also data collection approach in in this training guide<<

The Field Mapper (The person who collects data)

The Field Mapper surveys locations and collects data from them. The basic work flow that a Field Mapper has to consider is as follows:

1. Find a phone that:
   • Works well with the app.
   • Has mobile data or an internet plan.
2. Install all necessary apps on the phone.
3. Access the OSM registration site and register.
4. Follow the tutorial and choose a campaign.
5. Select a task from the campaign.
6. Launch the map app which allows you to see the moving map of the points that you are now responsible for.
7. Complete each point within the task, making sure to answer the questions in the form for each one.
8. Send the data of each point until the task is complete.
9. Once the task is complete, signal that your task is finished. This lets the Validator know that they can check the quality of your data.

If you want to see this workflow in more detail, click on this virtual whiteboard!

Here's a sneak-peek:

The Validator (The person who checks the quality of data collected)

The Validator does the following tasks to ensure that quality data is collected and uploaded to OSM:

• Logs into task manager
• Checks how many tasks need validation
• Checks tasks for errors
• Stops mappers that make mistakes and explains how they can fix their errors
• Lowers supervision on good mappers in order to spend more time on those who are stuggling
• Uploads high quality data to OSM and marks completed tasks as done

Some of the pain points and struggles faced by the Validator include:

• Lack of validators (the Validator is often the same person as the Field Mapping Manager)
• Many areas of the world are still unmapped on online commercial maps
• The quality of maps needs to improve
• The more developers complicate tools, the more they reduce the usefulness of the tools

For more details, click on this virtual whiteboard!

See sneak-peek below.

• See also all steps of validation >>in this training guide<<
• See also global validator Becky's OSM diary which features: "Common Feedback I give while Validating Building Projects"

Some of the key points covered are:

• Understanding the mapping project and the intended use of the collected data
• Verifying the accuracy and completeness of the collected data
• Ensuring consistency with existing data and standards
• Providing clear and constructive feedback to field mappers and coordinators

Overall, understanding the needs and considerations of each of these three user groups is essential for building effective field mapping solutions.

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Last update: May 17, 2024