Problem, vision, and initial scope

The problems we’re looking to solve:

• Equipping local mappers to help organize in their area and own the OSM data in their area
• Encouraging editors to contribute on-the-ground, local knowledge to OSM
• Integrated error and quality checking of features being added in real-time; enable workflow for reviewing, editing, or responding
• Getting to data model completeness after remote mapping

Vision

HOT is looking to collaborate on the development of applications that enables organizations to effectively facilitate and crowdsource the collection of specific thematic features into OpenStreetMap, for a specific geographical area (Area of Interest, or AOI).

Focus on enabling local mapping organizers to facilitate local mapping.

This should:

• Encourage editing or adding high quality (ground truthed, local knowledge based) data that follows a defined data model.
• Allow for setting up targeted data collection exercises (or “Mapping Campaigns”) for specific features that are time limited, decentralized, topic/feature specific, and focus on a specific region. There should also be a clear objective, starting situation, and end goal formulated.
• Facilitate reaching (existing) OSM users that are present in a certain area, and invite/incentivize them to map, using their local knowledge.
• Invite and incentivize users to take part and map - through features like public leaderboards, option to hand out small tokens/rewards to individuals/mapping clubs, things like achievements, badges etc. It should be fun to do, and be designed so users are motivated to keep contributing (possible using some sense of competition with other users).
• It should allow for/integrate with a form of campaign management:
• Allow the creation and management of mapping campaigns, focusing on a specific AOI and data model.
• Offer metrics or leaderboards for granular campaign management (to be narrowed down to part of the AOI, feature type, or set of users).
• Offer data review features (load dataset into JOSM, de-duplicate, find certain common error classes, etc).
• Allow users and contributors to assess progress, compare results, and visualize metrics.
• Allow for a decentralized workflow, with limited oversight and without direct involvement in data collection activities. However, a campaign management dashboard could be used to check.

Initial scope

Develop a field mapping application that facilitate the following:

• Organize and help focus local mapping
• Provide single entry point for monitoring progress and quality of a field mapping campaign
• Enable quality and completeness checks and a review workflow
• Communicate progress of the campaign publicly
• Focused on two sets of users: mapping manager, and OSM field editors