The document details a 12-week online internship program focused on training 67 interns in data quality mapping for OpenStreetMap, conducted by Polimappers from August to October 2020. Interns learned various tools like JOSM and QGIS, engaged in mapping validation, and reported significant skills development and community contributions. The program emphasized collaboration, skill-building, and the importance of providing high-quality mapping data for humanitarian efforts.

1. HOT Data Quality Internship: A Learning Journey
- Results and perspectives of a collaborative project
Presenter:
Federica Gaspari
(PoliMappers, OSM Italy)
Twitter: @fede_gaspari

2. About Us:
Who?
67 interns trained by
Geoffrey Kateregga
and Rebecca Chandiru
Where?
Online…
from 24 different
countries!
When?
12 weeks (Aug-Oct 2020)
Why?
Work together online in order to ensure good-quality data in OSM, learning the foundations of the
validation procedure in HOT Tasking Manager and training on the use of specific tools.

3. Week 1 - On-boarding call (goals and purposes of the program)
Week 2 - Basic JOSM
Week 3 - Advanced JOSM (Editing history and data quality)
Week 4 - Validation with JOSM training
Week 5 - Map Roulette and Map Paint Styles
Week 6 - Quality Assurance with OSMCha, OSM Inspector, Keep Right and Osmose
Week 7 - Introduction to QGIS
Week 8 - Data Quality Assurance with QGIS
Week 9 - Introduction to Overpass Turbo and UMap
Week 10 - Mapping and Validating on given tasks
Week 11 - Mapping and Validating on given tasks
Week 12 - Off-boarding call
Our Journey:

4. Places we mapped:
Data: OpenStreetMap Contributorr
Map by Dina Jovanovic

5. Stats on the map:
132192 Buildings Mapped/Validated
12437 km Highways Mapped/Validated
362 km Waterway Mapped/Validated
527 Features Land Use Mapped/Validated
514 Features Natural Mapped/Validated
5974 Tasks Mapped
11603 Tasks
Validated

6. “Well, I always wanted to work in an NGO ever since I entered university, I kind of
hoped this would be a stepping stone/first step before having a career in an NGO.
The second reason is for networking, the idea of having a global internship where I will
meet other mappers from around the world is very tempting. The internship program
has become a place for us mappers to exchange stories, experiences and
knowledge so we all can grow together. Before I participated in the internship I
didn't have much stats. But thanks to this internship I am now an intermediate
mapper.”
Highlights from the interns: Dina Jovanovic
(OSM Serbia, PoliMappers)
“Because of COVID-19 pandemic, volunteering online seemed like the only
option to contribute to the society. Combining that with my desire to learn and
connect to the people interested in the same topic, I succeeded to become
intermediate mapper during internship and to meet great people. I gained many
software skills, but also I learned a lot of OSM tagging system. I am already trying
to apply this knowledge on data quality validations in Serbia. I appreciate the
fact that we learned open and free sources as JOSM, QGIS and Overpass Turbo,
which can be useful for many purposes.”
Faqih Rohmatulloh
(Jakarta, Indonesia)

7. Highlights from the interns:
“These three months internship could simply be summarized as the period of
learning, improving our skill sets on using open source softwares, helping and
getting helped from the fellow interns located around the globe. This experience
is surely to help me in my near career goals and has surely made us aware of
the future problems we may encounter and the need of humanitarian mappers for
today. The time is never too late for doing something good.”
Aman KC
(GESAN, Nepal)
“For me it was important to learn and contribute towards mapping in order to
become an advanced mapper, being also able to validate some tasks. My
greatest achievement from this programme is having learned other software to
use for mapping like QGIS and JOSM in addition to iD editor that was the one I
only knew about before. I believe after more training I'll be able to join the
YouthMappers network, establishing a new chapter here since I haven't had any
yet in Botswana.”Tebogo Syanjibu
(Botswana)

8. “I started from the beginning as a mapper and reached an intermediate level.
I learned about mapping via different softwares. After discovering Overpass
Turbo it became quite easy for me to get data for my QGIS projects. Trainings
were also helpful for engaging in interesting activities during lockdown.
Also, I got to know that there are many people who are actively mapping and
volunteering for the community, working for disaster management program. Many
students don't know about mapping and how to map in our community. If we can
share with them our experiences, they can also contribute for the society,
they can actively contribute for crisis management.”
Highlights from the interns: Said Othman Suleiman
(SUZA YouthMappers, Tanzania)
“First, through this training I have managed to promote myself into an advanced
mapper role, on the other hand I have managed to acquire different skills and
knowledge on different tools including QGIS, JOSM, ID editor and other. Finally,
this internship shaped my GIS career and gave me a good direction on how to
proceed in this path. I have already arranged different training and skills that I
gained and shared with my fellow local community. For instance, in the past
few weeks we gave training to SUZA students on different GIS tools and
techniques.”
Ashok Gahatraj
(GESAN, Nepal)

9. “I found the internship program was a great opportunity for me to share and
widen my mapping skills. The most valuable things I learned were different
JOSM techniques for mapping buildings with different shapes and road tagging
according to road hierarchy, as well as validation tools. My favorite part was the
training sessions. Thanks to Geoffrey and Rebecca for their time and for
organizing the trainings. It was a great time, and I enjoyed learning some new
mapping techniques. Validation helps to recheck mappers’ work and fix the
errors made or missed by mappers, cleaning the data before publishing it to
OpenStreetMap. In validation, we focus on quality, not quantity.”
Highlights from the interns: Awania Morish
(Kampala, Uganda)
“I gave mappers feedback, which is very important to understand the quality of
the work they are doing and gives them the confidence to do more mapping.
During the Internship, we learned validating, which helps OpenStreetMap
mappers to give high-quality data, and also provides HOT with clean
data for humanitarian use. When a disaster occurs, validated data gives
users clear information about the place and situation.This internship made me
become a member of HOT global validation team which allows me to
validate more advanced projects”
Samwel Kyando
(Tanzania)

10. ...and from the trainers:
“During the HOT data quality internship program, I enjoyed working with people
from all over the world for fundamental cause, improving the quality of
OpenStreetMap data while at the same time equipping the participants with skills
and knowledge on using the different quality assurance tools out there. After the
internship program, many of the participants have continued to participate in
HOT activities through the different Working Groups which is good to see!”Geoffrey Kateregga
Community Programs Manager,
Voting Member
“Congratulations to all the Data quality internees upon the successful
completion of the programme. The internship programme was great,
different OSM Quality Assurance tools trained to improve the quality of
data in OpenStreetMap. The programme also is participating towards
achieving the HOT's core values, especifically, everyone is counted:
Open high-quality base map everywhere and is also giving opportunity to
many young people all over the world to contribute to OSM. Great
progress so far with the programme and hoping for it to become bigger
and better.“
Finance/Accountant Assistant
Rebecca Chandiru

11. Thanks for your attention!
Training a global generation of
mappers and validators for
empowering the future of
communities!

12. Thanks for your attention!
More info about the internship also on the YouthMappers blog:
https://www.youthmappers.org/post/a-learning-journey-an-experience-with-hot