URISA s GISCorps 33 rd Esri User Conference www.giscorps.org
Summary History/Model/Volunteers GISCorps Missions Q & A
History of GISCorps GISCorps started with a simple idea and question: Would GIS professionals be willing to volunteer their time and expertise for a short time to communities in need?
GISCorps Mission A Program of Urban and Regional Information System Association (URISA), GISCorps coordinates shortterm volunteer GIS services to communities in need worldwide
Areas of Service Services provided to assist with: Humanitarian Relief & Human Rights Disaster Response Conservation & Wildlife Environmental Quality GIS Education (K-12 & non K-12) Micro-lending Health & Human Services NGO Coordination Expert Crowdsourcing
GISCorps is run by a Core Committee and several subcommittees... From left: Heather Milton, Mark Salling, Shoreh Elhami, Allen Ibaugh, Dianne Haley Not pictured: Dave Litke & Carol Kreamer
GISCorps Model GISCorps Core Committee (CC) is responsible for: establishing relationships and partnerships with recognized agencies & associations such as UN agencies, GSDI, Peace Corps, and... evaluating/screening agencies after receiving a request for volunteers to make certain their objectives are in synch with GISCorps and URISA developing job descriptions selecting a Project Manager screening and evaluating volunteers - matching volunteers expertise with project s needs putting the volunteer in contact with the Partner Agency monitoring and evaluating the outcome
GISCorps Model (continued) Projects are Remote or On-site GISCorps does not pay for its volunteers expenses, on-site or remote missions, the Partner Agency does A recent change in policy allows for provision of minimal assistance to qualified projects
Volunteers Profile Total registered volunteers: +/- 3,000+ (June 2013) Currently have over 2,000 registered Friends Volunteers have an > 8 years GIS experience on average Over 40% of them teach or have taught GIS
Volunteers Locations +/- 3,000 (June 2013) volunteers reside in 95 countries 76% of them reside in the US and Canada
Volunteers provide expertise in: Capacity Building (training & technical workshops) GIS Needs Assessment & Strategic Planning Building/Designing/Cleansing spatial & non-spatial database Remote Sensing Spatial Analysis & Modeling Geo-coding Application development Quality Control
Missions Locations (2004-2013) In 48 countries
Missions 2004-2013 As of June 2013, engaged in 129 missions in 48 countries; deployed 445 volunteers: 32 on-site missions; deployed 76 volunteers 97 remote missions; deployed 369 volunteers Deployments are to emergency (41) as well as non emergency (88) missions (32% DR)
Post tsunami missions Post Katrina missions Post flood mission Brisbane, Australia Post tsunami mission Post Cyclone Nargis missions Post Earthquake Haiti Post Flood Albania Post Earthquake Japan Multiple post tornado assistance Post Superstorm Sandy Missions 2004-2013 Disaster Response - On-Site & Remote
In Partnership with VVAF and UNJLC (5 volunteers) Indonesia
Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief In partnership with EOC & FEMA (33 volunteers)
33 GISCorps Volunteers Digitized various features From Google Earth Interface and a variety of imageries Cyclone Nargis Missions Myanmar (Burma) In partnership w/ UNOSAT (United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Program)
GIS dataset mining, cleansing, assembly & publishing CrisisCommons/UNOCHA Japan Earthquake
Remote sensing/image Analysis USGS/Charter/JAXA Japan Earthquake
Remote sensing/image Analysis USGS/Charter/FEMA Hurricane Sandy
MapSAR, California Assisting in search & rescue pilot project in California Eight volunteers
GISCorps acquired ArcGIS Online in 2013 Multiple projects under way
Daily Point of Light Award 2012 Presidential Volunteer Service Award 2012
At the heart of volunteerism are the ideals of service and solidarity and the belief that together we can make the world a better place. Volunteers do not ask, why volunteer?, but rather when?, where? and how?. These dedicated and courageous individuals are important partners in the quest for a better, fairer and safer world. Kofi Annan, 5 December 2003 www.giscorps.org info@giscorps.org