GIS for Humanitarian Mapping Training Course

Participants can configure a GIS project with suitable coordinate systems and reproducible file structures.

• Coordinate reference systems, datums and transformations selected for operational map accuracy
• Geographic versus projected coordinates distinguished through distance and area calculations
• UTM zones and local projections chosen for humanitarian area-of-interest mapping
• Project folders organised using source, processing, output and documentation conventions
• Layer naming conventions applied for rapid handover between mapping team members
• Map scales checked against positional accuracy and intended operational use

Participants can source and document appropriate baseline and crisis datasets.

• Humanitarian Data Exchange searched using location, publisher, licence and update filters
• OpenStreetMap features retrieved for roads, buildings, facilities and settlement mapping
• Administrative boundaries assessed against official sources, versions and operational acceptance
• Population datasets compared using resolution, reference date and estimation methodology
• Satellite imagery sources selected by spatial resolution, cloud cover and revisit frequency
• Dataset provenance recorded through source links, licences, dates and processing notes

Participants can clean, join and edit vector datasets for humanitarian analysis.

• Attribute tables inspected for duplicate records, missing values and inconsistent categories
• Unique identifiers created for facilities, settlements, sites and administrative units
• Tabular assessment data joined to geographic features using controlled identifiers
• Geocoding procedures applied to location records with incomplete coordinate information
• Topology rules used to identify gaps, overlaps, slivers and invalid polygons
• Field values standardised through domains, coded lists and data dictionaries

Participants can produce clear map layouts for operational briefings and field use.

• Visual hierarchy established using symbol size, contrast, labelling and layer order
• Thematic maps selected for counts, rates, categories, flows and ranked priorities
• Colour schemes checked for accessibility, print reproduction and thematic meaning
• Scale bars, north arrows, source notes and disclaimers placed purposefully
• Reference maps designed with locator insets, grids and readable place labels
• Map layouts exported for print, PDF briefings and low-bandwidth distribution

Participants can prepare and interpret raster imagery for humanitarian mapping tasks.

• Raster resolution, extent, bands and pixel values interpreted for analysis suitability
• True-colour and false-colour composites compared for floodwater and vegetation detection
• Cloud cover, shadows and seasonal variation identified before image interpretation
• Image enhancement using contrast stretches, band combinations and histogram inspection
• Raster clipping and reprojection prepared for defined humanitarian areas of interest
• Visual interpretation rules documented for damaged buildings and inundated land

Participants can design a field-data workflow linked to a humanitarian GIS project.

• KoboToolbox forms structured with required fields, constraints and skip logic
• Location questions configured for points, tracks, polygons and coordinate capture
• Controlled vocabularies applied to shelter conditions, services and priority needs
• Field forms tested against offline use, device settings and enumeration guidance
• Submission records synchronised with GIS layers using stable record identifiers
• Consent statements and enumerator instructions included within digital questionnaires

Participants can assess geospatial data quality and document limitations for decision makers.

• Completeness, positional accuracy, timeliness and consistency assessed against intended use
• Outlier coordinates identified through range checks, visual inspection and spatial queries
• Logical consistency tested between reported facilities, administrative areas and service categories
• Sampling bias examined when crowdsourced, rapid-assessment and remotely sensed data conflict
• Quality-control logs record corrections, unresolved issues and responsible data custodians
• Confidence statements written to communicate uncertainty without overstating analytical findings

Participants can map assessment indicators and identify priority locations using transparent criteria.

• Assessment indicators standardised before aggregation across teams, sites and collection rounds
• Choropleth maps constructed using appropriate denominators, classification methods and legends
• Jenks, quantile and equal-interval classifications compared for priority indicator mapping
• Composite indices built from weighted indicators with documented scoring assumptions
• Spatial joins summarise household, facility and site observations by administrative area
• Priority maps distinguish observed needs, inferred risk and unassessed locations

Participants can estimate affected populations and map displacement patterns with stated assumptions.

• Population counts reconciled across census, registration, assessment and settlement datasets
• Displacement sites mapped using location status, occupancy and population update dates
• Dasymetric mapping refines population distribution using buildings, land cover and settlements
• Catchment populations estimated through administrative boundaries, buffers and travel thresholds
• Population figures disaggregated by sex, age and vulnerability where source data permits
• Assumptions logged when population estimates combine multiple incomplete data sources

Participants can analyse travel access to services and identify logistical constraints.

• Road networks cleaned for connectivity, direction, surface condition and access restrictions
• Travel-time surfaces generated from roads, terrain, land cover and speed assumptions
• Network analysis calculates shortest paths between warehouses, communities and health facilities
• Service-area polygons identify populations within defined travel-time thresholds
• Route constraints mapped for bridges, checkpoints, floodwater and seasonal road closures
• Access assumptions tested against field reports, local knowledge and recent imagery

Participants can combine hazard and exposure layers to identify locations requiring attention.

• Hazard footprints prepared for floods, landslides, earthquakes, fires and storm surge
• Exposure overlays identify affected people, facilities, roads and critical infrastructure
• Buffer analysis estimates assets exposed within defined hazard proximity zones
• Multi-criteria analysis ranks locations using hazard, vulnerability and coping-capacity indicators
• Weighted overlay assumptions documented through stakeholder-agreed scoring and sensitivity checks
• Risk maps separate hazard likelihood, exposure estimates and operational response priorities

Participants can identify and communicate relevant changes from sequential geospatial data.

• Pre-event and post-event imagery aligned before visual change comparison begins
• Swipe maps and transparency tools reveal flood extent, damage and settlement expansion
• Change polygons digitised with confidence classes and supporting imagery references
• Normalized Difference Water Index supports preliminary surface-water change interpretation
• Field verification priorities selected where imagery evidence remains uncertain or obscured
• Change products report observation dates, limitations and recommended follow-up actions

Participants can package map products for coordination, reporting and field distribution.

• Situation maps prepared for incident briefings, coordination meetings and operational updates
• Atlas series configured using templates, page queries and consistent layout elements
• Web-map layers published with scale ranges, pop-ups and source attribution
• Static maps optimised for email, print boards and low-bandwidth messaging channels
• Map versioning records publication date, source updates and superseded products
• Distribution lists distinguish public, restricted and internal operational map products

Participants can apply governance controls to sensitive humanitarian geospatial information.

• Personal data, sensitive locations and protection risks classified before map publication
• Aggregation and masking methods reduce disclosure risk for vulnerable population locations
• Data-sharing agreements define permitted uses, access controls and retention periods
• Role-based permissions applied to source data, working layers and published outputs
• Metadata records custodianship, collection methods, update frequency and usage restrictions
• Incident procedures address accidental disclosure, incorrect maps and urgent corrections

Participants can create a repeatable GIS workflow for a response or preparedness function.

• Mapping requests triaged by decision urgency, data availability and protection implications
• Standard operating procedures define intake, analysis, review, approval and publication steps
• Production schedules align baseline updates, assessment cycles and coordination reporting deadlines
• Roles assigned for data stewardship, analysis, cartographic review and release approval
• Quality-assurance checklists applied before maps reach operational decision makers
• Handover packages include project files, source data, methods and update instructions

Participants can review humanitarian map products and communicate defensible spatial findings.

• Peer review checks geographic accuracy, visual clarity, sources and operational relevance
• Analytical claims traced back to data inputs, methods and stated assumptions
• Map critiques identify misleading classifications, omitted context and unsupported conclusions
• Decision briefings frame findings, uncertainties, implications and recommended operational actions
• Stakeholder feedback incorporated without compromising documented analytical standards
• Revision logs preserve changes to source data, methodology and published products

Participants can build, review and present a complete humanitarian mapping package for a defined response decision.

• Response scenario translated into decision questions, geographic scope and priority audiences
• Source datasets selected, documented and prepared within a reproducible GIS project
• Spatial analysis combines population, hazard, access and service information layers
• Operational map layouts communicate findings, limitations, sources and recommended actions
• Protection review checks sensitive locations, aggregation choices and release restrictions
• Capstone package presented with metadata, workflow notes and decision briefing