The Scout Movement is one of the communities that play a significant role in impacting various humanitarian activities in Indonesia. Besides having an organized network and system, it also has a very large number of members with different levels, some of which are based on the education system levels in Indonesia. Therefore, the involvement of the Scout Movement in various humanitarian activities is systematic and reaches various levels of society. Furthermore, their collaboration with various other humanitarian organizations makes humanitarian activities more comprehensive and targeted.
Youth involvement in the Scout Movement is one of the main characteristics of all their activities. With the mission of the Scout Movement aiming to guide young people to become innovative change agents, many young members of the Scout Movement often receive training in various fields, including humanitarian work. In line with this mission, the Open Mapping Hub Asia Pacific (AP Hub) collaborated with the Perkumpulan OpenStreetMap Indonesia (POI) to maximize the potential of young members of the Scout Movement to understand the development of digital technology that can support the Scout Movement’s mission. The technology in question is geospatial technology, which is expected to support humanitarian activities related to disasters, providing a platform for young members of the Scout Movement to contribute to society.
Collaborating with the Bogor Regency and Bogor City of Scout Community, AP Hub, and POI provided capacity development related to open mapping and OpenStreetMap for Scout members in the Bogor area. This included inviting Scout members from Bekasi Regency, Tangerang, and Depok to attend this training. The basic field sensitivity skills possessed by Scout members are one of the main advantages that make capacity development related to Open Mapping suitable for internal use by Scout members. The combination of field sensitivity with open mapping technology is an innovative and sustainable approach to improving the technical skills of Scout members.
The training, attended by more than 30 Scout members, mostly from Bogor Regency, was conducted in three stages: initiation and introduction related to the Scout Movement’s profile and AP Hub, training and introduction to free and open mapping technology, and data collection and map product creation. These three stages took place over three months and involved young people from junior high schools, high schools, and universities, as well as senior members of the Scout Community.
The Members of the Scout Community Learned Open Mapping Technology
One of the expected outcomes of this activity is the increased capacity of young members of the Scout Movement to use open mapping technology. Not only capacity building but also applying this knowledge in real-life situations by combining basic field skills most young Scout members possess. To achieve this, one of the primary steps is to inform them about what OpenStreetMap is and what technologies can support humanitarian activities, especially disaster preparedness. Therefore, introducing OpenMapping tools is essential for young members before facilitators and young people together conduct data collection simulations in the field.
The Simulation of Field Data Collection by the Scout Community Members
Once the young members have acquired sufficient knowledge and have been tested, they are directed to carry out field data collection simulations, one of the main activities related to preparedness data for disaster management. This simulation was conducted in Cipayung Girang Village, Megamendung Sub-District, Bogor Regency. The simulation and data collection were done in groups, dividing Cipayung Girang into three survey areas for three groups. Each group brought the equipment outlined in the field data collection session that the young people received earlier. This is where you can see how enthusiastic the young members are in preparing various equipment and supplies for data collection in each group. This enthusiasm is typical of them because, fundamentally, young members of the Scout Movement are used to and excel in field activities.
Field Data Collection Activity
The field sensitivity combined with knowledge of open digital technology makes these young people relatively superior in the field data collection process. Challenging terrain is not an obstacle for them. Additionally, guided by facilitators, they quickly adapt to the field data collection process, which requires good field sensitivity in identifying various field data attributes to be collected using smartphone applications. The data collected includes information on critical infrastructure concerning disasters, such as places of worship, educational facilities, open spaces, and security facilities. The field data collection process took approximately two days, during which all collected data was uploaded to the open map platform, OpenStreetMap, and used as a fundamental dataset for map product creation training in the following session.
In terms of data, participants were provided with data model guidelines to make sure they uploaded the correct information into OpenStreetMap. This data model was created based on the OpenStreetMap standard and always adjusted based on the needs of the area that needs to be mapped. These data models were detailed later on as the participants also needed to identify additional information about a specific object, such as building levels, facilities conditions, and additional information for school grades. Below is the data model that was used for this activity.
OpenStreetMap Tag Guidelines for Data Collection
During the capacity-building process, approximately 4,100 building data points and 25 kilometers of road networks were mapped in Megamendung. In the final session, young members were trained to use GIS technology to create maps. Despite limited resources, leveraging their strong teamwork skills, these young people were satisfied with their results, including knowledge, skills, and experience in using open mapping technology to support disaster preparedness in Bogor Regency.
Inputting the Field Data into the OpenStreetMap Server