Background

This Peer to Peer Learning Exchange Workshop Series is aimed at providing a space for knowledge exchange to benefit the newly emerging OSM communities in Dominica and Saint Lucia. OSM community representatives from across the globe joined this 1-hour virtual session. It was extremely interesting to note that there were attendees from several different countries among the 36 persons who were in this April 25th peer to peer learning session. This was the first of six online sessions. The sessions are spearheaded by the Humanitarian OpenStreetmap Team (HOT) Community Working Group.

What is the OSM Community?

The Peer to Peer learning session kicked off with a discussion on “What is an OSM Community?” While some persons defined it in a broader sense, a group of like-minded people, who come together to map and some went into further detail. This included explaining the importance of charging a small membership fee in order to keep the group accessible for persons from all income brackets. One representative also mentioned the importance of having multiple members on the board of directors for continuity and accountability.

What should be the vision and mission of an OSM Community?

The general consensus was that the mission was to be a representative organization for mappers and mapping in their country/region. Further, it is important that clear goals and objectives are developed for example, increasing the number of mappers in the community, improving the quality of data and promoting the use of OSM data for community development

What should be the values to promote as an OSM community?

The dominant theme was that of inclusivity: ensuring that the OSM community was a welcoming and accessible space for all. In documenting the values the common approach is to have an informal policy at first, but written documents can be prepared and shared on the OSM Wiki.

Is there a need to register as an OSM community, either at a country or regional level?

In terms of regional OSM bodies, each local organization should be registered at the country level. It is best to start at the country level and then these country-level groups can come together to form a regional body. Also, in terms of registering as a local chapter under global OSM, it is useful to read the draft handbook for becoming a local chapter. In conclusion, setting clear goals and values is essential for the success of any OSM community. The peer-to-peer learning session provided valuable insights and guidance on developing a strong community that promotes inclusivity and accountability. With these best practices, emerging OSM communities can thrive and contribute to community development using OSM data.