<div dir="ltr">While we have no authority, Andy, I think you should trust us!<div><br></div><div>I'll echo the call for more and better documentation of how data are used at the operational level, expanding upon what ARC, MSF, WB/GFDRR and others have been doing to help 'make the case.'</div><div><br></div><div>The Humanitarian Information Unit is in the Office of the Geographer at the Department.  Within our institution, a lot of what we have to do is educate our colleagues on the value of any and all kinds of geographic data - not to mention the unique value of a resource like OSM.</div><div><br></div><div>For anyone coming to ICCM this week, the documentation challenge is part of what we want to talk about during our 'deeper dive' session on Saturday, "Building Ecosystems Around OSM."</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers,</div><div>Benson<br><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">2014-11-01 16:19 GMT+01:00 Andy Anderson <</span><a href="mailto:aanderson@amherst.edu" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">aanderson@amherst.edu</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">>:</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">>  In addition to “quantitative data sets or any scientifically</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">> executed interviews?” or even anecdotal “The maps helped a lot!”, you can</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">> also “appeal to </span><span class="" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;background:rgb(255,255,204)">authority</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">”: the US State Department’s Humanitarian</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">> Information Unit thinks that humanitarian mapping is so worthwhile that</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">> they set up their own “</span><span class="" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;background:rgb(255,255,204)">MapGive</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">” page:</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">></span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">>  </span><a href="http://mapgive.state.gov/" target="_blank" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">http://<span class="" style="color:rgb(34,34,34);background:rgb(255,255,204)">mapgive</span>.state.gov</a><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">></span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">>  “</span><span class="" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;background:rgb(255,255,204)">Map</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"> data is key to humanitarian and development missions. </span><span class="" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;background:rgb(255,255,204)">MapGive</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">> helps new volunteers learn to </span><span class="" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;background:rgb(255,255,204)">map</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"> and get involved in online tasks.”</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">></span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">>  The effectiveness of such an appeal will, of course, depend on whether</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">> someone trusts the “</span><span class="" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px;background:rgb(255,255,204)">authority</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">” :-)</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">></span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">>  — Andy</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">></span><br></div></div></div>