Build and maintain a network of institutions with a shared interest in increasing knowledge and use of OSM.
Provide space and time for collaborative work on OSM-related projects, with opportunities for both technical and nontechnical professionals.
Exchange information, ideas and knowledge around use of OSM in international development, humanitarian work and government in order to align and mutually reinforce our efforts.
Identify hurdles in the institutional use of OSM and build tools to help navigate and overcome.
How we achieve them
Gathering at least once a month to build solutions for our common needs, including documentation of OSM use, communication, technical requirements, and advocacy for leadership in our respective institutions to support use of OSM.
Communicating frequently about shared projects, events, intern initiatives, meetings and other opportunities through a Slack instance and an email list.
Sharing expertise, ideas and imagery to co-host OSM-related events, including OSM GeoWeek, university map-offs, disaster relief mapathons and diaspora mapping parties.
Our achievements to date include
Inaugurating and hosting OSM GeoWeek in November 2014, 2015, and 2016, which mobilized over 100 sites to host OSM-related events.
Developing and maintaining OSM Stories, a website to gather and share case studies of institutional and international OSM use.
Creating a template for elegantly designed, dynamic OSM tracing guides. Check out the code
Significant US government policy gains in support of OSM use, including recognition from John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, in a recent memo.