From Sketch Mapping to GIS : Challenges to Capacity Building of Grassroots Organizations in Indonesia Martin Hardiono, H. Radandima, Krisna Suryanata, and Jefferson Fox

Participatory mapping An increasingly important tool for grassroots communities An increasingly important tool for grassroots communities To better plan resource management To better plan resource management  To give more knowledge about their resources  To resolve conflicts within their own communities To legitimize customary claims to resources To legitimize customary claims to resources

Participatory mapping: Encourages villagers to draw and model their territories and resources as a means to negotiate their rights Encourages villagers to draw and model their territories and resources as a means to negotiate their rights Strongly shaped by the relationships between villagers and mapping facilitators Strongly shaped by the relationships between villagers and mapping facilitators Most mapping facilitators in Indonesia came from outside the community Most mapping facilitators in Indonesia came from outside the community  staff of NGO / University

Unintended consequences of mapping Loss of indigenous conceptions of space Loss of indigenous conceptions of space Shift from communal to individual property regimes Shift from communal to individual property regimes Facilitate co-optation by outside interests/the State Facilitate co-optation by outside interests/the State Forces issues and boundaries Forces issues and boundaries  Increased conflict between and within communities

Participatory mapping produces: Simple sketch maps Simple sketch maps Maps with cartographic references and coordinates Maps with cartographic references and coordinates Computer-based Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Computer-based Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Case study Sumba

East Sumba, Indonesia Dominated by a semi-arid climate Dominated by a semi-arid climate Soil conservation a serious concern Soil conservation a serious concern Designated as bio-diversity conservation area (Wanggameti National Park) in 1984 Designated as bio-diversity conservation area (Wanggameti National Park) in 1984

Local Institutional Actors Nusa Tenggara Community Development Consortium Nusa Tenggara Community Development Consortium  A loosely organized network of government agencies, domestic and international NGOs, universities, and community representatives of key conservation sites in Nusa Tenggara  Met annually to share information, synthesize lessons learned, define collaborative activities

Participatory Mapping in Nusa Tenggara Introduced by The World Neighbors Introduced by The World Neighbors  Sketch mapping as a planning tool in soil conservation Communicated and adopted by other Consortium members Communicated and adopted by other Consortium members  Facilitated communication among farmers and enhanced participation  Community maps were valuable when negotiating boundaries with the National Park  Effective for local negotiation, but more ‘formal’ maps were required to deal with the State

Capacity building for mapping A project funded by the Ford Foundation A project funded by the Ford Foundation To improve the capacity for regional organizations to collect, analyze and distribute spatial information To improve the capacity for regional organizations to collect, analyze and distribute spatial information Project objectives Project objectives  Training local professionals  Building regional GIS capacity, and  Producing community-based maps

Digital data processing Requires basic computer skills and analytical capability Requires basic computer skills and analytical capability Must work with multiple sources of data, choose from a variety of software, and keep up with the (rapid) development of computing technology Must work with multiple sources of data, choose from a variety of software, and keep up with the (rapid) development of computing technology The project provided intensive training to a few key staff, followed by a series of field workshops involving more trainees The project provided intensive training to a few key staff, followed by a series of field workshops involving more trainees

Problems in training Focusing capacity development on a few key individuals is vulnerable to arbitrary personnel changes Focusing capacity development on a few key individuals is vulnerable to arbitrary personnel changes Trainees are not always prepared for the rigorous demand imposed by data gathering (surveys in rough terrain, or tedious tasks of digitizing maps) Trainees are not always prepared for the rigorous demand imposed by data gathering (surveys in rough terrain, or tedious tasks of digitizing maps) Disjointed knowledge / skill transfer due to rotations among NGO staff attending the training sessions Disjointed knowledge / skill transfer due to rotations among NGO staff attending the training sessions Distorted wage market because skills in spatial information analysis are highly valued and relatively scarce in Indonesia Distorted wage market because skills in spatial information analysis are highly valued and relatively scarce in Indonesia

Building a Regional Spatial Information Center To share (expensive) equipments and data necessary for managing spatial information To share (expensive) equipments and data necessary for managing spatial information The Regional Center would be placed within one of the Consortium member organizations The Regional Center would be placed within one of the Consortium member organizations Trained core staff would facilitate access by Consortium members Trained core staff would facilitate access by Consortium members

Problems with SIT Center Lack of stable core staff to facilitate the interface between users and spatial data Lack of stable core staff to facilitate the interface between users and spatial data The development of computing technology and spatial data quickly made the Center’s hardware obsolete The development of computing technology and spatial data quickly made the Center’s hardware obsolete Reiterates the critical need to provide continuing support to local NGOs and community members (general troubleshooting, how to adapt to evolving technology, how to identify and acquire new data) Reiterates the critical need to provide continuing support to local NGOs and community members (general troubleshooting, how to adapt to evolving technology, how to identify and acquire new data)

Producing Community-based Maps The exercise was part of the training to produce maps The exercise was part of the training to produce maps It focused on how to accurately document information onto maps It focused on how to accurately document information onto maps Less attention given to “map socialization” – how to use maps and map making for addressing tangible concerns of the community Less attention given to “map socialization” – how to use maps and map making for addressing tangible concerns of the community

Conceptual Gaps regarding Maps Sketch maps are familiar to most villagers Sketch maps are familiar to most villagers Cartographic maps and other types of spatial information are more difficult to understand Cartographic maps and other types of spatial information are more difficult to understand Villagers can readily contribute the information to be mapped, but not comprehend the meaning (and usefulness) of these maps Villagers can readily contribute the information to be mapped, but not comprehend the meaning (and usefulness) of these maps

Sharing the maps (or not…) 15 village maps, showing village customary boundaries, land use and vegetation cover, sacred and protected areas, and other resource patterns 15 village maps, showing village customary boundaries, land use and vegetation cover, sacred and protected areas, and other resource patterns No agreement regarding control and access over this valuable information No agreement regarding control and access over this valuable information Villagers keep the hardcopies, but their utility is limited Villagers keep the hardcopies, but their utility is limited

At the end of the project… Villagers’ capacity in understanding how maps can assist their needs is still limited Villagers’ capacity in understanding how maps can assist their needs is still limited The Regional SIT Center became obsolete with no stable core local staff capable in spatial information management and analysis The Regional SIT Center became obsolete with no stable core local staff capable in spatial information management and analysis A number of high quality maps and GIS are available but not effectively shared (and used) because the technical capacity is absent at the local level A number of high quality maps and GIS are available but not effectively shared (and used) because the technical capacity is absent at the local level