April 12, 2011
Redlands, California—Esri and the nonprofit organization Development Gateway signed a memorandum of understanding that defines continued joint efforts to leverage geospatial technology to support international aid projects.
"Working with Esri, we intend to make aid information more visual so it's easier for decision makers and the general public to access and understand," says Nancy Choi, director of products and operations at Development Gateway. "Interactive maps help coordinate disaster relief activities and ensure that resources are distributed to the areas of greatest need. The same approach can work for long-term development efforts as well, especially in countries where there are dozens of donors implementing thousands of projects."
By combining Esri's technology and capabilities with Development Gateway's data and expertise, the organizations plan to geoenable aid project information and develop tools that improve transparency, support decision making, and enhance effectiveness of aid donors and recipient governments.
Esri and Development Gateway recently worked together to create the Development Loop application for AidData, a joint initiative of Development Gateway, Brigham Young University, and the College of William and Mary. Development Loop presents a collaborative tool for planning, tracking, and assessing aid projects worldwide. Future work may support similar AidData projects as well as Development Gateway's Aid Management Platform—a virtual workspace for governments and their development partners, with implementations in 20 countries.
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Emily Meyertholen, Esri
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