Project description

The MapX initiative is based on a request from the g7+ group of countries to "develop a partnership that supports stakeholders in the extractives sector to consolidate, analyze and visualize transparency data and other contextual information as a contribution to good governance and conflict prevention."

MapX has three basic components:

- Open data platform: a national open data platform for the extractives sector that can be tailor made to local needs, owned by stakeholders and reinforce existing processes (see annex 1);

- Normative data standard and workflow: an open data standard and workflow process for consolidating, validating, reconciling and licensing the data by key Ministries, companies and communities;

- Stakeholder capacity building: a capacity building programme for stakeholders to comply with the standard, manage the workflow and use the open data platform to inform decision making.

By improving digital access to the vast array of information produced by transparency and good governance initiatives, MapX can be a transformative tool for strengthening informed participation, dialogue and decision making by all stakeholders in the extractives sector. MapX has the potential to improve the quality of stakeholder consultation and resource concession contracts, support reforms in natural resource governance, promote more equitable benefits sharing, and enhance the performance monitoring of the sector at the concession level. With improved transparency and stakeholder confidence in government, MapX could also help support due diligence and risk identification for extractive investments as well as promote a higher quality of international investment to the extractives sector.

GRID-Geneva is responsible for the development of the MapX platform, entirely based on open-source solution. GRID-Geneva is also deeply involved into the deployment of the platform in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with participation to stakeholder dialogues and capacity building activities.