MapAfrica 2.0: From High 5s to Successful Results

In 2014, DG worked with its partners at AidData to support the African Development Bank (AfDB) to geocode and visualize its portfolio of operations, culminating in the launch of the public-facing MapAfrica platform at the Bank’s Annual Meetings in Kigali. Earlier this year, we were proud to re-engage with our AfDB colleagues to launch MapAfrica 2.0, an updated version of the portal.

“This dynamic tool enables the Bank to provide transparent and equal access to its work across Africa. It is an effort to showcase our results and to track our projects on the ground,” said Simon Mizrahi, Director of the AfDB’s Quality Control and Results Department, during the platform’s unveiling in June. Through its updated interface, MapAfrica underscores project relationships to AfDB’s High 5 Priority Areas – which were developed in line with both the Bank’s Ten Year Strategy, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Figure 1: MapAfrica 2.0

MapAfrica provides an easy way for users to pinpoint information through a rich set of filters. A simple one-click navigation opens a view for each High 5 priority area, and users may also search by country, sector, and/or year. Each activity location point provides both high level details, and now project stories – providing users with richer context.

Figure 2: Project detail and corresponding project story

With simplicity and efficiency in mind, the data behind the portal is taken from IATI data reported by AfDB – this avoids duplication efforts around data (re)entry. And, with an easy configuration change, MapAfrica can collect IATI data either from the server, or directly from the IATI Datastore.

Figure 3: IATI import workflow

MapAfrica was built with the latest technology and best practices in mind, and with a responsive design in order to support both desktop and mobile views.

Figure 4: Technology stack

As AfDB seeks to achieve the High 5s, MapAfrica can help Bank staff, stakeholders, and citizens across the continent visualize and learn more about projects meant to improve the future for all.

Image: P. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0