In times of crisis, access to accurate, up-to-date maps can save lives. Voluntary Geographic Information (VGI) initiatives have revolutionized disaster response. Among these, humanitarian mapping projects coordinated by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) stand out for their global impact.

Our recently published study, “Collective Intelligence in Humanitarian Voluntary Geographic Information: The Case of the HOT Tasking Manager,” offers a fresh perspective on how collective intelligence operates within these large-scale mapping efforts.

Drawing on data from 746 humanitarian mapping projects completed between December 2021 and November 2023, involving 38,893 contributors and 312,289 mapping tasks, we set out to explore three key questions:

  • Who are the individuals mapping humanitarian areas, and what characterizes their participation?
  • How does collective action unfold during these collaborative mapping efforts?
  • What evidence can we find of intelligent behavior emerging from the collective?

Fig. 7. Frequency and duration map of task states and transitions (85% of most frequent traces)

Fig. 7. Frequency and duration map of task states and transitions (85% of most frequent traces)

Our findings reveal both strengths and challenges in the current system. Most mapping work is carried out by contributors outside the mapped regions, and advanced mappers play a critical role in ensuring the quality and completion of tasks. However, the mapping process often involves limited collaboration: tasks are usually completed individually, with only occasional interaction between contributors.

While this structure effectively meets the short-term objectives of rapid map production, it raises concerns about sustainability and resilience for long-term humanitarian needs. We discuss potential strategies to better harness collective intelligence, such as encouraging deeper collaboration, improving validation workflows, and fostering more inclusive participation.

To uncover these insights, we combined quantitative profiling, process mining, and logistic regression analyses, providing one of the most comprehensive empirical explorations of humanitarian mapping dynamics to date.

Fig. 11. Handover of mapping tasks

Fig. 11. Handover of mapping tasks

Collective Intelligence in Humanitarian Voluntary Geographic Information: The Case of the HOT Tasking Manager. D.J. HERRERA-MURILLO, H. OCHOA-ORTIZ, U. AHMED, F.J. LOPEZ-PELLICER, B. RE, A. POLINI, J. NOGUERAS-ISO. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, online, 2025.