Community Mapping (COMAP)

Community Mapping (COMAP) is a guideline tool that enables communities to map details of where they live and the surrounding infrastructure, with particular emphasis on water and sanitation, two of the most important issues poor communities face, but also paying attention to other bottlenecks, such as land tenure, work opportunities and housing. COMAP has been used in both developing and developed countries to mobilize communities, gather information, lobby governments, and to protect or promote the provision of services. It is mostly carried out in urban slum communities. COMAP can therefore be considered a tool of empowerment and capacity building for local communities that puts them in a stronger position to represent themselves with NGOs, local and national governments. While adaptable to individual situations, the general principles used by COMAP and explained in the guidelines are the following:

(1) find the time to do the community mapping,

(2) identify the community and community leaders to begin the process,

(3) carry out an initial rough survey of the settlement,

(4) design enumeration forms in conjunction with the community and in the local language,

(5) train community members to use the forms,

(6) design a map of the community, starting with rough relationships and gradually adding details,

(7) using the map identify and name families and individuals relating to each structure,

(8) analyze the data, ensuring community ownership and understanding,

(9) verify and use the data.