Rwandan non-governmental organization received GIS assistance from GISCorps volunteer

Background

The Protected Area Management (PAM) initiative is a partnership between the National Geographic Society, Esri, and GISCorps. The initiative seeks to facilitate and support the effective use of Esri’s ArcGIS Solutions for Conservation, which has been made available at no cost to the protected areas throughout Africa through a partnership between Esri and the National Geographic Society. ArcGIS Solutions for Conservation provides protected area managers with a secure suite of configurable technology for better managing and protecting parks and sensitive conservation areas.

Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA) is a passionate and dedicated team of Rwandan conservationists. RWCA’s mission is to apply home-grown solutions to protect and restore threatened wildlife and wild places. This is achieved through species threat reduction, research and monitoring, wildlife interventions, conservation education, community livelihoods, and restoring and protecting natural habitats. Best known for its work to abolish the illegal trade of Grey Crowned Cranes in Rwanda, over the last ten years RWCA have successfully removed all Grey Crowned Cranes from captivity and stopped poaching at its source. As a result, the wild population of Grey Crowned Cranes in Rwanda has more than doubled. RWCA works closely with local communities through its community involvement and livelihoods programs to ensure the sustainability and success of its conservation activities.

Between May and September of 2025, GISCorps volunteer Adam McKay partnered with RWCA to  support and enhance their use of the ArcGIS Online (AGOL) platform, particularly through dashboard development, data visualization, and internal capacity building. The engagement included remote collaboration highlighted by a week-long training in July, which emphasized spatial data collection with ArcGIS Survey123 and visualization using ArcGIS Web Maps and ArcGIS Dashboards

Needs and Goals

RWCA has been using AGOL since 2021, beginning with initial Survey123 forms and dashboards developed with support from Esri Rwanda. As their conservation activities expanded, so has their demand for spatial data and the related tools to manage and share it. To sustain this growth, RWCA identified the need to strengthen internal capacity, particularly in data collection, visualization, and reporting so they could both showcase their conservation progress and identify emerging issues more effectively.

Training

A five day training program was designed and established with the intention teaching participants how to:

1. Create, publish, and manage survey forms using Survey123 Web Designer and Survey123 Connect
2. Build and configure Web Maps and Dashboards in ArcGIS Online
3. Understand critical survey workflows such as versioning, backups, and republishing
4. Apply these workflows to build real-world forms for RWCA projects

The training included presentations, technical demonstrations, walkthroughs, and collaborative activities. The technical demos were recorded and subsequently edited into smaller, more digestible videos that can be used as reference materials.

Following the training, participants were able to begin developing the high-priority surveys. In total, five new Survey123 forms were created:

1. Incident Tracking – enabling Rangers to record field observations and share coordinates and details directly with RWCA leadership.
2. Fruit Bat Sampling – allowing Field Ecologists to capture detailed information on fruit bats.
3. Illegal Activities – providing Rangers with a tool to log incidents of illegal activity occurring in protected areas.
4. Ranger Patrol Log – a daily log for dozens of rangers who monitor the Rugezi Marsh.
5. Animal Immobilization – supporting veterinary staff in documenting immobilization procedures and related biological samples.

Conclusions

The collaboration has advanced the RWCA’s ability to collect, manage, and visualize spatial data. By developing new digital survey tools and building internal technical skills, RWCA is now better equipped to monitor its conservation activities, respond to threats, and demonstrate impacts to partners and stakeholders.

Moving forward, RWCA plans to:

• Deploy the new survey tools across ranger patrols, veterinary programs, and community engagement initiatives.
• Continue building staff capacity by having trained participants mentor colleagues and expand the use of ArcGIS tools across the organization.
• Refine and expand data products, including dashboards and maps, to support decision-making and strengthen communication with external partners.

This project has laid a strong foundation for RWCA’s continued use of geospatial technology in advancing conservation across Rwanda. With these tools and skills in place, the organization is well-positioned to scale its impact, improve protection of threatened species, and foster community-driven stewardship of Rwanda’s natural environment.

“Working with GISCorps and receiving training from Adam has been a valuable experience for RWCA. His hands-on approach gave our team the confidence and skills to use ArcGIS Online and Survey123 effectively, tools that now play a central role in how we monitor species, organize conservation data from communities, and engage stakeholders. This training has built sustainable geospatial capacity within RWCA, empowering us to better protect Rwanda’s wildlife and wild places.”

Deo Ruhagazi, Deputy Director, RWCA

Project completed.