Abidjan
Côte d’Ivoire
- Elind Sulmina
Intermediate
Event Organizer(s)
Description
This intermediate-level course strengthens technical competencies required to deploy, manage, and maintain enterprise open source GIS environments supporting national broadband mapping systems under the Africa-BB-Maps initiative.
Building on the foundational knowledge acquired in the Basic training, this course focuses on spatial database configuration, structured data governance, enterprise GIS workflows, and advanced spatial data management using open source technologies.
The course covers the following open source GIS components:
- Deploying and Managing Spatial Databases using PostgreSQL and PostGIS
- Advanced Spatial Data Management and Editing using QGIS
The training provides structured coverage of:
- Enterprise GIS architecture and multi-tier system environments
- Spatial database configuration and administration using PostgreSQL/PostGIS
- Data loading, schema design, and structured dataset management
- User roles, access control, and privilege management in spatial databases
- Topology rules, spatial validation, and data integrity enforcement
- Database indexing, performance optimisation, and maintenance
- Integration of spatial databases with desktop GIS workflows using QGIS
- Controlled data sharing and structured data management workflows
Through guided enterprise-level exercises using broadband-related datasets (e.g., fibre routes, mobile coverage layers, infrastructure locations, and administrative boundaries), participants acquire the skills required to operate and sustain national broadband mapping systems in multiuser data environments.
The course emphasises the practical deployment and management of spatial data infrastructure using open source technologies, enabling participating countries to maintain sustainable and scalable broadband mapping systems.
National technical focal points, GIS specialists, data management officers, and technical staff involved in broadband data collection, preparation, validation, and reporting in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burundi.
Qualifications or experience needed to participate in this training course:
- No prior GIS experience required
- Basic computer literacy
- Institutional role relevant to broadband mapping, geospatial data management, or digital infrastructure planning
Selection criteria:
- Nomination by the participating countries
- Relevance of the participant’s role to national broadband mapping implementation and regulatory data management
Prerequisites
Participants need to have completed the following self-paced courses:
Number of available places per cohort: 20
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Identify and explain fundamental GIS concepts and spatial data structures
- Navigate and manage projects within QGIS
- Organise and manage broadband-related spatial datasets
- Create and edit spatial features and associated attribute data
- Apply appropriate symbology and labelling techniques for professional map visualisation
- Perform basic attribute queries and spatial selections
- Integrate tabular broadband datasets using joins and data relationships
- Design structured map layouts suitable for regulatory reporting
- Interpret basic spatial analysis outputs in support of broadband planning and infrastructure monitoring
Instructor-led sessions combining structured presentations, live demonstrations, guided hands-on exercises, practical labs, and broadband-focused case studies.
The methodology emphasises experiential learning, with a minimum of 60% of training time dedicated to practical exercises using QGIS and related open source geospatial tools.
Training exercises will use broadband infrastructure datasets such as fibre routes, mobile coverage layers, infrastructure locations, and administrative boundaries to simulate real-world regulatory workflows.
Practical exercises and labs: 60%
Active participation and attendance: 40%
Total: 100%
A total score of 70% or higher is required to obtain the ITU certificate
The training shall be delivered using widely adopted open source geospatial technologies, including:
- PostgreSQL with PostGIS spatial database
- QGIS Desktop
- GDAL/OGR geospatial data processing tools
Detailed course content, modules, and practical exercises shall cover the following areas:
- Enterprise GIS architecture and system components
- Installation and configuration of PostgreSQL and PostGIS
- Creating and managing spatial databases
- Spatial schema design and dataset structuring
- Loading and managing broadband infrastructure datasets
- Implementing role-based access control and user privileges
- Data validation, topology rules, and spatial integrity management
- Performance optimisation using indexing and database maintenance procedures
- Advanced spatial editing workflows in QGIS
- Data publishing and structured data sharing workflows
- Integrating enterprise spatial databases with QGIS desktop environments
Broadband mapping datasets shall be incorporated into practical exercises to contextualise the training within the Africa-BB-Maps initiative.
These exercises will simulate operational workflows used by national regulatory authorities when managing broadband infrastructure datasets in enterprise environments, enabling participants to apply open source GIS technologies to real-world connectivity mapping and regulatory data management scenarios.
Registration information
Unless specified otherwise, all ITU Academy training courses are open to all interested professionals, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, economic status and other diverse backgrounds. We strongly encourage registrations from female participants, and participants from developing countries. This includes least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked developing countries.
