UNOPS Compass

Compass is UNOPS' geospatial intelligence and AI analytics platform, built around three pillars - Observe, Plan, and Track. It fuses satellite imagery, machine learning, and GIS to give UN missions, mine-action partners, host governments, and donors a shared operational picture in conflict and fragile-state settings. Observe detects and monitors change - damage, displacement, land contamination, infrastructure - from Earth observation and other data. Plan turns that intelligence into prioritized tasking and resource allocation. Track measures delivery and outcomes over time. Deployed across South Sudan, CAR, DRC, Western Sahara, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Palestine, Compass supports explosive-ordnance clearance, protection of civilians, and humanitarian response. It aims to shorten the distance between observation and action - helping partners see risk earlier, direct scarce resources where they save the most lives, and hold delivery accountable.

How does your project support peacebuilding and/or conflict resolution efforts in the context of a humanitarian crisis or developmental context?

Compass directly supports peacebuilding and crisis response by providing critical geospatial intelligence in volatile environments. By combining AI and satellite imagery, it maps infrastructure damage, environmental changes, and land contamination from explosive ordnance. This shared operational picture enables UN missions and humanitarian partners to detect risks earlier, prioritize needs, clear hazardous areas safely, and guide long-term recovery efforts, ultimately protecting civilians and facilitating faster, more effective humanitarian action in conflict zones.

In what ways does your project contribute to the existing PeaceTech ecosystem and research efforts in a compelling way?

Compass contributes to the PeaceTech ecosystem by pioneering the integration of cloud-native geospatial mapping and AI-driven analytics within the UN system. By developing practical, field-ready solutions, such as automated damage mapping and flood exposure analytics, it transforms complex satellite data into actionable insights. Compass also advances research through partnerships with entities like MIT, Google and Carnegie Mellon, demonstrating how collaborative innovation can create scalable, evidence-based systems that enhance accountability and decision-support in peacebuilding.

How does your work leverage collaborations and partnerships to unlock new opportunities and maximize impact?

Compass thrives on partnership-driven innovation. We collaborate with UN entities, governments, academic institutions like MIT and Carnegie Mellon, as well as technology providers like Google. These partnerships translate advanced AI and geospatial data into practical, field-ready solutions that maximize humanitarian impact.