IATI Scoping Paper

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IATI Scoping Paper

• Draft for consultation, March 2009

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Overview of the scoping paper

• Summarises the information needs of users
• Considers existing reporting mechanisms
• Examines existing initiatives to improve access
  to information
• Identifies gaps
• Outlines the opportunities for IATI to make
  information more accessible to stakeholders by
  adoption of a four-part IATI standard.

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Who are the users of aid information?

• partner county governments - finance ministries,
  line ministries and central banks
• donor governments and multilateral agencies
• parliaments, civil society organisations and
  citizens
• researchers, academics and journalists
• these groups have different needs, but there is
  commonality about the main information required
  to meet these diverse needs

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Main information requirements

• detailed information - where, when, how and on
  what aid is spent on
• timely information
• comparable information
• reliable information on future flows
• information on aid agreements and conditions, and
  on high level policy and strategy documents
• assessment of outcome/output indicators

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Main information requirements (cont)

• ability to trace aid through the system via
  implementing agencies
• detailed classifications compatible with existing
  local international systems
• a common data format so information can be shared
  electronically
• wider coverage (beyond DAC donors)
• measures to increase access to information,
  especially for Southern stakeholders

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Existing sources of information

• most comprehensive DAC CRS databases
• other aggregators e.g. AIDA and OCHAs FTS
• partner country systems 46 have Aid Management
  Systems (AIMS), mainly UNDP DADs or Development
  Gateway AMPs
• donor websites and annual reports

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Initiatives to improve access to information

• CRS - the QWIDS user interface
• AIDA more data sources/timely information
• PLAID detailed descriptions sector coding
• TR-AID database from multiple sources
• Grantsfire - data on grants from foundations
• UNDCF/DRI developing a database on South-South
  co-operation
• Donor websites and partner country AIMS.

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Current gaps

• much of the information users require is simply
  not available
• when it is, it is not in a format that is readily
  accessible to stakeholders
• fragmentation imposes high costs on both users
  and providers of aid information
• donors have to deal with multiple requests, while
  partner country systems are often reliant on
  costly manual input
• users are unable to reconcile information from
  different sources, which undermines
  accountability.

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Proposed solution the IATI standard

• Donors should agree
• the list of information needs to be covered by
  IATI
• common classifications, based on combining and
  extending existing classifications
• a common data format to enable information to be
  shared electronically
• a code of conduct covering implementation and
  compliance.

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Proposed next steps

• Define what information should be included,
  potentially split into two phases
• Phase 1, information that meets basic user needs,
  and is likely to be currently available within
  donor systems
• Phase 2, additional information needs
• Agree common definitions, incorporating existing
  reporting systems and compatibility with local
  budget systems

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Proposed next steps (cont)

• Establish a common data format for electronic
  sharing of information
• Agree a code of conduct and define how the IATI
  standard should be implemented, governed,
  supported, updated and managed
• Support donors to implement the IATI standard
• Support users to access the information made
  available by IATI, including consideration of
  relevant capacity-building
• Identify short-term measures to improve access to
  information (ensuring this is done in a way that
  is IATI compliant).

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Comments on the first draft

• Feedback was positive but we need to hear from
  partner countries and some key donors
• Key issues arising were
• Level of ambition (CSOs wanted more, donors
  wanted less)
• Reliance on DAC CRS as a starting point
• Understanding the investment required by donors
  to comply with the IATI standard

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Comments on the first draft (cont)

• ensuring accessibility to local stakeholders
• language issues
• retrospective publication of data
• Coverage (ODA - only or all aid flows?)

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About aidinfo

• aidinfo is an initiative to accelerate poverty
  reduction by making aid more transparent
• We think that aid works. But we also think that
  it will work better - and that poverty will be
  reduced more quickly - when governments, civil
  society and people in both industrialised and
  developing countries (in whose name aid is being
  spent) can access information about aid quickly,
  easily and cheaply
• As part of that programme, Development
  Initiatives is working with users and providers
  of aid information both current and potential
  to build an evidence-based case on the benefits
  of data transparency, traceability and
  accessibility
• The aidinfo programme is funded by the Bill
  Melinda Gates Foundation and by the William and
  Flora Hewlett Foundation. Our partners in the
  aidinfo consortium include Brigham Young
  University and The College of William and Mary
  aidinfo.org

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aidinfo Development Initiatives, Keward Court,
Keward Business Park, Jocelyn Drive, Wells,
Somerset, BA5 1DA, UK Tel [phone]
671343 Email info_at_devinit.org Web devinit.org