Transcript International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) Implementing IATI – Practical proposals By the aidinfo team at Development Initiatives January 2010 www.aidtransparency.net.

International Aid
Transparency Initiative (IATI)
Implementing IATI – Practical
proposals
By the aidinfo team at Development Initiatives
January 2010
www.aidtransparency.net
Introduction
The purpose of this presentation is to:
• outline proposals for meeting the objectives of IATI
without disproportionate cost;
• explain how IATI would add value to existing systems.
It describes work in progress – detailed work on
implementation issues will take place throughout
2010, with further opportunities for consultation, and
an extended deadline for final decision-making by
members
www.aidtransparency.net
Ten desirable characteristics of IATI
1. Meet the information needs of developing country government AIMS and national budgets,
with local definitions;
2. Develop common definitions and reporting processes, avoiding parallel reporting;
3. Easily accessible info for governments & parliamentarians, civil society, the media and citizens
4. Provide accurate, high quality and meaningful information (not statistics);
5. Include information from non-DAC donors, multilaterals, foundations and NGOs;
6. Be easy to understand, reconcile, compare, read alongside other information sources;
7. Be legally open, with as few barriers to access and reuse as possible;
8. Reduce duplicate reporting by donor agencies and minimise additional costs;
9. Be electronically accessible in an open format;
10. Result in access to information about aid which is more timely, more detailed, more forward
looking and more comprehensive
www.aidtransparency.net
Reporting now – a view from donor
perspective
Donors already
publish to many
systems and
services
Donor
website
Treasury &
Parliament
DAC CRS
AIDA, PLAID,
TRAID, Donor
Atlas, etc
Journalists &
Researchers
FTS
Country
teams
Sectoral
working groups
AIMS
Line Ministries
Embassy
website
www.aidtransparency.net
BUT
HQ
• Significant burden
•Results in
inconsistencies
Reporting now – a view from user
perspective
Donor
budgets
and accounts
Donor
Donor
website
Donor
website
45 Donor
website
45 Donor
websites
websites
DAC CRS
AIDA, PLAID,
TRAID, Donor
Atlas, etc
FTS
Journalists &
Researchers
AIMS
Systems are producer
rather than user
oriented
Information can be:
•hard to find
Sectoral
working
groups
Line
Ministries
30 Embassy
or
Delegation
websites
www.aidtransparency.net
•inconsistent
•scattered across
multiple sites
•unavailable
The worst of all possible worlds –
requiring a collective solution
Publish once, use often
What does this mean at country level?
What
• Reduced administrative burden
– IATI data could be translated directly into the current format used in
country so no changes will be necessary, or
– Automatic data transfer is being piloted and tested – in future,
partner countries could potentially collect data automatically for
AIMS with minimal systems changes if they wish to do so;
– Countries would not have to change their AIMS or budget
classifications.
• Access to more, better, consistent, timely data
• Access to same data across Government, parliamentarians, CSOs &
Citizens
• AIMS can also add value to IATI by feeding information back to the IATI
registry
www.aidtransparency.net
Countries would not have to change their
classifications
www.aidtransparency.net
Where do you get your weather
information?
Profarmer
Manly
Hydraulics Lab
Environmental
Protection Agency
What IATI will do
• IATI will support and add value to existing systems like the
DAC and AIMS, not undermine or duplicate them;
• Develop a four-part standard for publishing aid information;
• Partner countries will have access to more up-to-date
information on current and future aid allocations;
• Parliamentarians and CSOs will benefit from increased access
to more detailed and timely data to demand accountability;
• Donors will publish their aid information once, rather than
respond to many requests;
• Information intermediaries will be able to collect data
automatically and offer a wider range of tailor-made services.
www.aidtransparency.net
What IATI will NOT do
• Duplicate the work of the CRS – which is designed for a
specific purpose
• Create a parallel set of definitions and classifications - this
work will only take place where no existing classifications exist
• Design a new database – one database cannot meet all needs
• Push a one-size-fits-all approach onto donors or partner
countries –
– Donors use existing systems and convert to IATI format
– information published will be tailored to country
circumstances
• Strengthen partner country transparency – this is important
work, but is taking place elsewhere
www.aidtransparency.net
Publish once, use often