Why use IATI?
The International Aid Transparency Initiative was set up to provide up-to-date information on development and humanitarian resources and results that was otherwise unavailable or difficult to access. This has resulted in many benefits for people needing to find and explore data.
To explore data
Future spending plans, not just past spending
IATI makes it possible for donors to share their spending plans several years in advance. This means governments and organisations can better plan and coordinate resources.
Beyond finances
In addition to finances, IATI’s data standard allows organisations to share other useful information on their development and humanitarian activities. For example, IATI data can include precise location coordinates for projects, key documents, like country programme documents and any results achieved on the impact of the spending.
By using IATI, government staff in developing countries can save time by accessing data from many donors online, all from one place.
Many kinds of resources
There are many types of resources and assistance used to address humanitarian crises and make progress in international development. A narrow definition gives an incomplete picture, so IATI includes data about many different kinds of resources flowing into developing countries - from foreign aid, charitable giving and private investments, to south-south co-operation and climate finance.
Discover who operates in your country
Any organisation can publish their spending and activities to IATI. This helps developing country governments to discover many organisations operating in their country that were previously unknown to them.
Up-to-date information
IATI encourages organisations to update their information at least quarterly, and allows for monthly or even daily updates. This helps to ensure that information is relevant and useful, which can be especially crucial in a humanitarian emergency.
All the data in one place
In the past, government staff in developing countries have had to spend a huge amount of time individually collecting information from every known donor. Using IATI allows them to access data from many donors online, all from one place. In addition, government staff can save time by automatically importing IATI data into their own financial management systems.
Trace funds through complex delivery chains
Resources can be hard to track, as they are often passed through many different organisations and across several countries before being delivered to the people who need them on the ground. IATI enables these flows to be traced using unique ID codes, helping to map where funding has come from and where it goes next.
Compare data from different organisations
Every organisation has its own way to capture information, from annual reports to Excel spreadsheets and internal databases. This can make it hard to compare. Because all IATI data is presented in a standard way, information becomes much easier to compare across different organisations.
IATI allows precise location data to be published on development and humanitarian activities. View mapped data at d-portal.org.
To publish data
Demonstrate your transparency
IATI is the global standard for data used by many hundreds of organisations. Adopting the IATI Standard for your data is an increasingly well-understood signal of your organisation’s commitment to transparency.
Publish once, use often
Donors save time responding to individual data requests by publishing their data once to IATI, from where it can be accessed by anyone at any time.
Adopting the IATI Standard for your data is an increasingly well-understood signal of your organisation’s commitment to transparency
Improve internal reporting and systems
Adopting the IATI Standard for your data ensures that you are using rules and guidance that have been created and tested by experts and the wider community in international development.
Anyone can publish
The IATI Standard is designed for organisations large and small, whatever their role in international development and humanitarian assistance, and wherever they are.
Bring your data to life for your stakeholders
A number of online portals built by IATI, by third parties and by some IATI publishers themselves enable data to be shared with stakeholders in powerful ways. These portals allow the public to easily view data through charts, graphs, interactive maps and other interesting ways. For example IATI data is easily viewed at d-portal.
Shape the future of data
There is a clear, transparent process to change and continually improve the IATI Standard. If decision-makers and civil society need different data or want a change in technical guidance, they can help change the Standard. Anyone involved in IATI can contribute to regular Standard upgrade processes, to ensure the initiative reflects the evolving nature of international development and humanitarian financing.