International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

IATI Virtual Training for Civil Society

This 'IATI Virtual Training for Civil Society' was developed by the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) to introduce civil society
organisations to the conversation around transparency of development cooperation resources (i.e. development financing) and to familiarise
them with IATI’s data and tools, so that they may use IATI data in their own work. Before you start please take note of the below:
The complete course can be accessed through this page. The duration of each separate module varies, and depends on existing prior IATI
knowledge. You may 'pick-and-choose' modules, or sections, that are most relevant to your work or interest. After successful completionof the Final Recap Quiz you can request a 'Certificate of Completion';
Any questions or feedback related to this course can be shared with the IATI Secretariat via connect@iatistandard.org;

Introduction

Module 1: What is 'development cooperation data'?

Module 1: Quiz

Module 2: What is IATI and what kind of data can I find?

Module 2: Quiz

Module 3: How can I use IATI data and for what purpose?

Module 3: Quiz

Module 4: How do I use IATI’s tools to access the data I need?

Module 4: Quiz

Module 5: Engaging further with the International Aid Transparency Initiative

Module 5: Quiz

Full Recap Quiz

Lesson 1 of 12

Introduction
International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

Course Navigation

You can navigate through this online course using the circle in the tab on the left-hand side of your screen, which indicates your progress. Please make sure
to follow the instructions during the course that alert you to clickable elements, reflection questions and quizzes.

Download Course Materials
You will also be able to access the course materials and video transcripts as downloadable PDFs from the learning environment, so if you have a slow
internet connection or prefer to work offline, you can still access the course content. However, you will need to connect to the internet in order tocomplete the quiz at the end of each Module and receive your certificate of completion. Please contact the IATI Secretariat at info@iatistandard.org if you
need further assistance downloading the course or accessing course content.

C O NT I NU E

Welcome Message

By Mr. Henry Asor, IATI Governing Board ChairYOUTUBE

Welcome Message - Henry Asor Nkang

Welcome Message - Henry Asor Nkang
This video is part of the Virtual Training for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) offered by IATI. The aim of thecourse is to provide a space for civil society organizations to learn how to access, understand and use IATI data.
VIEW ON YOUTUBE 

Click here for the transcript of the welcome video.

Transcript welcome message–

Hello to all of you, my friends and colleagues from the international civil society community!
On behalf of the IATI Governing Board, I am pleased to welcome you to this online course, “Virtual training for civil society on how to access, understand and use IATI data”. You
are taking this training at an important point for development and humanitarian cooperation. The global COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated the importance ofdevelopment cooperation and transparency for better planning and coordination of financial resources to respond to crises, and ensure development activities support
resilience and sustainability.
I sincerely hope that by taking this course, you will be able to better understand and use IATI data in your own work: to ensure accountability for the use of development
resources; to advocate for important priorities; to coordinate with like-minded organisations; and to find funding opportunities to advance your goals. After completing theonline training, I encourage you to further deepen your knowledge and exchange with peers on our global community platform, IATI Connect, at www.iaticonnect.org. I want towish all of you a wonderful journey in the world of development cooperation data and look forward to seeing the results in action. I thank you very much.

Let's explore what you will be looking at in this course!

C O NT I NU E

Course Outline
This course was developed by the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) to introduce you, members of civil society, to the conversation aroundtransparency of development cooperation resources (i.e. development financing) and to familiarise you with IATI’s data and tools, so that you may use IATI
data in your own work.

After finishing this course, you should be able to:

Defend the importance of development cooperation and development cooperation data for increased effectiveness of development
and humanitarian activities;

Identify different uses of development cooperation data for increased impact in the work of civil society organisations and apply
learnings to your own work;

Explain how to access IATI data from IATI's suite of online tools; andUse IATI data to assess simple development cooperation data queries.

The self-directed course is meant to be taken at your own pace, with no time limit. It consists of five Modules, each of which will take you approximately 1-2
hours to complete:

1

What is 'development cooperation data'? How can my organisation use this data to increase its impact?

2

What is IATI and what kind of data can I find?

3

How can I use IATI data and for what purposes?

4

How do I use IATI’s tools to access the data I need?

5

Engaging further with the International Aid Transparency InitiativeEach Module consists of videos, downloadable resources, case studies and simple assignments to put into practice what you’ve learned throughout theModule.

Knowledge Assessment
At the end of each Module, you will be able to do a quiz to check if you have understood the course material. You may take the quiz as many times as you
like.

Ready? Let’s get started!

Module 1
What is 'development cooperation data'? How can my organisation use this data to increase its impact?
GO TO MODULE 1

Lesson 2 of 12

Module 1: What is 'development cooperation data'?
International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

Module 1: What is 'development cooperation data'? How can my organisation
use this data to increase its impact?

Welcome to Module 1
Welcome to Module 1 of the 'Virtual training for civil society on how to access, understand and use IATI data'. In this Module, you will receive an
introduction to development cooperation data as well as the diverse ways civil society organisations (CSOs) may wish to use it to meet their own
organisational goals. After completing this Module, you will have a clear understanding of the concept of development cooperation and the possible usesof development cooperation data in your work.

Duration of the Module: Approximately 45 minutes

Learning Objectives
At the end of this Module, you will be able to:

Explain the context for and basic objectives of development cooperation and development cooperation data.

Identify different uses of development cooperation data for civil society organisations.

Recognise the key aims of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI).

Module Content

This Module contains the following segments:

1

Welcome to Module 1

2

What is 'development cooperation'?

3

What is development cooperation data?

4

What is IATI?

5

Key Takeaways: Module 1

Ready? Let’s begin!

G O TO L E S S O N 1

Lesson 1: What is 'development cooperation'?

[Source: IATI]

Development cooperation, which was formerly referred to as 'international aid', is the national and international support that is given to both government
institutions and non-governmental organisations to help them support development objectives. Moving away from the hierarchical concept of 'aid',
development cooperation represents a more equal relationship, where partners - whether they are governments, or increasingly also internationalorganisations, civil society organisations, members of the private sector, philathropy or other entities - cooperate and share resources to achieve better
development outcomes.

Development cooperation is not necessarily limited to financial support (for instance, loans or grants), but is also increasingly focused on areas such astechnical and technological cooperation that are not financial in nature (this could include, for example, technical support from government togovernment to increase domestic resources, i.e. taxes, or the sharing of sustainable energy technologies between countries).

In short, development cooperation can be defined as an activity that meets the following four criteria:

Click on the icons to find out more.










Aims explicitly to support national or international development priorities.



Is based on cooperative relationships that seek to enhance developing country ownership over the development process.

Discriminates in favour of developing countries.



Is not driven by profit.

Transparent development cooperation means that everyone can see how much assistance is being provided, what it is being spent on and what it aims toachieve. This helps to ensure that resources are used most effectively and that cooperation goes as far as possible in advancing development goals.

Many organisations are already working to improve the transparency of development cooperation. Can you think of examples in your own
organisation?

G O TO L E S S O N 2

Lesson 2: What is 'development cooperation data'?

Across the world, governments and other stakeholders are systematically making more (and more relevant) data on their development cooperation open
and accessible to implement different political commitments they have made with one another. In short, development cooperation data refers to
information about what is budgeted and spent on development cooperation, including through the projects and activities that are implemented bydevelopment partners, formerly referred to as 'donors'. It provides a measurable insight into what development work is being done, where and by whom;and a mechanism for ensuring that activities are effectively carried out, to maximise their benefit for intended beneficiaries. Development cooperation
data should ideally be 'open' data, meaning that it is available online and free of cost for anyone to analyse and use.

[Source: IATI]

Development cooperation (and development cooperation data) is most often provided by the following types of organisations:

Click on the icons to find out more.












Bilateral organisations or agencies, such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency (SIDA) or the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).



Local and international civil society organisations (for instance, Oxfam)

Development banks (for instance, the World Bank)Multilateral organisations (for instance, United Nations entities)

Private Sector and Philanthropic organisations (for instance, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)

Do you remember what the criteria for development cooperation are? Please select all that apply.

Aims explicitly to support national or international development priorities.

Is driven by profit.

Discriminates in favour of developing countries.

Is based on cooperative relationships that seek to enhance partner country ownership over the development
process.

SUBMIT

Let’s explore how development cooperation data is used, and what you can learn from existing success stories!

Complete the content above before moving on.

How is development cooperation data used?

Development cooperation data is an important source of information for many kinds of organisations, including:

Click on the cards to learn more!

Partner country governments, formerly referred to as'developing country governments', who use this data to
improve how they plan future budgets and allocate theirnational resources; and to assess and monitor external
inflows to their country.

Civil society organisations and citizens in partnercountries, who use development cooperation data to
improve their understanding of what external support
their country is receiving, so they can hold the providers
and recipients of these resources to account.

Citizens of donor countries, who can use thisinformation to better understand how their taxes arebeing used to advance progress towards development
goals.

Development partners, who can use this information
to better coordinate their activities, target specificsectors or geographical areas and reduce duplication ofefforts.

G O TO L E S S O N 3

Lesson 3: What is IATI?

In the following Modules, you will learn more about IATI, including how the initiative is structured and about IATI’s data and tools. In this section, however,
you will receive a quick introduction to the initiative to help illustrate possible uses of IATI data in your own work, which will be revisited in depth in later
Modules.

[Source: IATI]The International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) is a global initiative, bringing together governments, multilateral institutions, civil society organisations,the private sector and others to increase the transparency and openness of development and humanitarian resources. IATI was launched at the Third HighLevel Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana, in 2008 and was designed to serve the information needs of partner country stakeholders: to enable theplanning and management of development cooperation and increase accountability for the use of these resources; and to simultaneously support
development partners in meeting their commitments on transparency.

Since its inception in 2008, the IATI community has expanded considerably, now with nearly 100 'members' from governments, multilateral organisations,civil society and the private sector, who govern the initiative and demonstrate their commitment to increased transparency of development resources.

[Source: IATI]

Lets learn more about how IATI works in practice!

C O NT I NU E

What is the IATI Standard?
At the centre of IATI is the IATI data Standard, a format and framework for publishing data on development and humanitarian activities in a standardised
way, to allow for comparability and effective analysis of the data. More than 1,600 organisations (or IATI 'publishers') have provided information on theirdevelopment and humanitarian spending using the IATI data Standard. The types of information they provide includes:

Click on the cards to learn more!

Planned budgets and spending

Planned budgets and spending (disbursements andexpenditures) available for individual recipient countries
and regions.

The sectors that activities target, for example health oreducation, whether activities are targeting certain policy
The sectors that activities target

priorities such as COVID-19 or gender, the type ofassistance being provided (e.g., loans vs grants), among
others.

The locations where an activity is taking place

The locations where an activity is taking place, including
particular regions or districts or even precise
coordinates (e.g., where a school is being built).

Results information

Results information on the impact or outcome of theactivity.

Useful background documents

Such as country action plans, project documents
and annual reports.

Organisations 'publish' data to IATI on their development and humanitarian activities, and then update this information as the activities progress. Thispublished data is then made available online and is open for anyone to access and use at no cost. Publishers update their data at different frequencies, but
most update their data quarterly, with some updating their data monthly or even weekly. As soon as publishers make changes to their data, it is refreshedin IATI’s data access tools (explored in Module 4) within 24 hours, which allows data users to download, analyse and visualise the data, making IATI data
available in real-time in many cases.

What do we mean by an 'activity' or 'project'? Examples of activities available in IATI for Malawi include, for instance:
United States Agency for International Development (USAID): Reading for All Malawi (REFAM);
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: HIV and COVID policy and coordination support in Malawi;
Plan International UK: Improving agricultural services in Malawi using the Farmer Field School (FFS) approach.

Do you remember what kinds of information IATI publishers provide using the IATI data Standard? Please select one or many.

Planned budgets and spending.

The locations where an activity is taking place.

The sectors that activities target.

National Climate Adaptation Plans.

SUBMIT

Let's move on to see how civil society organisations can use IATI data!

G O TO L E S S O N 4

Lesson 4: How can civil society organisations use IATI data?

The more civil society organisations know about how governments, foundations and other funders spend their money on development projects, the morerobust the accountability for delivery of services can be. Civil society organisations may be interested to use IATI data in several ways, to be further
explored in future Modules, including for:Accountability–

Civil society organisations can use IATI data to provide feedback on whether particular projects are working successfully or not, and making sure resources are spent asplanned.

–

Advocacy

Civil society organisations can use IATI data to see what donors are funding in their country / region and make the case for a different allocation of resources (e.g. more
funding for health or education, or more funding for a particular region).

Coordination–

Civil society organisations can use IATI data to understand which organisations are working in similar sectors or locations, in order to find new partners or work more
efficiently.

Research–

Civil society organisations can use IATI data to uncover expenditure issues or better understand the actions and priorities of donors, governments and civil society
organisations in different countries.

Funding–seeing which organisations are active in your country / region and which organisations they fund, making it possible to discover funding opportunities or trends.

YOUTUBE

Success Stories: How CSOs are using IATI data in practiceSuccess Stories: How CSOs are using IATI data in practiceThis video is part of the Virtual Training for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) offered by IATI. The aim of thecourse is to provide a space for civil society organizations to learn how to access, understand and use IATI data.

VIEW ON YOUTUBE 

Now let's look at some key takeaways for Module 1!

Complete the content above before moving on.

G O TO TA KE AWAY S

Key Takeaways: Module 1

In this Module, we’ve learned that:1

Development cooperation can be defined as an activity that meets the following four criteria:

Aims explicitly to support national or international development priorities;
Is not driven by profit;
Discriminates in favour of developing countries; andIs based on cooperative relationships that seek to enhance developing country ownership over thedevelopment process.

2

Key uses of IATI data within the CSO community are:Accountability: provide feedback on whether particular projects are working successfully or not, andmake sure resources are spent as planned;

Advocacy: see what donors are funding in your country / region and make the case for a different
allocation of resources (e.g.: more funding for health or education, or more funding for a particularregion);Coordination: understand which organisations are working in similar sectors or locations, in order towork more effectively together; andResearch: uncover expenditure issues or better understand the actions and priorities of donors,
governments and civil society organisations in different countries; andFunding: see which organisations are active in your country / region and which organisations theyfund, making it possible to discover funding opportunities or trends.

Congratulations! You have reached the end of Module 1! Please continue to the Module 1 Quiz, then continue to Module 2.

Module 2
What is IATI and what kind of data can I find?
GO TO MODULE 2

C O NT I NU E TO Q U I ZLesson 3 of 12

Module 1: QuizInternational Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

Congratulations on making it to the end of Module 1! Below, you’ll take the Module 1 Quiz. You may take the quiz as many times as you like.

Question

01/10'Development cooperation' means:

Partnerships between United Nations agencies.

Support given to partner countries to assist in meeting their development objectives.

Partnerships between public institutions and private companies.

Two or more civil society organisations working together on a project.

Question

02/10

Development cooperation can be defined as an activity that meets the following criteria (please select the 4 options that apply):

Aims explicitly to support national or international development priorities.

Is not driven by profit.

Includes both a public sector and private sector partner.

Discriminates in favour of developing countries.

Is based on cooperative relationships that seek to enhance developing country ownership over the development process.

Question

03/10

Development cooperation data can be used:

Only by partner country governments.

Only by journalists.

By anyone looking to make development activities more effective.

Question

04/10

Development cooperation data can be shared openly (or 'published') by (please select all options that apply):

Governments

Individual citizens

CSOs

Multilateral organisations like the United Nations

Development banks

The private sector

Philanthropic organisations

Question

05/10

Transparent and open development cooperation data can (please select the 3 options that apply)

Ensure partner country governments have information to better plan and budget.

Support effective coordination of development activities.

Allow procurement to take place more effectively.

Help to hold all development actors accountable.

Question

06/10

IATI is:An initiative providing information on effective data management practices

An initiative looking to make development and humanitarian activities more transparent.

An initiative working on public-private partnerships for development.

An initiative working on more effective digital governance.

Question

07/10

IATI data is:

Data about budgeting and spending in the development and humanitarian sectors.

A transparency grade given to civil society organisations.

Data about the results of international donor conferences.

Question

08/10

Organisations that share development cooperation data using the IATI Standard are called:

IATI publishers

IATI data users

IATI members

Question

09/10

The following information can be found in data published to IATI (please select all options that apply).

Planned budgets and spending

Organisations funding and implementing an activity

Sectors that activities target

Locations where an activity is taking place

Results information

Useful background documents

Proposals for funding opportunities

Gaps between commitments and spending by providers of development cooperation

Question

10/10

CSOs can use IATI data to support (please select all options that apply):

Accountability

Advocacy

Hiring of high-quality staff

Coordination

Research

Procurement

Resource mobilisation

Lesson 4 of 12

Module 2: What is IATI and what kind of data can I find?
International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

Module 2: What is IATI and what kind of data can I find?

Welcome to Module 2
In Module 1, you had an overall introduction to development cooperation data and a high-level description of IATI as an initiative. In Module 2, we will go
into more detail to help you familiarise yourself with IATI as an initiative and the IATI data standard. You will also learn what kind of data is available in IATI;
the benefits and limitations of IATI data; and who contributes their data to IATI.

Duration of the Module: Approximately 60 minutes

Learning Objectives
At the end of this Module, you will be able to:

Explain where IATI data comes from, including which (types of) organisations publish data to IATI.

Identify the types of information contained in IATI data.

Explain the advantages and limitations of IATI data.

Module Content

This Module contains the following segments:

1

Welcome to Module 2

2

Background3

What is IATI?

4

Where does the data come from?

5

What are the key advantages of using IATI data?

6

How is IATI data organised?

7

What kind of information can I find in IATI data?

8

IATI data: a practical look (video)

9

Matching game

10

Limitations of IATI data

11

Key Takeaways: Module 2

Ready? Let’s explore the information you can find in IATI data!

G O TO L E S S O N 1

Lesson 1: Background[Source: UN]

The development and humanitarian challenges that we face as an international community, including reducing poverty, protecting the climate, ensuring
gender equality and many others, are huge, whole-of-society puzzles that require collective efforts and integrated approaches to overcoming them. As

such, increased availability and transparency of development cooperation data is not an end in itself, but an essential
step towards improving the coordination, accountability and effectiveness of development resources to maximise theirimpact and support achievement of countries’ national (and international) development goals, including the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 internationally-agreed targets for development.

YOUTUBE

What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
Human-kind faces many challenges to ensure that all people have the same development and well-being
opportunities. One of the major recent achievements in sustainability has been the adoption of Agenda 2030
and the Sustainable Development Goals. Do you know what they are and how they were born?
VIEW ON YOUTUBE 

Across the world, governments and other stakeholders are systematically making more (and more relevant) data on their development financing open andaccessible. Data collected and shared by these stakeholders, including through publishing to the International Aid Transparency Initiative(IATI), can support positive development outcomes by enhancing service delivery, prioritising scarce resources, holding governments
accountable, empowering individual citizens and supporting evidence-based decision-making by development and humanitarian
stakeholders.

Let’s quickly recap what IATI is and what it does!

G O TO L E S S O N 2

Lesson 2: What is IATI?

The International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) is a global initiative, bringing together governments, multilateral institutions, civilsociety organisations, the private sector and others to increase the transparency and openness of development and humanitarian
resources. IATI was launched at the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana, in 2008 and was designed to serve the information needsof partner country stakeholders: to enable the planning and management of development cooperation resources and increase accountability for their use;
and to simultaneously support development partners in meeting their commitments on transparency.

At the centre of IATI is the IATI data Standard, a framework for publishing data on development and humanitarian activities in a common
format. More than 1,600 organisations (or IATI 'publishers') have provided information on their development and humanitarian spending using the IATI
Standard.

[Source: IATI]

What is an IATI publisher?
An IATI publisher is any organisation, whether from government, a multilateral organisation like the United Nations, civil society
organisation, private sector company, philanthropic organisation, etc., who publishes data to IATI using the IATI data Standard. Morethan 1,600 organisations have reported data to IATI since the initiative’s inception in 2008 (find a full list of IATI publishers here).

Watch the video below to learn more about the data provided by IATI publishers.

Let’s explore where the data comes from!

G O TO L E S S O N 3

Lesson 3: Where does the data come from?

IATI is a voluntary initiative, meaning that there is no official directive by the international community for organisations working in development orhumanitarian cooperation to provide data to IATI. As such, when a development or humanitarian actor chooses to publish to IATI, it joins a large
community of governments, civil society organisations, multilateral organisations, foundations, private sector organisations and others whoare committed to increasing transparency through the sharing of their development and humanitarian cooperation data. The motivation forsharing data might differ by organisation: some have committed to sharing data openly to increase the transparency of their development andhumanitarian activities, to find new partners or to reduce overlap and duplication. For others, including many civil society organisations, it may be arequirement by their funding agency to publish data on how the resources are being spent.

The more than 1,600 IATI publishers include:
















Bilateral governments, for instance, the Netherlands or the United States of AmericaMultilateral organisations, for instance, United Nations agencies or the Global Fund

Multilateral and bilateral Development Finance Institutions, for example, the European Investment Bank (EIB), International Finance Corporation (IFC) or FMO(the Netherlands)

Philanthropic organisations, for example, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

International NGOs, for instance, Save the Children or Oxfam



Local CSOs, for instance, ASK Nepal or Reach a Hand UgandaPrivate sector organisations, for instance, PwC or KPMG

Academic, training and research organisations, for instance, the University of Oxford or the University of Zimbabwe

IATI publishers make data on their development and humanitarian activities public using the IATI data Standard, a set of rules and guidance on what (andhow) data should be published to IATI. Most of the time, this information is pulled from publishers’ own internal systems, formatted to the IATI data
Standard and then published to IATI’s Registry, where it is pulled into IATI tools and freely available online for anyone to use.

Should my organisation publish to IATI?
IATI welcomes any organisation funding or implementing development or humanitarian activities to publish to IATI. Publishing to IATI
demonstrates your organisation’s commitment to potential funders, partners or beneficiaries, as well as providing visibility to yourorganisation. In addition, many development partners (for instance, the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands) mandate that
their grantees publish to IATI.
For more information on the IATI publishing process, visit the IATI website or contact IATI at support@iatistandard.org.

Do you remember what sort of data IATI provides (please select all options that apply)?

How resources within development and humanitarian activities are budgeted and spent.

The locations where an activity is taking place.

Qualifications of the project leads.

SUBMIT

G O TO L E S S O N 4

Lesson 4: What are the key advantages of using IATI data?

As a comprehensive, online and free-to-use dataset, there are many advantages of using IATI data, including finding:Up-to-date information–

Publishers are encouraged to refresh their data regularly: in fact, IATI publishers are asked to update their data at least quarterly, and a growing number of publishers refresh
their data monthly or even weekly. Data is refreshed in IATI data access tools (explored further in Module 4) every 24 hours, so once a publisher updates their data, it isavailable in nearly real-time.
For example, ActionAid International, a global federation working to free the world from poverty and injustice, used real-time IATI data to target their COVID-19 response in
Bangladesh. Learn more about this project here.

YOUTUBE

ActionAid: Covid-19 response in Bangladesh

ActionAid: Covid-19 response in Bangladesh
This video is part of the Virtual Training for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) offered by IATI. The aim of the course is to provide a space for civil society
organizations to learn how to access, understand and use IATI data.
VIEW ON YOUTUBE 

Comprehensive data in one place–

IATI displays data from over 1,500 organisations, which can help to provide a comprehensive picture of the development and humanitarian landscape in a particular country(e.g., Nepal) or focus area (e.g., tuberculosis control). Using IATI data also avoids gathering data from each individual organisation, which can involve looking through various
websites and reports, or sending requests for information to individual entities.
For example, Fundación Datalat, an Ecuadorian civil society organisation focused on promoting the use of data for social causes, used IATI data to inform a comprehensive
picture of funding in their country during a training for Ecuadorian students. Hear more from the organisation.

YOUTUBE

Fundación Datalat: promoting the use of IATI data for social causes in Ecuador

Fundación Datalat: promoting the use of IATI data for social causes in Ecuador
This video is part of the Virtual Training for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) offered by IATI. The aim of the course is to provide a space for civil society
organizations to learn how to access, understand and use IATI data.
VIEW ON YOUTUBE 

Comparable data–

Every organisation has its own way to capture and display information, from annual reports to Excel spreadsheets and internal databases; and at different levels of granularity
or disaggregation, often making data difficult to compare. With IATI data, users can access data from many organisations in one format (the IATI data Standard), so it is mucheasier to compare and analyse.
For example, Development Initiatives, a global organisation harnessing the power of data and evidence to end poverty, reduce inequality and increase resilience, used IATI
data to track trends in aid spending under COVID-19 in East Africa. Hear more from the organisation.

YOUTUBE

Development Initiatives: tracking trends in aid spending in East Africa

Development Initiatives: tracking trends in aid spending in East Africa
This video is part of the Virtual Training for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) offered by IATI. The aim of the course is to provide a space for civil society
organizations to learn how to access, understand and use IATI data.
VIEW ON YOUTUBE 

Data on a wide range of resources–

There are many types of resources that address poverty and crises. IATI includes data about a wide range of resources flowing into partner countries, from foreign aid toprivate investments to climate finance.
For example, livestockdata.org, a platform dedicated to improving the landscape of livestock data, has used IATI data to create a dashboard with the aim of giving funders,project implementers and national governments access to key information on livestock projects: where they are, what they are about and what data they possess.

YOUTUBESEBI Livestock: improving the landscape of livestock data

SEBI Livestock: improving the landscape of livestock data
This video is part of the Virtual Training for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) offered by IATI. The aim of the course is to provide a space for civil society
organizations to learn how to access, understand and use IATI data.
VIEW ON YOUTUBE 

Future spending plans, not just past spending–

IATI publishers are encouraged to share their future budgets / spending plans for at least three years in advance. This data allows governments, civil society organisations, andother data users to better plan and coordinate future activities and services.
For example, the governments of Nigeria and Chad have used IATI data to help assess the projected and actual external inflows of development resources to theircountries. IATI data has been used to inform the governments’ national budget planning, in particular the allocation of resources in the national budget; to prepare Nigeria’s
Medium Term Expenditure Framework; and has fed into development cooperation reports based almost exclusively on IATI data: Nigeria’s Development Cooperation Report:
Fiscal Year 2016-2020 and Chad’s Rapport sur l’aide internationale au Tchad et perspectives, which was included as an annex to the 2021 Finance Law.

Data beyond finances–

In addition to financial data, organisations publish other useful information on their development and humanitarian activities, including in some cases, locations, strategic
documents and / or results.
For example, the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency used geographic information contained in IATI data to better understand activities happening in theirlocations of interest. Hear more from the organisation.

YOUTUBEPBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency: d-portal for Landscape Governance and Planning

PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency: d-portal for Landscape
Governance and PlanningThis video is part of the Virtual Training for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) offered by IATI. The aim of the course is to provide a space for civil society
organizations to learn how to access, understand and use IATI data.
VIEW ON YOUTUBE 

However, IATI is not the only source of international development cooperation data. Do you know any other organisations providing
development cooperation data?

C O NT I NU E

Where else can I find development cooperation data, outside of IATI?
In addition to data contained in IATI, there are several other national and international databases that also provide useful development and humanitariancooperation information.

The OECD’s Creditor Reporting System (CRS)The OECD’s Creditor Reporting System (CRS): The CRS enables analysis on where aid goes, what purposes it serves and what policies it aims to implement, on acomparable basis for all OECD-DAC members (major bilateral donors). Data is curated and validated by the OECD and is generally available one year following thecalendar year of reporting (for instance, information on 2021 activities is available in late 2022). As such, CRS data is generally more useful for backward-looking,accountability purposes.

The OECD’s Forward Spending Survey (FSS)The OECD’s Forward Spending Survey (FSS): The FSS measures Country Programmable Aid (CPA), a subset of Official Development Assistance (ODA). Only the donors
that have agreed to make their forward spending plans publicly available are included in the dataset. Figures are donors’ current indicative planning figures, anddo not represent firm commitments, but rather their best estimates of future cooperation efforts.

National-level Aid Information Management Systems (AIMS)
National-level Aid Information Management Systems (AIMS): An AIMS is an information and communication application that enables donors and partner
governments to openly share data on development cooperation resources, usually for a specific country. Several different types of AIMS are in use in different
countries, and not every country has an AIMS, however, they are generally owned by governments and populated by partners with information about what they are
funding in the country. Many AIMS are publicly available (for instance, the Liberia Project Dashboard), and are an integral part of government efforts to increasetransparency and accountability for use of development resources. IATI data can be used alongside data contained in an AIMS to provide a more holistic picture ofdevelopment resources, or to fill gaps when AIMS are not operational or working as intended.

Quick Recap: Which of these are the examples to the advantages of IATI ?

Data on a wide range of resources.

Comprehensive data in one place.

Only past spending data.

Comparable data.

SUBMITG O TO L E S S O N 5

Lesson 5: How is information organised in IATI?

[Source: IATI]

Publishing to IATI involves breaking down the work that an organisation undertakes into useful components, including
financial data, sectors, location, results and other information and documents. Publishers group their work into 'activities', and theindividual publisher defines what an activity is for their organisation - these could be programmes, projects, etc. But at its core, an IATI activity

reports the details of an individual development or humanitarian intervention. Publishers provide details for each activity including
what the work is, where and when it happened or is happening, who is involved, how it is being financed and so on.

As the level of reporting is defined by the publisher, an activity might be a large programme, a small project or another logical grouping of work andresources. Some of the details for an activity are mandatory to provide and some are recommended. This means that there can be somevariation in the information that organisations provide on their activities, as some report more data than others. In addition, activities can befurther broken down into 'transactions', which detail the flow of money between organisations, giving data users a better sense of where and by whom
resources are being committed and spent.

What is a transaction in IATI?
Transaction data is a core component to IATI, detailing the flow of money between organisations. There are several types oftransactions. The most common are:Commitments: a firm, written obligation from a development partner to provide a specified amount of funds. For instance, if
the Government of Germany commits in writing to the Government of Rwanda that they will disburse USD 1 million for aparticular project as of a certain date.
Disbursements: the amount transferred to another organisation in the delivery chain (e.g. a partner organisation being
funded), for instance, a bilateral government funding a national-level CSO to implement a project.
Expenditures: spending by the organisation on a good or a service, for instance, the purchase of school supplies or payment for
printing services .
Incoming funds: the funds received from a funding source (e.g. a donor) for use on the activity, for instance, UNICEF’s receipt ofincoming funds from the government of the Netherlands for a WASH project.

Let’s learn more about what kind of information you can find in IATI data!

G O TO L E S S O N 6

Lesson 6: What kind of information can I find in IATI data?

All activities published to IATI report the details of an individual development or humanitarian intervention and will contain at a minimum the following
mandatory information:

1. NameThe name and a meaningful description of the activity.

2. A unique identifier
A unique identifier for the activity. Each activity published to IATI must have an 'IATI identifier', or globally unique way of referring to the activity made up of numbers
and / or letters.

3. Dates

The dates that help describe the timeframe of the activity, for instance both the planned start and end dates of an activity, as well as the actual start and end dates.

4. Organisations
Which organisations are involved in the activity and their relevant role. For instance:
Organisations funding or implementing the activity.
Organisations providing or receiving resources for individual transactions. For example, Germany provides resources to UNDP and UNDP records Germany asa provider in an incoming fund transaction.
The receiver of resources. For example, WFP disburses money to Save the Children to implement an activity and WFP records Save the Children as a receiver in a
disbursement transaction.

5. Financial details
Financial details, including budgets and transactions, either for the organisation as a whole or for specific activities. This could include:
Total spend by the organisation on development activities in a particular year or over the last year or quarter.
Total planned budget for the organisation for the upcoming year.
An organisation’s planned budgets broken down by individual receiving countries or regions.
An organisation’s planned budget for a specific activity.
Transactions, including information on how the activity is being financed and how the money is being spent.

6. Sector
Sector, or the area in which the activity operates. Publishers can report the sector the activity targets, for instance, basic education, forestry or water supply andsanitation. Organisations largely label their activities with the OECD Development Assistance Committee’s sector (purpose) codes to ensure consistency across different
reporting standards.

7. Type of resource flows
Type of resource flows, e.g. Finance Type. For example, resources can be delivered as either a grant or a loan, which is recorded under Finance Type. Other classifications
can also be recorded, such as aid type or flow type. Additional examples can be found here.

8. Location
Publishers may provide location data relating to the activity, which could include the country, sub-national location (e.g. district) and even precise coordinates (e.g. for aschool or hospital financed through the activity) where the activity is taking place. Additional information on locations can be found here.

9. Results
Publishers may also choose to include results data on the impact or outcome of the activity. This includes a title, a short description of the result and reference to anindicator that the specific activity is being measured against. Links to result documents may also be available. Additional information on results can be found here.

10. Policy markers
An activity can indicate whether it is targeting a cross-cutting area, such as gender, climate change or disability.

11. Other useful documents
Publishers can include background documents that relate to a specific activity, or to their organisation, as part of their IATI publishing. These can include country actionplans, results frameworks and annual reports, among others. Additional information can be found here.

12. Additional useful information
Additional useful information including how the activity might be linked to other activities; and if any Sustainable Development Goals can be assigned to the activity.

Let’s look more closely at a specific IATI activity, including what kind of information it contains!

G O TO L E S S O N 7

Lesson 7: Matching gameMatch the sentences!
If I want to find out....

...how much money was spent on health-related
activities in Guinea.

I need to analyse the data by sector.

... how much a publisher spent on goods and services
within a specific activity.

I need to analyse the data by expenditures.

... whether money was disbursed by an organisation as aloan or a grant in Samoa.

I need to analyse the data by finance type.

... how much money a publisher gave to an
implementing organisation.

I need to analyse the data by disbursements.

....where the publisher’s funding came from.

I need to analyse the data by incoming funds.

SUBMITAs we’ve seen, IATI data has many advantages, however there are also limitations. Can you think of any?

G O TO L E S S O N 8

Lesson 8: Limitations to IATI data

While IATI data is an important piece of the puzzle in assessing international development cooperation resource flows, it’s important to noteseveral limitations in analysing and using the data:

Data quality
Each publishing organisation is responsible for deciding the amount of information they provide and ensuring thequality and accuracy of its own data. Many organisations publish high-quality data, but it can and does vary between publishers. IATI ensuresthat publishers’ data meets minimum rules outlined in the IATI data Standard, however, IATI does not audit or verify the content ofpublished data. IATI is continually working to support its publishers to improve the quality of their data, including through dedicated outreach,publisher support and the availability of tools like the IATI Validator, which helps publishers ensure their data meets minimum quality requirements.

How can I find out more about the quality of a publisher’s IATI data?
The IATI Dashboard can give data users a general overview of a publisher’s data quality, broken down by metrics which support theusability of the data.

ComprehensivenessAs publishing to IATI is not mandatory, IATI data does not fully capture all activities or resources in the development andhumanitarian landscape and should therefore not be considered a fully comprehensive picture of resources available ina country, for instance. While data coverage is quite strong for major bilateral and multilateral development partners, IATI still has work to do in ensuring
South-South Cooperation and private sector flows, among others, are well represented. As such, IATI data should ideally be considered as a compliment todata already publicly available at the country level through countries’ own Aid Information Management Systems.

Timeliness
IATI encourages organisations to update their data at least quarterly, however, as a voluntary organisation, the frequency of updates

varies amongst publishers. As such, data you may expect to see in IATI could be missing if the publisher has not yet updated their files. IATI iscontinually working with publishers to ensure the timeliness of their updates continues to improve.

Double counting
As is typically the case when analysing development and humanitarian resource flows, double counting of resources is achallenge when analysing data published to IATI. A common example is when a bilateral organisation disburses money to a UN agency whichfurther disburses that money to an international NGO, who then disburses money to a local NGO, which implements the activity. If all of theseorganisations publish their disbursements, then this will result in a duplication of resources when you aggregate across organisations. There are ways tominimise, but not eliminate, this double counting, which is important to keep in mind when analysing IATI data.

Let’s recap what we looked at in this Module!

G O TO TA KE AWAY S

Key Takeaways: Module 2

In this Module, we’ve learned that:

1

More than 1,600 organisations have 'published' data to IATI on their development and humanitarian activities using the IATI data
Standard.

2

Publishing to IATI involves breaking down the work that an organisation undertakes into useful components, including financial data,
sectors, location, results and other information and documents.

3

These activities can be further broken down into “transactions,” which detail the flow of money between organisations, giving data
users a better sense of where and by whom resources are being committed and spent.

4

Transactions under IATI are:Commitments
Disbursements
Expenditures
Incoming funds

5

Information that can be found within IATI data can include:

The name and a meaningful description of the activity.
A unique identifier for the activity.
The dates that help describe the timeframe of the activity.
Which organisations are involved in the activity and their relevant role.
Financial details, including budgets and transactions, either for the organisation as a whole or for
specific activities.
Sector, or the area in which the activity operates.
Type of resource flows, e.g. Finance Type.
Location.
Results.
Policy markers.
Other useful documents.
Additional useful information.

6

IATI data has several advantages such as:

Up-to-date information.
Comprehensive data in one place.
Comparable data.
Data on a wide range of resources.
Future spending plans, not just past spending.

Data beyond finances.

7

However there are also limitations of IATI data, including:

Data quality.
Comprehensiveness.
Timeliness.
Double counting.

Congratulations! You have reached the end of Module 2! Please continue to the Module 2 Quiz, then continue to Module 3.

Module 3
How can I use IATI data and for what purpose?
GO TO MODULE 3

C O NT I NU E TO Q U I ZLesson 5 of 12

Module 2: QuizInternational Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

Congratulations on making it to the end of Module 2! Below, you’ll take the Module 2 Quiz. You may take the quiz as many times as you like.

Question

01/09

What is the IATI data Standard?

All the data contained in IATI.

A standard way to analyse and use IATI data.

A set of rules and guidance on what (and how) data should be published to IATI.

Question

02/09

What is an IATI publisher?

A paying member of the IATI initiative.

Any organisation who reports data to IATI using the IATI data Standard.

Any organisation who accesses, analyses and / or uses IATI data.

Question

03/09

Publishing to IATI is mandatory for all organisations implementing development or humanitarian activities.

True

False

Question

04/09

By publishing to IATI, organisations can show their commitment to transparency to key stakeholders.

True

False

Question

05/09

What are the key advantages to using IATI data (please all options that apply)?

Up-to-date information

Data from many development partners in one place

Comparable data

Access to development partners’ private spending information

Data on a wide range of resources

Future spending plans, not just past spending

Data beyond finances

Question

06/09

The following information can typically be found in IATI data (please select all options that apply):

Financial data

Finance type

SectorLocation

Results

Procurement plans

Other useful documents like country action plans

Grant applications

Question

07/09

Which of the below are resource flows recorded in activities published to IATI (please select all options that apply)?

Incoming funds, which are funds received by the publisher.

Expenditures, or spending by the publisher on a good or a service.

A publisher’s planned budgets, broken down by individual receiving countries or regions.

Disbursements, or funds that the publisher passes on to another organisation, for instance a bilateral government funding anational-level CSO to implement a project.

Total annual planned budget for the publisher in each of the next three years, where available.

Question

08/09

What are some of the potential limitations you should be aware of when using or analysing IATI data (please select all options that apply)?

Timeliness

Double counting

The need to have a paid account to access IATI data.

Too much information is available in one place.

Question

09/09

IATI data should be used:

In place of a national Aid Information Management System.

As a complement to a national Aid Information Management System.

Lesson 6 of 12

Module 3: How can I use IATI data and for what purpose?
International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

Module 3: How can I use IATI data and for what purpose?

Welcome to Module 3
The internationally-agreed 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is clear on the need to engage civil society organisations in implementing andmonitoring both the Sustainable Development Goals, and development goals set by governments at the national level. With their capacity to bring thevoices of those on the frontlines of poverty, inequality and vulnerability into development processes, CSOs can help to ensure no one is left
behind on the road to sustainable development.

In turn, accessing and using the best available data is crucial for informing effective decisions, including by CSOs, to promote development and provide
essential support at the local level. As such, IATI data enables civil society organisations, including activists, journalists, academics and membersof the public, to understand how development and humanitarian resources are used; and can give these stakeholders the information theyneed to hold to account those who provide or use development cooperation resources, including national governments. In this Module, we willfurther explore some of the ways that civil society are already using (or can use) IATI data to achieve these goals in their own work.

Duration of the Module: 90 minutes (1.5 hours)

Learning Objectives
At the end of this Module, you will be able to:

Identify the main ways in which CSOs may wish to use IATI data.

Select the cases that are most relevant to improve the effectiveness of your own work.

Identify how other CSOs have used IATI data to increase accountability, effectively advocate, coordinate with partners, informresearch and find funding opportunities.

Module Content
The module contains the following segments:

1

Welcome to Module 3

2

What do we mean by 'civil society organisations'?

3

Why is civil society an important partner in effective development cooperation?

4

What are the key ways that CSOs may wish to use IATI data?

5

Worksheet: What's in it for you?

6

Key Takeaways: Module 3

Ready? Let’s start exploring how civil society organisations may wish to use IATI data!

G O TO L E S S O N 1

Lesson 1: What do we mean by 'civil society organisations'?

'Civil society’ is the vast array of ways in which society voluntarily organises itself, representing a wide range of interests. Civil society organisations or 'CSOs'
include all not-for-profit and non-government organisations in which people come together to pursue shared interests, for instance, community-basedorganisations and village associations, environmental groups, women’s rights groups, farmers’ associations, labour unions, co-operatives, professional
associations, chambers of commerce, faith-based organisations, independent research institutes and the not-for-profit media, among others. Taskoriented and driven by people with a common interest, CSOs in the development cooperation space perform a variety of services

and functions, including bringing citizens’ concerns to governments, monitoring their policies and encouraging politicalparticipation at the community level.

Following the definition above, which of the following are considered civil society organisations? Please select all that apply.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Islamic Relief Worldwide

The World Bank

Network for Women's Rights in Ghana

Oxfam America

The government of Belgium

The International Trade Union Confederation

Association of Freelance Journalists

The European Commission

SUBMIT

G O TO L E S S O N 2

Lesson 2: Why is civil society an important partner in effective development
cooperation?

In the development cooperation space, CSOs undertake research, monitor budget execution and advocate for social justice and inclusion. As
they work directly with beneficiary communities, they often have access to information that other actors do not and are well-positioned to undertake
appropriate groundwork in monitoring and advocating for key development issues. Civil society can also increase citizens’ awareness of critical governanceand corruption issues, pressuring governments to respond quicker and more effectively.

In addition, CSOs provide analysis and expertise and serve as early warning mechanisms; and help monitor and implement international agreements,
including the Sustainable Development Goals and countries’ own national development goals. As such, the more civil society organisations

know about how governments, international organisations, foundations and other funders spend their money on
development projects, the more robust the accountability for delivery of services can be; and the more sure we can be thatdevelopment cooperation resources respond to the needs and voices of their intended beneficiaries.

How do CSOs support achievement of sustainable development and theSustainable Development Goals?

Click through to learn more!

Step 1

Promoting the voice and participation of people in decisions that affect theirlives, especially in ensuring that the 2030 Agenda reaches the ‘furthest behindfirst’.

Example: In Nepal, active civil society participation helped bring about the abolition of kamaiya in 2000, the bonded labor
practice in the country. CSOs were able to put forward citizens’ voices and evidence on the ground to influence national
strategies.
Find out more here and here.

Step 2

Holding governments accountable for their responsibility to implement the2030 Agenda in a way that respects the three dimensions of sustainable
development (economic, environmental and social) in a manner that leaves noone behind.

Example: Disha, an Indian CSO, submitted an analysis of the Gujarat state budget from the perspective of tribal welfare.
The study had a significant impact on the state government’s policies and budgets in favor of the poor and marginalisedcommunities and helped strengthen government accountability and transparency.
Find out more here and here.

Step 3

Localising the global (and national) development goals, and monitoring
progress.
Example: In Georgia, the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information is laying the foundation for
institutionalising a system of scorecards and indicators to monitor the nationalisation and progress of the SDGs in the
country. A web-based electronic monitoring system will enable government institutions to report on the implementationof the global goals.
Find out more here.

G O TO L E S S O N 3

Lesson 3: What are the key ways that CSOs may wish to use IATI data?

There are a multitude of ways that CSOs may wish to use IATI data to advance both development effectiveness and the goals of their organisation.
However, in this Module, we will look primarily at five key use cases, including:Ensuring the accountability of partners.

–

IATI data can be used to provide feedback on whether particular projects are working successfully or not, and making sure resources are spent as planned. Watch the video
below for an example from Claire Provost, an investigative journalist.

Carrying-out evidence-based advocacy for changes.

–

IATI data can be used to see what donors are funding in a specific country / region and advocate for a different allocation of resources (e.g. more funding for health oreducation, or more funding for a particular region). Watch the video below for an example from Canadian CSO network CanWaCH.

Supporting targeted coordination in sectors, policy areas, or locations.

–

IATI data can be used to understand which organisations are working in similar sectors or locations, in order to find new partners or work more efficiently. Watch the video
below for an example from Plan International Netherlands.

Undertaking research to inform policy, advocacy, etc.

–

IATI data can be used to uncover expenditure issues or better understand the actions and priorities of donors, governments and civil society organisations in different
countries. Watch the video below for an example from Rebecca Gribble, a researcher at Georgetown University.

Finding funding opportunities.

–

IATI data can be used to see which organisations are active in a specific country / region and which organisations and areas of work they fund, making it possible to discoverfunding opportunities or trends. Watch the video below for an example from World Vision UK.

Using IATI data for increased accountability

Transparency is an important principle of good governance since a degree of clarity and openness about how decisions
are taken, and how resources are spent, can encourage decision- and policy-makers to exercise their power for thegreater good. Information by itself is not power, but it is an essential first step in the exercise of political and economic power. The public is only able totruly participate in the democratic process when they have information about the activities and policies of the government, and when people can see what
benefits and services they are entitled to and whether they are receiving what should be expected.
As such, civil society organisations and other actors have significant contributions to make in holding governments toaccount for the use of resources. Likewise, CSOs can play a role in ensuring the accountability of other emerging development cooperation actors,
including the private sector, international organisations and others. For instance, by using IATI data, a CSO could assess whether what was budgeted to be
spent versus what was actually spent, the sectors that were funded, etc

How are CSOs using IATI data to increase accountability?

Journalists have used IATI data to review development partners’ activities to analyse financial information, delivery and impact. Learn
more here.
Public Aid Organization in Iraq used IATI data to assess what money is being spent in Iraq, with the goal of reducing wasted
resources, but also to advocate for more resources to be allocated to support internally displaced persons (IDPs). Learn more bywatching this short video.

Accountability spotlight: CNN journalists use IATI data to shine a light on donor practices in Ghana
Claire Provost and Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah used IATI data as a key source in their CNN investigation that found that some Westerngovernments who pledged to support LGBTQI+ rights have also funded supporters of a controversial bill in Ghana that could
introduce harsh sentences for advocating for sexual and gender minorities' rights. Watch the video below to hear Claire speak about
how using IATI data enabled her work.

Using IATI data to answer accountability questions
In this Module, we will begin to conceptualise how to use IATI data to answer some common questions related to each use case. For each exercise,consider the query and think through how you would answer the key questions posed, based on your current knowledge of IATI data (further queries will
be explored in Module 4 using IATI’s suite of data access tools). For each query, answers to these key questions will be provided as well as an example of
how you would begin to explore the query with IATI data.

Query: Are resources in priority sectors in country x being spent as planned?

Consider and answer the following questions:

What information or data would you need to be able to explore this question?

What of this information do you think is available from IATI based on what you know so far?

What analysis would you conduct with the information you have identified?

Click the accordion below to find the answers.

–

Information or data needed

The priority sectors in that country as identified by the government.
The resources planned to be spent in those sectors.
The resources actually spent in those sectors.

Information available from IATI–

The resources planned to be spent in those sectors (budgets in IATI).
The resources actually spent in those sectors (spending in IATI).
Note: information on priority sectors would have to be sourced from the relevant national development plan or similar document and is not available in IATI.

Analysis to be conducted–Comparison of the difference between the resources budgeted and the resources actually spent; and potentially a comparison between the resources spent in the priority
sectors versus other sectors.

Let’s look at a real-world example!

Investment in the education sector has been prioritised by the Government of Thailand in The
Twelfth National Economic and Social Development Plan. Are resources being spent ascommunicated?

The question to investigate is whether the resources budgeted in this priority sector are being spent as planned, which can be explored with IATI data. In
the graph below, available on IATI’s Country Development Finance Data (CDFD) tool (to be explored further in Module 4), you can see that in 2022, $6.7
billion USD was projected to be spent and then only $2.6 billion was actually spent.

You can then explore this further, by looking at the performance of individual organisations or activities in this sector to investigate further this gap. From
the tables below, you can see that UNICEF is largely responsible for the gap between the resources budgeted and actually spent. Follow this link to explore
this analysis further in CDFD.

Further reading on increasing accountability in development cooperation…
SDG Accountability Handbook, TAP Network.

Let’s explore how IATI data can be used for more effective advocacy!

C O NT I NU E

Using IATI data for more effective advocacy

Advocacy is the process of strategically using information to influence those who make decisions that have an impact on the lives of others. In

development, effective advocacy amplifies the voices of the marginalised and vulnerable, which are often missing indecision-making circles. Most major CSOs dedicate significant resources to advocacy, working to inform and shape public opinion, whether throughadvertising or fundraising, or through education programs, noting that fundamental change is not achieved until the policy environment is right, andcannot be sustained without a groundswell of support for reform.

For instance, by using IATI data, a CSO could make evidence-based arguments to advocate for a different allocation of development
resources, for instance, more funding for a specific sector like health or education; more funding for a particular region or sub-region; or more funding fora marginalised or underrepresented group.

How are CSOs using IATI data for more effective advocacy?
CanWaCH uses IATI data in their Project Explorer, which includes data on development activities worldwide with a connection to
Canada. Watch this video to explore how CanWaCH uses IATI data for Advocacy purposes.
Save the Children UK used IATI data to look at the impact of UK aid cuts, finding that children are bearing the brunt of the cuts.
Learn more here.

Using IATI data to support more effective advocacy
For each query, answers to these key questions will be provided as well as an example of how you would begin to explore the query with IATI data.

Query: Are the resources allocated to area x sufficient to meet the resource needs in thatarea?
Consider and answer the following questions:

What information or data would you need to be able to explore this question?

What of this information do you think is available from IATI based on what you know so far?

What analysis would you conduct with the information you have identified?

Click the accordion below to find the answers.

–

Information or data needed

Resources needed in this area.
Resources allocated by the government.
Resources allocated by development and humanitarian organisations.

Information available from IATI–

Resources allocated by development and humanitarian organisations to this specific area (‘budgets’ in IATI if the analysis is forward-looking; or ‘spending’ in IATI if theanalysis is backward-looking).
Note: resources needed would need to come from other sources, potentially from research from civil society or the government.
Note: resources allocated from the government would likely be found in the government’s national budget (forward-looking) or budget execution reports (backwardlooking).

Analysis to be conducted–Comparison of the difference between the resources needed and the resources allocated.

Let’s look at a concrete example!

A persistent Cholera outbreak in Malawi has increased the resource needs for activities to addressand end the outbreak during the upcoming fiscal year (April 2023 - March 2024). Have sufficient
resources been allocated to meet the projected needs?
The question to investigate is whether the resources that have been allocated to the relevant areas are sufficient to meet the projected needs. Using IATI
budgets data, you can investigate the resources allocated by organisations to certain sectors that are relevant to fight against cholera, such as Water andSanitation. The below table from CDFD shows the resources projected to be spent in the upcoming fiscal year in this sector in Malawi. Follow this link to
explore further.

You could also look for activities that specifically mention “cholera” in their titles or descriptions in IATI’s d-portal tool. Follow this link to explore further.

You can use this information from IATI, in combination with data on the resources the government projects to spend (from the national budget) and theactual resource needs, to begin to explore whether there are enough resources allocated to meet the needs in this area.

Further reading on advocacy for effective development cooperation…

Advocacy Toolkit, Civil Society Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE);
Communications resources, Civil Society Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE).

Moving on, let’s see how you can use IATI data for better coordination amongst partners!

C O NT I NU E

Using IATI data for better coordination amongst partners

Over the past several decades, there has been an explosion of actors in the development cooperation space. Governments, multilateral organisations, civilsociety, the private sector, foundations and others now all play a key role in delivering development and humanitarian resources and activities. This
presents an exciting but complicated picture for many countries – with so many partners working on development activities, there is aneed for better coordination to reduce duplication and redundancies, and to better coordinate amongst organisations
and ensure the best possible use of resources.

For instance, by using IATI data, a CSO could find other organisations working on the same issue areas, in the same geographic region, etc., to join efforts
and / or make sure that projects are not duplicated.

How are CSOs using IATI data for better coordination amongst partners?
Fields Data uses IATI data to create simple datasets to coordinate amongst partners in humanitarian crises. They combine this datawith UN OCHA and locally-collected data; then visualise the data with Google Data Studio and send PDFs via WhatsApp to local actors.
Learn more here.

Plan International Netherlands uses IATI data to coordinate when it is working on projects in an alliance. Read more here or watch
this video to explore how Plan International Netherlands uses IATI data for Coordination purposes.
SEBI-Livestock developed its Livestock Project Portal to enable improved coordination in the livestock sector. Learn more here.

Let’s see how this is put into practice.

C O NT I NU E

Using IATI data to enable better coordination amongst partners

Query: I want to see the development cooperation landscape in country x in area x, toenable improved coordination and reduce duplication of efforts amongst development andhumanitarian actors.
Consider and answer the following questions:

What information or data would you need to be able to explore this question?

What of this information do you think is available from IATI based on what you know so far?

What analysis would you conduct with the information you have identified?

Click the accordion below to find the answers.

Information or data needed–

Activities planned or being implemented in area x.
Organisations funding these activities.
Organisations implementing these activities.
Locations in country x where these activities are taking place.

Information available from IATI–

Activities planned or being implemented in area x.
Organisations funding these activities (either ‘Reporting Organisation’ or ‘Funding Organisation’ in IATI).
Organisations implementing these activities (either ‘Implementing Organisation’ or ‘Receiver Organisation’ in IATI).
Locations where these activities are taking place (specific coordinates and / or subnational areas are available in IATI).

Analysis to be conducted–

Identification of the activities in that specific area, the organisations involved and potentially how resources are being spent in that area.

Let’s look at an example.

Nigeria accounts for almost a third of the world’s malaria deaths. As such, coordination amongst those working onmalaria control is critical to ensure resources are effectively allocated, to enable coordination and to ensure that there
aren’t duplication of efforts.

Step 1

The question to investigate is what activities are being implemented in malaria control and the organisations involved incarrying out these activities. Other information is available in IATI that can also help to understand the landscape, buteven this basic information on activities and organisations will begin to help you to better understand the landscape in aparticular area.
The table above from CDFD shows the Reporting Organisations that spent money in activities addressing malaria control
in 2021 and 2022. Follow this link to explore further.

Step 2The table above from CDFD shows the Reporting Organisations that are projecting to spend money on malaria control in
2023. Follow this link to explore further.

Step 3

The table above shows some of the organisations that will be receiving resources and implementing activities in malaria
control in 2023. Follow this link to explore further.

Step 4The map above from d-portal shows where some of the activities in malaria control (across all years) are taking place inNigeria. Follow this link to explore further.

You can use this information from IATI to begin to better understand the development cooperation landscape in malaria
control, including the organisations involved, the activities they are carrying out and the locations in which these
activities are being implemented.

Another possibility is using IATI data to inform development research– let’s take a closer look!

C O NT I NU E

Using IATI data to inform development research
Civil society organisations have always been important partners in using data (including IATI data) to inform research on criticaldevelopment and humanitarian-related issues. While often linked closely to the advocacy use case, the role of the CSO partner in conducting
development research can vary according to its expertise, its needs or to the purpose of the research project. CSO engagement may end after the framingof the research question or it may start with the dissemination of the results.

However, overall, CSO participation in development research can further general understanding of complex real world

situations, including of the multi-dimensional (economic, social and environmental) challenges of sustainable
development, and developing integrated solutions, through their role as a representative of the beneficiaries ofdevelopment research. CSOs may also use their research to inform advocacy campaigns, fundraising efforts or dialogue with partners.

How are CSOs using IATI data to inform their research?
Georgetown University’s Department of International Health used IATI data to assess funding for mental health in the COVID19 response. They found that a very small dollar amount of this funding was directed to mental health causes. Read more here orwatch this video to explore how Rebecca Gribble (Georgetown University) uses IATI data for Research purposes.
Publish What You Fund used IATI data in research that sought to improve the publication of gender-related financial andprogrammatic data to achieve better development outcomes, and ultimately to contribute to improving the practice aroundtransparency of gender equality financing and allocation of resources. Read more here.
Development Initiatives used IATI data during the COVID-19 pandemic to assess how aid and aid allocation was changing
worldwide. Read more here.

Any of the other four examples in this Module could be used to begin investigating a range of research queries.

Ready to explore how you can use IATI data to find funding opportunities?

C O NT I NU E

Using IATI data to find funding opportunities

No matter how large or small, all CSOs need to fundraise. Fundraising allows CSOs to fund their mission, pay overhead costs, develop

educational programs and make improvements that will benefit future clients who utilise their services. But for many civilsociety organisations, searching for funding opportunities can be a time-consuming and overwhelming task. With limited human resource and financial
capacity, CSOs are interested in effectively finding opportunities to research donors’ priorities and assess the general fundraising landscape across sectors,
countries and regions, etc.
To this end, IATI can play a key role in supporting civil society organisations to research funding trends and opportunities.

For instance, by using IATI data, a CSO can easily assess which donors:

Are working in the same country / region;

Are working in the same program or sector area or share the same general priorities;

Fund CSOs of their budget and grant / organisational size;

Have budgeted funds for a specific time period.

How are CSOs using IATI data to find funding opportunities?
World Vision UK uses IATI data to see who the main funders are in its priority countries (e.g. Uganda). They also look at planned
spending by sector to see where new funding opportunities might arise (e.g. in Bangladesh). Learn more by watching this video to
explore how World Vision uses IATI data for funding purposes.
Further reading on finding funding opportunities…
Guide for Dialogue with Development Partners and Donors, Civil Society Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE).

Let’s see how this works in practice!

Using IATI data to find funding opportunities

Query: What organisations are working in area x and what funding might be available fromthese organisations to fund the work of civil society?
Consider and answer the following questions:

What information or data would you need to be able to explore this question?

What of this information do you think is available from IATI based on what you know so far?

What analysis would you conduct with the information you have identified?

Click the accordion below to find the answers.

–

Information or data needed

Organisations already funding activities in area x.
Organisations planning to fund activities in area x.
Organisations (and the types of organisations) being funded to implement activities in area x.
Information on whether the funder is still seeking implementers for specific activities.

Information available from IATI–

Organisations already funding activities in area x (spending by organisations in IATI).
Organisations planning to fund activities in area x (budgets projected to be spent by organisations in IATI).
Organisations (and the types of organisations) being funded to implement activities in area x (‘Receiver’ or ‘Implementing Organisations’ in IATI).

Note: information on whether the funder is still seeking implementers for specific activities is not available in IATI, however, contact information is often provided fororganisations and is available on the activity pages in d-portal (example here), so that you can reach out directly to the relevant contact to explore this question further.

Analysis to be conducted–

Identification of the organisations funding or planning to fund activities in that specific area and the organisations being funded.

Let’s look at an example!

A civil society organisation based in Indonesia has a mission centered around work in the agriculture, forestry and fishingsector. They are looking for new opportunities for funding in their area of work.

Step 1

The question to investigate is which organisations have and are planning to fund activities in this sector in Indonesia.
The table above shows the organisations that have been funding activities in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector
in Indonesia for 2020, 2021 and 2022. Follow this link to explore further.

Step 2The table above shows the organisations that have been receiving and implementing those activities in 2020, 2021 and
2022, and the organisations that are funding them. Follow this link to explore further.

Step 3

The tables above show organisations that are planning to fund activities in this sector in 2023 and the activities they areplanning to fund. You can click on the links to the activities to explore them further and look for contact information on dportal. Follow this link to explore further.

You can use this information in IATI to begin to explore which organisations are funding and implementing activities inyour area of work and begin assessing the landscape and potential funding opportunities.

So, what’s in it for you?

G O TO L E S S O N 4

Lesson 4: What's in it for you?

Now that you have a general idea of what you can do with IATI data, and the possible benefits for your work, sit down for a moment and think about:

Which of the five use cases above resonates most with you and / or your organisation? Why?

What are the key questions that IATI data could help answer for you and / or your organisation?

Are there other use cases you could see for IATI data in your own work?

Let’s recap: How can I use IATI data and for what purposes?

G O TO TA KE AWAY S

Key Takeaways: Module 3

In this Module, we’ve learned:

1

What do we mean by ‘civil society organisations’?

‘Civil society’ is the vast array of ways in which society voluntarily organises itself, representing a wide
range of interests.

2

How do CSOs support achievement of sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals?

Promoting the voice and participation of people in decisions that affect their lives, especially inensuring that the 2030 Agenda reaches the ‘furthest behind first’.
Holding governments accountable for their responsibility to implement the 2030 Agenda in a way that
respects the three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, environmental and social) in amanner that leaves no one behind.
Localising the global (and national) development goals, and monitoring progress.

3

What are the key ways that CSOs may wish to use IATI data?

Ensuring accountability of partners in the delivery of resources and results.

Carrying-out evidence-based advocacy for changes in the allocation of resources, reprioritisation,better coordination etc..
Supporting targeted coordination in particular sectors, policy areas, or locations.
Undertaking research to inform policy, advocacy, etc.
Finding funding opportunities.

Do you have any further questions about using IATI data? Please reach the IATI Helpdesk via support@iatistandard.org.

Congratulations! You have reached the end of Module 3! Please continue to the Module 3 Quiz, then continue to Module 4.

Module 4
How do I use IATI’s tools to access the data I need?
GO TO MODULE 4

C O NT I NU E TO Q U I ZLesson 7 of 12

Module 3: QuizInternational Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

Congratulations on making it to the end of Module 3! Below, you’ll take the Module 3 Quiz. You may take the quiz as many times as you like.

Question

01/10

Civil society organisations or 'CSOs':

Are government bureaux supporting the work of not-for profit organisations.

Are military agencies delivering development and humanitarian services.

Are all not-for-profit and non-government organisations in which people come together to pursue shared interests.

Are all private sector organisations who have a philanthropic arm.

Question

02/10

Civil society organisations may… (please select all options that apply):

Undertake research

Monitor budget execution

Advocate for social justice and inclusion

Officially evaluate the role of the national government

Increase citizens’ awareness of key governance and corruption issues

Monitor and implement national and international agreements

Promote the voice and participation of people in decisions that affect their lives

Question

03/10

What are the key use cases for a CSO wishing to use IATI data, according to this Module (please select all options that apply)?

Accountability

Advocacy

Coordination

Identification of underperforming development programmes

Research

Finding funding opportunities

Question

04/10

By using IATI data, a CSO can (please select all options that apply):

Assess what was budgeted to be spent versus what was actually spent.

Understand the sectors that were funded by donors.

Make evidence-based arguments to advocate for a different allocation of development resources.

Directly communicate with donors about the status of grant applications.

Undertake development research to further general understanding of complex real world situations.

Find other organisations working on the same issue areas, in the same geographic region, etc.

Understand which donors are working in the same country / region; or the same program or sector area.

Question

05/10

Using the table below, you could assess:

The resources allocated to the Water Supply and Sanitation sector in Malawi.

The resources allocated to all countries working on Water Supply and Sanitation projects.

The organisations allocating funding to Water Supply and Sanitation projects.

A comparison between the funding allocated and the funding spent on Water Supply and Sanitation Projects.

Question

06/10

What can you assess using the table below (please select all options that apply)?

The amount the World Health Organisation is projecting to spend on malaria control in Nigeria.

The different African countries the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is active in.

Which reporting organisations are projecting to spend money on malaria control in Nigeria.

The amount the World Health Organisation is projecting to spend on malaria control globally.

Question

07/10

The following map provides you with which information?

When malaria-control activities took place in Nigeria.

Which anti-malaria initiatives were funded by the World Health Organisation.

Where some of the activities in malaria control are taking place in Nigeria.

Where malaria frequently occurs in Nigeria.

Question

08/10

Using the table below, you could assess (please select all options that apply)...:

When activities were planned versus when they were implemented.

The planned budget for activities versus the actual spending.

The activity title and the reporting organisation.

How many projects UNICEF implemented in the education sector in Thailand in a specific year.

Question

09/10

Based on the table below, which of the statements below is true (please select all options that apply)?

The funding provided by the Asian Development Bank has continuously increased since 2020.

The funding provided by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has continuously increased since
2020.

The Asian Development Bank was the largest funder in the period 2020-2022.

The funding provided by Canada has continuously decreased since 2020.

Question

10/10

When using IATI data to find funding opportunities, what information available in IATI is helpful to assess which donors to target (please selectall options that apply)?

Organisations already funding activities in your sector of interest.

Organisations already active in your country / countries of interest.

Planned budget versus actual spending of organisations already funding activties in your geographical areas of interest.

Results information on specific activities.

Lesson 8 of 12

Module 4: How do I use IATI’s tools to access the data I need?
International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

Module 4: How do I use IATI’s tools to access the data I need?

Welcome to Module 4
Now that you’re familiar with the concept of development cooperation, the general structure of IATI data and the ways that you might wish to use the datain your work, Module 4 will provide an introduction to IATI’s data access tools, where you can visualise, download and begin to analyse IATI
data to solve your own development cooperation questions. As such, in this Module, we will explore the IATI-hosted tools of most interest to nonexpert data users, including those from civil society organisations; and we’ll practice using the tools to solve some questions that may be of interest to the
CSO community.

Duration of the Module: Approximately 2 hours

Learning Objectives
At the end of this Module, you will be able to:

Explain where to find IATI data that is relevant for your work using IATI’s data access tools.

Identify the purposes, benefits and limitations of each of IATI’s data access tools.

Practice using IATI data in real-world situations to solve critical development cooperation questions.

Module Content
This Module contains the following segments:

1

Welcome to Module 4

2

A short overview of IATI’s data access tools

3d-portal: an introduction

4

Practice Session: Using d-portal

5Country Development Finance Data: an introduction

6

Practice Session: Using Country Development Finance Data

7

Datastore Search: an introduction

8

Practice Session: Using Datastore Search

9

Where should I go for IATI data use support?

10

Key Takeaways: Module 4

Ready? Let’s start exploring how you can use IATI tools to access the data that you need!

G O TO L E S S O N 1

Lesson 1: A short overview of IATI’s data access tools

A number of tools currently exist to make IATI data accessible to all types of data users, both those hosted by IATI as an initiative and also third-party tools
which are built on top of IATI data (e.g. the European Commission's Aid Explorer or the U.S. government’s foreignassistance.gov). In this Module, we will
cover only the data access tools hosted by IATI itself (a complete list of known tools using IATI data is available here).

Click on the 'start' button below to explore data access tools hosted by IATI.

IATI's data access tools

Step 1d-portal

The most commonly known IATI-hosted tool is d-portal, which provides user-friendly access to IATI data, allowing the data
user to search all IATI data using filters or search terms. As such, d-portal is recommended for text searching project
activities / descriptions and / or deep-diving into a specific activity.

Step 2

Country Development Finance Data (CDFD)

Secondarily, a recently-launched tool, IATI’s Country Development Finance Data (CDFD), allows users to download simple,
Excel-formatted IATI data on forward-looking budgets, commitments and spending (disbursements and expenditures),that is presented simply by country and region and designed to enable easy analysis. This tool was designed to meet theneeds of partner country stakeholders, including civil society organisations and national governments, and wasdeveloped and then improved in close consultation with data users. CDFD also allows data users to visualise the data by
country, reporting organisation and sector in several Data Dashboards that can be filtered for customised analysis; and a
Custom Data Download feature enables users to generate custom reports of the data. The tool is available in English,
French, Spanish and Portuguese.

Step 3

Datastore Search

IATI also hosts a third data access tool, Datastore Search. This tool allows data users to search the IATI Datastore (whichcontains the complete set of raw IATI data), and then download this data in either IATI XML, JSON or CSV format. Using
Datastore Search generally requires some understanding of the IATI data Standard and is thus recommended forintermediate to expert data users.

Though these tools currently exist in three separate places, IATI’s long term plan is to consolidate the functionality of thethree tools in one comprehensive place to enable easier access to the data for a variety of users.

The below table summarises how you may wish to use each of the tools:

Toold-portal

Recommended use
Search all IATI data using filters or search terms. Recommended forExpertise level
Beginnertext-searching project titles / descriptions and / or deep-diving intoa specific activity.
Country Development Finance

Download Excel-formatted IATI data on forward-looking budgets,

Data

commitments and spending (disbursements and expenditures),Intermediatethat is presented by country and region. Visualise the data by
country, reporting organisation and sector in several Data
Dashboards; or use a Custom Data Download feature to generate
bespoke reports.
Datastore Search

Search the IATI Datastore (which contains the complete set of raw

Intermediate to expert

IATI data), and then download this data in either IATI XML, JSON or
CSV format.

A refresher on the data available in IATI’s data access tools
Data source: 1,600+ organisations that publish data to IATI.
Data updates: d-portal.org and Country Development Finance Data are refreshed with any newly-published or updated data every
24 hours; while Datastore Search generally updates within one hour.
Data availability: Dependent on the timeliness and completeness of data published.
Timeliness of data varies by publishing organisation; data gaps could be due to data not yet being published for a specific time
period.
Completeness varies as not all fields are mandatory, which means that not all organisations publish data in all possible data
fields.

How is ‘spending’ calculated? Aggregate of ‘disbursement’ and ‘expenditure’ transactions.

G O TO L E S S O N 2

Lesson 2: d-portal: an introduction

d-portal is a data portal that allows you to explore and visualise IATI data on development and humanitarian activities. It allows data users tosearch all IATI data using filters or search terms and is recommended for deep diving into a specific activity, organisation or sector. The tool
refreshes every 24 hours and contains all current data published to IATI. There are various ways to search and view IATI data on d-portal, however,depending on what information you are looking for, you may wish to search by:

Recipient country

Publisher

Sector group

SectorActivity status

Year range

The full set of filters are shown below.

You can also use multiple filters at the same time. For instance, you can search for ‘Burundi’ and ‘Burkina Faso’, ‘agriculture’ and ‘basic health’ (find thisquery here or watch the video below). Once you click ‘Explore Results’, d-portal will query the IATI data and present you with the total number of projects(called ‘activities’ in IATI) that are taking place in agriculture and basic health in Burundi and Burkina Faso, split by active, ended and planned projects. You
will also be presented with information on where the money for the listed projects comes from.

For projects where IATI publishers have provided coordinates on where the activities are taking place, you will be able to see the locations of these projects
on a heatmap. If you click on ‘active projects’, you will get a full list of active projects that meet your criteria. By clicking on one of those projects, you canfind all the detailed information that IATI publishers have shared on that project, such as the organisations involved, the money received and spent, results
data or key project documents. At the top right of your results pages, you can use the ‘settings’ options to alter which currency and language that yourresults are displayed in (please note: not everything is translated).

Here are some examples of the types of questions d-portal can answer:

How many projects occur in Ghana on water supply and sanitation?

–

Find the query results here.

Which organisations are currently working on tackling Ebola in Guinea?

Find the query results here.

–

What development activities are taking place in Tegucigalpa, Honduras?

–

Find the query results here.

What are the results of a specific humanitarian activity in Yemen?

–

Find the query results here and then select a specific activity to find results (example).

G O TO L E S S O N 3

Lesson 3: Practice Session: Using d-portal

Part 1
Go to d-portal.org and complete the following exercise:
Find the project: ‘Cambodia Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Management Project’, reported by the World Bank, by searching for the name of the project in the
search box.

Take a moment to find the project.

C O NT I NU E

If you struggled to find the project, it is available here.

What was the actual start date of the project?

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

The correct answer is: 2017-04-14.

C O NT I NU E

Who is the funding organisation?

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

The correct answer is: International Development Association.

C O NT I NU E

Who are the implementing organisations?

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

The correct answers are: Ministry of Economy and Finance; Ministry of Rural Development.

C O NT I NU E

In how many locations is this project taking place?

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

The correct answer is: 8.

C O NT I NU E

Which OECD DAC sector(s) does this activity target?

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

The correct answers are: Public transport services; multi-hazard response preparedness.

C O NT I NU E

How much money was disbursed on 30 June 2022 (USD)? Were these resources a grant or a loan?

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

The correct answers are: 9,301,336 USD; loan.

C O NT I NU E

You can watch the instructional video below to guide you through the queries.

How did part 1 go? Are you ready for another practice session? Let’s practice putting together some queries in d-portal!

C O NT I NU EPart 2
Go to d-portal.org and use the filters to formulate the following queries:

Can you find out what New Zealand Aid Programme-funded projects in Kiribati are currently active?

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

Please find the query results here, or watch the below instructional video.

C O NT I NU E

What activities targeting gender as a significant or principal objective are currently active in Syria?

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

Please find the query results here, or watch the below instructional video.

C O NT I NU E

Which organisations are currently supporting humanitarian activities in Chad?

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

Please find the query results here, or watch the below instructional video.

C O NT I NU E

In which countries are activities which include the keyword ‘banana’ being implemented?

Click on the plus sign to find the answer!

–

Please find the query results here, or watch the below instructional video.

How did you fare with this second exercise? Let’s now move on to exploring the Country Development Finance Data tool!

G O TO L E S S O N 4

Lesson 4: Country Development Finance Data: an introduction

As discussed earlier in this Module, while d-portal is useful for deep-diving into a specific activity, if you are looking to see overall trends, or toassess the data at a more granular level, we recommend using IATI’s Country Development Finance Data (CDFD) tool. CDFD
offers simple Excel-formatted spreadsheets of IATI data by country or region (designed to be easily analysed in Excel pivot tables) and a Custom Data
Download to enable the generation of bespoke reports. It also offers visualisations of IATI data in customisable Dashboards.

In short, CDFD allows data users to assess budgets and spending, including:

Quarterly / annual aggregations of budgets, commitments, disbursements and expenditure, by country / region; andAggregations by reporting organisation (and type), sector, aid type, finance type and implementing organisation, among other data
fields.

Please note that CDFD contains a subset of the data fields published to IATI, based on what information data users most often
request (i.e. budgeting and spending information). This subset of data fields is available for all activities published to IATI and for all
years for which data is available (the complete methodology for IATI data processed through CDFD can be found here). The entirety ofthe tool, guidance and data are available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

Watch the video below for a quick introduction to CDFD.

Let’s take a closer look at CDFD!

Getting started with CDFD: key features
FeatureRecommended use

Expertise level

Data Dashboards

Visualise the data in useful summary maps, charts and tables,

Beginner

including by country / region, reporting organisation and sector.

Custom Data Download

View and / or download bespoke spreadsheets of data using a

Beginner

range of filters to select the data you need. Select the columns to be
included in your spreadsheet and filter it by calendar year orquarter, budgets and / or spending, reporting organisation, type ofaid (e.g. loan or grant) and more.

Analysing full files (select from

Analyse all data for a particular country or region (in-depth

dropdown ‘Access data files’)analysis), using an Excel pivot table.

IntermediateC O NT I NU E

Ready to explore CDFD?

C O NT I NU E

Click on the 'start' button below to learn more about CDFD.

Step 1

Reading the guidance
To get started with CDFD, visit the tool and browse the guidance.

Step 2

Exploring the Data Dashboards

To begin exploring the tool itself, we suggest starting with the Data Dashboards. These Dashboards allow you to visualisethe data in useful summary maps, charts and tables. You can explore a summary dashboard and dashboards by country/ region, reporting organisation and sector.
For instance, using the Data Dashboards, you could assess the landscape of development and humanitarian activities in
Cameroon in 2022, including the resources budgeted and spent by reporting organisation, sector category, finance type,aid type, reporting organisation type, humanitarian versus development flows and activity. See this video to walk throughhow to populate this data using the Dashboard.
You can also customise this visualisation to look at more specific features of the data, including, for example:
Only activities by UN agencies (click link to view).
Only humanitarian activities (click link to view).
Only health sector activities (click link to view).

Step 3

Exploring the Custom Data Download feature

Next, we suggest exploring the Custom Data Download feature, where you can view and download bespoke spreadsheetsof data using a range of filters to select the data you need. Select the columns to be included in your spreadsheet andfilter it by calendar year or quarter, budgets and / or spending, reporting organisation, type of aid (e.g. loan or grant) andmore.
Select the columns to be included in your spreadsheet and filter it by calendar year or quarter, budgets and / orspending, reporting organisation, type of aid (e.g. loan or grant) and more.
For instance, using the Custom Data Download feature, you could assess:
Organisations projecting to spend money in Ukraine in 2023: preview the query here and then download the Excel
file with all the data. Watch this video to see how to populate the query.
Which US government institutions spent money in Malawi in 2022: preview the query here and then download the
Excel file with all the data. Watch this video to see how to populate the query.
Activities targeting malaria control in Nigeria, Niger and Chad in 2022, including descriptions and the organisations
receiving the funds for / implementing these activities: preview the query here and then download the Excel file withall the data; you can also click on the ‘activity identifier’ link to travel to d-portal to explore an activity further. Watch
this video to see how to populate the query.

For more information on the Data Dashboards and / or the Custom Data Download, you can watch the launch webinar
here (demo of these features begins at 14:00).

Step 4

How to undertake in-depth analysis using the full data files

If you are looking for all data for a particular country and you want to do in-depth analysis in Excel, we recommend thatyou download the full data files here (dropdown ‘Access data files’). Watch the videos below for an introduction into
accessing and understanding the data available in the full data files, as well as how you might begin analysing the datausing an Excel pivot table:
How to access and understand data on external development finance.
How to analyse data on external development finance.

For instance, if you download the Bangladesh file here and insert a pivot table, you can assess the following:
All the organisations that received money from / implemented World Bank activities in 2022.
Organisations providing money to UNICEF in 2022 incoming funds).

Learn more about how to use a pivot table in Excel…
‘Pivot Table Excel Tutorial’ (video).
‘Excel Pivot Tables explained in 10 minutes’ (video).

Time for another practice session!

G O TO L E S S O N 5

Lesson 5: Practice Session: Using Country Development Finance Data

Part 1
Using the Data Dashboards, undertake the following queries:

Find the countries and sectors in which UN agencies spent money in 2022.

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

Please find the query results here.

C O NT I NU E

How was global humanitarian funding allocated in 2022 by country, organisation and sector?

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

Please find the query results here.

C O NT I NU E

Identify the spending in 2021 and 2022 by the European Commission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

Please find the query results here.

–

C O NT I NU E

Find budget amounts (projected spending) in the education sector for 2023.

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

Please find the query results here.

C O NT I NU E

How did the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation allocate its 2022 funding by country, sector, region, finance type, etc.?

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

Please find the query results here.

C O NT I NU E

How did the exercise go? Let’s keep practicing using CDFD, looking at the Custom Data Download!

C O NT I NU EPart 2Using the Custom Data Download, undertake the following queries:

Find the UN activities and spending for 2022. Click here to see the answer!

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

Please find the query results here.

C O NT I NU E

Find the activities with budgets or spending for the 2021 / 22 Cameroon fiscal year (July-June).

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

Please find the query results here.

C O NT I NU E

Find all published Oxfam Novib activities with spending in 2022.

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

Please find the query results here.

C O NT I NU E

Find the spending by activity by Global Affairs Canada from 2019-2023.

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

Please find the query results here.

C O NT I NU E

Find the allocation of spending in the Health sector from 2019-2022.

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

Please find the query results here.

C O NT I NU E

How did the exercise go? Let’s move on to look at our last data access tool, Datastore Search!

G O TO L E S S O N 6

Lesson 6: Datastore Search: an introduction

Datastore Search is a user-friendly online interface to the IATI Datastore, which is a full repository of all published datathat conforms to the IATI data Standard (if an individual activity is found not to conform to the Standard, it is considered 'invalid' and is
excluded from the Datastore). Datastore Search is divided into two primary features: Simple Search and Advanced Search.

Simple Search allows for a full-text search of all IATI activities without needing to specify individual elements to search. Advanced Search enables users toquery every element and attribute within the IATI Standard, but may require more familiarity with the Standard itself. Once activities are filtered, users ofeither feature can export their findings at the activity, transaction or budget levels in XML, JSON, CSV or Excel formats. A recorded demonstration of both ofthese features can be found here. Additionally, a full User Guide for Datastore Search can be accessed here.

Examples of questions Datastore Search Simple Search can answer–

How many activities include both the keywords ‘Covid’ and ‘vaccine’?
Which publishers are publishing data about agriculture, agribusiness, agritourism etc.?

Examples of questions Datastore Advanced Search can answer–

How many activities have been tagged with the UN SDG Goal 1, ‘ending poverty in all forms everywhere’?
How many activities have been geolocated in Ukraine?

Let’s practice using Datastore Search !

G O TO L E S S O N 7

Lesson 7: Practice session: Using Datastore SearchPart 1
Go to Datastore Search and use the Simple Search to answer the following questions:

How would you find how many activities include the keyword ‘livestock’?

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

The correct answer is: Type ‘livestock’ then click the search icon.

C O NT I NU E

How would you find how many activities include either keywords ‘hospital’ or ‘doctor’ or ‘nurse’?

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

The correct answer is: Type ‘hospital OR doctor OR nurse’ and then click the search icon.

C O NT I NU E

How did you fare?

If you want to explore how advanced users can use Datastore Search, complete Part 2 of this exercise below. If you’re comfortable just using
Simple Search, feel free to skip!

C O NT I NU EPart 2
Go to Datastore Search and use the Advanced Search to answer the following question:

How would you find out how many activities have a Recipient Country Code of ‘UG’ or a Transaction Recipient Country Code of ‘UG’?

Click on the plus sign to see the answer!

–

The correct answer is:
Click ‘Add Filter’; select ‘Recipient Country Code’ field; select value `UG`;
Click ‘Add’ again;
Click ‘OR’; select the ‘Transaction Recipient Country Code’ field;
Enter value ‘UG’;
Click ‘Run’.

C O NT I NU E

Congratulations on officially beginning your IATI data use journey! Do you still have more questions? Let’s have a look at where you can findfurther IATI data use support!

G O TO L E S S O N 8

Lesson 8: Where should I go for IATI data use support?

Using IATI data can sometimes be a slow and complex journey, but there is help available! For more information and support on using IATI data, or solving
your data use challenges:

Reach out directly to the IATI Secretariat at support@iatistandard.org.

Join the Data Use Community of Practice on IATI’s community platform, IATI Connect, or visit the IATI Connect Data Use Query Corner.

Additional opportunities to engage with IATI will be discussed in the final Module, Module 5.

Let’s recap what we learnt in this Module!

G O TO TA KE AWAY S

Key Takeaways: Module 4

In this Module, we’ve learned about IATI’s data access tools:

1

Data source: 1,600+ organisations that publish data to IATI.

2

Data updates: d-portal.org and Country Development Finance Data are refreshed with any newly published or updated data every 24
hours; while Datastore Search generally updates within one hour.

3

Data availability: Dependent on the timeliness and completeness of data published.

Timeliness of data varies by publishing organisation; data gaps could be due to data not yet being
published for a specific time period.
Completeness varies as not all fields are mandatory, which means that not all organisations publish
data in all possible data fields.

4

How is ‘spending’ calculated: Aggregate ‘disbursement’ and ‘expenditure’ transactions.

5

The actual tools:

The most commonly known IATI-hosted tool is d-portal, which provides user-friendly access to IATI
data,
A recently-launched tool is IATI’s Country Development Finance Data (CDFD) that allows users to
download simple, Excel-formatted IATI data on forward-looking budgets, commitments and spending(disbursements and expenditures), that is presented simply by country and region and designed toenable easy analysis.
IATI also hosts a third data access tool, Datastore Search. This tool allows data users to search the IATI
Datastore (which contains the complete set of raw IATI data), and then download this data in either
IATI XML, JSON or CSV format. Using Datastore Search generally requires some understanding of the
IATI data Standard and is thus recommended for intermediate to expert data users.

Congratulations! You have reached the end of Module 4! Please continue to the Module 4 Quiz, then continue to Module 5.

Module 5
Engaging further with the International Aid Transparency InitiativeGO TO MODULE 5

C O NT I NU E TO Q U I ZLesson 9 of 12

Module 4: QuizInternational Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

Congratulations on making it to the end of Module 4! Below, you’ll take the Module 4 Quiz. You may take the quiz as many times as you like.

Question

01/10

IATI’s own tools are the only tools that allow data users to access IATI data.

True

False

Question

02/10

d-portal is recommended for undertaking analysis in Excel or pivot tables.

True

False

Question

03/10

The Country Development Finance Data tool allows users to download IATI data in Excel format and through self-populating Dashboards andcustom reports.

True

False

Question

04/10

Datastore Search only allows you to perform a simple text search.

True

False

Question

05/10

What is the data source for d-portal, CDFD and Datastore Search?

Big data (e.g. machine data, social data etc.).

More than 1,500 organisations who publish their data to IATI.

Donors’ own IATI dashboards.

Question

06/10

How often is data refreshed in CDFD and d-portal?

Every 3 hours.

Every 12 hours.

Every 24 hours.

Question

07/10

How often is data refreshed in Datastore Search?

Every hour.

Every 12 hours.

Every 24 hours.

Question

08/10

What filters are available in d-portal (please select all options that apply)?

Recipient country

Donor constituency

Donor location

Publisher

Sector group

SectorActivity status

Year range

Question

09/10

Please match the features of CDFD to their recommended use:

Analysing full files

Visualise IATI data in summary maps, charts and tables.

Custom Data Download

View and / or download bespoke spreadsheets of data according to
the criteria you need.

Data Dashboards

Analyse all data for a particular country/region in Excel, also by usinga pivot table

Question

10/10

Invalid activities (those activities which do not meet the minimum criteria of the IATI data standard) are included in the results of Datastore
Search.

True

False

Lesson 10 of 12

Module 5: Engaging further with the International Aid Transparency
Initiative
International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

Module 5: Engaging further with the International Aid Transparency Initiative

Welcome to Module 5
Congratulations on making it through the first four Modules of this course - you’re nearing the finish line! By now, you should have an understanding ofwhat kind of information you can find in IATI data and how you might wish to use it in your own work. But this is only the start of your IATI journey! In thisModule, the final Module of the course, we will introduce you to ways to stay engaged with IATI, connect with other transparency advocatesand continue your data use journey.

Duration of the Module: Approximately 45 minutes

Learning Objectives
At the end of this Module, you will be able to:

Identify how to further engage with IATI as part of IATI’s community of data users, publishers, members and transparency advocates.

Explain where to find further support to publish or access / use IATI data.

Module Content

This Module contains the following segments:

1

Welcome to Module 5

2

Join the IATI community

3

Further data use support

4

Becoming an IATI publisher

5

Becoming an IATI member

6

Key Takeaways: Module 5

7

Thank you!

Ready? Let’s find out how to join the IATI community!

G O TO L E S S O N 1

Lesson 1: Join the IATI community

IATI’s broader community is focused on peer-learning and knowledge-sharing. It is made up of thousands of people, from all types oforganisations, that are interested in publishing, using or advocating for IATI data, and is open for anyone to join.

Signing up for IATI’s user-friendly, online community platform, IATI Connect, is an excellent first step in continuing yourjourney with IATI and diving into the IATI community. This online platform is free and open to anyone with an interest in IATI, open data ortransparency, and is populated by hundreds of users from government, civil society and multilateral organisations; transparency advocates, journalists andmore.
The platform allows the IATI community to share knowledge, consult on IATI-specific issues and highlight their work. It is an inclusive space, with automatictranslation functionality in more than 100 languages, allowing users to read and respond in their language of choice. Read more on how to getstarted with IATI Connect (English only) or access our in-depth user guide (English only). For additional questions or help
getting started, watch the video below or reach out to connect@iatistandard.org.

Watch the video below to learn more about IATI's community of practice!

Looking to dive deeper into IATI data? Let’s explore the support available to help solve all of your data use questions.

G O TO L E S S O N 2

Lesson 2: Further data use support

Using IATI data can sometimes be a complex journey, but there is always help available! Click on the plus signs below to find more information andsupport on using IATI data, or solving your data use questions.









Join our community!

Join the Data Use Community of Practice on IATI’s community platform, IATI Connect, to directly engage with others on your data use questions; and to stay up to date with the latest
news from the IATI Governing Board and Secretariat.

Join a ’Data Use Drop-In Session’!
By joining IATI Connect, you’ll always know when the next ‘Data Use Drop-In’ session is scheduled, so you can ‘drop-in’ to this informal zoom meeting with your data use questions.



Access common data use questions and share your queries

Visit the Data Use Query Corner on IATI Connect to access data use questions shared by the IATI community, as well as suggested approaches for answering these queries. To help
your fellow data users replicate a query that you have carried out, you can also share your query with the community by simply filling out and submitting this data use query form. The
IATI Secretariat will then publish the query to the Data Use Query Corner. If you would like to submit a query to be answered, e-mail the IATI Secretariat at connect@iatistandard.org.



Reach out to IATI Support
Still have questions or need more support? Reach out directly to the IATI Secretariat at support@iatistandard.org.

Next, let’s explore how to become an IATI publisher.

G O TO L E S S O N 3

Lesson 3: Becoming an IATI publisher

As mentioned in previous Modules, an IATI publisher is any organisation, whether from government, a multilateral organisation like theUnited Nations, civil society organisation, private sector company or philanthropic organisation, that reports data to IATI using the IATI data
standard. More than 1,600 organisations have reported data to IATI since the initiative’s inception in 2008.

When a development or humanitarian actor chooses to publish to IATI, it joins a large community of organisations that are committed to increasingtransparency through the sharing of their development and humanitarian cooperation data. The motivation for sharing data might differ by organisation:some have committed to sharing data openly to increase the transparency of their development and humanitarian activities, to find new partners or to
reduce overlap and duplication. For others, including many civil society organisations, it may be a requirement by their funding agency to publish data on
how the resources are being spent.

No fees are collected by IATI from those organisations wishing to become publishers, andyou do not need to be an IATI member to publish.

If your organisation is interested in becoming an IATI publisher, or for more information and support on publishing IATI data, explore the below resources:Find publishing guidance on the IATI website - click here or copy-paste: https://iatistandard.org/en/guidance/publishing-data/

Click on the plus sign to find out more about each resource.

Guidance documents on becoming an IATI publisher–

Read through IATI’s publishing guidance documents to understand the process of publishing from A to Z.

IATI Publisher: an easy and simple way to publish your data–

Consider whether using IATI’s free publishing tool, IATI Publisher, is relevant for your organisation. IATI Publisher was built to support small or medium-sized organisations (orthose with only a limited number of activities, less than 100) to publish data on their development and humanitarian activities. Watch the video below for an introduction towhat IATI Publisher can offer your organisation.
Large organisations, such as governments or UN agencies delivering 100+ activities, are advised not to use IATI Publisher as alternative technical solutions are recommended
for the publication of large volumes of data. If you are a larger organisation who is interested in publishing to IATI, please e-mail IATI Support for more information at
support@iatistandard.org.
Watch this video to learn more about IATI Publisher.

Join the Data Publishing Community of Practice!
This community, housed on IATI’s community platform, IATI Connect, allows publishers to directly engage with peers on their
publishing questions; and to stay up to date with the latest news from the IATI Governing Board and Secretariat.
Reach out to IATI Support
Still have questions or need more support? Reach out directly to the IATI Secretariat at support@iatistandard.org.

Now let’s look at becoming an IATI member.

G O TO L E S S O N 4

Lesson 4: Becoming an IATI member

IATI is directed by its members who govern and fund the initiative through membership contributions and meet annually at IATI’s Members’
Assembly. There are three main constituencies that make up IATI’s membership:

Providers of development cooperation – including donor governments, multilaterals, development finance institutions andfoundations.

Partner country governments – governments of developing countries.

Civil society organisations and others – including CSOs delivering development and humanitarian assistance, organisations
campaigning for greater transparency and private sector organisations.

IATI’s nearly 100 members, from providers of development cooperation, partner country governments, civil society and the private sector enjoy a myriadof benefits.

Click on the plus sign below to discover some of these benefits.













Externally demonstrating their organisation’s commitment to transparency.

Attending the annual Members’ Assembly (a governance-focused event); and members’-only workshops and gatherings, where they can network and learn from other members.

Participating in the governance of IATI as an initiative, including helping to shape the future of the data standard.

Receiving priority support from the IATI Secretariat on how to publish or access / use IATI data.

Eligibility to stand for election as a member of IATI’s Governing Board.

It is important to understand that an organisation does not have to become a member of
IATI to publish IATI data. In turn, not all publishers are IATI members.

However, joining IATI as a member means that you are helping to ensure IATI can continue implementing all of its vital services by paying anannual contribution fee, which is set by IATI members themselves. The current fee for civil society organisations wishing to become members is$2,200 USD annually for organisations with annual expenditure over $2 million USD, or $1,100 USD for organisations below this threshold. Below is acomplete list of annual membership contributions by type of organisation:

Organisation

Annual Membership Contribution (USD)

Provider of development cooperation, e.g. a bilateral government,$85,000

and United Nations entities with annual expenditure over $1b
UN entities with annual expenditure of $500m-$1b$46,500

UN entities with annual expenditure of $100m-$500m$30,000

UN entities with annual budgets below $100m$10,000

Private sector organisations with annual expenditure exceeding

TBC, please inquire with the IATI Secretariat at$10m

info@iatistandard.org

Partner country governments$2,200 (or waiver request made to the IATI Governing Board)

Civil society organisation or other organisation with annual$2,200expenditure exceeding $10m
[1] Private sector organisations with annual expenditure between$2,200$1m and $10m
Civil society organisation or other organisation with annual$1,100expenditure below $10m
[2] Private sector organisations with annual expenditure below$1,100$1m

The membership onboarding process is relatively light, focusing on an exchange of letters, a simple due diligence process and the payment of any relevant
membership contribution. If your organisation is interested in further discussing, or is ready to move forward with membership, please contact
the IATI Secretariat at info@iatistandard.org.

Let’s recap what we learnt in this Module!

G O TO TA KE AWAY S

Key Takeaways: Module 5

There are many ways you may wish to stay engaged with the IATI community after
completing this online course, many of which are outlined below.

1

The IATI community:

Is focused on peer-learning and knowledge-sharing.
Consists of thousands of people, from all types of organisations, that are interested in publishing,using or advocating for IATI data, and is open for anyone to join.

2

Joining IATI Connect, IATI’s user-friendly online platform, is an excellent first step in continuing your journey with IATI and diving into the
IATI community.

3

IATI publishers:

Any organisation funding or implementing development or humanitarian activities is encouraged to
become an IATI publisher.
An IATI publisher is any organisation, whether from government, a multilateral organisation like theUnited Nations, civil society organisation, private sector company, philanthropic organisation, thatreports data to IATI using the IATI data standard.
More than 1,600 organisations have reported data to IATI since the initiative’s inception in 2008.
The motivation for sharing data might differ by organisation: some have committed to sharing data
openly to increase the transparency of their development and humanitarian activities, to find new
partners or to reduce overlap and duplication. For others, including many civil society organisations, it
may be a requirement by their funding agency to publish data on how the resources are being spent.
No fees are collected by IATI from those organisations wishing to become publishers, and you do
not need to be an IATI member to publish.

4

IATI membership:

IATI members fund and govern the initiative. There are three constituencies of IATI members:
Providers of development cooperation – including donor governments, multilaterals,
development finance institutions and foundations.
Partner country governments – governments of developing countries.
Civil society organisations and others – including NGOs delivering development and humanitarianassistance, organisations campaigning for greater transparency and private sector organisations.
Benefits of being an IATI member:
Externally demonstrating your organisation’s commitment to transparency.
Participating in the governance of IATI as an initiative, including helping to shape the future of thedata standard.
Attending the annual Members’ Assembly (a governance-focused event); and members’-only
workshops and gatherings, where you can network and learn from other members.
Receiving priority support from the IATI Secretariat on how to publish or access/use IATI data.
Eligibility to stand for election as a member of IATI’s Governing Board.
An organisation does not have to become a member of IATI to publish IATI data. In turn, not all
publishers are IATI members.

Congratulations! You have reached the end of Module 5! Please continue to the thank you message or go directly to the Module quiz. You also
have the possibility to review the knowledge you have learnt throughout all modules by taking the full recap quiz.

Quiz Module 5
GO TO QUIZ 5Full Recap Quiz
GO TO RECAP QUIZC O NT I NU E TO T HA NK YO U

Congratulations! You’ve now successfully completed the IATI course, ‘Virtual training for civil society on how to access, understand and use
IATI data’. We hope that, using the information you’ve learned throughout the course, and especially here in Module 5, that you will continue to engage
with IATI; and use IATI data to make your development and humanitarian work more effective.

After successfully completing this course, you are eligible to receive a 'Certificate of Completion'. To request your certificate, please
complete the Final Recap Quiz, and send a screenshot of your passing grade of 60% or above to the IATI Secretariat atconnect@iatistandard.org. Certificates will be delivered virtually within three weeks days of their request.

For any other questions, please feel free to contact the IATI Secretariat at connect@iatistandard.org. We look forward to engaging with you further on all
things IATI!

C O NT I NU E

C O NT I NU E TO Q U I ZLesson 11 of 12

Module 5: QuizInternational Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

Congratulations on making it to the end of Module 5! Below, you’ll take the Module 5 Quiz. You may take the quiz as many times as you like.

Question

01/10

IATI’s broader ‘community’ is (please select all that apply):

Made up of thousands of people, from all types of organisations.

Made up of people who are interested in publishing, using or advocating for IATI data.

Focused on peer-learning and knowledge-sharing.

Free to join.

Question

02/10

According to this Module, what is an excellent first step in continuing your journey with IATI beyond this course?

Joining IATI’s user-friendly, online community platform, IATI Connect.

Becoming an IATI publisher.

Becoming an IATI member.

Question

03/10

The IATI Secretariat Helpdesk is available for anyone who has data use or publishing questions at support@iatistandard.org.

True

False

Question

04/10

Select all the options below which are TRUE:

Publishing to IATI demonstrates your organisation’s commitment to openness and transparency.

Publishing to IATI is mandatory if you use IATI data.

Publishing to IATI can sometimes be a requirement by a funding agency for implementers to publish data on how theresources are being spent.

IATI Publisher is a free tool for smaller organisations to publish their data to IATI.

Question

05/10

According to this Module, at the time of writing, more than x organisations have published data to IATI since its inception in 2008.

500

1,000

1,600

2,000

Question

06/10

Publishers may choose to use IATI Publisher if they have no more than x activities to report on:

100

1,000

10,000100,000

Question

07/10

You need to be an IATI member to publish data to IATI.

True

False

Question

08/10

According to this Module, what are the constituencies of IATI members (please select all options that apply)?

Partner country governments

Development partners

Civil society and otherUN agencies

Private sector entities

Question

09/10

IATI members (please select all options that apply)...:

Govern the initiative, including shaping the future of the data standard

Are limited to only governments and UN entities

Are always publishers

Fund the initiative’s critical work through membership contributions

Receive priority support from the IATI Secretariat on how to publish or access / use IATI data

Are eligible to have their data published for them by the IATI Secretariat

Attend the annual Members’ Assembly (a governance-focused event)Attend members’-only workshops and gatherings

Are eligible to stand for election to IATI’s Governing Board

Are externally demonstrating their organisation’s commitment to transparency

Question

10/10

The current annual membership contribution for civil society organisations wishing to join IATI is:$1,100 USD annually for all civil society organisations.

$2,200 USD annually for all civil society organisations.

$2,200 USD annually for civil society organisations with annual expenditure over $2 million USD, or $1,100 USD fororganisations below this threshold.

Lesson 12 of 12

Full Recap QuizInternational Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

Thank you for taking this virtual training for civil society on how to Access, Understand and Use IATI Data.
If you would like to receive a 'Certificate of Completion', please take the following Recap Quiz, and send a screenshot showing a passing score of 60% or above with the IATI
Secretariat at connect@iatistandard.org. Certificates of Completion will be returned within ten business days.

Question

01/19

Development cooperation can be defined as an activity that meets the following criteria (please select all options that apply):

Aims explicitly to support national or international development priorities.

Is not driven by profit.

Includes both a public sector and private sector partner.

Discriminates in favour of developing countries.

Is based on cooperative relationships that seek to enhance developing country ownership over the development process.

Question

02/19

Development cooperation data can be shared openly (or 'published') by (please select all options that apply)...:

Governments

Individual citizens

CSOs

Multilateral organisations like the United Nations

Development banks

The private sector

Philanthropic organisations

Question

03/19

IATI is:An initiative providing information on effective data management practices.

An initiative seeking to make development and humanitarian activities more transparent.

An initiative working on public-private partnerships for development.

An initiative working on more effective digital governance.

Question

04/19

The following information can be found in data published to IATI (please select all options that apply):

Planned budgets and spending

Organisations funding and implementing an activity

Sectors that activities target

Locations where an activity is taking place

Results information

Useful background documents

Proposals for funding opportunities

Gaps between commitments and spending by providers of development cooperation

Question

05/19

What is the IATI data Standard?

All the data contained in IATI.

A standard way to analyse and use IATI data.

A set of rules and guidance on what (and how) data should be published to IATI.

Question

06/19

What are the key advantages to using IATI data (please select all options that apply)?

Up-to-date information

Data from many development partners in one place

Comparable data

Access to development partners’ private spending information

Data on a wide range of resources

Future spending plans, not just past spending

Data beyond finances

Question

07/19

What are some of the potential limitations you should be aware of when using or analysing IATI data (please select all options that apply)?

Timeliness.

Double counting.

The need to have a paid account to access IATI data.

Too much information is available in one place.

Question

08/19

Civil society organisations or 'CSOs'…

Are government bureaux supporting the work of not-for profit organisations.

Are military agencies delivering development and humanitarian services.

Are all not-for-profit and non-governmental organisations in which people come together to pursue shared interests.

Are all private sector organisations who have a philanthropic arm.

Question

09/19

What are the key use cases for a CSO wishing to use IATI data (please select all options that apply)?

Accountability

Advocacy

Coordination

Identification of underperforming development programmes

Research

Finding funding opportunities

Question

10/19

When using IATI data to find funding opportunities, what information available in IATI is helpful to assess which donors to target (please selectall options that apply)?

Organisations already funding activities in your sector of interest.

Organisations already active in your country / countries of interest.

Planned budget versus actual spending of organisations already funding activties in your geographical areas of interest.

Results information on specific activities.

Question

11/19

Based on the table below, which of the statements below is true (please select all options that apply)?

The funding provided by the Asian Development Bank has continuously increased since 2020.

The funding provided by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has continuously increased since
2020.

The Asian Development Bank was the largest funder in the period 2020-2022.

The funding provided by Canada has continuously decreased since 2020.

Question

12/19

What is the data source for d-portal, CDFD and Datastore Search?

Big data (e.g. machine data, social data etc.).

More than 1,500 organisations who publish their data to IATI.

Donors’ own IATI dashboards.

Question

13/19

How often is data refreshed in CDFD and d-portal?

Every 3 hours.

Every 12 hours.

Every 24 hours.

Question

14/19

What filters are available in d-portal (please select all options that apply)?

Recipient country

Donor constituency

Donor location

Publisher

Sector group

SectorActivity status

Year range

Question

15/19

The Country Development Finance Data tool allows users to download IATI data in Excel format and through self-populating Dashboards andcustom reports.

True

False

Question

16/19

Select all the options below which are TRUE:

Publishing to IATI demonstrates your organisation’s commitment to openness and transparency.

Publishing to IATI is mandatory if you use IATI data.

Publishing to IATI can sometimes be a requirement by a funding agency for implementers to publish data on how theresources are being spent.

IATI Publisher is a free tool for smaller organisations to publish their data to IATI.

Question

17/19

It is recommended that publishers use the IATI Publisher tool if they have no more than x activities to report on:

100

1,000

10,000100,000

Question

18/19

What are the constituencies of IATI members (please select all that apply)?

Partner country governments

Development partners

Civil society and otherUN agencies

Private sector entities

Question

19/19

The current annual membership contribution for civil society organisations wishing to join IATI is:$1,100 USD annually for all civil society organisations.

$2,200 USD annually for all civil society organisations.

$2,200 USD annually for civil society organisations with annual expenditure over $2 million USD, or $1,100 USD fororganisations below this threshold.