You are viewing VERSION 1.03 of IATI Standard Reference View another version

This version is DEPRECATED, v2.03 is the latest version

Organisational Incentives and Buy-In

IATI aims to make information easier to access, use and understand for all stakeholders who require information about development assistance, particularly those in developing countries: developing country governments and civil society.

Nevertheless, there are several other reasons why an organisation or agency might decide to publish IATI data. Some of these are listed below.

  • Improving the organisation’s external profile – by committing to IATI, organisations and governments can become more accountable to their audiences (tax payers of members of the public), by sharing more information on their activities.
  • Improving organisational processes and systems – Some organisations may feel that to become more effective, they need to improve the data they are publishing to external stakeholders in order to improve their accountability. IATI can highlight some areas for improvement.
  • Publishing better data to improve planning processes – Publishing better data on projects, in line with organisations who are doing similar work can improve coordination and collaboration between agencies to reduce duplication of effort.
  • Political pressures – transparency and openness are becoming central to policy discussions in government, and IATI can be a way of delivering on commitments of openness and improving accountability.

Whatever the incentives of an organisation for publishing IATI data, it is important that these are understood and supported by management and other staff throughout the organisation. IATI does involve an investment of resources to be a success, and it can be important for senior management of an organisation or agency to recognise this, and ensure staff capacity is made available.

Publishing to IATI data is not simply about sharing information, but an opportunity to increase the openness of the whole organisation. Lessons from organisations that have already published have shown that integrating IATI and other transparency measures within the organisations practices increases its success and the impact it can have.