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IATI - International Aid Transparency Initiative
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    About IATI

    Our work involves making data on development and humanitarian spending and projects easier to access, use and understand. Organisations publish information according to the rules and guidance set out in the IATI Standard and this data is freely available and open to anyone in the world.

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    Introduction to IATI

    Read basic information about our initiative.

    • How IATI works
    • Who is IATI for?
    • Why use IATI?
    • About the Standard
    • The IATI story so far

    Case studies

    See how IATI data is used to improve decisions and accountability.

    • Madagascar case study
    • Oxfam Novib case study
    • AfDB's IATI portal improves development investments
  • IATI Standard

    IATI Standard

    The IATI Standard is a set of rules and guidance on how to publish useful development and humanitarian data. Find out the full range of data included in the IATI Standard and more about its technical format.

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    Using the reference site

    IATI Reference is an ‘instruction manual’ giving details of all the ‘parts’ you’ll need to build your datafiles.

    • How to use IATI Reference

    Standard documentation

    Find details of all the elements and attributes that can be included in IATI data.

    • Activity Standard
    • Organisation Standard
    • Codelists

    Developer documentation

    Explore how IATI data and the schema can be imported and used in different platforms.

    • IATI Developer Documentation
    • IATI Datastore
  • Using Data

    Using IATI data

    IATI data can be an invaluable resource for anyone searching for information on development or humanitarian spending and projects.

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    • Tools and resources
    • Types of data available
    • How do I use IATI data?
    • How to get help with using IATI data
    • IATI data use research
  • Tools & Resources

    Tools and resources

    Use IATI tools and resources to enable you to publish, improve and use IATI data.

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    d-portal

    Search key data on development and humanitarian activities presented in charts, graphs and maps. Recommended for users who are new to IATI.

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    IATI Datastore

    Use Datastore Search to download a wide range of IATI data in CSV, JSON and XML formats. Use IATI’s API to build complex searches.

    Visit Datastore

    IATI Validator

    Check if your data files align with the rules and guidance of the IATI Standard. Run checks on data files published by all other organisations.

    Visit Validator

    Additional IATI tools

    • IATI Registry
    • Country Development Finance Data
    • IATI Dashboard
    • API Gateway
    • Third-party tools and services for data use
  • Guidance & Support

    Guidance and support

    Find out how to publish data to the IATI Standard and improve your data by using our publishing guidance.

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    Standard overview

    Understand what data you can publish to IATI.

    • Key qualities of IATI data
    • What data should I publish?
    • Donors' reporting requirements

    Publishing guidance

    Understand how to create, check and publish your IATI files.

    • Publishing checklist
    • How to create your IATI organisation identifier
    • Data quality and visualisation

    Standard guidance

    Find guides on to how interpret specific areas of the IATI Standard.

    • COVID-19 related data
    • Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

    Get support

    Contact the IATI Helpdesk with questions about using and publishing IATI data, and other technical enquiries.

  • Get Involved

    Get Involved

    Find out how to join IATI as a member, engage with IATI’s community and access useful resources about the initiative.

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    IATI Community

    Engage in IATI's Communities of Practice.

    IATI Connect

    Membership

    Discover the benefits of joining IATI as a member.

    Join IATI

    Present IATI

    Access custom presentation materials on IATI.

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    • IATI Videos
    • IATI Membership Pack
    • Working Groups
    • External resources
  • Governance

    Governance

    IATI is governed and funded by our members and run by the Governing Board and Secretariat.

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    Who runs IATI?

    Meet the Governing Board and Secretariat and understand their roles and responsibilities.

    Governing Board and Secretariat

    Membership

    Discover the benefits of joining IATI as a member.

    List of members
    • IATI future hosting arrangements post 2022
    • IATI Strategic Plan 2020-2025
    • Finances
    • IATI workplan
    • Annual reports
    • Governance documents
    • Members’ Assembly
  • News
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Reference

  • Version 2.03
    • Activity Standard
      • iati-activities
        • iati-activity
          • iati-identifier
          • reporting-org
            • narrative
          • title
            • narrative
          • description
            • narrative
          • participating-org
            • narrative
          • other-identifier
            • owner-org
              • narrative
          • activity-status
          • activity-date
            • narrative
          • contact-info
            • organisation
              • narrative
            • department
              • narrative
            • person-name
              • narrative
            • job-title
              • narrative
            • telephone
            • email
            • website
            • mailing-address
              • narrative
          • activity-scope
          • recipient-country
            • narrative
          • recipient-region
            • narrative
          • location
            • location-reach
            • location-id
            • name
              • narrative
            • description
              • narrative
            • activity-description
              • narrative
            • administrative
            • point
              • pos
            • exactness
            • location-class
            • feature-designation
          • sector
            • narrative
          • tag
            • narrative
          • country-budget-items
            • budget-item
              • description
                • narrative
          • humanitarian-scope
            • narrative
          • policy-marker
            • narrative
          • collaboration-type
          • default-flow-type
          • default-finance-type
          • default-aid-type
          • default-tied-status
          • budget
            • period-start
            • period-end
            • value
          • planned-disbursement
            • period-start
            • period-end
            • value
            • provider-org
              • narrative
            • receiver-org
              • narrative
          • capital-spend
          • transaction
            • transaction-type
            • transaction-date
            • value
            • description
              • narrative
            • provider-org
              • narrative
            • receiver-org
              • narrative
            • disbursement-channel
            • sector
              • narrative
            • recipient-country
              • narrative
            • recipient-region
              • narrative
            • flow-type
            • finance-type
            • aid-type
            • tied-status
          • document-link
            • title
              • narrative
            • description
              • narrative
            • category
            • language
            • document-date
          • related-activity
          • legacy-data
          • conditions
            • condition
              • narrative
          • result
            • title
              • narrative
            • description
              • narrative
            • document-link
              • title
                • narrative
              • description
                • narrative
              • category
              • language
              • document-date
            • reference
            • indicator
              • title
                • narrative
              • description
                • narrative
              • document-link
                • title
                  • narrative
                • description
                  • narrative
                • category
                • language
                • document-date
              • reference
              • baseline
                • comment
                  • narrative
                • dimension
                • document-link
                  • category
                  • description
                    • narrative
                  • document-date
                  • language
                  • title
                    • narrative
                • location
              • period
                • period-start
                • period-end
                • target
                  • comment
                    • narrative
                  • dimension
                  • document-link
                    • category
                    • description
                      • narrative
                    • document-date
                    • language
                    • title
                      • narrative
                  • location
                • actual
                  • comment
                    • narrative
                  • dimension
                  • document-link
                    • category
                    • description
                      • narrative
                    • document-date
                    • language
                    • title
                      • narrative
                  • location
          • crs-add
            • other-flags
            • loan-terms
              • repayment-type
              • repayment-plan
              • commitment-date
              • repayment-first-date
              • repayment-final-date
            • loan-status
              • interest-received
              • principal-outstanding
              • principal-arrears
              • interest-arrears
            • channel-code
          • fss
            • forecast
      • Activity Standard Summary Table
      • Example Usage XML
    • Organisation Standard
      • iati-organisations
        • iati-organisation
          • organisation-identifier
          • name
            • narrative
          • reporting-org
            • narrative
          • total-budget
            • period-start
            • period-end
            • value
            • budget-line
              • value
              • narrative
          • recipient-org-budget
            • recipient-org
              • narrative
            • period-start
            • period-end
            • value
            • budget-line
              • value
              • narrative
          • recipient-region-budget
            • recipient-region
              • narrative
            • period-start
            • period-end
            • value
            • budget-line
              • value
              • narrative
          • recipient-country-budget
            • recipient-country
              • narrative
            • period-start
            • period-end
            • value
            • budget-line
              • value
              • narrative
          • total-expenditure
            • period-start
            • period-end
            • value
            • expense-line
              • value
              • narrative
          • document-link
            • title
              • narrative
            • description
              • narrative
            • category
            • language
            • document-date
            • recipient-country
              • narrative
      • Organisation Standard Summary Table
      • Example Usage XML
    • Codelists
      • Activity Date Type
      • Activity Scope
      • Activity Status
      • Aid Type
      • Aid Type (category)
      • Aid Type Vocabulary
      • Budget Identifier
      • Budget Identifier Sector
      • Budget Identifier Sector (category)
      • Budget Identifier Vocabulary
      • Budget Not Provided
      • Budget Status
      • Budget Type
      • CRS Additional Other Flags
      • CRS Channel Code
      • Cash and Voucher Modalities
      • Collaboration Type
      • Condition Type
      • Contact Type
      • Country
      • Currency
      • DAC 3 Digit Sector
      • DAC 5 Digit Sector
      • Description Type
      • Disbursement Channel
      • Document Category
      • Document Category (category)
      • Earmarking Category
      • File Format
      • Finance Type
      • Finance Type (category)
      • Flow Type
      • Gazetteer Agency
      • Geographic Exactness
      • Geographic Location Class
      • Geographic Location Reach
      • Geographic Vocabulary
      • Geographical Precision
      • Humanitarian Scope Type
      • Humanitarian Scope Vocabulary
      • IATI Organisation Identifier
      • Indicator Measure
      • Indicator Vocabulary
      • Language
      • Loan Repayment Period
      • Loan Repayment Type
      • Location Type
      • Location Type (category)
      • Organisation Identifier
      • Organisation Registration Agency
      • Organisation Role
      • Organisation Type
      • Other Identifier Type
      • Policy Marker
      • Policy Marker Vocabulary
      • Policy Significance
      • Publisher Type
      • Region
      • Region Vocabulary
      • Related Activity Type
      • Result Type
      • Result Vocabulary
      • Sector Vocabulary
      • Tag Vocabulary
      • Tied Status
      • Transaction Type
      • UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
      • UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Targets
      • Verification Status
      • Version
      • Vocabulary
    • Rulesets
      • IATI Ruleset Spec - JS Edition
      • Standard Ruleset
    • Schema
    • Namespaces & Extensions
    • Reference
  • Upgrades
  • How we manage the standard
    • All versions
    • IATI codelist management
    • Previous upgrade process
    • Upgrade process
  • Upgrade changelogs
    • Non-Core Codelist Changelog
    • Decimal Upgrade to 2.03
      • 2.03 Changelog
    • Decimal Upgrade to 2.02
      • 2.02 Changelog
    • Integer Upgrade to 2.01
      • 2.01 Changelog
      • 2.01 Headlines
      • Migrating from versions 1.x to version 2.01
    • Version 1 upgrades
      • Decimal Upgrade to 1.05
        • 1.05 changelog
      • Decimal Upgrade to 1.04
        • 1.04 changes
        • Location: summary of changes in IATI Standard version 1.04
      • Decimal Upgrade to 1.03
        • 1.03 changes
      • Decimal Upgrade to 1.02
        • 1.02 changes
  • IATI Standard Publishing Guidance: How to suggest changes

IATI Standard Publishing Guidance: How to suggest changes

What information does the IATI Standard Publishing Guidance contain?

The IATI Standard Publishing Guidance helps explain and interpret the IATI Standard. The Standard is written in a technical language and does not contain much of the context of ‘why’ certain data is needed and when and how to use the different IATI elements and attributes. The Standard also contains some gaps and is open to interpretation, such as: should an organisation publish both an original and a revised budget?

The IATI Standard Publishing Guidance helps address this, by adding context and filling in some of the gaps in the Standard. These pages fit in the “non-normative” content category as described below.

  • Normative: Normative content is the prescriptive part of a standard. It sets the rules to be followed in order to be compliant with the standard, and from which no deviation is permitted.

  • Non-normative: Non-normative content is the non-prescriptive, or ‘descriptive’, part of a standard. This may include explanations, illustrations, context, and examples. In the event non-normative content contradicts normative content, the normative content is to be followed.

For a full list of what falls under the normative and non-normative category as part of the IATI standard, see here.

Suggesting changes to the IATI Standard Publishing Guidance

Normative remains the same - changes are made following a clear process and sufficient notice, to ensure relevant stakeholders are involved. The IATI upgrade process presently assures this.

Changes to non-normative content, such as the IATI Standard Publishing Guidance, can happen without triggering an upgrade governance process, and can be updated outside of a formal upgrade process, ensuring that changes do not conflict with normative content.

Changes to the IATI Standard Publishing Guidance can either be proposed by the Secretariat (e.g. in response to specific user feedback or changes needed to deliver on the IATI Strategic Plan) and then consulted with the IATI community, or proposed by the IATI community and then reviewed and considered by the Secretariat. The process for the community to propose changes to be reviewed and considered by the Secretariat is provided below.

How to suggest changes to existing guidance pages

All IATI Publishing Guidance pages are stored and managed in the IATI-Guidance Github repository. If you notice an error, or would like to add a comment about a guidance page, you can raise a GitHub issue. Any issues added by community members directly to Github will be reviewed bi-weekly by the IATI Technical Team and labelled a ‘bug’, ‘clarification’ or ‘discussion’. If users are not familiar with Github and would still like to comment or raise an issue, they can contact the Technical Team via the IATI Helpdesk (support@iatistandard.org) in the first instance. The Technical Team will ensure that your issue/feedback has been addressed and shared publicly.

Review of proposed changes and timelines for implementation

The IATI Technical Team is responsible for reviewing and addressing any requests and issues raised on Github. In line with best practice, requests will be dealt with in batches, to ensure proper quality assurance, every 6 months (except for bugs/clarifications).

  • Issues labelled as “BUGS” and “CLARIFICATIONS” - any bugs or clarifications will be addressed and incorporated into the relevant guidance pages at the 3 month review period.

  • Issues labelled as “REQUIRES DISCUSSION/CONSULTATION”. These issues can fall into two categories:

    • Issues which require no change to the interpretation to the Standard, but are additions or changes to the published guidance. At the 6 month review period the Technical Team will review the discussion on Github and assess whether there is an agreement. We will also signpost/share via IATI Connect (specific category for this will be set up) once the issue has been raised, so users can be alerted and can get involved if they wish to. Issues can also be raised directly on IATI Connect under the relevant category. Following agreement, changes will then be made to the guidance by the Technical Team. More weight will be given to proposals supported by more community members.

      Note: we propose that we need agreement of at least 10 community members.

    • Issues which require a change in how the Standard is interpreted will require an additional community consultation. The issues raised will then be added to IATI Connect and interested community members will be asked to feed in and join a scheduled webinar on the topic during the next 6 months.

The following provides examples to describe the different classifiers above:

Classifier

Description

Specific example

Bug / small error Spelling mistake or formatting error.
Clarification A request for part of the guidance to be made simpler, or further explained.
Discussion A discussion that involves no change to interpretation of the Standard. This can include discussions on best practice and how to structure different types of activities. Should publishers be advised to publish Result Indicator Periods based on their programme of work or based on their donor’s monitoring timetable? Within the location element, for safety reasons, should an organisation use the midpoint of a region or a known place e.g. town hall or local office? When publishing SDG data, should the tag element predominantly be used? And for UN agencies, should they use both the sector and tag elements to meet their reporting requirements? Each activity should have a country reported at either activity or transaction level (this is currently missing from the standard) Booleans should be reported in a standardised way. Currently True/False, 1/0 and Yes/No are all allowed
Discussion A discussion that involves a change to, or addition of, a new interpretation to the Standard. This includes adding a stricter interpretation to areas where the Standard is vague. How to publish and understand activity budget types. Should publishers include both original and revised budgets in their data and how should these be aggregated together? Should the presence of the humanitarian flag at activity level mean the activity is wholly or partially humanitarian, with a breakdown of the percentage allocation coming from either sector codes or transaction level humanitarian flags?

If any of the “discussion” issues is a request for a change that requires an upgrade process, then the issue will be labelled accordingly as a Major or Minor upgrade, and put on hold until the relevant upgrade process has been initiated.

Require an upgrade A change that involves changing a rule or guidance in the IATI Standard or involves adding a new element, attribute or occurrence. To make reporting at least one recipient country or region per activity mandatory would require a major standard upgrade.

Accessing a log of changes post-implementation

All changes implemented after the 3 month period will be viewed in the Github history log, which acts as a changelog. On each publishing guidance page (see example for activity budgets), users will also be able to view the date when each page was last updated, and a direct link to the changes on Github.

Image of activity budget guidance page, showing the last updated date just below the page title.

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