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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.

    • What is IATI?
    • Who is IATI for?
    • Why use IATI?

    Case studies

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

    • Powering rapid responses to food and nutritional insecurity
    • Making overseas development assistance accountable in the Netherlands
  • 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 to access IATI data

    There are a range of tools for people wanting to use IATI data, designed for different audiences and use cases.

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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.

    Visit d-portal

    Country Development Finance Data

    Access and download data on development and humanitarian activities, presented simply by country, reporting organisation and sector.

    Visit CDFD

    Other resources

    • IATI Datastore
    • IATI Virtual Training for Civil Society
  • Publishing Data

    How to publish data

    Find out how to register with IATI and publish data.

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    IATI Publisher

    A free online tool which lets you register with IATI and publish data on your development and humanitarian activities.

    Visit IATI Publisher

    IATI Validator

    Check if your data aligns with the rules and guidance of the IATI Standard. Run checks on data files published by any organisation.

    Visit IATI Validator

    IATI Registry

    Register your data files here and find details of all organisations that publish IATI data.

    Visit IATI Registry
  • 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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    What data should I publish?

    Understand what information you can publish and how to prepare it.

    Standard documentation

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

    • Activity Standard
    • Organisation Standard
    • Topic-specific guidance

    Developer documentation

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

    • IATI Developer Documentation
    • IATI Datastore
  • Governance

    Governance

    Learn about how IATI is funded, governed and run.

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    Who runs IATI?

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

    Governing Board and Secretariat

    Members

    IATI is governed and funded by our members.

    List of members
    • IATI Strategic Plan 2020-2025
    • Finances
    • IATI workplan
    • Annual reports
    • Governance documents
  • 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

    Becoming a member

    Discover the benefits of becoming an IATI member.

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    IATI Presentation Materials

    Access presentation materials on IATI.

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    • IATI Videos
    • IATI Membership Pack
    • Working Groups
    • Contact us
  • News
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Lang:
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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

Previous upgrade process

Over time the IATI Standard is upgraded, the changes to some or all of those parts of the standard are driven by the suggestions and experiences of the publishers and users of IATI data. The upgrade process below was used up to, and including, version 2.03 of the IATI standard.

Note: For information about the current upgrade process agreed at the IATI Members’ Assembly in 2017, please go to Upgrades section of the IATI Standard website .

Minor Changes

Some changes can be made at any time without having a major effect on data publishers or data users. These are known as Minor Changes

Minor changes can be made without changing the version of the standard. They cover:

  • bug-fixes, including resolution of spelling and grammar errors (where there are no implications for usage and/or meaning)

  • modifications to non-embedded codelists

  • improvements to documentation

Minor changes can be tracked through the IATI GitHub account

More significant changes to the standard are handled via upgrades. There are two types of upgrades - Decimal Upgrades and Integer Upgrades.

Decimal Upgrades

Decimal Upgrades (e.g. from 1.01 to 1.02) will cover:

  • bug-fixes, including resolution of spelling and grammar errors (where edits have implications for usage and/or meaning)

  • modifications to embedded codelists

  • minor additions to the standard which improve the functionality without introducing substantial new content

  • changes will be optional

  • changes will be backwardly compatible.

Integer Upgrades

Integer Upgrades (e.g. from 1.x to 2.x) will cover:

  • substantial additions involving new areas of data

  • new mandatory fields

  • changes that are not backwardly compatible

  • proposed minor upgrades that are disputed by one or more members.

Open Consultation on all proposed changes

All proposed changes, for Integer and Decimal Upgrades, will be published on the IATI Knowledge Base in the IATI Standards forums.

The entire process should be open to public scrutiny at all times.

Anyone can make a proposal (via the Modifications, Additions, Improvements section), and each upgrade process receives it’s own forum where proposals can be assigned. The forums allow for a public exchange on the merits of the proposals to take place. The IATI Secretariat will contribute to these exchanges and will draft proposals for the formal formats required for the standard.

Minor Changes may take place with or without wider consultation. You can suggest a minor change directly to support@iatistandard.org

If you wish to discuss an idea before submitting a proposal you may wish to consult the IATI Technical Mailing List first.

Decimal Upgrade Procedures

Clear cut off dates for proposals to be considered for a Decimal Upgrade will be advertised on the Upgrades section of the IATI Standard website. The IATI Secretariat will select those proposals meeting the above mentioned guidelines and prepare a proposed decimal upgrade on behalf of the IATI Secretariat. The contents of this proposed upgrade will be published on the Knowledge Base and all members and publishers of IATI data will be informed of its contents by email.

A timetable governing a process of consultation and implementation of the changes will be published.

Objections, improvements, observations etc. will be addressed throughout the upgrade process.

Integer Upgrade Procedures

The timing and planning for an Integer Upgrade will be approved by the Steering Committee. All proposed changes will be fully documented and circulated to all members. A timetable for the upgrade process will be available on the Upgrades section of the IATI Standard website.

Consultation, and progress on the upgrade will be available in public via IATI websites.

Integer upgrades will require the formal consent of members.

Useful links

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