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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:
  • EN
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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

Upgrade process

Over time the IATI Standard needs to change and adapt, responding to the needs of different stakeholders. Some changes have very little impact and can be made easily, others will have greater direct and indirect for the Standard and its users. The process below defines what type of change can be made when, how this should happen, who needs to be consulted and who needs to approve the change.

Patches

Patches (previously minor changes) can cover backwardly-compatible bug fixes. Changes are carried out by the IATI Secretariat under the approval of the Secretariat.

Following version 3.0.0, each patch will have a version number.

Patches can currently be tracked through the IATI GitHub account.

More significant changes to the standard are handled via upgrades. There are two types of upgrades - minor upgrades and major upgrades.

Minor Upgrades

Minor (previously decimal) upgrades can cover changes that are optional and backwardly compatible. The Governing Board is responsible for initiating, overseeing and approving the upgrade.

Minor upgrades can include:

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

  • Modifications to core codelists

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

All changes will be optional and backwardly compatible.

Major Upgrades

Major (previously integer) upgrades can cover non-backwardly compatible changes. The Members’ Assembly is responsible for initiating and approving the upgrade. The Governing Board is responsible for overseeing progress.

Major upgrades can include:

  • Substantial additions to the Standard

  • New mandatory fields

  • Changes that are not backwardly compatible

Upgrade Procedure

Major and minor upgrades will be conducted in two distinct phases:

  1. Content (what).This refers to the real-world use case. What problem will the change solve.

  2. Technical implementation (how). This refers to the translation of the content into the syntax required by schema/codelist/rule. How do we solve the problem?

Wherever possible, decisions on changes to the standard should be reached by consensus. This means an absence of active dissent amongst those involved in the consultation process. If consensus cannot be reached the matter will be referred to the Governing Board for its assistance in resolving the dispute. The Governing Board, taking note of advice from the TAG chair, may adjudicate on an unresolved dispute.

Timeline

The Governing Board will approve a timeline for each upgrade prepared by the IATI Secretariat. The timeline will consist of the following phases:

  1. Content consultation
    1. Proposals are submitted and discussed by the community on. (Consultations mentioned in all phases can be conducted on IATI Discuss, conference calls and meetings of the TAG.)

  2. Content approval
    1. The community attempts to reach consensus on the final content. Wherever possible this phase should take place at a full meeting of the TAG.

    2. The final content is submitted to the Governing Board (minor) or Members’ Assembly (major) for approval or resolution.

  3. Technical consultation
    1. The IATI Secretariat and community technical experts translate the agreed content into the syntax of the Standard.

    2. Consultations take place on the technical proposals.

  4. Technical approval
    1. The community attempts to reach consensus on the final content.

    2. The final content is submitted to the Governing Board for approval or resolution.

  5. Technical Implementation
    1. The IATI Secretariat creates a new candidate version of the standard.

    2. The IATI Secretariat updates all utilities and services maintained by IATI to be compatible with the new version.

    3. The candidate version is made available to the community for publisher and user testing.

  6. Final Approval
    1. The Governing Board, following advice from the TAG Chair, approves the final version and announces a Go Live date.

    2. A changelog for each minor and major upgrade will be made available on the Upgrades section of the IATI Standard website.

Useful links

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