Better information for a better response: IATI data and the Global Humanitarian Assistance report 2015

IATI Secretariat member, Development Initiatives, has just published the Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2015, providing the most comprehensive picture of international humanitarian finance. The report has dedicated chapter 9 to the role of better data and information to improve humanitarian response, and goes into detail about the role of IATI stating that “to best meet needs and most effectively direct humanitarian assistance, all those involved in both giving and spending need to know what other resources are at work and where. This is not the case just in preparedness and transitional contexts but also in acute crises.”

The report discusses how data reported to the IATI demonstrates the potential of full traceability of humanitarian funding, as well as timely and forward looking data on actual and planned expenditure. IATI is highlighted as a potential solution to the missing evidence base for a complementary and effective response that meets people’s interconnected needs by providing a single system for tracking resources to address crisis and vulnerability.

IATI data is used in two graphics to demonstrate its potential:

Start funding for flooding in Sri Lanka earlier this year is taken to show exactly how Irish Aid and UK DFID money was spent down to the district level:

Future development and humanitarian funding to Afghanistan (a partial picture due to the limited number of donors currently reporting their projected expenditure to the IATI standard) is taken to show how, if all aid budgets were reported this way, donors’ and implementing agencies’ financial preparedness and longer-term planning would be better informed:

There will be an event hosted in London (and streamed online) on 6 July to discuss the key findings from the report. More information and registration details.