Making overseas development assistance accountable in the Netherlands
The Netherlands' commitment to IATI has transformed how Dutch aid is managed, ensuring transparency and accountability through real-time data on spending.
In 2023, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs budgeted over 4 billion USD for bilateral development cooperation. In an era where efficiency and accountability are essential, the ministry’s commitment to IATI is helping to safeguard taxpayers money, reduce waste, and ensure aid is delivered where it’s needed most.
Visualisation of the Dutch MFA's funding network. In the diagram, each dot represents an organisation, and each line represents the flow of funding from one organisation to another.
The Netherlands has a long history of championing transparency in aid and development. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) was a founding member of IATI in 2008, and chaired the Steering Committee from 2013 to 2015 and the Governing Board from 2018 to 2022. MFA representative Thea Schepers became Board chair in 2024.
Over 80% of the ministry’s aid spending is delivered to intermediary partners, rather than directly to the recipient country or project. In this context, networked data is crucial to getting a clear view of what, where, and how resources are used. By providing this clear view of how its partners are also using their resources, IATI data has a direct impact on the way that Dutch aid is managed.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes its own data using the IATI Standard, and requires more than 500 of its partners - including NGOs and international organisations - to do the same. This data is openly available through the IATI Datastore, and the Ministry's own dashboards.
"By providing this clear view of how its partners are also using their resources, IATI data has a direct impact on the way that Dutch aid is managed."
This commitment to IATI publishing across the ministry’s network makes it easier to ‘follow the money’, linking funding sources, partners, and on-the-ground projects. This means MFA can better understand where resources go, and the outcomes they deliver. In turn, it helps the MFA to make decisions that can maximise impact and reduce inefficiencies in the future .
The value of this approach is illustrated by a network visualisation of the ministry’s funding. In the diagram, each dot represents an organisation, and each line represents the flow of funding from one organisation to another. Directly or indirectly, each organisation is funded by the MFA.
The timely, traceable data that IATI provides enables the MFA to strengthen accountability across global aid and development networks, ensuring that taxpayers resources are directed to where they are most needed and most effective.