Aid in Motion: Making organisations visible across the delivery chain
Join the next State of the Data Dialogues to explore new analysis from the IATI Secretariat, mapping approximately 15,000 organisations involved in development and humanitarian efforts.
Together, we’ll discuss the challenges and opportunities for improving data publication to strengthen visibility, coordination, and impact across international delivery chains.
Event Details: State of the Data Dialogues – Aid in Motion
Webinar Part 1: 17 September 2025 – 09:00 EDT / 13:00 UTC
Webinar Part 2: 30 September 2025 – 09:00 EDT / 13:00 UTC
Location: Online (Zoom)
Register once for both webinars
Why Does Organisation Visibility Matter?
Understanding which organisations are involved in development and humanitarian action is key to tracking how resources flow through delivery chains. The IATI Standard enables data publishers to report on their partners across various roles, such as funders and implementers. However, many organisations remain hard to identify in data, making it difficult to connect the dots across systems and sectors.
Understanding which organisations are involved in development and humanitarian action is key to tracking how resources flow through delivery chains.
State of the Data analysis: an initial mapping of 15,000 organisations
As part of its State of the Data series, the IATI Secretariat is producing an analysis of all organisations mentioned in IATI data where a reference code was provided (these codes are used to consistently identify organisations across datasets).
Initial findings show that approximately 15,000 organisations have already been reported with an organisation reference by IATI publishers.
This is not a complete list – it’s an early step intended to spark dialogue on how we can improve the visibility of development and humanitarian actors across delivery chains.
An interactive version of the analysis will be released next month ahead of the State of the Data Dialogues to explore.
How Can Better Visibility Improve Aid Effectiveness?
When organisations are consistently referenced in data, they become searchable and easier to connect across systems. This unlocks powerful benefits:
- Improved coordination - Identify which organisations are active in a country and how resources flow from donors to implementers and local partners.
- Better funding decisions - See who is already delivering similar work and avoid duplication and gaps.
- Tracking commitments - Use reliable evidence to monitor whether funding pledges and policy commitments are being delivered. For example, tracking if resources promised under the localisation agenda are actually reaching local actors.
- Accountability - Provide journalists, researchers, and the public with a clear view of who is implementing projects.
- Preparedness - Map existing partners who can be mobilised quickly in response to crises.
When organisations are consistently referenced in data, they become searchable and easier to connect across systems.
What Are the Barriers to Organisation Visibility?
While 1,800 organisations publish IATI data, they work with thousands more across delivery chains. The IATI Secretariat’s analysis has identified an additional approx. 15,000 organisations working in the development and humanitarian sectors. However these organisations are not easily searchable and remain less visible for two reasons:
- Inconsistent use of references
Many publishers list partner organisations using text (e.g., names or acronyms) without including their unique organisation code. This leads to duplication and confusion, for example, the World Health Organization may appear as “WHO,” “W.H.O.,” or “Organisation mondiale de la santé.” These variations are difficult for computers to search for. Including WHO’s unique reference, XM-DAC-928, ensures consistent identification across datasets. - Lack of a comprehensive reference list
While IATI publishers have searchable unique organisation references, there is no central list covering the thousands of other organisations active in the sector. Publishers often ask where to find correct references, but no shared list exists. In some countries, this is further complicated by limited digital registration systems or official records, which limits the creation of their unique reference code.
Join the upcoming Dialogues
Don’t miss the upcoming State of the Data webinars, where you’ll hear the Secretariat present their new analysis of mapping 15,000 organisations. These sessions are designed to spark dialogue and gather your feedback on practical next steps.
Together we will explore:
- Your organisation’s data needs on organisations active in the development and humanitarian sectors
- How to encourage more consistent use of recognised organisation references
- Ways to improve how data on thousands more organisations can be made searchable through IATI tools
- How a shared, interoperable list of organisation identifiers could evolve into a digital public good for the sector
Register once for both webinars and look out for the release of the interactive analysis that will be published ahead of the Dialogues.