IATI ENGAGEMENT
Prompted by the news coverage of Nepal, the IATI TAG unconference in Ottawa next week and an open data superhero like Bibhusan Bista, I thought I would look at the world class UK Government open data and the level of IATI engagement.
I assumed that IATI would become the natural hub to share real time open data and to help map official requests and responses to an unfolding crisis such as the Nepal earthquake.
Matched donations are a very successful policy but most donors still like to click through to see the matched donations, data visualisations on allocation efficiency and inspirational images and video clips to see the positive impact of donations.
So interim data should be an IATI focus.
NEPAL PRESS RELEASE
I read the latest news on the UK Government Department for International Development dated 20 May 2015:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nepal-earthquake-uk-aid-response
Nepal earthquake: UK aid response
The UK’s humanitarian response now stands at more than £33 million and includes:
£10 million to rebuild vital health services in the worst affected districts;
£5.3 million for UN agencies in Nepal to coordinate the international relief effort and provide clean water and shelter for affected families;
£3 million released under the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) to six charities and NGOs already working on the ground: Save the Children, Mercy Corps Scotland, Care International UK, ActionAid, Oxfam and Handicap International;
£2 million for the British Red Cross;
£5 million to match public donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s appeal, which will support NGOs on the ground;
a £5 million package to provide a further team of 30 trauma medics, logistical support and equipment to ease congestion at Kathmandu Airport and humanitarian experts in water, health and sanitation. DFID also deployed a team of more than 60 UK International Search and Rescue (UKISAR) responders and specialist rescue dogs;
£2.5 million for the UN Humanitarian Air Service to enable organisations already on the ground to deliver aid to isolated areas; and
more than £300,000 for Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) to provide two Airbus 350 helicopters to get help to more remote regions
I noted that the updated infographic by Ricci Coughlan/DFID has had 4880 views.
I looked at the UK Government DfID publisher page on the IATI website — 127 files but strangely only 1 follower for a leading national publisher:
http://iatiregistry.org/publisher/dfid
I looked at the specific file on Nepal but strangely 0 followers:
http://iatiregistry.org/dataset/dfid-np
DFID Activity File Nepal
I downloaded the dataset (all transactions in CSV format):
http://tools.aidinfolabs.org/csv/direct_from_registry/?xml=http%3A//iati.dfid.gov.uk/iati_files/Country/DFID-Nepal-NP.xml
I reviewed the 2560 rows, focused on column Q (transaction-value_value-date) and sorted the dataset into ascending date order. I filtered the dataset to rows dated 2015. The dataset includes 1 commitment in 2015 Q1, 1 commitment in 2015 Q3 and the 2015 Q1 transactions.
I then sorted the dataset on column V (receiver-org). The dataset includes 3 rows with aggregated small transactions in 2014 Q4 (deleted), 2 rows with commitments (deleted), 1 row with negative expenditure such as an overpayment (deleted), 12 rows marked “correction” with a transaction and reverse transaction (deleted) and 37 rows perhaps unexpectedly marked “supplier name withheld” in a transparency database (retained).
total transactions value = GBP 8,609,560
BENCHMARKED DATA
I downloaded the Open Nepal dataset on commitments and aid flow and filtered UK transactions:
http://earthquake.opennepal.net/aid-type/2
http://earthquake.opennepal.net/aid-csv-file
total transactions value = GBP 32,862,438
19x rows
I then downloaded and filtered the source dataset at the UN OCHA FTS (Financial Tracking Service) on the Nepal appeal site:
http://fts.unocha.org/pageloader.aspx?page=emerg-emergencyDetails&appealID=1100
total transaction value = GBP 33,897,941
19x rows but with an extra GBP 295,858 to UN Agencies (GBP 739,645) and an extra GBP 739,645 to UNICEF National Committee/UK (GBP 2,218,935)
However, the IATI dataset is significantly lower due to quarter end reporting.
total transactions value = GBP 8,609,560
AID MATCH
Our hugely successful Aid Match scheme has helped boost the British public’s own generous donations to different charity campaigns.
A good enough reason to upload interim data is so that private donors can click through to matched government donations and any third party data visualisations, infographics, etc.
NEXT STEPS
So could interim data increase IATI engagement? Could twitter change the world??
#UKaid #Nepal
IATI TAG
http://www.aidtransparency.net/technicaladvisorygroup/tag-governance
obviously Chair John Adams
@johnthegeo
DfID
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development
@dfid_uk
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dfid-welcomes-new-ministerial-team
DFID welcomes new ministerial team
re-appointment as Minister of State for International Development, Desmond Swayne
@DesmondSwayne
appointment as Minister of State for International Development, Grant Shapps
@GrantShapps
re-appointment as Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening
@JustineGreening
appointment as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Baroness Verma
@Baroness_Verma (only 1 tweet though)