AMP Knowledge Sharing Workshop, Nairobi 2010

Bindu Venugopal, a Senior Technical Associate with Development Gateway who manages product development of the Aid Management Platform, shares her experience at the recent Knowledge Sharing Workshop:

In early December, I traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, to attend Development Gateway’s annual Knowledge Sharing Workshop for countries implementing the Aid Management Platform (AMP). The workshop is an opportunity for AMP countries to get together once a year to learn from each other and share best practices. This year 14 countries sent delegations to the event.

The workshop, now in its third year, has evolved from a focus on how to use the AMP system to country delegations telling their stories and presenting the results they’ve achieved using AMP. Countries discussed everything from the structure and successes of their aid management departments to progress achieved tracking off-budget aid and ways that AMP assisted in the production of official aid reports. One of the most exciting things demonstrated was the public view of AMP piloted by Kosovo. Following that presentation, other countries immediately expressed interest in making their AMPs public so that citizens can see the aid activities being implemented in their country.

This year’s workshop also featured outside speakers for the first time, including representatives from the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) and Ushahidi, a non-profit information visualization and mapping organization. Researchers from Brigham Young University, who work with Development Gateway on the AidData initiative, also demonstrated the work they have done to map aid activities at the sub-national level.

For me, the highlight of this year’s workshop was the video presented by the delegation from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They spent a lot of time creating a short film about their aid management unit, including interviews of top officials, which they played as part of their presentation to the group. The time and effort that the delegation put into sharing their experience with other countries really showed me the ownership in this process that many countries have taken.

For the countries involved and for Development Gateway staff, this year’s workshop was both exciting and energizing. Considering all the progress that has been made by these countries and their eagerness to share ideas and collaborate, I really look forward to seeing what next year’s event will bring.