Posts categorized Open Data

It’s a new year and you probably have your resolutions picked out, and maybe have already given up on one or two of them. Well it’s not too late to add to the list (or replace the unsuccessful). We suggest making a few data-lutions this year and have found a few good ideas to ponder.

Knowing where aid projects are located is important for making smart allocation and evaluation decision - but to know what is actually happening on the ground, you can’t stop there.Typically, project implementers are the only ones with knowledge of detailed project information. While contracts also offer a wealth of data points - about who is implementing which activities where, and with how much money - most contracts are either not publicly available, or not easily downloadable.

This is the second post in a three-part series relaying the findings from a study of government data use in Nepal. Read the first post here.Why should a government official care about using data?

'Next week is our Annual Aid Management Program (AMP) Good Practices Workshop - and this year’s theme is “Meeting the Challenge of Open Data.” However, the “Data Revolution” is already underway, and many attending countries have already gone public with their Aid Management Platforms - so why this theme, and why now?Here’s why: At Development Gateway, we know that Open Data is about much more than throwing data out into the universe; it’s about using that information once it’s available, and getting back to the why behind data transparency.'

'Last week, the Ugandan Government made public its Development Assistance Management System, which tracks all external development assistance projects in the country. This system is a technical part of the country''s Aid Management Program (AMP).Overseen by the Ugandan Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development, Secretary Keith Muhahanizi reaffirmed on Friday that the system:'

Maybe it’s just me, but the hysteria over Ebola seems to be far greater than any other contagion-type scenario we’ve been through of late (or I’ve just become more cognizant of the fact that I’m a little bit older, and death is that much closer).

Logistics – broadly defined as the services and processes needed to move goods and services from production to consumption – is a cornerstone for economic efficiency and expansion. High-quality, interconnected roads and ports can make the transportation of goods easier, and boost domestic productivity.

On World Development Information Day, DG reports on the future of the International Aid Transparency Initiative, a global campaign that encourages donors and governments to make aid information open and accessible.

On 25 September, the city of Cape Town explicitly recognized the importance of making city government data accessible to the public with the approval of an Open Data Policy. The policy lays out a plan to make data centrally accessible through the development of an open data portal – with the goal of increasing transparency and empowering citizens to hold the government accountable.

After the 2014 Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank, below are some key questions and takeaways on how open data, development finance, and diverse stakeholders mix:Why do we need to publish data?