Stories, ideas, and updates from DGers around the world

When data — particularly government data —  is made relevant and available, we as “infomediaries” have an opportunity to create public value. As a community of data users, we are becoming more savvy at turning datasets into information, and information into advocacy for better public resource allocation, transparency and accountability, and good governance.   At

When it comes to open data, the devil is in the details. Publishing data in an open format is admirable — but in order to be valuable, the data must meet basic criteria for formatting and standardization. That’s why DG is contributing its open source jOCDS Validator to the international open contracting community. Tested with

It didn’t surprise me when I learned that — when Ministry of Finance officials conduct trainings on the Aid Management Platform for Village Chiefs, CSOs and citizens throughout the districts of Malawi — officials are almost immediately asked: “What were the results of these projects? What were the outcomes?” It didn’t just matter what development

The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda offers the promise of new technologies, big data sources, and increased government statistical capacity for data-driven policy and progress. However, we cannot assume that more data will result in a better world. Moreover, a data revolution comes with risks: Will SDG reporting consume already-limited government statistical capacity? Will “focus on

In 2005, the international community came together to adopt the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, built upon the idea that “aid could – and should – be producing better impacts.” Improving effectiveness means aligning development assistance with the needs and priorities of the partner country government, as well as coordinating activities among partners to avoid

In 2003, an undergraduate student at the College of William and Mary set out to write his honors thesis on the efforts of international development organizations to help communities adapt to and mitigate the effects of global climate change. His research quickly hit a roadblock: existing public data on foreign aid flows was not precise

In the Results Data Initiative (RDI)’s first cross-ministry co-design workshop, we explored opportunities for greater data-driven decision-making in Tanzania’s health sector. Ultimately, colleagues from the Government of Tanzania — representing the President’s Office of Regional Administration and Local Government, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance and Planning, and the National Bureau of Statistics — identified

When it comes to understanding government procurement, we need data. And to understand how efficient procurement processes are, we must assess the quality of procurement data...

Next week, we will be participating in the Africa Open Data Conference in Accra, Ghana. We are excited to share with 600+ other individuals and organizations how DG and our partners use open data to empower citizens, reduce corruption, and elevate evidence-based policymaking.

How do conflict, climate change, and natural disasters overlap -- and how can policymakers mitigate these challenges? The Complex Emergencies and Political Stability in Asia (CEPSA) program...