PROGRESS ON USE OF OPEN DATA ON DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

IATI Regional Workshop on Data Use at Country Level, Accra -19-20 March 2015

Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development

MALAWI

Open Data – Malawi Experience

• Remains a Min. of Finance and DPs’ platform• Not much done on sensitizing other users of the data available on

IATI, e.g line ministries, CSOs, Media and the public• Plans are under way to engage other users

• IATI registry and other open data sources capture other flows not reported at country level• E.g. Global and regional projects managed from DP HQs

• Malawi implements Aid Management Platform • Adopts IATI standard of reporting

Use of Open Data on Development Resources

• Quality information on development resources: • Enables better management and coordination of development

assistance, e.g data on AMP• Helps in planning and budgeting• Enhances transparency and accountability of development

cooperation

• Open data provides a reference point for dialogue on development effectiveness agenda• Dialogue division of labour and coordination among providers of

support

• Informs the Development of Country Assistance Strategies for development partners• Most DPs refer to aid data on AMP when developing their Assistance

Strategies to guide where to target their support

• Connectivity problems – most open data sources are online

• Data quality – forward looking info a challenge

• Sensitisation – • Not many stakeholders are aware of available sources of open data on

development cooperation

• Capacities to manage and use the open data• Personnel and expertise – over reliance on system providers

• Business as usual mindset • Failing to recognise the importance of other open data sources because of

being used to the AMP • eg IATI, open contracting, publish what u fund etc.

Country Level Challenges

Future Plans for Malawi

• Upgrading the AMP and linking it to IATI

• Integrating AMP with other government systems e.g. IFMIS & PSIP

To capture expenditure data; and data on government funded projects

To provide a complete picture of development funding to the public through the Public Portal on AMP

• Finalizing rollout to line ministry and local governments• Including INGOs and Foundations on AMP

• Sensitizing stakeholders and the public on AMP and IATI

• Create linkages with other open data initiatives with support from Open Aid Partnership of World Bank

THANK YOU