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aidinfo is an initiative, funded by the Gates and Hewlett foundation, which aims to reduce poverty through improved aid transparency.

The aidinfo programme is working on key areas that will help build a stronger evidence based case for greater aid transparency and wants to specifically:

• understand the demand for data, especially from a southern user perspective, and gain greater clarity on how people access information, what prevents them gathering information and what the data is used for
• understand the supply of data from donors such as reporting processes, procedures and data formatting
• incorporate a technical element to the programme which looks at current and new technologies for aid data management and assesses the complexities in adapting current aid systems to one that makes information more accessible.
• engage on a political level through advocacy work with a variety of stakeholders

Here at aidinfo we want to share and exchange knowledge with other organisations and initiatives that are working on aid transparency issues. We are currently part of a wider consortium of members, including PLAID and Stimson, which holds regular meetings with other wider transparency initiatives. We are also involved in the IATI process, as a member of the TAG and Steering committee.

July saw an historic meeting on aid transparency, as major aid donors, partner countries and CSOs met to agree on a set of standards for publishing aid information at the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) Steering Committee in Paris on 7 July.

Agreement on the IATI standard has the potential to transform the way that aid is delivered, increasing the accountability of aid to those who give and those who receive it. This in turn will increase the impact of aid in reducing poverty and meeting the Millennium Development Goals.