Executive Summary

This comprehensive research presents a two-part analysis of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) in its role as a decision-support system for UN agencies and development practitioners. Part 1 provides a systematic assessment of IATI's current capabilities and limitations in supporting data-based decision-making (DBDM), while Part 2 develops a strategic framework of solutions to enhance IATI's role as an effective decision-support system. Together, these analyses offer actionable insights for optimizing IATI's functionality in advancing aid effectiveness and development cooperation.

Implications for Future Directions

This research provides a roadmap for maximizing IATI's value in supporting transparency, accountability, and aid effectiveness objectives. The tiered implementation approach enables prioritization of foundational improvements delivering immediate benefits while building capacity for sophisticated analytical applications.

By addressing data quality at input stages and enhancing user experience design, these improvements will enable more informed, strategic decision-making based on reliable, actionable data. Success requires coordinated effort across the IATI ecosystem, emphasizing strengthened data standards, enhanced user capacity, and fostered innovation in data applications.

IATI's steady improvement and expanding global engagement positions it as a vital digital public good for the coming decades. Through systematic, stakeholder-responsive solutions addressing identified challenges, IATI can fulfill its potential as an indispensable tool for data-driven development cooperation serving the global development community's diverse needs.