International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)

The International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) makes aid-related information easier to access and understand. By offering a common format and central repository, the IATI improves the transparency, accountability, and effectiveness of international aid.

It is used voluntarily by government donors, private sector organizations, and non-governmental organizations. IDRC is one of almost 400 participants who publish project titles and descriptions, country and geographic area, aid type, dates, and budget information.

To comply with a common IATI standard, we format our data in an agreed electronic format, XML (Extensible Markup Language), and host it on our website. This data can then be processed to help track, analyze, and monitor research support activities by linking to the IATI Registry.

The registry is an online catalogue and index of links to all raw data published to the IATI standard. Users can convert project information into databases, spreadsheets, web applications, print documents, or data visualization.

We update our datasets quarterly — in January, April, July, and October.

Getting started

Download the software — You will find software to support XML file conversion on the IATI website.
Conduct your search — Access basic data about IDRC’s research projects below. Our files will open in a new window.
Save the files to your computer — To save files in Mozilla Firefox, use the “save page” option in the browser menu. In the Chrome browser menu, select “save page as” under “more tools.”

Glossary
Downloadable files

Glossary

IATI Compliant XML dataset

Identification

Reporting Organization

IDRC is the reporting organization.

IATI Identifier

The unique identifier for each project. It is made up of IDRC’s IATI Organization Identifier (XM-DAC-301-2) and the IDRC project and component numbers.

Basic Project Information

Title

The official title of the IDRC project in English and in French.

Description

A brief description of the project activity in English and in French.

Activity Status

Status as at the date of the publication. The activity status code is expressed as a number. The name associated with each number is available at Activity Status.

Activity Dates

The start-actual date represents the date at which the project component commenced. The end date represents the end of project component activities, either planned or actual.

Participating Organizations

Participating Organization The organizations participating in the project. The funding organization is Canada (i.e. Parliament) or a specific donor organization, the extending organization is IDRC and the implementing organization is the grant recipient. In some circumstances, an accountable organization assists the grant recipient with various financial aspects of the project.

Geopolitical Information

Activity Scope

The broad geographic areas expected to be affected by the research. The activity scope code is shown in the files as a number. The name associated with each number is available at Activity Scope.

Recipient Country/Region

The countries and/or regions that are the intended areas of impact of the research. They are shown in the file as codes (countries) or numbers (for regions). The country and/or region name associated with each code or number is available at Country and Region.

Classifications

Sector (DAC CRS)

Number found under this heading in the file refers to the development sector that the funding fosters. The sector labels and codes used are OECD-DAC sector codes. The name and a short description associated with each number used in the file is available at Dac 5 Digit Sector.

Sector (Agency specific)

Codes refer to sectors that align with sectors identified in the Strategic Plan of IDRC.

Agriculture

Includes research that examines agriculture and food security, agri-food policies, small scale agriculture, on farm production, value chains, agricultural policy, agricultural development, land use, food crop production, agrarian reform, and research to help small-scale farmers become more productive, resilient and profitable.

Economic policy

Includes research that examines the role of legal and regulatory institutions at the national and international level in shaping the behaviour of markets; inclusive and sustainable economic growth; poverty reduction targets; institutional frameworks for investment, trade, and entrepreneurial activity at the national and international levels; regulatory role of the state (particularly in key sectors like banking, telecommunications, and energy); competition policy; equity implications of fiscal measures; social protection mechanisms; low carbon growth strategies and role of fiscal policy in shifting investment toward greater environmental sustainability.

Energy

Includes research that examines energy supply and use, including policy options and the promotion of sustainable energy technologies; low carbon economies; carbon sequestration and carbon markets; climate change mitigation; innovations in energy production, storage and distribution; overcoming barriers to effective energy policies and strategies; biofuels and biomass use; low cost fossil fuels, renewable energy; national energy strategies.

Environment

Includes research that links better agricultural and environmental management to human development and economic growth, and examines sustainable ecosystems; access to natural resources; environmental economics; climate change; health and the environment.

Governance and Civil Society

Includes research on public sector policy and administrative management; public finance management; anti-corruption; legal and judicial development; democratic participation and civil society; elections; legislatures and political parties; media and the free flow of information; human rights; conflict prevention and resolution; civilian peace building; security system management and reform.

Health

Includes research that helps preserve health and well-being through improving governance to ensure equal access to health; enhancing health information systems to improve healthcare delivery and policies; investigating alternative means of providing care in resource-poor areas; better understanding emerging chronic diseases; identifying risks posed by aging, urbanization and migration, as well as the need for special programs to address such demographic shifts.

Population

Includes research that examines population policy and administrative management, demographic research/analysis; migration trends and data.

Science and Technology

Includes research that strengthens the framework for developing, adapting and using science and technology to increase the contribution of biotechnology to growth and equity; strengthen the ability of developing-country granting councils to set research agendas; better understand the role of universities in innovation systems; shape economic and intellectual property rights regimes to increase the economic contribution of creative industries.

Water

Includes research that examines water related impacts of climate change, water resources policy and planning, water resources protection, water supply and sanitation, water management, access to water, basic drinking water supply and sanitation.

Policy Markers (DAC CRS)

Project activities that are targeted to meet OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) policy objectives. These objectives cover the areas of economic well-being, social development, environment sustainability, protection of human rights and the rule of law, and regeneration and democratic accountability. Policy marker names associated with the numbers found under this heading in the file are available at Policy marker. The level of significance of the policy marker for this activity is indicated by another code. The level associated with each code is available at Policy Significance.

Policy Markers (Agency specific)

Based on the Strategic Plans of IDRC, these codes represent various policy objectives. Policy marker names associated with the numbers found under this heading are as follows:

Field building

A field is an area of specialized practice carried out by trained practitioners. Building a field involves strengthening any or all of its key components (identity, knowledge base, workforce and leadership, standard practices, appropriate practice settings, vehicles for information exchange, infrastructure for collaboration, resources, critical mass of support, advocates systemic support).

Global governance

Global governance or world governance is the political interaction of transnational actors aimed at solving problems that affect more than one state or region when there is no power of enforcing compliance. The modern question of world governance exists in the context of globalization (the "ongoing process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a globe-spanning network of communication and execution").

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

The building blocks of the networked world (telecommunications technologies, such as telephony, cable, satellite and radio, as well as digital technologies, such as computers, information networks and software), as well as their use, application, and impact in other spheres.

Organizational capacity building

An ongoing process by which an organization increases its ability to formulate and achieve relevant objectives. It involves strengthening both its operational and adaptive capacities.

The code indicates the significance of the policy marker for this activity.

Collaboration Type

The type of collaboration involved in project disbursements, e.g. bilateral or multilateral. The types of collaboration associated with the numerical values found in the file under this heading are available at Collaboration Type.

Default Flow Type

The type of assistance provided, e.g. Official Development Assistance (ODA). The type of assistance associated with the numerical value found under this heading in the file value is available at Flow Type.

Default Finance Type

The type of funding being provided, e.g. a grant. A name and short description for the numerical values found in the file under this heading are available at Finance Type.

Default Aid Type

The type of aid being supplied, for example core budget support. The name and a short description for the alphanumeric values found in the file under this heading are available at Aid Type.

Default Tied Aid Status

The conditions under which goods and services can be procured with the research funding. The three options — partially tied, tied, or untied — are expressed as numbers in the file under this heading. The option associated with each number is available at Tied Status.

Financial Transaction

Transaction Type

The type of transaction including commitment, disbursement, and expenditure. Note, expenses include disbursements. The values are expressed as letters. The name associated with each letter under this heading is available at Transaction Type.

Either IDRC (Parliament of Canada) or a donor.

Receiver organization:

IDRC’s grant recipient or the accountable organization if one is used.

Transaction Value

The amount committed/disbursed in Canadian dollars during a fiscal period by the provider organization.

Transaction Date

The last date of the fiscal period.