The revolution will NOT be in Open Data

The following guest post is by Duncan Edwards from the Institute of Development Studies. I’ve had a lingering feeling of unease that things were not quite right in the world of open development and ICT4D (Information and communication technology for development), so at September’s Open Knowledge Conference in Geneva I took advantage of the presence […]

An open goal that can’t be missed: 2015 and open data

STOP PRESS: UN holds consultation. Okay, so this may not be the most groundbreaking of introductions. It’s up there with such bombshells as “man catches bus” and “comedian tells joke” with but stick with me … it’s important. Today marks the first day of the UN’s post-2015 consultation on governance, jointly hosted by South Africa […]

Open Research Data Handbook Sprint – 15-16 February

On February 15-16, the Open Research Data Handbook Sprint will happen at the Open Data Institute, 65 Clifton Street, London EC2A 4JE. The Open Research Data Handbook aims to provide an introduction to the processes, tools and other areas that researchers need to consider to make their research data openly available. Join us for a […]

Open Data Portal for Latin America

Sharing governmental information in open, accessible and structured formats could substantially increase transparency and accountability in public policy design and implementation. Furthermore, it enables broad social engagement in the process. Hence, opening data and acknowledging the demands of the population that arise from this is key to promoting social equality and effective public administration. Based […]

Development Data Challenge

Over the weekend of 25th and 26th August, the second event in a series of ‘Development Data Challenges’ took place at the Guardian’s offices in London. What is a ‘Development Data Challenge’? Development Data Challenges are an interesting concept. They draw together a disparate group of people (we had development experts, coders, designers, data wranglers, […]

Development Data Challenge – London, August 25-26

Where Do Development Questions Meet Development Data? Where: The Guardian (Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1P 2AP) When: Saturday and Sunday, August 25-26 2012 This weekend in London, coders, designers, development experts, data wranglers and interested citizens and invited for the Development Data Challenge in London. Join us at the Guardian for a weekend […]

Call for research proposals: open data in developing countries

The Web Foundation and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) are looking to fund case study research on the emerging impacts of open data in developing countries. Open data policies are spreading across the world: but how does open data play out on the ground in different settings? What is needed for the potential transparency […]

Aid Data: From XML to Visualisations – IATI data in OpenSpending

Are the World Bank and Department for International Development (DfID) spending money on projects in similar sectors and countries? Does all aid to Kenya go the North-East? How much aid in total did India receive last year? Until recently, it was impossible to know. But now, thanks to the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), we’ve […]

Can Open Data help conflict prevention?

We’re in the planning stages of a conflict prevention project called PAX and open data perspectives have fed into our thinking in its processes and structures. PAX aims to provide early warnings of emerging violent conflict, through an online collaborative system of data sharing and analysis. We’re still in the early stages of exploration and […]

Organisational Identifiers Event at OGD Camp 2011

Open Government Data Camp 2011 is approaching fast! We’re really excited about all the brilliant talks, workshops, plots, plans and people that are going to be there. In the run-up to the camp we’re going to run a series of posts from a range of voices, talking about different aspects of open government data and […]

Geo-enabling Aid Data: What is, and what’s next

The following guest post is by Josh Powell from Development Gateway, who works on their AidData programme. Last week, the geocoded locations of all African Development Bank (AfDB) projects continent-wide approved from 2009-2010 were made available at open.aiddata.org. The data include more than $10 billion in AfDB Group funding to 43 African countries, and were […]

Open Aid Data Conference and Hackday, Berlin, 28th-29th September

The following post is by Christian Kreutz, co-founder and board member of the Open Knowledge Foundation Germany. Help us find innovative solutions for aid transparency and make development aid more effective. Germany is one of the largest donors in development aid worldwide. Every year over 6 billion euros are spent by the Federal Ministry for […]

Exploring open aid data with aidinfo labs

The following is a guest post from Tim Davies, open data action researcher, currently curating the aidinfolabs.org website for aidinfo, and a member of the OKFN Working Group on Open Development. The International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) was set up in 2008 by 18 leading international development organisations. It aims to make information about aid […]

Doing Good With Data: Data Without Borders

The following guest post is by Jake Porway from Data Without Borders. We live in a time of unprecedented access to data and computational power. The open data movement is quickly digitizing and making available tomes of information about the way our governments work, the way our cities move, and the patterns of our daily […]

The long road to open aid data!

The following guest post is by Claudia Schwegmann from OpenAid, a member of the OKF’s Working Group on Open Knowledge in Development. The road to open data in development cooperation has been a long one! 10 years ago, transparency, let alone open data, in development cooperation wasn’t an issue. In 2001 the Millennium Development Goals […]

Virtual Workshop on Linking Development Data, 12-13th May 2011

The following guest post is from David Pidsley who is a member of the Open Knowledge Foundation’s Working Group on Open Knowledge in Development. Open Data for Development Camp (ODDC) on 12th and 13th May 2011 in Amsterdam focuses on how developers, practitioners and policy makers can harness open international development data more effectively. During […]

The Aid Revolution begins with XML

The following guest post is by Claudia Elliot from Publish What You Fund. IATI XML data After two years of negotiating, the 18 donors of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) agreed on February 9th the final details of a new global standard for publishing aid information. This format makes aid information internationally comparable, and […]

Let’s build a Debian for Development Data

The following guest post is from Rolf Kleef who is a member of the OKF’s Working Group on Open Knowledge in Development. It was originally posted here. I just returned from an intense week in the UK: an IKM Emergent workshop in Oxford, and the  Open Government Data Camp in London had me almost drowning […]

Pushing the envelope

The following guest post is from Francis Bacon, member of the Open Knowledge Foundation’s Working Group on Open Knowledge in Development and blogger at Pop Goes the Weasel. A few weeks ago I received a large brown envelope in the post. It contained a letter, written in reply to a complaint I had made. And […]

Consultation on standard for opening up information on aid funding flows

The Technical Advisory Group for the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) is currently soliciting for comments on a consultation paper about a new standard for opening up data on international development: http://www.iaticonsultation.org/ More on IATI: The International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) is a new initiative which aims to make information about aid spending easier to […]

Aid Information Challenge, London, 10th April 2010

The Open Knowledge Foundation has a keen interest in opening up data on international development – from our international development panel at OKCon 2009, to our recent report on unlocking aid information, to our working group on open knowledge in development. Hence we are delighted to be co-organising the Aid Information Challenge, along withAid Info, […]

Open data on international development: let us know what you think!

Last autumn we released the first draft of a working paper on opening up data related to international development. The report covers how to legally and technically open up aid data, as well as recommendations for how to make aid data easier to find and reuse. This is now up on a dedicated website at: […]

New report on sharing aid information is now open for comments

We’re pleased to announce the publication of a new report, Unlocking the potential of aid information. The report, by the Open Knowledge Foundation and Aidinfo, looks at how to make information related to international development (i) legally open, (ii) technically open and (iii) easy to find. The report and relevant background information can be found […]

Interested in open knowledge and international development?

Next Wednesday 22nd July there will be a virtual meeting for a new Working Group on Open Knowledge in Development: http://wiki.okfn.org/wg/development If you’re interested in open knowledge and international development you’re welcome to come along and join in discussion, which will be about what the new working group should focus on – as well as […]