This presentation describes open data-based accountability initiatives in Dutch bilateral development aid, with a particular focus on water. Since January 2016, the Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)DGIS requires all its aid recipients to comply with the reporting standards of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI). Water-specific initiatives that DGIS supports include the Water Point Data Exchange (WPDx), WASH sustainability checks and water productivity monitoring through remote sensing (FAO / UNESCO-IHE). The presentation concludes that data alone is not a silver bullet and that partners and stakeholders need to become data savvy. Presented on 6 July 2016 by Kees Oude Lenferink (DGIS) at the IRC event: "Accountability tools to improve WASH service delivery", in The Hague, The Netherlands.

1. Following Flows of Water,
Funds,
and Results
A DGIS perspective on
accountability in the
development sector
Kees Oude Lenferink

2. Accountability to whom?
Parliaments of donor and recipient countries
Donor organizations
Sector parties
Contribution towards global monitoring (SDG)

3. How does NL do?
Parliament demands transparency
Important steps made, yet still steps to be taken
Netherlands scores well
on aid transparency

4. What does NL do?
Water Point Data
Exchange (WPDx)

5. IATI
Standardized format
Transparency through the chain
Funds, results, location, classifications
Published by both donors and partners
DGISrequirement since January 2016

7. Transparency in WASH
Sustainability Checks
15-year sustainability requirement
FIETS indicators
Compact and usuable information
Promotion of the use of ICT for
knowledge management

8. Other initiatives
Water productivity
monitoring through
remote sensing
Humanitarian Exchange
Language (HXL)
GODAN

9. Data alone is not a silver bullet
Data standards
Linking data
Data quality
Garbage in, garbage out
Context and narratives
Sensitive information?

10. Open Data-based accountability
Ongoing process in the coming years
Partners and stakeholders need to
become data savvy
Sustainability monitoring
Keep learning and improving based
on experiences

11. Q & A