IATI is great, but you may still run into issues you need help with. The Helpdesk Open Data of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs is here to help, but sometimes the opinion of a peer is useful. Have they had this problem before? How did they deal with it?

The answer, by the way, is always: yes, others have had that problem before. Now there is a place where you find those people: IATI Connect. It is a social platform where people discuss the IATI Standard, the ways the data is used, how to publish correctly, and much more. There are several subgroups, and now also: The Netherlands Corner. Our very own group on IATI Connect, where we bring our implementing partners together, to discuss how to publish data according to the Publishing Guidelines of the Dutch government.

We are already using it for the Guided Implementation programme, and it’s a great way for us to stay in touch with the participants. You can also join and ask questions, or help others of course. If you become a member, you also get access to the recordings of the webinars of Guided Implementation. Currently there are roughly 160 members. Please join the party if you think you might find it useful!

IATI Connect is much bigger than just The Netherlands Corner. There are several ‘communities of practice’ where you can join the conversation. If you want to contribute to the development of the IATI Standard, discuss the publication or the use of IATI data, IATI Connect is a good place to start.