Recently I've been hearing about cutting-edge initiatives that aim to make development aid more transparent. Part of this transparency is related to technology, in that more and more data sets are being made open source or accessible to a larger public. One upcoming example highlights the interest in a push for more transparency, which I will describe here.

A number of key individuals like data analysts, developers and designers will meet at the Guardian offices in London on the 10th of April to discuss their understanding of aid transparency, and how can new media be used to assist relevant goals. This event will focus on creative discussion but also hopes to develop applications, tools and visualizations to show a collective idea of what the future of aid transparency can be.

The event - and, more broadly, the global campaign for aid transparency - is an initiative of PublishWhatYouFund.org. They will be hosting the April event. The Guardian's website emphasizes that the campaign's principles aim to serve donors, recipients and civil society to improve the fight against poverty through greater data transparency:

1. Information on aid should be published proactively
2. Information on aid should be comprehensive, timely, accessible and comparable
3. Everyone has the right to request and receive information about aid
4. The right of access to information about aid should be promoted

Several important datasets will be available for the event, such as AidData, The World Bank, DfID and others. Some are posted on the event site. It's still possible to sign up for the event by visiting this page.

Is data transparency the answer? Many people think that initiatives such as these can help improve distribution and understanding from the broader public.