Paper short abstract:

The study explores the effects of datafication on monitoring and evaluation of official development assistance (ODA). Building on the concept of social shaping of technology, it traces the process of measurement of ODA and discuss how the current phenomenon of datafication reshape the field of aid.

Paper long abstract:

In the global field of development, monitoring and evaluation with the use of indicators and indexes for assessing success and failure of aid activities have rapidly been increasing. Monitoring and evaluation frameworks and indicators for official development assistance (ODA) are often developed by rule-making organizations such as powerful international development agencies. These phenomena have two important characteristics. First, such measurements has been globally diffused beyond the borders of states and has become internationally standardized. Thus it reflects the power dynamics of global aid governance. Second, there was growing preference for quantification and statistical analysis by using diverse indicators. Considering this trend, attention needs to be paid to: who creates, drives and promote measurement and indicators of ODA? how does the current trend of datafication affect this process? These questions can be answered by investigating the nature of measurements and indicators in question. Building on the concept of social shaping of technology, this study traces the process of measuring, indexing and categorizing ODA and assess the effect of datafication in the processes. In particular, this paper explores the case of the Organisations for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Creditor Reporting System (CRS) and an emerging concept of International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) aid standard, and discuss how the current phenomenon of datafication reshape the power dynamic in the global field of aid.