The World Bank launched its Open Data initiative in April 2010. It seeks to promote open data, open knowledge, and open solutions for development. Believing that open data can increase transparency and accountability, improve efficiency and effectiveness, and create economic opportunity, the World Bank has released one of the most comprehensive databases on developing economies worldwide comprised of more than 2,000 indicators.
Mapping for Results is part of this Open Data Initiative and is fully committed to the open, free and easy access to raw data. Thus all the underlying socio-economic, project and geo-location data displayed on the Mapping for Results platform can be downloaded, used, manipulated, and re-used without any restrictions. The project and geo-location data can also be accessed through the World Bank Open Data API.
A core objective of the Mapping for Results Program is to promote the transparency of donor-funded programs through the increased open and free access to geographic data on the location of our programs. We are aiming for geo-coding all World Bank-funded projects and to establish a direct feedback mechanism between citizens and project teams in order to better monitor our results and improve them.
As a way of promoting transparency and encouraging innovation, the Bank launched Apps for Development in 2010, which provides cash prizes to software developers who generate applications that utilize the World Bank’s Data Catalog.
