Proposal from the UN CEB Secretariat to add the UN System function codelist as a new Sector Vocabulary

 

Reasoning:

There is not a complete direct mapping between the OECD DAC Sector codes and the UN function list. For example, parts of the 'Global agenda and specialized assistance' are not well captured by the OECD DAC sectors. Adding the UN System Function codelist would allow a greater coverage of activities to be published to IATI by the UN. It also allows for improved interoperability between the UN's IATI and internal CEB data publishing.

 

Proposal

Code: 12

Name: UN System Function

URL: https://unsceb.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/UN_DataStandards_Digital_20210420.pdf 

 

Please note: the codelist is embedded within the UN Data Standards pdf document. As and when this is updated the UN CEB will need to let IATI know of the changes made to the codelist, and/or the new publicly accessible location for the codelist.

 

This proposal will stay open for comments until the 31/05/2021. If no objections are made the UN System Function codelist will be added to the IATI Sector Vocabulary codelist. 

Comments (7)

Herman van Loon
Herman van Loon

The difference between the OECD/DAC sector classification and the UN System Function codelist does not seem to be very big? All but about 10 CRS codes can be mapped unambiguously to exactly 1 UN system function. An alternative approach could be to harmonize the two codelists. This would take longer and would both involve the UN and the OECD/DAC, but has the advantage of not introducing yet another sector classification in IATI. More IATI sector codelists means less commonality which will make meaningful sector reports over multiple publishers more difficult. 

Michelle Levesque
Michelle Levesque

I understand Herman's point but I don't see this additional sector list as being something most UN agencies would use instead of the OECD list in spite of the fact that most UN agencies aren't even OECD reporters and thus those codes mean little to us.  It is more of a complimentary code list which allows connection between publicly available reporting by the UN CEB and more granular information available in IATI.  

The fact that there is a one-to-one mapping of the OECD to CEB classifications is about as close to "harmonization" as we can expect.  I don't see any political will in attempting to get to one list for both reporting purposes.  

IOM supports adding this code list to the sector vocabulary.

 

Amy Silcock
Amy Silcock

Thanks all for the discussions both here and within the UN. We will go ahead and add this codelist as a sector vocabulary.

There is ongoing discussion by the UN agencies about how to align their IATI and UN CEB reporting of which this codelist is a part.

Justin Senn
Justin Senn

Hi Amy, I've published all of the 2022 activities for UNHCR using sector vocab 12. I notice however it doesn't appear in d-portal (despite being in the XML). Just wondering if this needs to be added to d-portal or did I do something wrong when publishing. Example XML posted below. Thanks.

<sector code="E02" percentage="100" vocabulary="12">
<narrative xml:lang="EN">Humanitarian Assistance</narrative>
</sector>


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