Development Gateway Explained

Development Gateway
Founder:	James Wolfensohn
Headquarters:	Washington, D.C.
Area Served:	Worldwide
Purpose:	Information technology, aid effectiveness, good governance
Method:	Project-specific funding
Leader Title:	CEO
Leader Name:	Josh Powell
Former Name:	Development Gateway Foundation

Development Gateway, Inc. (abbreviated as DG) is an international non-profit organization that provides technical tools and advisory services to country governments and development organizations.

Formerly known as the Development Gateway Foundation, DG was founded in 1999 by World Bank President James Wolfensohn, and spun off as an independent organization in 2000.^[1] It was one of several World Bank global knowledge initiatives at that time,^[2] and its focus on the potential of internet and communications technologies for development was closely aligned with Wolfensohn's thinking.^[3] In the years after it became an independent organization, DG received core funding from the World Bank, as well as from country governments and other stakeholders.^[4] In the early 2010s, it transitioned into a primarily project-funded organization, with limited grant or in-kind funding.^[5]

In the late 2010s, through partnerships with foundations including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, and Ford Foundation, DG launched a number of multi-country programs focused on improving data use in Africa in sectors including open contracting^[6] and agriculture.^[7]

DG offers expertise in the areas of data use, fiscal transparency, and data policy,^[8] serving governments, development partners, and other non-governmental organizations.^[9]

In October 2021, Development Gateway formed a strategic partnership with IREX that positioned DG as a subsidiary of IREX. Since then, DG has been known as “Development Gateway, an IREX Venture.”^{[10] [11]}

Aid Management Program

The Aid Management Program (AMP) combines online software with institutional strengthening activities to help developing country governments that receive official development assistance (ODA) build capacity for aid information management.^[12] There are two primary components to the program: 1) aid information management systems including the Aid Management Platform and ODAdata and 2) institutional strengthening activities.

The program was first presented at the 2005 High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Paris and has since been implemented in 22 countries with funding from UNDP, the World Bank, and governments. Countries use AMP to monitor the implementation and execution of development aid projects, coordinate development strategies with donors, and produce ODA and budget reports. The system offers an optional interactive mapping module provided by Esri. Development Gateway hosts an annual conference, known as the AMP Best Practices Workshop, to enable governments in the program to exchange experiences and advice.

Legacy programs

• The Country Gateways program was one of DG's first initiatives and sought to replicate the international Development Gateway model at the country level. With seed funding from Development Gateway, about 50 countries – including China,^{[13] [14]} Morocco, Burkina Faso, Vietnam, and others – have established independent Country Gateway entities. Each of these organizations is loosely modeled after Development Gateway, but each has distinct objectives. Some Country Gateways publish procurement notices for government contracts, databases of development projects, directories of non-governmental organizations, and e-commerce tools. Offline services include consulting and training in ICT.
• Zunia was an online platform for knowledge exchange and networking among development practitioners. Zunia aggregated publications, posts, and articles from international development organizations, websites, and blogs; Zunia also aggregated job listings in the international development field from other sites. Zunia users could post development-related content, comment on other content, subscribe to custom email alerts, and create or join thematic discussion groups. In 2009, the platform replaced, an earlier version of Development Gateway's knowledge-sharing platform; it was retired in 2016.
• AidData was a joint project of the College of William and Mary, Brigham Young University, and Development Gateway, designed to make information on development finance and activities more transparent and accessible. Launched in 2010, AidData maintains a searchable database of development assistance and through partnerships has engaged in research projects on data collection and augmentation through crowdsourcing and other methods as well as more traditional research on aid allocation and effectiveness. AidData has also worked to geocode development assistance data. Jointly with Uppsala University's Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP), AidData developed a geocoding methodology for aid information, worked with the World Bank on the Mapping for Results initiative,^[15] and collaborated with Esri on the Development Loop application.
• is an online marketplace for government tenders, providing access to tender notices, contract awards, bidding documents, and other procurement information. provides access to government tenders in 60 countries and aid-funded tenders in 150 countries. Branded Web sites have been launched in Estonia, Belarus, China, Côte d'Ivoire, Israel, Kenya, Mauritania, Mexico, Romania, Rwanda, Spain (Catalonia), Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, as well as for the Agence Française de Développement and the Millennium Challenge Corporation. In early 2017, Development Gateway sold Market to Nepalese-Canadian entrepreneur Aditya Jha.

Notes and References

1. . The Development Gateway Foundation . Global Program Review . 1–79 . Washington, DC . World Bank . 2007 . May 17, 2016 .
2. Book: Gwin, Catherine . 2013 . Sharing Knowledge: Innovations and Remaining Challenges . Washington, DC . World Bank .
3. New possibilities in information technology and knowledge for development in a global economy . James D. Wolfensohn . June 24, 2000 . Cambridge . May 19, 2016 .
4. News: . Development Gateway Foundation Raises USD 47 Million to Bridge the Digital Divide . Pambazuka News . January 10, 2002 . May 19, 2016.
5. . 2014 . 2012-2014 Annual Report . Development Gateway .
6. Web site: Open Contracting & Procurement Analytics Development Gateway. www.developmentgateway.org. en. 2019-12-13. 2019-12-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20191213005025/https://www.developmentgateway.org/expertise/contracting. dead.
7. Web site: Agriculture Development Gateway. www.developmentgateway.org. en. 2019-12-13.
8. Web site: Expertise . Development Gateway . May 19, 2016.
9. Web site: About . Development Gateway . May 19, 2016.
10. Web site: IREX and Development Gateway announce strategic partnership IREX. 2021-10-18. www.irex.org. en.
11. Web site: 2021-10-18. Development Gateway and IREX Announce a Strategic Partnership – Development Gateway – Data and digital solutions for international development.. 2021-10-18. Development Gateway.
12. Center for Global Development “Following the money: Toward better tracking of global health resources.” May 2007
13. Chen Chao “Development Gateway – A place to put knowledge and Ideas Together” May 27, 2002 China Internet Information Center http://www.china.org.cn/english/2002/May/33306.htm
14. https://web.archive.org/web/20020613190034/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-05/28/content_412214.htm Xinhua “China Joins the Development Gateway Foundation” May 28, 2002
15. Kanani, Rahim. "Aleem Walji of the World Bank Institute's Innovation Team on the Future of International Development" Huffington Post. May 5, 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rahim-kanani/aleem-walji-of-the-world-_b_858249.html