Both the DFI Transparency Tool and the DFI Transparency Index were developed as part of Publish What You Fund’s DFI Transparency Initiative. The initiative was a multi-stakeholder research and advocacy project that aimed to improve the transparency of DFIs. We researched the state of DFI transparency and opportunities for improvement between November 2019 and November 2021. The initiative identified the need for sustainable products that would facilitate and encourage enduring change over time.

The DFI Transparency Tool has two functions. First, it is intended to provide granular guidance to DFIs about the types of information that a range of stakeholders value and that should therefore be disclosed, based on their obligations as publicly owned entities that manage and disburse public money. Second, it forms the basis of assessments of the transparency of DFIs (the DFI Transparency Index).

The DFI Transparency Index measures, assesses, and ranks the transparency of leading DFIs against a set of indicators that are informed by the research behind the DFI Transparency Tool.