Machine-readable

Information that is presented in a structured way (not free text) that can be read automatically by a computer. Formats such as XML or spreadsheets (Excel, CSV) are machine-readable formats. Traditional word processed documents, HTML and PDF files are easily read by humans but are difficult for machines to interpret.

MAEDI

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development (le Ministère des Affaires Étrangères et du Développement International – French government)

MCC

Millennium Challenge Corporation

MDGs

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development goals that were established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration. All 189 United Nations member states at the time and at least 23 international organizations committed to help achieve these goals.

 

MFA/MOFA

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

MIGA

Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (World Bank)

MINEFI

Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry (le Ministère de l’

MOD

Ministry of Defence (UK government)

MOF

Ministry of Finance

MOFCOM

Ministry of Commerce (China government)

MoU

Memorandum of Understanding

Multilateral institution

Multilateral institutions, such as the World Bank and UNICEF, pool aid from one or more sources for disbursal to different recipients.

NGO

Non-governmental organisation

OAP

Open Aid Partnership

OCHA

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (United Nations)

OECD

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Official Development Assistance (ODA)

Official Development Assistance (ODA) refers to flows to countries and to multilateral institutions which are provided by official agencies to promote the economic development and welfare of developing countries as its main objective. They are concessional in character and convey a grant element of at least 25 per cent (see full definition on OECD DAC website).

Official Development Finance (ODF)

Official Development Finance (ODF) refers to flows to recipient countries, including bilateral ODA, grants, concessional and non-concessional loans by multilateral financial institutions, and Other Official Flows (OOF) for development purposes (see full definition on OECD DAC website).

OGP

Open Government Partnership

OMB

Office of Management and Budget (Executive Office of the U.S. President)

Open license

The legal licence under which information is made available is open if anyone is free to use, reuse, and redistribute the information

Open source

Open source refers to a programme in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge.

OTA

Office of Technical Assistance (U.S. Treasury)

Other Official Flows

Other Official Flows (OOF) are transactions by the official sector with countries which do not meet the conditions for eligibility as ODA, either because they are not primarily aimed at development, or because they have a grant element of less than 25 per cent (see full definition on OECD DAC website).