Timor Data Transparency: Endline Report

The evaluation was based on a larger sample and a complex set of treatments, but due to significant challenges in surveying endline respondents, the resulting sample was too small to produce definitive results. The Data Uptake Evaluation in Timor-Leste was designed to identify which activities successfully promoted greater use of geocoded aid information by policymakers. The evaluation built on the Timor-Leste Data Use Assessment conducted by AidData in February 2016, which aimed to assess the challenges to and opportunities for data use by development stakeholders in Timor-Leste. Based on the findings of this assessment, AidData identified three interventions for implementation in Timor-Leste: outreach and awareness raising, data analysis training, and provision of offline access to geocoded aid data. To test the effectiveness of these interventions, a randomized impact evaluation was attempted in Timor-Leste. The study focused on the use of geocoded aid information within the Aid Transparency Portal (ATP) managed by the Ministry of Finance Development Partnership Management Unit (DPMU). The population of interest for this study was development professionals that participate in decisions regarding the design, coordination, and implementation of development projects within government line ministries, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), donor partners (DPs), and implementing partners (IPs) in Timor-Leste. The treatments included a randomly assigned video treatment during the baseline survey, two-day trainings hosted by Development Gateway, and a newsletter about data available in the ATP. Development Gateway hosted four data training sessions for policymakers between Fall 2016 and Fall 2017, but the attendance rate was lower than anticipated, with only 35 people attending the trainings. The team also delivered informational newsletters via email and by hand to 65 randomly selected sub-sample of the respondents. Data collection occurred between August and October 2017 in Dili, Timor-Leste. The survey was designed to gather information on a respondent's background, job, data needs, data usage, and their social networks. The baseline also had a lab-in-the-field component that asked respondents to allocate funds to water projects in Timor-Leste districts. The survey firm collected 72 surveys over 2 months before the survey was ended. Survey summary statistics showed that 67% of survey respondents were male, while 33% were women. Most of the respondents were between the ages of 30-50, and approximately 50% of the respondents had completed a master's degree. Respondents worked in a variety of fields, including agriculture, education, banking, and business. The endline respondents were split between senior (44%) and mid-level (56%) positions. Respondents indicated that they lean towards agreeing that donor coordination has been effective in Timor-Leste, with a majority of respondents weighting its effectiveness as a 6, 7, or 8 on a scale of 0 to 10. Respondents also agreed that the government of Timor-Leste has been effective in improving the welfare of Timorese, with a majority of respondents weighting its effectiveness as a 6, 7, or 8 on a scale of 0 to 10. Respondents agreed slightly less that donors have been effective in improving the welfare of Timor, but still leaned towards agreeing.