122 SHARING KNOWLEDGE21,000 project sites, representing $6 billionin donor commitments. The Ministrypledged to make and keep the data opento enable broad access by a host of users.Madhu Kumar Marasini, InternationalEconomic Cooperation and CoordinationDivision Chief and Joint Finance Secretary,remarked that “this openness will not onlystrengthen accountability in foreign aidmobilisation, but also provide additionalopportunities to make aid more effective”.At the same time, donors like the AfricanDevelopment Bank (AfDB) and the AsianDevelopment Bank have embedded geocodinginto their internal processes and arenow publishing this geocoded data to IATI.Third, citizens, public officials andscholars must have mapping tools tovisualise and make sense of the data. InNepal, AidData and Esri, a company thatsupplies geographic information systemsoftware, integrated a mapping feature intothe existing government Aid ManagementPlatform, enabling a broad user base toexplore the data.Appealing to a global audience, AidDatalaunched the AidData.org platform to lowerthe barriers to data exploration with easyto-usetools to explore research questions,create maps and visualisations, and sharecreations and insights. Flashy tools andtechnology bring data to life, but buildingthe capacity for more people to makemeaning from it, from the civil societygroup in a remote village to a policy-makerin the capital city of a developing country, iscritical and often overlooked.As such, sparking uptake and sustaineduse of data is the final frontier of the datarevolution. From Open Data Bootcampshosted by the World Bank, to hackathonsin tech hubs around the world, there is agrowing focus on building data literacy.Infomediaries and data journalists havethe potential to reach more peopleby transforming raw data into stories,visualisations and analysis.One innovative model that holdspromise is Code4Kenya, which embedstech-savvy fellows and developers inmedia and civil society organisations, withpromising early wins, like the ‘Find MySchool’ application for comparing primaryThe African Development Bank’s MapAfrica site (http://mapafrica.afdb.org) displays the subnational locations ofall the bank’s investments in AfricaOverlay of education project locations with district literacy rates in Nepal’s Aid Management Platform(http://portal.mof.gov.np)The AidData portal (www.aiddata.org) enables users to view project locations alongside key developmentindicators, such as the locations of various donor health projects overlaid with infant mortality rates in Indonesiaschool performance. We need to seedmore creative, grassroots approaches likeCode4Kenya to make data relevant anduseful to local organisations and citizens.Spurring and sustaining demand forbroad data use will not be an easy process.Citizens and communities need toexperience first-hand how data can helpthem engage in dialogue about prioritiesand further their own developmentagendas. If information is to be relevantit needs to be closer to the lives, needsand aspirations of citizens. This is wheremore granular, local information is afoundational piece to the success of thedata revolution.As donors and governments investheavily in the ‘supply side’ by openingup and creating vast stores of new data,devoting equal attention to kindlingsustained demand and capacity for use ofthese data will be crucial.GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS 2014
SPONSORED FEATUREFrom MDG 1 to 8, ISAGEN’sgoal is to contribute to prosperityFrom its creation, ISAGEN opted for values that marked its commitmentto corporate sustainability in the energy sector. The Company definedits clear objective of contributing to economic growth focused onenvironmental and social issues, all of which require conviction, persistence,coherence and team work. Therefore, making official its commitment tothe UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ratified its focus on thewellbeing of its society stakeholders, recognising that all of them are core tosuccessfully accomplishing any of its undertakings.The Company is still firm in this conviction, setting new challengesaligned with the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact and other globalinitiatives, reflecting its willingness to work in coordination with others forreal contribution to create shared value. Examples of this approach are thefinancial results and sustainability practices that led to its inclusion in theDow Jones sustainability stock market indices and Global Compact 100.“This is an acknowledgement, both from national and internationalmarkets, that our decision to work towards sustainability and decisivelydirecting our actions to the top goal of generating intelligent energy andprosperity for society is the right path to follow in the future,” says LuisFernando Rico Pinzón, General Manager.For each MDG, this Company has programmes and activities in place fortheir fulfilment, including some of the following:1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hungerISAGEN is committed to the communities in the area of influence of itspower plants and projects, through social management that goes beyondlegal obligations. It fosters productive projects aimed at self-management●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Third power generator in Colombia.16.97% share in the National Interconnected System.2.212 megawatts (MW) installed capacity, 1,912 MW hydraulic,and 300 MW thermal.Develops hydroelectric and renewable energy sources.Commercialises power to wholesalers and large industrialconsumers, for joint development of energy efficiency programmes.Listed in Colombian Stock Exchange.Belongs to various initiatives and sustainability indices.dynamics, investing in education and food security programmes. Further,it supports local suppliers and social projects and offers its employees fairworking conditions.2. Achieve universal elementary educationThe Company intends to contribute to improvement of education qualityin the areas of influence of its power plants and generation projects. To thisend, it provides school supply packages, supports physical infrastructureand libraries, environmental education and other training programmes.Thanks to its alliance with ICETEX, the state agency for promotion of highereducation, it benefits low-income university students through soft creditsand sustainment subsidies. ISAGEN, likewise, supports education of itsemployees’ children through financial aids for grammar, high-school andhigher education.3. Promote gender equality and women’s autonomyISAGEN is committed to gender equality, guaranteeing the nondiscriminationprinciple and executing initiatives that contribute to thedevelopment of its employees in their personal, family and workingenvironment.4, 5 and 6. Reducing child mortality, improving maternal health andcombating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseasesISAGEN promotes productive projects aimed at reducing poverty among itscommunities; supports education and food security programmes; promotesreproductive health, AIDS prevention, and treatment of some tropicaldiseases; and participates in development of health brigades.7. Guarantee environmental sustainabilityISAGEN implements environmental management policies at a strategiclevel related to the development of renewable energy sources, reductionand compensation of its carbon footprint, and provision of energy efficiencyservices for its clients. It develops programmes for an Integral Managementof Water Resources to promote sustainable and productive use of water inthe country. In addition, through the Environmental Management System,it identifies, assesses, prevents, controls, mitigates and compensates theenvironmental impact associated with power generation, thus ensuringcompliance with applicable legal requirements and supplementarycommitments accepted.8. Promote global association for developmentISAGEN participates in global initiatives to promote sustainable humandevelopment, namely Global Compact, Water Mandate, Caring forClimate, Business for Peace, among others. It further supports socialprojects intended for achievement of MDGs by training local and regionalcommunications media, making communities aware of the relevance ofachieving these goals in the year 2015.Additional information on ISAGEN’s sustainability undertaking is available in its2013 Management Report. See: www.isagen.com.co/informe-de-gestion/2013/