UNESCO TRANSPARENCY PORTAL OPEN DATA PLATFORM · IATI
Opening up global education, science, and culture data.
The UNESCO Transparency Portal allows users to explore UNESCO’s projects around the world, as well as overviews of UNESCO’s donors, and where and how funds are spent.
UNESCO
Data Portal Strategy, UI/UX, Dev
React, IATI Standard, Data APIs
2018
Connecting global citizens with global goals.
As a specialized agency of the United Nations, UNESCO is committed to the highest standards of accountability and transparency. They publish detailed financial and operational data in the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) format. However, raw XML files are virtually inaccessible to the general public, researchers, and policymakers.
UNESCO partnered with Zimmerman to design and build a Transparency Portal that transforms this raw data into clear, interactive visual stories—making it possible to track how and where global education, science, and cultural initiatives are funded.
Blending hard data with editorial storytelling.
A purely data-driven dashboard can sometimes lack human context, while a traditional website cannot handle dynamic, real-time funding metrics. UNESCO needed a hybrid solution: a high-performance data explorer capable of querying thousands of IATI activities, seamlessly integrated with a flexible Content Management System (CMS) that allows their communications team to publish news, highlight impact stories, and curate featured projects without relying on developers.
A dual-engine architecture for transparency.
IATI Data Explorer
An interactive interface allowing users to filter UNESCO’s portfolio by region, country, donor, and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
Custom Headless CMS
A bespoke, open-source CMS (github.com/zimmerman-team/UNESCO-CMS) built specifically to give the editorial team full control over the portal’s narrative layer.
Visual Reporting
Beautiful, accessible charts and maps powered by React and Nivo, breaking down complex financial flows into intuitive graphics.
A new standard for UN transparency.
The Transparency Portal had become a cornerstone of UNESCO’s digital presence. It allowed member states, donor organizations, and the general public to confidently track multi-million dollar investments across thousands of projects. The decoupled architecture means the data layer is robust and reliable, while the custom CMS empowers the organization to keep the portal alive with fresh stories of on-the-ground impact.
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