This proposal has now been incorporated into a version 2.02 code repositories (see the above GitHub issueslinks for technical details). The relevant page on a development version of the 2.02 reference and documentation site are available to view for the planned-disbursement, planned-disbursement/period-start and planned-disbursement/period-end, planned-disbursement/provider-org and planned-disbursement/receiver-org elements.

We welcome scrutiny on the implementation of this proposal and encourage the community to feedback and suggest solutions for any errors, omissions and problems. This should be done before Monday 7 December, when the process will commence to release version 2.02 as a live version of the IATI Standard. More information on the inspection phase is available here.

In most cases this is superfluous as the meaning is clear, but I can see no harm in adding these as optional elements to be used where multiple funders or multiple recipients are present.

This proposal has been discussed amongst the IATI Technical Team following the end of the initial suggestion phase of the v2.02 upgrade.

The IATI Technical Team support this proposal.  Further updates on work towards the practical implementation of this proposal into the version 2.02 of the IATI standard will be posted as part of this thread.

Please see below for the technical implementation that is suggested in the Version 2.02 - Formal Proposal:

New elements: planned-disbursement/provider-org & planned-disbursement/receiver-org

• Add new elements with planned-disbursement in the activity standard: provider-org and receiver-org

• Example

• Existing
  <planned-disbursement type="1">
    …
  </planned-disbursement>

• Proposed
  <planned-disbursement type="1">
    ...
    <provider-org provider-activity-id="BB-BBB-123456789-1234AA" ref="BB-BBB-123456789" type="10">
      <narrative xml:lang="en">Agency B</narrative>
    </provider-org>
    <receiver-org receiver-activity-id="AA-AAA-123456789-1234" ref="AA-AAA-123456789" type="10">
      <narrative xml:lang="en">Agency A</narrative>
    </receiver-org>
  </planned-disbursement>

• Add definitions

Definitions to be in line with appears for provider-org and receiver-org as child elements to the transaction element.

• Add guidance

• Guidance to be in line with what currently appears for provider-org and receiver-org as child elements to the transaction element:
  provider-org: http://iatistandard.org/201/activity-standard/iati-activities/iati-activity/transaction/provider-org/
  reveiver-org: http://iatistandard.org/201/activity-standard/iati-activities/iati-activity/transaction/receiver-org/
  See the proposed v2.02 summary table spreadsheet for full proposed changes.

Schema amendment: planned-disbursement/period-start

• Amend definition to: ‘The exact date of the planned disbursement OR the starting date of the period in which this specific disbursement will be made.’

Schema amendment: planned-disbursement/period-end

Amend definition to: ‘The ending date for the period in which this specific disbursement will be made.’

Guidance amendment: planned-disbursement

• This change will not affect the schema.

• Amend guidance to include:
  ‘The purpose of planned-disbursement is to describe any predefined payment schedule.
  Planned disbursements should relate to an actual transfer of funds.
  Planned disbursements do not replace the activity-budget.’

Guidance addition: planned-disbursement/period-start & planned-disbursement/period-end

• This change will not affect the schema.

• Add guidance

• The period start should define when the actual transfer of funds will take place, if a specific date is known. If the specific payment date is not known, the period in which the transfer is due to take place should be described by using both period-start and period-end dates.

• The timeframe between period-start and period-end should not normally exceed 3 calendar months

This proposal has been added as a GitHub issue, for inclusion in the version 2.02 development branch of the appropriate code repository: 

• Add new elements: planned-disbursement/provider-org & planned-disbursement/receiver-org: https://github.com/IATI/IATI-Schemas/issues/266

• Schema amendment: planned-disbursement/period-start: https://github.com/IATI/IATI-Schemas/issues/267

• Schema amendment: planned-disbursement/period-end: https://github.com/IATI/IATI-Schemas/issues/268

• Guidance amendment: planned-disbursement: https://github.com/IATI/IATI-Extra-Documentation/issues/304

• Guidance addition: planned-disbursement/period-start & planned-disbursement/period-end: https://github.com/IATI/IATI-Extra-Documentation/issues/305

This item has been moved to the '2.02 Decimal Upgrade Proposals' forum for inclusion the upcoming decimal upgrade.