This is a report of the findings from a learning focused evaluation of Publish What You Pay’s (PWYP) innovative Data Extractors’ (DE) programme. The programme, supported by the Omidyar Network, the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) and Oxfam Denmark, was a direct response to the
publication of the first mandatory disclosure (‘payments to governments’) reports in Norway, the EU and Canada.
PWYP aimed to develop the capacity of its members to access, analyse and use mandatory disclosure and other data from individual research projects in their campaigns. 23 participants took part in 2 year-long courses involving a combination of face to face workshops and remote mentoring. The programme took a learning by doing approach to enable participants to uncover discrepancies and interesting stories that could then be packaged and communicated in case studies among other formats. Face to face meetings were intended to develop connections and peer support between participants. They also aimed to encourage collaborative projects between members from the Global North and members in resource rich countries in the Global South. In addition, PWYP had a scaling aim. Programme designers hoped that the Data Extractors would gain sufficient knowledge and skills to take up the training baton, contributing to a small but active data community within the PWYP coalition.