We are excited to announce the full launch of the new FTS website. In the year which has passed since this new FTS site was first released in beta, we have completely redesigned the ageing FTS database to make it fit for the future, and added many of the features which had not yet been available on the beta site. With this launch, we have now switched the new site to the new database infrastructure.
What has changed
The renewal of the FTS technical platform will help us transform how we manage financial data, to actually reflect what happens in the real world.
The new FTS system is based on a "flow model" which allows us to monitor the complexities of interlinked financial flows, the variation in quality and completeness of the data, and the increasing importance of automated and standardised data exchange.
All this will be invaluable in helping the humanitarian community meet the commitments made at the World Humanitarian Summit and through the Grand Bargain. In particular, the new system provides the technical basis to:
- Monitor localisation efforts by tracking pass-through funding to second- and third- level implementers without double-counting.
- Provide more detailed breakdowns of funding, including the use of cash-based assistance, the level of earmarking or management costs.
- Permit organisations to report using the IATI reporting standard.
- Provide clearer and more useful visualisations and analyses of financial data for all types of users.
These changes will not have, by themselves, an immediate impact on the available reports. FTS is only as good as the data it contains, and it will take some time for us to work with our partners and stakeholders to get them to provide information on pass-through funding to implementing partners, earmarking or cash programming.
The old website
The old FTS website has been archived. This means that it is still available, but it is no longer updated. Behind the scenes, all existing data has been transferred to the new database. So all the data which is in the archive is also available on this site. You can visit the archive at ftsarchive.unocha.org.
Learn how to use the new site
We have developed a comprehensive set of hands-on tutorials which explain the website's new features. The FTS team will also be holding a series of training sessions during the following weeks, in which internal and external users are welcome to participate.
In the meantime, you can also visit the Guide on how to navigate this site.
Help us improve
The FTS team is standing by to receive your feedback. The first few weeks after the switch may well bring to light some bugs or user issues, which the team is ready to address as quickly as possible. There are two primary communications channels through which you can provide feedback, report any issues or make suggestions for improvements:
- Use the 'Help Us Improve' link which is on the right hand side of every page on the new FTS site. To be extra helpful, be as specific as possible.
- Write us an email at fts@un.org.
Our guarantee
Everything that you expect to find on FTS, including all of the functions of the old site as well as many new features, is accessible through the new site - but with a fresh, modern design and ready-made charts and visualizations available for you to download and use. As it has done for 25 years, FTS will carry on providing the continuously updated, near-real time picture of global humanitarian aid flows our users expect.