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okfn
by okfn

mcp_iati_file_overview

Summarize the configured IATI file: total activities, reporting organizations, recipient countries, default currencies, and transaction totals by type and currency. Get an overview of aid data.

Instructions

Summarise the contents of the configured IATI file.

    Use this tool for general questions such as what the file contains,
    how many activities it has, which organisations report them, which
    recipient countries and currencies appear, and how much financial
    activity is reported.

    Financial totals are kept separate by transaction type and currency.
    The result includes:
    - Total number of activities.
    - Reporting organisations and their activity counts.
    - Recipient countries and their activity counts.
    - Default currencies used by activities.
    - Transaction totals by type and currency.

    Relevant IATI terms:
    - IATI activity: A development or cooperation intervention published under the IATI standard; it can represent a project, a programme or another unit of work.
  • Reporting organisation: Organisation responsible for publishing and maintaining an activity's data; not necessarily the one funding or implementing the project.

  • Recipient country or region: Country (ISO code) or supra-national DAC region that receives the intended benefits of an activity. May include a percentage when the activity is split across several territories.

  • Transaction: Financial operation associated with an IATI activity, identified by its type, date, value and currency.

  • Transaction type: Code indicating the nature of a financial operation: incoming funds, commitment, disbursement, expenditure, interest payment, loan repayment, reimbursement, purchase or sale of equity, credit guarantee, incoming commitment, or outgoing/incoming pledge.

  • Transaction value: Amount of an individual transaction, expressed in the currency stated on the value or, if unspecified, in the activity's default currency.

  • Default currency: Currency declared for an activity and used whenever a financial value does not explicitly specify another currency.

  • Commitment: Financial obligation undertaken to provide funds to an activity; it does not necessarily represent a payment already made.

  • Disbursement: Transfer of funds from a provider organisation to a receiver organisation to finance an activity.

  • Expenditure: Use of funds to purchase goods or services related to an activity; not a synonym of disbursement.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault

No arguments

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
forceNoPlain text message that bypasses LLM processing and should be printed exactly as provided in the user interface.
tableNoTwo-dimensional list (list of rows) representing tabular data, e.g., from CSV or TSV sources. Each row should be a list of cell values.
chartsNoList of dictionaries containing data and configuration for rendering a Chart.js chart in the chat interface.
sourcesYesURL(s) that users can nagivate to to download the data used for the analysis. E.g., landing page, feed, file endpoint, CKAN resource page, etc.
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

With no annotations, the description carries the transparency burden and largely fulfills it by detailing exactly what the summary includes and clarifying IATI-specific semantics. It does not explicitly state that the tool has no side effects, but 'Summarise' and the read-only nature of an overview make this reasonably clear.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is front-loaded with a practical summary and usage guidance before the longer glossary. The glossary is lengthy but earns its place by defining IATI terms that an agent would otherwise need to infer, though some definitions could be trimmed without harming understanding.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a zero-parameter overview tool with an output schema, the description is complete: it states the tool's purpose, the types of questions to route to it, the full list of returned aggregates, and the domain vocabulary needed to interpret them. Nothing essential is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The tool takes zero parameters, so there is no parameter detail for the description to add. The baseline of 4 applies, and the description wisely spends its space clarifying the output and domain terms instead.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description opens with a clear verb and resource: 'Summarise the contents of the configured IATI file.' It enumerates the exact questions the tool answers and the output categories, making its scope unmistakable and distinct from sibling search, filtering, and totals-by-dimension tools.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It explicitly says 'Use this tool for general questions such as...' and lists representative queries, giving an agent clear selection criteria. It does not name alternatives or state when not to use it, but the general-questions framing strongly differentiates it from more specific sibling tools.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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