Validation
Assessing progress in meeting the EITI Standard
The EITI holds all implementing countries to the same global standard. Through Validation, the EITI’s quality assurance mechanism, implementing countries are assessed on their performance in meeting the requirements of the EITI Standard and efforts to address key governance challenges.
Validation promotes learning and dialogue, providing countries with an opportunity to communicate progress and identify areas for improvement. It captures stakeholder views and allows countries to highlight their perspectives on the effectiveness and sustainability of their EITI implementation. It also acknowledges that countries have different starting points and face diverse challenges in implementing the EITI. By maintaining rigour while accounting for country contexts, Validation provides a clear and robust assessment of how EITI implementation is driving change.
Validation explained
Learn more about the revised Validation model and how country performance is assessed.
How Validation works
Validation scores
Through Validation, EITI implementing countries are assessed on their performance in meeting the requirements of the 2023 EITI Standard. These are grouped under three components: Stakeholder engagement, Outcomes and impact and Transparency. Countries are also recognised for their efforts to strengthen the effectiveness and sustainability of their EITI implementation.
- Stakeholder engagement: This component assesses EITI Requirements 1.1 to 1.4, namely the participation of constituencies and multi-stakeholder oversight throughout the EITI process.
- Transparency: This component assesses EITI Requirements 2 to 6, namely whether the country meets the disclosure requirements of the EITI Standard.
- Outcomes and impact: This component assesses EITI Requirements 7 and 1.5, namely on progress in addressing national priorities and public debate.
Requirement scores
Each EITI Requirement receives a fixed score out of 100, based on six categories of progress. The average of these scores determines the component score.
For subsequent Validations, if a country makes incremental improvements on a requirement but does not reach the next category of progress, it may receive an additional 10 points (e.g. “Good score with improvements” = 80 points).
Component and overall score
Each component receives a score out of 100, based on the average of requirement scores within that component. The overall score is calculated as an average of the three component scores, plus up to three extra points for effectiveness and sustainability.
Extra points for effectiveness and sustainability
Countries may earn up to three extra points for using EITI implementation to address core and enabling priorities, in line with the EITI’s strategic priorities:
- Core priorities: Addressing corruption, strengthening domestic resource mobilisation and/or informing the energy transition.
- Enabling priorities: Promoting inclusive governance, improving data access and use and/or using the EITI as a monitoring and learning tool to improve extractive sector policy and governance.
These extra points are added to the average of the three component scores to calculate the overall score.
Frequency and consequences of Validation
A country’s overall score determines the time until its next Validation. If a country receives a “Poor” or “Very poor” overall score, it may be temporarily suspended. A country may be delisted if it fails to make progress in two subsequent Validations or targeted assessments.
Mid-term monitoring
If a country receives a “Poor” or “Very poor” score on any EITI Requirement(s), those requirements will be reviewed halfway to the next scheduled Validation, regardless of the overall score. This mechanism helps ensure the country is on track in addressing corrective actions. Where the overall score is “Limited” or below, requirements assessed as “Limited” will also be subject to mid-term monitoring.
Stakeholder engagement
If a country scores “Poor” or “Very poor” on stakeholder engagement requirements (1.1, 1.2 and 1.3), it will be temporarily suspended. If it receives a “Limited” score on these requirements, the EITI Board will agree corrective actions that the country must addressed within a set timeframe to avoid suspension.
Targeted assessments
The EITI Board may initiate a targeted assessment in response to concerns over alleged breaches of the EITI Principles and/or EITI Requirements, including severe breaches of the EITI’s civil society protocol, lack of government engagement, or functional challenges within the country’s multi-stakeholder group that hinder its effective operation.
Targeted assessments do not replace regular Validations and should only be undertaken in exceptional circumstances, as agreed by the EITI Board.
History of Validation
Validation was first introduced in 2006, and countries were assessed as “candidate” or “compliant”. In 2016, a new Validation system was implemented whereby countries received an overall assessment as well as assessments on individual requirements of the EITI Standard, i.e. "outstanding progress", “satisfactory progress”, “meaningful progress”, “inadequate progress” and “no progress”.
In April 2021, a new Validation model was introduced, as agreed by the EITI Board in December 2020. The revised model, underpinned by an extensive consultation process, was designed to maintain a rigorous approach to Validation, while ensuring that EITI implementation responds to national priorities.
In March 2025, the Validation model was refined to better capture country progress and impact, informed by stakeholder feedback and lessons learned from 44 Validations since 2021. It introduced improved scoring, mid-term monitoring and stronger recognition for efforts to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of EITI implementation.
Validation explained
Learn more about the revised Validation model and how country performance is assessed.