Data about national right to information systems is weak and widely varied, according to a World Bank report unveiled Sept. 10, and there’s a need for “a global dialogue on reporting standards.”
“It is very import to get the information so you can improve the process if it is not working,” said Stephanie E. Trapnell, a Bank specialist in open government and accountability, at a webinar (recording).
The data on requests and how they are handled “is spotty” with “great variation in what is available how it is available,” she said, based on an examination of eight countries (South Africa, the United States, Thailand, Jordan, India, Mexico, Brazil and the United Kingdom).
Most countries provide access to the total numbers of requests, the number granted, the number refused (with varied categories), the number outstanding and the number transferred to other agencies, according to Trapnell, who summarized the report during a webinar.
The eight countries had varied numbers of requests (24,00 to 680,000) but the per capita request rate is about the same, less than one percent of the population submit requests.
More than half of the requests are granted (55 percent to 85 percent).
Less than 15 percent of the refusals are based on exemptions, according the research, which relied solely on government data. Country information managements systems are inadequate.
Most countries don’t report the timeliness of responses, Trapnell reported.
Only two of the countries, Brazil and Mexico, collect information about the type of information sought or about the requesters. There seemed to be no pattern for the type of agency being asked for information.
Appeals Data Also Poor
Regarding appeals, information is also lacking, the report documents.
The percentage of refusals that are appealed ranged from 2 percent (US) to 66 percent (Mexico). The rate of refusals being upheld ranged from 12 percent (Thailand) to 89 percent (South Africa).
Only India records information about sanctions applied against individuals, the report says. Not all of the countries’ laws include sanctions.
Overall, the data is “far from complete or standard,” Trapnell said, making the information “difficult to standardize.” She said the advent of online portals is helping with tracking and provide better data.
Weekly seminars on access to information are going to held, with the next one planned for Sept. 18 with Gilbert Sendugwa, Coordinator of the African Freedom of Information Centre, as the guest.
Another event featuring a Bank report is scheduled for Nov. 17 on the topic of a comparative case study analysis of 12 countries “that identifies key drivers of effectiveness in RTI system implementation.”
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