Posts Tagged ‘transparency research’
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11 September 2013
CIMA Report Makes Suggestions for Improving FOI Implementation
Many freedom of information are “exemplary on paper” but “poorly implemented,” according to a new report that offers a variety of recommendations aimed at “breathing life” into FOI laws. Authors Craig L. LaMay, Robert J. Freeman and Richard N. Winfield aim to provide a list of “practical” suggestions in the 55-page report was sponsored by […]
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16 August 2013
FOI Notes: Surveillance, Research, Model OGP; U.S., EU, Australia
Human Rights and Communications Surveillance: Access, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Privacy International are leading a new initiative focused on disseminating new international principles around human rights and communications surveillance.”Called the International Principles on the Application of Human Rights to Communications Surveillance, approximately 100 NGOs from around the world have already shown support and many of […]
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5 August 2013
FOI Notes: Research, Contest, U.S. Aid, Employment
Research: Transparency is the topic of seven articles in the July issue of Development Policy Review. The “Gaps and Conclusions” section of the first article, by John Gaventa and Rosemary McGee , says: While the evidence base on accountability and transparency may be underdeveloped, this does not mean that either it or TAIs themselves are […]
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5 August 2013
Harvard Awarded $8.1 Million for Transparency Research
Harvard University researchers have been awarded $8.1 million for a five-year project to research the impact of community transparency and accountability initiatives on health and other social sector outcomes, beginning in Indonesia and Tanzania. The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University announced that it […]
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24 July 2013
Most Chinese Cities Rank Low on Fiscal Transparency
A university study has concluded that most Chinese cities have weak fiscal transparency, according to an article in China Daily. Eighty-four percent of the cities, or 243, scored below 100 on a 243 point scale, according to the study by the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University. It included four parts, with […]
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8 July 2013
FOIAnet Publishes Report Assessing RTI Globally
A comprehensive assessment of the right to information movement around the world was published July 8 by the Freedom of Information Advocates Network (FOIAnet). Chapters on seven regions combine historical overviews with evaluations the current situation. The 90-page report, written by veteran advocates, details the varied and similar experiences of civil society advocates, and sometimes includes recommendations for […]
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3 July 2013
Study Correlates FOI Laws, Lower Level of Corruption
A new study finds that nations with long-standing freedom of information laws tend to have a lower incidence of corruption than those without FOI laws. Edson Tandoc, Jr., a doctoral candidate in the Missouri School of Journalism in the United States, also found that the corruption is not reduced by having a good FOI law. […]
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21 June 2013
FOI Notes: Open Contracting, Commentary, Grants, Research, etc
Open Contracting: The Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) announces a set of open contracting principles. Dennis Santiago, Executive Director of the Government Procurement Policy Board of the Philippines and OCP steering group member, is quoted: Transparency and Openness of government transactions are best manifested through the procurement information and contract data sets they make available to the public. However, […]
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23 May 2013
FOI Notes: New Book on African ATI; Open Data; UK
Africa: The ATI committee of the African Network of Constitutional Lawyers has a new publication: “Access to information in Africa. Law, Culture and Practice,” edited by Fatima Diallo, African Studies Centre, Leiden, and Richard Calland, University of Cape Town. Published by BRILL. The chapters and authors are: 1. The State of the Art and the […]
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17 May 2013
Brazil’s New Access Law Underperforming: Article 19
One out of three requests for information under the one-year-old Brazilian law were not responded to, according to a new study by Article 19 (English and Portuguese). Satisfactory answers were received 44 percent of the time, the group reported. In addition, it said, the quality of the information supplied was poor, often containing partial information. […]
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17 May 2013
Revenue Watch Issues Index on Resource Transparency
Eighty percent of the nations responsible for most of the world’s oil, gas and minerals production lack adequate transparency and accountability standards, according to a new index from Revenue Watch Institute. Out of all 58 countries covered by the Resource Governance Index, 47 countries failed to meet satisfactory levels, the group said. See the downloads […]
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16 May 2013
OGP Seeks Researchers on 39 Country Action Plans
The Open Government Partnership’s “Independent Reporting Mechanism” (IRM) is looking for researchers in 39 countries to carry out evaluations of national action plans. The IRM is now accepting applications for researchers in the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, […]
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26 April 2013
Monitoring Study Finds Poor Response Rates in Italy
The largest-ever audit of how responsive the Italian government is to requests for information has delivered an answer: “extremely low.” The study was jointly conducted by Diritto Di Sapere and Access-Info Europe. Some 300 requests were filed, but less than one quarter of the requests resulted in information being provided. “Only 27% of requests led […]
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19 April 2013
FI Notes: India, Aid Transparency, Open Data
India: “The Right to Information Act in India: The Turbid World of Transparency Reforms,” a doctoral thesis by Prashant Sharma, of the Department of International Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science. “My thesis investigates the enactment of the Indian RTI Act in 2005 through a political economy lens, locating it within […]
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11 March 2013
Obama Praised, Criticized in New Report on Transparency
The Obama administration is complimented and chastised in a new report on the transparency of his first four years in office. “With the notable, glaring exception of national security, the open government policy platform the Obama administration built is strong. However, the actual implementation of open government policies within federal agencies has been inconsistent and, […]
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8 March 2013
Plans Hatched to Examine Transparency, Accountability
The creation of a “community of practice” around transparency and accountability is a major goal stemming from a meeting of “an enthusiastic group of funders, civil society organizations, and researchers from all over the world,” according to the convening body, the London-based Transparency and Accountability Initiative (T/AI). Attention will be focused on how to make […]
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4 March 2013
Open Data Day Expands Entries in Data Census
The Open Data Census, an almost one-year-old project of the Open Knowledge Foundation, has been increased in size and scope, now including datasets from 25 cities as well as 48 countries, plus rankings. The census was promoted around the recent Open Data Day 2013 activities and expanded by volunteer contributors who use the data submission […]
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22 February 2013
FOI Notes: Open Data Census, Research, Legislatures, OGP, Bedbugs
Open Data Census: A blog post by Rufus Pollack, founder and co-director of the Open Knowledge Foundation also includes a description of a developing effort to create a single overall ranking, an Open Data Index. Pollack also writes about how progress in open government data “is not (just) about the number of datasets being released. […]
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25 January 2013
FOI Notes: Studies, Ratings, Mentorship, Open Data, Reports, Surveys, Video
Open Government Guide Revision: The Transparency & Accountability Initiative (T/AI) is updating the 2011 Opening Government Guide which has multiple chapters describing good practices in transparency, accountability and citizen participation across a wide range of open government areas. Feedback on the original guide is being sought via a very short survey here goo.gl/SxcAX . To give […]
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10 January 2013
FOI Notes: Chile, Social Media, FOI Journalism, Open Data, Social Media, China, Aid Transparency
Chile: Chilean journalists think there´s more transparency in Chile now, but there still are institutions that are very slow to provide the answers. Almost 500 Chilean journalists participated in a survey (in Spanish) by the National Press Association (Asociación Nacional de la Prensa “ANP”) about the state of the access to public information, according to a […]