UNDP Oslo Governance Centre

The right to information is fundamental in bolstering democratic principles of openness, transparency and accountability in societies and in eradicating poverty and is therefore a programming priority for UNDP. This Guide complements the Practical Guidance Note on Right to Information, which provided guidance on approaches for designing and implementing programmes in this area. It builds on this knowledge, and focuses on the monitoring and evaluation of those programmes, paying particular attention to the use of appropriate indicators, including gender and pro-poor indicators. It outlines the basic principles of programme evaluation, but concentrates on assessing outcomes. It outlines four broad areas of right to information that must be considered in any context for a thorough evaluation. These are: (1) the legal regime for the right to information; (2) the implementation of right to information legislation by government; (3) the use of right to information by the general public and civil society; and (4) the use of right to information by marginalised group. It then suggests questions for each area, and derives from these typical baseline assessment features, outputs and outcomes.

In the last decade, governments around the world have become increasingly more open. By 2003, over 50 countries had comprehensive laws to facilitate access to official information and more are enacting such legislation. Governments increasingly recognize the importance of access to information for enhancing democratic engagement, building confidence in government institutions and strengthening their credibility and effectiveness. However, in many States, including democracies, people are still routinely denied access to information that should be in the public domain. Only 30 of the countries in which UNDP is present have laws requiring the disclosure of government records. This Practical Guidance Note aims to heighten awareness and knowledge within UNDP country offices (COs) on right to information generally and right to information legislation specifically, assist COs by providing practical information and guidance for right to information legislation programming, and signpost additional resources, sources of expertise and further reading.

Based on UNDP’s country experience and consultations with selected specialists from European/Nordic donors, international Civil Society Organizations and other multilateral organizations, the Access to Information practice note introduces a conceptual model for access to information. By combining the conceptual model with UNDP’s comparative advantage in this area, four main support areas emerge: (1) Strengthening the legal and regulatory environment for freedom and pluralism in information; (2) Supporting capacity strengthening, networking, and elevation of standards of media at national and local levels to promote the exchange of independent and pluralist information; (3) Raising awareness on rights to official information and strengthening mechanisms to provide and access information; and (4) Strengthening communication mechanisms for vulnerable groups.