hola, Helen & Toby :) at #7--"Undertake robust promotional measures including significant publicity and training for all officials" (possibly even at #4--"Provide RTI training to officials including all information officers and key central officials") i'd include special training for judges and prosecutors:
--judges need to be trained on RTI, in order to adjudicate rather in favor of the requesters, as most laws place a higher concern with the right of access, rather than the right of hiding, classifying, or otherwise hindering access--hence, i'd include training for judges, to make sure they know what are the most usual subterfuges employed by institutions in their culture of opacity; --prosecutors need to be trained on RTI, in order to discriminate negligence in offering access to information from outright criminal intent to hide information from public scrutiny--i'd include training for prosecutors, so they'd know what's an abusive classification order, what's the applicable penalty, and so on... such course of action might effect genuine, positive changes at #9--"Review and amend secrecy laws," based on practical observations from the courts, which means they'd get a lot of weight in front of a reluctant executive and/or legislature ;) oh, before i forget, at #6--"Each public authority puts in place core implementation systems including for processing requests and appeals, and reporting," i would stress the importance of the public interest test, as advocated by Article19 or as explained on the website of the slovenian commissioner :) hope this helps :) cheers! --Codru === codruvrabie.blogspot.com/ GSM: +4-072-355-2180 =============================================== Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. --Malcolm S. Forbes On Fri, Jul 19, 2013 at 5:44 PM, Helen Darbishire <he...@access-info.org>wrote: > Dear FOIAnet friends**** > > **** > > We are asking for your input into and seeking comments on a short piece on > access to information and open government, prepared by Access Info > Europe<http://www.access-info.org/>and Centre > for Law and Democracy <http://www.law-democracy.org/>. **** > > ** ** > > The document, attached, with summary below, contains 4 steps for > progressively improving national right to information regimes. It will be > part of the updated Opening Government Report by the Transparency and > Accountability Initiative <http://www.transparency-initiative.org/> in > the context of the Open Government Partnership (OGP). Maya Forstater who > is working on this is in copy. **** > > **** > > The goal of the text is to map out progressively advanced steps for > recognising and implementing the right to information. It will be used to > help guide the action plans of OGP participating states.**** > > **** > > We are looking for comments on whether there is anything which is not > clear or which you feel we have overlooked or missed.**** > > In terms of the order of the steps, this has been the hardest bit and we > would really appreciate comments on it. **** > > **** > > Thanks in advance for your rapid input in enriching this document. We > don’t have a specific timeframe but quick comments in the coming week (by > 27 July) would be especially welcome.**** > > ** ** > > With best regards**** > > **** > > Helen Darbishire, Access Info Europe**** > > Toby Mendel, Centre for Law and Democracy **** > > **** > > **** > *Right to Information - FOR COMMENTS***** > > *Initial steps***** > > **** > > *Adopt an RTI law** which recognises access as a fundamental right and > meets international standards.**** > > *Publish significant information on a proactive basis* including core > information about government.**** > > *Put in place core institutional structures for implementation*(information > officers, central internal focal point and oversight body).**** > > *Provide RTI training to officials *including all information officers > and key central officials.**** > > *More substantial steps***** > > **** > > *Undertake robust proactive publication measures *including providing > most databases and holding consultations to test and refine this action.** > ** > > *Each public authority puts in place core implementation systems *including > for processing requests and appeals, and reporting.**** > > *Undertake robust promotional measures *including significant publicity > and training for all officials.**** > > *Most robust steps***** > > * ***** > > *Bring RTI law and practice fully into line with highest international > standards*.**** > > *Review and amend secrecy laws.***** > > *Extend promotion** *to include monitoring and evaluation systems and > regular surveys and consultations.**** > > *Enhance proactive measures** *including standardised websites and > updating key databases in real time.**** > > Innovative step**** > > *Implement transparency by design *fully incorporating IT to enhance RTI.* > *** > > * ***** > > ** *OGP eligibility criteria**** > > **** > > ** ** >
