New Book: “Information transparency of public administrations. The right of the people to know and the duty to disseminate public information actively”

By: MIGUEL ANGEL BLANES CLIMENT


A new publication on transparency cites ANSA-EAP website as source. It is authored by Miguel Angel Blanes Climent. He holds a PhD in Law, a lawyer of the Council of Alicante and a legal adviser to the Ombudsman of Valencia, Spain. The new book may be accessed in this link:

http://www.tienda.aranzadi.es/productos/libros/la-transparencia-informativa-de-las-administraciones-publicas/5940/4294967293.

Below he tells us why he wrote the book.

Fulfilling Constitutional Mandate: Involving The Youth in Social Accountability Initiatives

Political Science students listening attentively to the Social Accountability and

Open Contracting lesson.  They will then be required to submit outputs based

on experiences in applying what they have learned.

by Chad Patrick Osorio

Open Contracting (OC) can be viewed both as a strategy and a tool for Social Accountability.  It refers to government disclosure and citizen participation in the public contracting process, from the inception stage and planning to the performance and delivery of contractual obligations, involving constructive engagement between government and citizens in the entire decision-making and implementing process. Its goals are for better facilities and infrastructures, more efficient delivery of goods and services, and the furtherance of the protection of the rights and welfare of the population. In sum, the OC advocacy aims to promote the efficient, effective and economic use of public funds through collaborative efforts of civic engagement.

Clearly, the role of citizens in Open Contracting is essential, as it forms a pillar on which the entire process stands. Citizenry is composed of a number of actors, including organized civil society groups lobbying for common causes, local communities, and various social sectors. One of these key groups is the youth.

Getting to the Heart of the Community: Local procurement monitoring in Mongolia

by Vivien Suerte Cortez and Kristina Aquino (crossposted from the open-contracting.org blog). The post has been adapted for the Open Contracting blog by Sophia Donolo.

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” – Dr. Seuss

Caring about procurement outcomes is what it boils down for all citizen initiatives to monitor public procurement.  We – as citizen monitors – care about how the government delivers its services, and we care about the people who should be receiving these services.