If knowledge is power, then ensuring access to information is a vital step in empowering civil society to participate in the policy making process. Creating an environment where information, both political and economic, is widely available is also the key to fostering a citizenry that will hold elected officials and economic agents accountable to the public. Without mechanisms that allow for the diffusion of information, individuals cannot effectively participate in democratic processes or be successful actors in any market economy.
A new toolkit from CIPE discusses important elements surrounding access to information and provides a number of examples of how partners have worked to build institutions that allow for greater sharing of knowledge. In addition, the publication identifies core objectives in the field of access to information in an effort to guide the design of information programs. Covering topics such as legal structures like freedom of information laws and alternative sources of information, the toolkit seeks to share key practices and lessons to improve the performance of such programs.
Frank Stroker is Research Assistant at CIPE.
