1 Freedom of Information Frameworks: Using actionable indicators to evaluate design and performance By Stephanie E. Trapnell April 14, 2011 The link between efficient and well-functioning institutions and the economic development of a country has become the core of the good governance effort. Governance as understood in this context refers to the ŵaŶŶeƌ iŶ ǁhiĐh puďliĐ offiĐials aŶd iŶstitutions acquire and exercise the authority to shape public poliĐLJ aŶd pƌoǀide puďliĐ goods aŶd seƌǀiĐes ;Woƌld BaŶk, ϮϬϬϳͿ. The focus on transparency and accountability as a means of improving those processes stems from a belief that well-designed underlying institutional arrangements for particular governance systems, i.e., rules of the game, along with a strengthening of organizational capacity to achieve mandates, can lead to better governance outcomes. This particularly true in combination with regular monitoring of performance and publication of findings, so that citizens and policymakers can be in a position to make informed judgments about how these systems are functioning. Despite the prominence of governance and anti-corruption in the development agenda 1 and the tremendous progress that has been made in measuring governance and corruption 2 , far less effort has been made to systematically collect information on the specific policies and institutions that comprise governance and contribute to the control of corruption. 3 To be sure, significant recent efforts have been made to develop more disaggregated, actionable indicators of particular aspects of governance, and public administration in particular. 4 But gaps remain to be filled. Comprehensive, detailed and regularly updated data on institutional mechanisms for enhancing transparency and accountability of public administrations and public official is still lacking, as is similar information on civil service management institutions. There is increasing demand for a wider range of actionable indicators, with some countries specifically calling for new or better laws in governance areas. This paper will begin with a discussion of aggregate indicators of governance, outlining both advantages and drawbacks to broad measurement approaches. It will then introduce a complementary approach to governance measurement that shifts the focus from broad concepts to actual governance mechanisms, but will also caution against simplistic divisions among types of indicators. Following that will be a 1 “ee, e.g., “tƌeŶgtheŶiŶg BaŶk Gƌoup EŶgageŵeŶt oŶ GoǀeƌŶaŶĐe aŶd AŶtiĐoƌƌuptioŶ ;The Woƌld BaŶk, WashiŶgtoŶ, DC: September 2006); Helping Countries Combat Corruption: The Role of the World Bank (The World Bank, Washington, DC: September 1997); Anticorruption in Transition: Who is Succeeding … and Why? (The World Bank, Washington, DC: 2006); Reforming Public Institutions and Strengthening Governance: A World Bank Strategy (R2000-91) (The World Bank, Washington, DC: November 2000); Mainstreaming Anticorruption Activities in World Bank Assistance – A Review of Progress Since 1997 OED Report No. 29620 (The World Bank, Washington, DC: July 14, 2004). 2 See, e.g., Kaufmann, Daniel, Aart Kraay, and Massiŵo Mastƌuzzi, Governance Matters VIII: Governance Indicators for 1996- 2008 .Transparency International (TI). Global Corruption Report (2003); (2005); (2006). Berlin, Germany: TI. 3 Exceptions are Public Accountability Mechanisms (World Bank) https://www.agidata.org/pam ; Doƌhoi, IoaŶa MoŶiĐa, AŶti- ĐoƌƌuptioŶ “tƌategies aŶd FightiŶg CoƌƌuptioŶ iŶ CeŶtƌal aŶd EasteƌŶ Euƌope, Ph.D. disseƌtatioŶ (Michigan State University, MI: July 2005). 4 “ee, e.g., DoiŶg BusiŶess ;The Woƌld BaŶk, WashiŶgtoŶ, DC: peƌiodiĐͿ: http://www.doingbusiness.org/ ; Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Program: www.pefa.org ; Global Integrity, Global Integrity Index : http://www.globalintegrity.org ; Madžǁell “Đhool’s Government Performance Project: http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/gpp/ ; American Bar Association-Central and Eastern Europe Law Institute, Judicial Reform Index : http://www.abanet.org/ceeli/publications/jri/home.html .