OPEN GOVERNMENT

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OPEN GOVERNMENT
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GIPA Act INTENT

• Put in place a framework based around the
  principles of
• proactive disclosure
• a presumption in favour of public interest
  disclosure and
• oversight by an independent champion of open
  government Information Commissioner.
• The role of the Information Commissioner extends
  beyond complaints handling. It is instrumental in
  working with agencies to promote a
  representative government that is open, fair,
  accountable and effective.

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The objects of the GIPA Act

• Broadly, statutory intent of the GIPA Act is to
  advance a system of responsible and
  representative democratic Government that is
• Open
• Accountable
• Fair
• Effective

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ACCESS PATHWAYS
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How important is information access to the
public of NSW?

• 52 responded that it is very important
• 32 responded that it is quite important
• 84 (combined) said it was very/quite important.

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Three years at a glance (2010 2013)Access
Applications
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Authorised proactive release Is more
information being made available?
Number of reviews vs. information released 3
year trend

• Information released as a result of a review

• Count of reviews

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Transformation of access to information rights

• The report indicates that the timely and flexible
  approach to decision making on formal access
  applications that support greater release of
  information release as shown by
• Consistent and credible levels of information
  release
• High levels of timeliness
• Increasing number of valid applications
• The application of public interest considerations
• Greater release of information through agency
  reviews.

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Advancing the objects of the Actour collective
contribution

• Recognising the four access pathways
• Access applications (s9)
• Mandatory proactive release open government
  (s6)
• Proactive release (s7)
• Informal release (s8)
• Defining measures of success in each pathway
• International examples.

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How do we measure success? international
developments (contd)

• MANDATORY/PROACTIVE RELEASE
• UK Law Reform Commission Report, 11 July 2014
• Focus Data sharing between government agencies
• Approach Recommendations
• Review and create a principled and clear legal
  structure for data sharing between government
  agencies tofacilitate effective and efficient
  delivery of public services
• Extend beyond data sharing to disclosure of
  information between public bodies and other
  organisations carrying out public functions
• Functions of Information Commissioner, data
  sharing and enforcement soft law solutions
  e.g. Codes of Practice.

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International developments UK informal release
and participation

• The 2nd National Action Plan published by the UK
  Cabinet Office in October 2013 was developed in
  partnership with civil society and it focuses on
  what the UK government do to ensure that public
  can
• See and understand the workings of the government
  through more transparency
• Influence the operation of the government by
  participating in the policy process and the
  delivery of public services
• Hold the government to account for its policy
  and delivery of public services.

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International developments UK informal release
and participation (contd)

1. Health improve the quality and breadth of
   information about healthcare provision
2. Natural Resource Transparency the Extractives
   Industry Transparency Initiative requires
   governments and businesses to publish information
   on money-flows
3. Open Contracting increase transparency and
   citizen participation in public contracts to
   tackle corruption and ensure money is well spent
4. Construction Sector Transparency four new
   Construction Sector Transparency programs
5. Aid Transparency release overseas development
   data in line with the International Aid
   Transparency Initiative. Citizens can see
   detailed information about aid spending for
   projects, including spending by sub-agencies and
   sub-contractors.

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International developments open government
serving citizens

• Mapumental (UK)
• Mapnificient (Germany)
• USA Obama administration initiatives include
• EPA potential purchasers access a suite of
  property/location environmental listing
  information including potential environmental
  hazards
• Department of Energy access resources about
  clean energy worldwide solar and wind
  potential information on climate zones and
  expansion to include online training and
  technical expert networks to promote clean
  energy use.

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Open government international developments

• OPEN GOVERNMENT
• Croatia
• Objective to increase citizen participation in
  policy development
• Approach Code of Conduct agency training
  reporting and monitoring
• Success a holistic approach within
  a regulatory framework.

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Open government 4 Pathways Partnership
Approach

• Better Decision Making and Improved Competencies
  across the sector through
• Shared best practice
• Needs based practitioner training
• Consistent decision making methodologies.
• A responsible and representative government that
  is open fair accountable and effective through
• Greater transparency and accountability
• Policy development informed by data and citizen
  input.

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Right to Know Week 28 Sept 5 Oct 2014

• Advertising on buses to promote RTK Week
• 1700 buses fitted with this system across 14
  depots
• Message be pushed out through all depots
• More than 16,000 services carrying 640,000
  passengers to destinations each working day.

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More information
Website www.ipc.nsw.gov.au Email
ipcinfo_at_ipc.nsw.gov.au Free call 1800 IPC NSW
(1800 472 679) Office Level 11, 1 Castlereagh
Street, Sydney NSW 2000 If you are deaf or have a
speech or hearing impairment, call us through the
National Relay Service (NRS) on 133 677. If you
would like the assistance of an interpreter,
call us through the Translating and Interpreting
Service (TIS) on 131 450.