News
Blogpost l On the eve of a disappointing FOI law, Spanish civic organizations meet the challenge
18 June 2013 | blogpost, citizen monitoring, europe and cis, nat initiative, open government, public service deliveryCorruption is the second biggest concern for Spaniards, right after unemployment, according to quarterly polls.(...) The Spanish public bodies keep this information locked away from its citizens. ...
Netherlands l Budget monitoring in an Amsterdam neighborhood
14 June 2013 | budget monitoring, europe and cis, ogp, open government, social participationThe Centre for Budget Monitoring and Citizen Participation (www.budgetmonitoring.nl) is a Dutch organization founded in December 2011. The foundation is the result of a co-operation between active...
Germany seeks formula for happiness
13 June 2013 | bhutan, europe and cis, gdp, happiness measures, indicators, well-being measurementsA parliamentary inquiry has concluded that quality of life can no longer be judged based on the country's economic performance alone. Now, the question is what other factors need to be considered...
Spain l High-Tech Sensors Help Old Port City Leap Into Smart Future
10 June 2013 | citizen reporting, europe and cis, ict, service delivery, technology, urban governance, web2.0Aside from the occasional ferry down from England, the old Spanish port city of Santander doesn't get too many foreign visitors. So imagine the locals' surprise when delegations from Google,...
Theories of Change: How We Are Taking Them to the Next Level
29 May 2013 | anti-corruption measures, europe and cis, m&eA Minister of Transport sits drinking a beer on a restaurant patio. Across from him is the vice president of the country’s leading private railway company. A week later, a multi-million dollar...
Blogpost l Can a mobile app help you be a responsible citizen?
24 May 2013 | anti-corruption assessment, blogpost, citizen empowerment, citizen reporting, europe and cis, mobile phonesCitizens in Montenegro are now equipped with a new mobile app “Be Responsible,” to help them transform them into vigilant reporters, scanning the country for illegal waste dumps, misuse of official...
Blogpost l A Contradiction Between Civil Liberties and Democracy in Azerbaijan
21 May 2013 | blogpost, democracy indicator, elections, europe and cis, freedom of expression, perception data, trustMany conversations about civil liberties focus on the freedom of expression and belief, associational and organizational rights, rule of law, personal autonomy and individual rights. According to...
Kazakhstan determined to measure and improve its public administration
24 January 2011 | europe and cis, kazakhstan, public admin, public admin performance, undp-supported“You can’t manage what you can‘t measure.” It is this old adage, often attributed to management guru Peter Drucker, which informs the latest efforts by the state of...
Last Chance for Proposals: Central Eurasia Project (OSI, 10)
19 April 2010 | asia pacific, central asia, energy, europe and cis, funding, human rights, labourThe Central Eurasia Project invites letters of inquiry from organizations active in the areas of labor migration, electricity and hydropower governance, and social, economic, and human rights. The...