Transparency platform takes on mining tycoon’s toxic spill

Transparency platform takes on mining tycoon’s toxic spill March 23, 2020 It's August 6, 2014. Residents in northern Mexico nearby the Sonora and Bacanuchi rivers notice the water is turning orange. But it isn’t until 24 hours later, when dozens of kilometers of river have turned the color of Fanta, that officials at Grupo México […]

Demystifying myths against open contracting

Contestation against the adoption of the open contracting approach in government have revolved around national security concerns in the procurement of  military equipment citing ‘the contravention of confidentiality clauses and privacy rights’. In various jurisdictions these arguments for blanket non- disclosure have been discredited.

Invest in culture shifts, not transparency

Change sometimes is in the hardware – it’s in the structures, frameworks and institutions.  And we tend to focus largely on these shifts, so that culture shifts in good governance can go unrecognized, unnoticed.

Protecting ancestral land through mining data

Protecting ancestral land through mining data March 16, 2020 By Adelle Chua At a venue of a workshop on mining royalties, organized by Hivos’ Open Up Contracting partner Bantay Kita, male participants from an indigenous community in Narra municipality, Palawan (Philippines), quickly fill up the meeting room. Meanwhile, a handful of women stand on the […]

Open Contracting is key in improving transparency in public procurement

As Kenya prepares to host the 6th International Open Data Conference later this year Jackline Kagume who heads the programme on Constitution, Law and the Economy (CLE) at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) was keen to share with Hivos East Africa’s Sarah Nyakio  insights regarding the current state of public procurement in Kenya.

Faces of Open Government: Jen Bretaña

South Cotabato joined OGP in 2018 and is currently implementing five commitments on open government to strengthen public procurement, increase access to information, and bring citizens closer to their government. Jen Bretaña is the OGP Government Point of Contact for South Cotabato, Philippines.

Setting social accountability in motion in Pasig City

Setting social accountability in motion in Pasig City March 11, 2020 By Adelle Chua The provision of free medicines to the people is central to the health program of any local government. In turn, there is no better way to test the effectiveness of such programs than through the participation of the people themselves. With […]

Cities of Opportunities: Connecting culture and innovation

The tenth World Urban Forum was officially opened on 9 February 2020 by Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director for UN-Habitat in Abu Dhabi, UAE. As part of the line-up, the Cities of Integrity (COI) project hosted a networking event structured around a panel discussion on innovative approaches to tackling corruption and cultivating a culture of integrity, trust and openness in urban development. The panel sought to provide a more nuanced understanding of alternative strategies that could help to address corruption in the urban development realm.

Announcing the 2020 International Open Data Day mini-grant winners

It is Open Data Day again! The tenth anniversary of the international Open Data Day takes place next Saturday 7th of March 2020. Open Data Day is an annual celebration of open data all over the world. For the tenth time, groups from around the world will create local events on the day where they will use open data in their communities.

Can you spot red flags in government contracts?

Can you spot red flags in government contracts? March 3, 2020 By Adelle Chua Gaining access to contracting documents is a challenge in itself, but once you get your hands on them, how do you even know what to look for? At a recent investigative journalism conference called Muckraking for the Public Good, the Philippine Center […]