What we want to know
We want to know how citizens can use the Freedom of Information mechanism better to access public contracting data.
Research Background
Why is this important?
The Government of the Philippines operationalized people’s access to information through Executive Order (EO) Number 2 signed by the President in July 2016. While covering only the executive branch of the government, it allowed different users, currently numbering 4,157 (as of December 17, 2018 statistics), access to key government information, managed through a program team housed under the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).
At the same time, the Philippine government maintains an open data portal but this initiative has stagnated since 2017. Previously available contracting data can no longer be found in the portal. Currently, the only recourse for researchers and journalists to access contracting data is through the FOI mechanism. To know how this mechanism can be maximized in order to answer key questions on public contracts is important.
What are our key research questions?
Barriers to public contracting information provision
What are the barriers that make the provision of contracting data difficult to FOI requesters?
Institutional and system gaps impacting information provision
What are the gaps in data management systems and agency processes that hinder the provision of contracting data to potential users?
Opportunities for better access to contracting information
What opportunities are available in terms of hastening people’s access to contracting data using the FOI mechanism?
What have we done so far?
- FOI Research Team Publishes Final ReportThe FOI Research Team released the final paper to document the results of this research project. Entitled “Increasing People’s Access to Procurement Information Through the FOI Program: Assessing Bottlenecks, Gaps and Opportunities”, this research paper assesses how effective and efficient is using the FOI program of the Philippine government to access public contracting data. FeaturingContinue reading “FOI Research Team Publishes Final Report”
- FOI Research Team Publishes AID FOI ToolThe FOI Research Team, in collaboration with the FOI Project Management Office of the Government of the Philippines, released the latest version of the Assessing Information Disclosure Practices for FOI Compliance (AID-FOI) Tool. The tool, developed with funding support from HIVOS, is used to assess whether the conditions within an agency are appropriate for FOIContinue reading “FOI Research Team Publishes AID FOI Tool”
- How is the Philippines’ Department of Health providing access to contracting data?As the main health agency in the Philippines, DOH is responsible for making quality basic health services available to every Filipino. It is also mandated to enforce standards and regulations in the provision of health goods and services. Although health services were devolved with the passage of the Local Government Code in 1991, DOH remainsContinue reading “How is the Philippines’ Department of Health providing access to contracting data?”
Increasing People's Access to Public Contracting Information Through the FOI Program 