“Let’s turn on the light” – Transparent governance for a successful fight against corruption

Overall goal: Improving anti-corruption capabilities in three countries in the region: Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and by improving the transparency of state institutions and mechanisms for access to information in each of the countries individually and collectively.
Specific objectives:

• Strengthen the role of civil society in the fight against corruption through more transparent work of public institutions in the three target countries (C.Gora, BiH, Croatia)
• Develop comparative and appropriate legal practices used in the implementation of the Law on Free Access to Information (FOIA) in all three countries, especially in areas where corruption is most prevalent
• Improve the implementation and harmonization of the Law, as well as its promotion in areas where there is the greatest risk of corruption

Expected results:

• Developed capacities of NGOs and journalists to use FOIA as a tool for more responsible management
• Developed partnership capacities of NGOs for monitoring and advocating FOIA
• Extensive use of existing and development of new e-tools for the use of information and transfer of best practices from institutional and judicial practice in the region
• Identification of legal omissions in the mentioned (target) countries, develop amendments to each FOIA in the country with the participation of all institutions and the necessary recommendations for law reform
• Establish an effective monitoring system in all three countries, provide the necessary legal assistance to citizens and the NGO sector, create favorable institutional and legal practices, develop comparative and factual reports on the level of transparency for each target country
• Establishment of a regional anti-corruption monitoring system (RACM) for each country individually, comparative analyzes in all 6 areas potential for corruption (public procurement, privatization, conflict of interest…)
• Develop a common visual identity with the help of regional anti-corruption tools and raise citizens’ awareness of the use of FOIA in all countries involved in the project (C.Gora, BiH, Croatia)
• Raising citizens’ awareness based on experience from the region and the EU, as well as creating the necessary ways of pressure to change the practice of non-disclosure of information by public institutions
• Mobilization of citizens and the non-governmental sector for the most widespread use of the Law on Free Access to Information and pressure on state parliaments to adopt amendments

Project partners:

Leading organization: MANS Network for Affirmation of the Non-Governmental Sector, Montenegro
Partner organizations: Transparency International Croatia and Access Info Europe, Spain

Overall objective of the project: To improve the fight against corruption by increasing transparency of public institutions in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. Specific objectives include:

• Strengthen the role of civil society in fighting corruption by increasing transparency of public institutions in three target countries
• Develop comparable and favorable legal practices in access to information in three countries in areas where transparency is particularly important for exposing and fighting corruption
• Improve the use of and compliance with freedom of information laws and promote improvements to the FOI and related legislation in three target countries, in particular in areas where transparency is important for exposing and fighting corruption

Results of the project :

• Developed capacities of NGOs and journalists to use FOI as a tool to keep government accountable.
• Developed capacities of partner NGOs to monitor FOI and advocate for transparency.
• Expanded use of existing and development of new e-tools for info-sharing and transfer of best institutional and judicial practices within the region and with NGOs from the EU.
• Identified gaps in legislation of target countries, developed amendments for each FOI law with participation of all national stakeholders and recommendations for reforms needed to prevent corruption.
• Established efficient FOI monitoring systems in all target countries (FOINS), provided free legal support to citizens and NGOs, created favorable institutional and judicial practices, developed comparable and factual reports on levels of transparency in each target country,
• Established regional anti-corruption monitoring system (RACM) in each target country; developed comparative analyzes, and created favorable institutional and judicial practices in six areas where transparency is particularly important for exposing and fighting corruption, based on best practices from target countries and the EU; outcomes widely promoted to stakeholders throughout the WB.
• Developed joint visual identity with regional PR tools and raised public awareness on the right to FOI in all target countries.
• Raised public awareness on experiences from the region and the EU and created pressure necessary to change the practices of institutions resulting in increased disclosure of info needed to fight corruption in three target countries.
• Mobilized citizens and NGOs to use FOI and created pressure at national parliaments for changes in laws in target countries.

Project partners:

Lead partner:

• MANS Montenegro

Partners:

• Access Info Europe
• Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Transparency International Croatia