Open government and targeted transparency: trends and challenges for Latin America and the Caribbean

Transparency and integrity are key factors in consolidating democratic governance and deepening the modernization of the state. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has been supporting country efforts to achieve open government, providing technical support and knowledge on transparency in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region.

With the support of the Norwegian government, the IDB created the Anticorruption Activities Trust Fund (AAF) -now the Transparency Trust Fund (TTF)-, aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of the Bank's borrowing member countries in their efforts to prevent and control corruption. After four years in operation, the TTF has gained recognition, both inside and outside the Bank, as a source of innovation and best practices on access to information and targeted transparency.

This publication is based on the idea that transparency is a key public policy tool for promoting greater efficiency in the use and distribution of public resources and improving public service delivery.

The publication is divided in three sections. The first section analyzes the dynamics and challenges of the implementation of targeted transparency policies and open government in the LAC region. The second section presents six experiences -five of them supported by the TTF- that describe the design and implementation of targeted transparency policies in several sectors, such as: (i) subsidies to the private sector in Argentina, (ii) public expenditure monitoring in Brazil, (iii)transparency in home mortgages in Colombia, (iv)extractive industries in Ecuador, (v) financial integrity in Guatemala, and (vi) infrastructure in Chile. The final section concludes by describing the trends and challenges of the transparency and open government agenda in the LAC...

Open government and targeted transparency: trends and challenges for Latin America and the Caribbean

Transparency and integrity are key factors in consolidating democratic governance and deepening the modernization of the state. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has been supporting country efforts to achieve open government, providing technical support and knowledge on transparency in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region.

With the support of the Norwegian government, the IDB created the Anticorruption Activities Trust Fund (AAF) -now the Transparency Trust Fund (TTF)-, aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of the Bank's borrowing member countries in their efforts to prevent and control corruption. After four years in operation, the TTF has gained recognition, both inside and outside the Bank, as a source of innovation and best practices on access to information and targeted transparency.

This publication is based on the idea that transparency is a key public policy tool for promoting greater efficiency in the use and distribution of public resources and improving public service delivery.

The publication is divided in three sections. The first section analyzes the dynamics and challenges of the implementation of targeted transparency policies and open government in the LAC region. The second section presents six experiences -five of them supported by the TTF- that describe the design and implementation of targeted transparency policies in several sectors, such as: (i) subsidies to the private sector in Argentina, (ii) public expenditure monitoring in Brazil, (iii)transparency in home mortgages in Colombia, (iv)extractive industries in Ecuador, (v) financial integrity in Guatemala, and (vi) infrastructure in Chile. The final section concludes by describing the trends and challenges of the transparency and open government agenda in the LAC...