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July 8, 2010 by
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Wisconsin leaders are on the path to providing more transparency. recently wrote an op ed lamenting the fact that .
The notes that the private sector is able to give consumers information at the touch of a button. Governments should be able to do the same.
Lazich notes three critical benefits that transparency websites offer:
*Online databases can pinpoint corruption,
*Transparency efforts boost citizen confidence in government, and
*Open government encourages fiscal responsibility.
And transparency websites come in at a fair price. Government transparency websites range from costs of several thousand dollars to $1 million. In return, states can save millions. , for example, has reported $4.8 million saved thanks to the state’s transparency portal.
The senator also touches on two points we at Sunshine Review think are key to transparency website. First, she notes that “Design is critical,” which it is. (The idea of making websites that are clear and intuitive is called “.”) If you think about it, a transparency website with a confusing design that prevents you from finding information may as well not have any information.
She also thinks that local governments, cities, counties, and school districts, should also be concerned about how they disclose information online. Lazich doesn’t think that transparency is merely a state issue. Every level of government should be communicating with its citizens through information disclosure.
There is one important thing worth noting: Wisconsin isn’t that bad. Here’s the inspiration behind the senator’s commitment to transparency:
Since Wisconsin is one of 14 states that fail to have a transparency website, the U.S. PIRG April 2010 report gives Wisconsin an F grade in providing online access to government spending data.
The ratings are on all of our state website ratings. How does its rating of “F” compare to Sunshine Review’s assessment of state website? We give Wisconsin does not currently have a transparency portal, but it does a decent job of disclosing . While a better, more encompassing transparency website would do wonders for Wisconsin, as the senator notes, it is still important to acknowledge when a state does a decent job of being transparent to its citizens.
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April 16, 2010 by
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Along the same lines of the I blogged about yesterday, the has come out with an interesting study on states providing online access to government data, concluding that there are no downsides to online in a searchable format, there are only benefits.
In , the authors aim to provide a benchmark for comparing states in their individual road to providing government data online. They start by highlighting several key points about transparency in general. Among these:
*The movement toward Transparency 2.0 is broad, bipartisan, and popular.
*Transparency 2.0 saves money and bolsters citizen confidence.
*Even in leading states, there are many opportunities to improve transparency Web sites.
What does the study propose? Simply put, more—more information, more usability. The study outlines three criteria for Transparency 2.0. First, the portal a government posts its data on should be comprehensive, including all spending data for all levels of government. Second, it should provide all of this information in one site, not make you jump around to partner sites. Lastly, the information and search functions must be user-friendly, allowing citizens to enter a single query or browse common-sense categories.
The study also highlights innovative governments that get creative. , for example, recently launched DataSF, a searchable Web site that provides data on a variety of city issues and allows users to comment on and rank the datasets with the hope of improving government performance in the future. The Web site also provides mobile phone apps that integrate the data and provide residents with useful tools. We at Sunshine Review love that sort of , , , , , , , ,