The Access to Information Programme presents the analysis of the results of its 2013 Audit on Institutional web sites in Bulgaria.
The audit was performed within the period 7 – 25 January 2013. A team of AIP reviewed and evaluated 489 web sites of 490 executive bodies at a central, regional, and local level, and also public-law entities and 7 independent state bodies.
490 electronic requests were filed for a copy of the last public procurement contract signed by the institution in 2012.
The aim of the audit is to evaluate how the executive bodies fulfill their obligations for proactive publication of information online under the Access to Public Information Act (APIA) and other legal regulations and to assess their readiness to respond to electronic requests.
The problems connected with online publication of information raise the issue of establishing an independent body for coordination and oversight of the APIA implementation, including the proactive disclosure of information online.
Despite considerable improvements, persisting problems are:
- Need for precision of the categories of information subject to active disclosure;
- Need for precision of the procedure for active publication of information online ensuring its timeliness;
- Need for the unification of the internal procedures for dealing with the e-requests.
Comparative data from AIP audits 2010 – 2013 and 2013 Audit results by type of public body are also available in English.
In 2013 again, AIP made a quantitative assessment of the implementation of the obligations for proactive disclosure of information online. The level of transparency was evaluated on the base of 40 (43 for the municipalities) indicators. A 2013 Active Transparency Rating was launched. The maximum score for all institutions was 78.5. Three additional indicators for the local-government bodies made the possible total for municipalities 81.5.
The results are incorporated from AIP Information Management System and are in Bulgarian. The system visualizes the results by institution and by indicators, include the responses of the institutions on the access to information requests, and statistics on the responses to the requests.
AIP presented the results from its audit on institutional web sites and the 2013 Active Transparency Rating at a press conference held at the Bulgarian News Agency on February 27, 2013 .
The audit was performed within the project Responding to the New Demand for Freedom of Information supported by a grant from the America for Bulgaria Foundation.