The World Bank has released an approach paper advocating a shift towards greater transparency through a paradigm shift in the architecture of its disclosure policy.  

The paper highlights limitations of its existing policy, as well as the principles, key elements and implications of the proposed approach.  

The Bank currently specifically defines the categories of information it can disclose.  This approach leaves large gaps, and creates the perception that items not on the list are categorically not eligible for dissemination.

"Where Does My Money Go?" was developed in 2007 by the Open Knowledge Foundation, an organisation which promotes knowledge that is available for anyone to acces and re-use.

The project aims to promote transparency and citizen engagement throught the analysis and visualisation of information about UK budget spending.

Using funds obtained from a grant in 2009, "Where Does My Money Go?" will launch a new prototype this Autumn.

For more information click here

A report by the Open Knowledge Foundation and aidinfo has just been published for open consultation and they are looking for your views.

The International Budget Partnership is collecting stories about successful civil society budget advocacy efforts, in preparation for the future production of a guide on budget advocacy strategies.    
 

The 3rd OECD World Forum on Statistics, Knowledge and Policy will be held in Busan, Korea between 27-30 October.

The forum will hold over 40 sessions that consider how the world is progressing (and how to measure that progress), what does focusing on wellbeing and progress mean for policy making and how we can improve the ways in which evidence on progress promotes change.

For more information click here  

In a report published on September 21, 2009, Oxfam called for reforms to strengthen recipient ownership so US foreign aid supports the efforts of governments and people to lead in their own development.

The report, Ownership in Practice: The key to Smart Development sets out three steps to ownership as; Information, Capacity, and Control.  It argues that US aid reforms should: let countries know what donors are doing (Information), help countries lead (Capacity), and let countries take leadership (Control).