New technologies for proactive transparency and more accountable institutions - Open Information Booklet

The purpose of this paper is to show the successful solution of problems related to the full implementation of principles of proactive transparency, by publishing Information Booklet in open format. This measure was developed at the initiative of civil society organizations, during the process of drafting the Serbia National Action Plan for the period 2016-18. In Serbia, the proactive disclosure of information held by public authority is provided through the Information Booklet whose content is defined by the Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance, and includes, inter alia, information/description of its powers, duties and internal organization, budget, activities, rules, decisions, procurement etc. Information Booklet is containing in total 21 set of information. Also, there are around 4.000 public bodies in Serbia that are obliged to publish Information Booklet by law. So far, the Booklet has been published in PDF format, at the web-site of each public authority. This paper will address the problems that this form of publishing allows the possibility that certain information is not available, the data are not uniform, and it is difficult to analyse them. Taking this fact into consideration, the paper will present and explain how timely disclosure of information in the proper format would directly improve the availability of open data, and reformatting the Information Booklet and "opening” of public bodies’ data would significantly facilitate the exercise of civil rights and the application of the OGP principles. Keywords: proactive transparency, open data, OGP, Information Booklet