End of Commitment Report – Assessment of the implementation and effects of Law on Access to Administrative Documents in Lisbon Municipality

Name of Evaluator

Ricardo Ferreira Reis

Email

[email protected]

Member Name

Lisbon, Portugal

Action PlanAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen... Title

Action plan – Lisbon, Portugal, 2024 – 2025

CommitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action...

Assessment of the implementation and effects of Law on Access to Administrative Documents in Lisbon Municipality

Title

Assessment of the implementation and effects of Law on Access to Administrative Documents in Lisbon Municipality

Action

The aim of the commitment is to evaluate compliance with the Law on Access to Administrative Documents in the Municipality of Lisbon and the effects arising from its implementation. This evaluation will identify the strengths and weaknesses of the implementation of LADA in this local government and, consequently, will lead to the development of a proposal for measures to improve access to administrative information by citizens, with gains in transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More and civic participation.

Problem

Access to administrative documents is crucial for the scrutiny of administrative activities and for participatory democracy. The inclusionOGP participating governments are working to create governments that truly serve all people. Commitments in this area may address persons with disabilities, women and girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, tr... More of a measure aimed at improving access to administrative information in the Lisbon City Council’s (CML) Transparency and Corruption Prevention Strategy reflects the priority given by the Executive to this issue. Internal diagnoses carried out at different times between 2023 and the first half of 2024 were followed by the progressive introduction of some improvements, both in terms of active transparency (Transparency Portal) and passive transparency (management of citizens’ access requests). But do the introduced improvements ensure compliance with the Law on Access to Administrative Documents in the Municipality of Lisbon (LADA), in terms of both active and passive transparency? And what are its internal and external effects? Without evidence on how the exercise of the right to access administrative documents is being ensured, we do not have an objective basis for introducing improvements that, in compliance with the law, meet the needs and expectations of citizens.

1.1 What was the overall level of progress in the commitment implementation at the time of this assessment?

substantial

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

The commitment advanced significantly, with a structured evaluation of the LADA implementation.
Indicators showed measurable progress: ICDA_LADA increased from 72.22% (Oct 2023) to 83.33% (May 2025), and IPFD_LADA rose from 69.23% to 73.33%. 15 out of 18 mandatory items are now published, and most pages are updated within six months. Internal recommendations (Recomendação n.º 01/2025/RAI) standardized. procedures across departments.

Remaining gaps relate to the full automation of processes and staff capacity.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

Transparency Portal evaluations, GREAA meeting minutes, CML reports (Jan & Jul 2025).

1.2 Describe the main external or internal factors that impacted the implementation of this commitment and how they were addressed (or not).

Political support and cross-departmental commitment enabled progress. Training and communication helped overcome initial resistance.

Challenges included delays in meeting the 10-day legal response time, insufficient IT integration, and duplicated data entry in different systems.

1.3 Was the commitment implemented as originally planned?

Most of the commitment milestones were implemented as planned

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

Internal reports, CML presentations, and updated transparency portal metrics.

2.1.1. – Did the government disclose more information; improve the quality of the information (new or existing); improve the value of the information, improve the channels to disclose or request information or improve accessibility to information?

Yes

Degree of result:

Outstanding

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

The government significantly improved the disclosure of information.
Indicators confirm a marked increase in proactive publication of data and in direct accessibility.
Uniformization of practices brought legal certainty and improved efficiency. Citizens benefited from easier navigation, timely updates, and a broader range of published information.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

Portal da Transparência evaluation reports, ICDA/IPFD indicators (2023–2025).

2.1.2. – Did the government create new opportunities to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation inform or influence decisions; improve existing channels or spaces to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation/ inform or influence decisions; create or improve capabilities in the government or the public aimed to improve how the government seeks feedback from citizens/enables participation/ or allows for the public to inform or influence decisions?

Yes

Degree of result:

Marginal

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

GREAA and civil society representatives were involved in the evaluation process. Citizen participationAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, citizen participation occurs when “governments seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to m... More expanded indirectly through greater use of digital feedback channels (SER system saw a 93% increase in submissions from Feb–May 2025). However, direct public participationGiving citizens opportunities to provide input into government decision-making leads to more effective governance, improved public service delivery, and more equitable outcomes. Technical specificatio... in the evaluation and reform design remains limited.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

GREAA records, SER reports (2025).

2.1.3 Did the government create or improve channels, opportunities or capabilities to hold officials answerable to their actions?

Yes

Degree of result:

Major

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

By standardizing and monitoring procedures, the commitment strengthened
accountability. CADA complaints involving Lisbon dropped from 3.66% (2024) to 1.91% (early 2025), showing improved compliance. Citizens can now better hold the administration answerable for delays or non-compliance.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

CADA statistics, Recomendação n.º 01/2025/RAI.

2.1.4 Other Results

Yes

Degree of result:

Major

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

The reform fostered stronger interdepartmental collaboration, increased internal awareness of the right to informationThe legal right to request information from the government allows the public to follow government decision-making, participate in ensuring better decisions, and hold the government accountable. Techni..., and strengthened institutional trust. Positive cultural changes were observed within municipal units, alongside improved responsiveness and organization of information.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

GREAA January 2025 meeting notes

July 2025 seminar presentations

2.2 Did the commitment address the public policy problem that it intended to address as described in the action plan?

Yes

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

The commitment directly tackled fragmentation and inconsistencies in applying the LADA. Results included clearer procedures, more systematic publication of documents, and improved compliance with legal standards. While challenges remain in IT integration and training, the reform has advanced Lisbon’s capacity to guarantee access to administrative documents.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

Transparency Portal reports, internal diagnostics of UO responses.

3. Provide at least one lesson or reflection relating to the implementation of this commitment. It can be the identification of key barriers to implementation, an unexpected help/hindrance, recommendations for future commitments, or if the commitment should be taken forward to the next action plan.

The evaluation of LADA in Lisbon demonstrated that structured monitoring, standardized procedures, and proactive publication can significantly strengthen
transparency and accountability. The process revealed the importance of continuous training and capacity-building, investment in digital integration to avoid duplication, and sustained citizen engagement. The drop in CADA complaints and the increase in citizen interactions via SER are clear signs of impact. For future cycles, Lisbon should prioritize technological modernization, expand direct citizen participation, and ensure the sustainability of reforms through institutional embedding.