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Greece

Institutional and Technological Upgrading of Transparency Program (GR0012)

Overview

At-a-Glance

Action Plan: Greece Second Action Plan for 2014-2016

Action Plan Cycle: 2014

Status: Inactive

Institutions

Lead Institution: Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reconstruction

Support Institution(s): Information Society SA

Policy Areas

E-Government, Open Data

IRM Review

IRM Report: Greece End-of-Term Report 2014-2016

Starred: No

Early Results: Marginal

Design i

Verifiable: Yes

Relevant to OGP Values: Access to Information Technology

Potential Impact:

Implementation i

Completion:

Description

Promotion of transparency and accountability, through the improvement of the legal framework and the enhanced application of process transparency in public administration. This is the second phase of the project, and it is called Transparency Program II.
The main interventions needed pertain to the institutional and technological enhancement of the current (governmental) Transparency Program project:
• Compliance and uniform application of regulations regarding the institutional strengthening of the published document. This will ensure that the unique number given to each document (and not the document itself or its printed version) will be sufficient in referencing, using and handling, throughout the public sector, without the need of additional validation or signing.
• Substantial improvement of the website user interface, including additional search functionality, improved usability and enhanced accessibility, and compliance with the WCAG standard (version 2.0, level AA).
• Addition of electronic communication channels among citizens, businesses and public administration, in order to submit comments and discuss the published documents (using the user’s account in publishing documents or user accounts on social media e.g. Google, Facebook, etc.).
• Provision of personalized content and search results.
• Improvement of open data provision mechanism, in machine readable formats, aiming to enhance interoperability. Use of open data from governmental audit mechanisms. Implementation of applications for the monitoring of the administrative actions from all interested parties.
• Enrichment of the information provided by Transparency Program, with clear categorization based on the government agencies and using additional public sector data sources (human resources, e-procurement, income etc.). This way a wider system for information provision will be created, available to the public. A separate subsystem will be designed, addressing the need of public administration bodies to draw business intelligence reports on public administration functioning, expenses and to support decision making.

IRM End of Term Status Summary

Commitment 1.1. Transparency Program upgrade

Commitment Text:

Promotion of transparency and accountability, through the improvement of the legal framework and the enhanced application of process transparency in public administration. This is the second phase of the project, and it is called Transparency Program II.The main interventions needed pertain to the institutional and technological enhancement of the current (governmental) Transparency Program project:

Compliance and uniform application of regulations regarding the institutional strengthening of the published document. This will ensure that the unique number given to each document (and not the document itself or its printed version) will be sufficient in referencing, using and handling, throughout the public sector, without the need of additional validation or signing.

Substantial improvement of the website user interface, including additional search functionality, improved usability and enhanced accessibility, and compliance with the WCAG standard (version 2.0, level AA).

Addition of electronic communication channels among citizens, businesses and public administration, in order to submit comments and discuss the published documents (using the user’s account in publishing documents or user accounts on social media e.g. Google, Facebook, etc.).

Provision of personalized content and search results

Improvement of open data provision mechanism, in machine readable formats, aiming to enhance interoperability. Use of open data from governmental audit mechanisms. Implementation of applications for the monitoring of the administrative actions from all interested parties.

Enrichment of the information provided by Transparency Program, with clear categorization based on the government agencies and using additional public sector data sources (human resources, e-procurement, income etc.). This way a wider system for information provision will be created, available to the public. A separate subsystem will be designed, addressing the need of public administration bodies to draw business intelligence reports on public administration functioning, expenses and to support decision making.

Milestones – Timescales

1.1 Issue of instructions and guides on the application of the new pertaining legislative framework and the new pertaining information system (October 2014).

1.2 Complete integration and operation of public bodies in the new Transparency Program (December

2014).

1.3  Conduction of study and gradual promotion of actions enriching the data provided from other data sources of the public sector. Target being the centralized, correct, information provision for a variety of issues; including expenditure, revenue, personnel etc. The study will be initially drafted by MAREG in collaboration with stakeholders - owners of complementary data sets and will be finalized after consultation with NGOs and civil society organizations working in the field (study June 2015, gradual implementation June 2016).

Responsible institution: Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reconstruction

Supporting institution(s): Information Society SA

Start date: October 2014                                                                    End date: June 2016

Commitment Aim:

In Greece, transparency policies have focused on providing online access to information regarding government actions and decisions. Making information publicly available online serves as a condition to validate government plans and implementation. This commitment builds on the Transparency (Diavgeia) Program launched in October 2010, requiring all government institutions to publish decisions on a transparency portal before they may be considered for implementation. Its aim is to promote transparency and accountability, through the improvement of the legal framework and the enhanced application of Transparency (Diavgeia) Program processes in public administration. The commitment seeks to achieve the following actions:

●      Provision of instructions and guidelines for adopting the new interface of the Transparency Program and the implementation of the new legislative framework;

●      The complete integration of public bodies into the new interface of the Transparency Program; and

●      A study reviewing the promotion of the Transparency Program using data from various public sector sources.

Status

Midterm: Substantial

The government introduced legislative acts and issued guidelines to implement effectively the second phase of the Transparency (Diavgeia) Program. The Openwise IRM research team found that these documents are available online and easily accessible for the public. The new interface of the Transparency (Diavgeia) Program platform is currently operational. However, government bodies have yet to adopt fully all the capabilities of the new interface. According to a member of the OGP government team, there is no data to indicate the degree to which public entities beyond the Ministry of the Interior use the ADA (Number of Internet Uploads) as a document referencing system, although daily observation suggests additional public entities use ADA.[Note 1: During emails discussions with the the Openwise IRM research team, officials from the Department of Open Government, Transparency and Innovation within of Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reconstruction say that they have empirically observed that the use of the identification number among public agencies is on the rise.]

The Openwise IRM research team found that the government substituted participation in the European project, YourDataStories, for conducting a study on government- provided data. The European project is a collaborative effort regarding creative use of open data to tell stories. The government expected that the results from this project would substitute the study planned in the original commitment text.

End of term: Substantial

Greece issued guidelines and integrated agencies in the program by midterm review; there were no outstanding actions for this commitment other than the utilization of the YourDataStories project results. However, during a meeting with the OGP interministerial group, the Openwise IRM research team found that Greece aborted this milestone. Government officials stated YourDataStories was an independent, European-funded project that did not specifically serve the promotion goals of Diavgeia: specifically study and promote increasing data provided from public sector sources.[Note 2: Although data sets stemming for the Transparency (Diavgeia) Program are mentioned in the ‘use cases’ section of the Your Data Stories project, officials from the Ministry of Interior and Administrative reform said at an electronic interview that completing this project did not help the completion of the commitment.  ]

Did it open government?

Access to information: Marginal

This commitment attempts to improve the functionality of the Transparency (Diavgeia) Program. The commitment was designed to enhance the institutional framework that legally supports the Transparency (Diavgeia) Program as well as to upgrade the technological platform to improve functionality. The implementation of this commitment within the 2014-2016 period had a marginally positive impact upon the Diavgeia program. Under new institutional framework, new types of organizations, like NGOs, are now legally required to upload annually cumulative information regarding their budgetary operations on the transparency web portals. Also, the government introduced the new Transparency Program with improved search facilities and better tools for public employees when uploading information. These tools provide easier access to the wealth of information displayed on the platform. However, the Transparency (Diavgeia) Program platform’s effect on opening government is limited; some information, such as certain government actions regarding financial decisions, is exempt from the rules of the program. This could set a precedent for future data exemptions, thus reducing overall transparency.

Carried forward?

The third Greek NAP does not carry forward the Transparency (Diavgeia) Program. The majority of IRM’s midterm suggestions are still relevant not only for earning “complete” status but also for designing a more ambitious and impactful Diavgeia commitment for future action plans. For example:

●      Revise the current amendment allowing exemptions for certain governmental bodies to exclude specific decisions from publication on Diavgeia. Future legislation should create strict guidelines regarding the exemption of decisions from publication.

●      Investigate specific applications of the “targeted transparency” concept across a select number of policy challenges. For example, data could be extracted from Diavgeia on areas such as health spending and summarized in a visualization that would enable stakeholders and the general public to design and implement policy solutions.

●      Create an impact map for the Diavgeia program that defines concrete applications that promote better access to information, meaningful participation, and accountability. Deploy the above applications in an agile manner, e.g. a hackathon or an open innovation contest.

Commitments

  1. Open Education Data

    GR0065, 2019, E-Government

  2. Open Rural Development Data

    GR0066, 2019, E-Government

  3. Open Immigration Data

    GR0067, 2019, Citizenship and Immigration

  4. Open National Defense Data

    GR0068, 2019, E-Government

  5. Open Ministry of Interior Data

    GR0069, 2019, E-Government

  6. Open Administrative Reconstruction Data

    GR0070, 2019, E-Government

  7. Open Economic Data

    GR0071, 2019, E-Government

  8. Open Local Government Data

    GR0072, 2019, E-Government

  9. Open Justice Data

    GR0073, 2019, E-Government

  10. Open Environmental Data

    GR0074, 2019, E-Government

  11. Open Culture and Sports Data

    GR0075, 2019, E-Government

  12. Framework Law on Open & Participative Governance

    GR0031, 2016, Capacity Building

  13. Participation in the Assessment of the Public Sector

    GR0032, 2016, Capacity Building

  14. Publicity of Organisational Charts & Entities of the Public Sector

    GR0033, 2016, E-Government

  15. Accountability and Settlement of Disputes Between the Citizens and the Public Sector

    GR0034, 2016, Legislation & Regulation

  16. Guide and Standardization for the Provision of Services & for Procedures Per Service/Entity

    GR0035, 2016, Capacity Building

  17. Improvement of the Open Deliberation Procedure

    GR0036, 2016, Capacity Building

  18. National Register of Line Managers of the Public Administration (Register)

    GR0037, 2016, Capacity Building

  19. Implementation of the Assessment of Employees and Services and Control Methods

    GR0038, 2016, Capacity Building

  20. Implementation of a System for the Selection of Managers

    GR0039, 2016, Capacity Building

  21. Digital Repository for Pubic Administration Studies

    GR0040, 2016, Capacity Building

  22. Provision of Open Cultural Data

    GR0041, 2016, E-Government

  23. Geospatial Maritime Data

    GR0042, 2016, E-Government

  24. Ship/Company and Seafarer Registers

    GR0043, 2016, E-Government

  25. Marine and Maritime Activity

    GR0044, 2016, E-Government

  26. Starred commitment Public Property Open Data

    GR0045, 2016, E-Government

  27. KPI’s for the Implementation of Public and EU Financed Projects

    GR0046, 2016, E-Government

  28. Data and Statistics for Greek National Exams

    GR0047, 2016, E-Government

  29. Protocol Digitization

    GR0048, 2016, E-Government

  30. Informative Actions on Open Data for Young People in Secondary and Higher Education

    GR0049, 2016, Education

  31. Open Education

    GR0050, 2016, Capacity Building

  32. Provision of Open Data for Justice

    GR0051, 2016, E-Government

  33. Enhanced Statistical Data of Justice Open to the Public

    GR0052, 2016, E-Government

  34. Open Provision of Geo-Data

    GR0053, 2016, E-Government

  35. Open-Participatory Budget

    GR0054, 2016, Fiscal Transparency

  36. Regional Council Platform (Open Regional Council)

    GR0055, 2016, E-Government

  37. Open - Participatory Budget

    GR0056, 2016, E-Government

  38. Capture and Evaluation Platform for Regional Technical Projects

    GR0057, 2016, E-Government

  39. City Dashboard

    GR0058, 2016, E-Government

  40. Online Consultation Platform

    GR0059, 2016, E-Government

  41. Open Data Index for Cities and Local Administrations

    GR0060, 2016, E-Government

  42. Linked, Open and Participatory Budgets

    GR0061, 2016, E-Government

  43. School of Data for Public Servants

    GR0062, 2016, Capacity Building

  44. The Collaborative Wikification of Public Services Procedures

    GR0063, 2016, Capacity Building

  45. Strengthening Openness and Accessibility of the Parliament

    GR0064, 2016, Capacity Building

  46. Institutional and Technological Upgrading of Transparency Program

    GR0012, 2014, E-Government

  47. Public Participation in Decision Making

    GR0013, 2014, Capacity Building

  48. Integration of PSI Directive on the Re-Use of Public Sector Information

    GR0014, 2014, E-Government

  49. Regulatory Amendments for the Management and Provision of Open Data

    GR0015, 2014, Capacity Building

  50. Implementation of Platform for Central Distribution of Public Open Data

    GR0016, 2014, E-Government

  51. Provision of Open Geospatial Data

    GR0017, 2014, E-Government

  52. Provision of Open Cultural Data

    GR0018, 2014, Legislation & Regulation

  53. Provision of Open Data for Offshore Companies

    GR0019, 2014, E-Government

  54. Open Provision of Public Sector Critical Data Sets

    GR0020, 2014, E-Government

  55. Open Invitations for Filling Posts in the Public Sector

    GR0021, 2014, E-Government

  56. Public Administration Organizational Chart Publication

    GR0022, 2014, Capacity Building

  57. Coordination and Monitoring of Open Government Policy

    GR0023, 2014, Audits and Controls

  58. Reorganization of Inspectorate Bodies and Strategic Alliance Development Against Corruption

    GR0024, 2014, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  59. Tracking Changes on Bills (From Submission to Voting by Plenum)

    GR0025, 2014, E-Government

  60. Usability and Functionality Improvements of the ‘Parliamentary Transparency’ Section of the Hellenic Parliament Website

    GR0026, 2014, E-Government

  61. Improvement of the Hellenic Parliament Website and Implementation of New Standards-Technologies

    GR0027, 2014, E-Government

  62. Provision of Historical Parliamentary Documents to the Public

    GR0028, 2014, E-Government

  63. Enhancement of Social Media Policy in the Hellenic Parliament

    GR0029, 2014, E-Government

  64. On Line Provision of Exhibitions

    GR0030, 2014, Capacity Building

  65. Increase Number of Legislative Acts Going Through Online Deliberation

    GR0001, 2012, Legislation & Regulation

  66. Capitalize on Citizen Comments and Suggestions

    GR0002, 2012, Public Participation

  67. Operate Central e-Procurement Information System

    GR0003, 2012, E-Government

  68. Operate Central ERP Information System

    GR0004, 2012, E-Government

  69. Operate Central HRMS Information System

    GR0005, 2012, E-Government

  70. Open Data Regarding Prices, as Collected by Prices Observatory

    GR0006, 2012, Open Data

  71. Resolve Legal Issues Regarding State Geo-Data

    GR0007, 2012, Land & Spatial Planning

  72. Offer Additional Taxation Data

    GR0008, 2012, Fiscal Transparency

  73. Augment Functionality of the Transparency Program

    GR0009, 2012, E-Government

  74. Publicise Public Sector Procurement Information

    GR0010, 2012, E-Government

  75. Enable Open, Transparent and Safeguarded Document Circulation

    GR0011, 2012, E-Government