Proactive disclosure of information held by public authorities, without waiting for specific requests of the citizens, is widely accepted standard in many countries in the world. The principles of proactive transparency is stipulated in a number of relevant international legal documents and initiatives and its implementation in practice is facilitated thanks to the development of new information and communication technologies and increased Internet access.

However, Bosnia and Herzegovina is lagging behind global trends in publishing information of public interest, since the laws on freedom of information in Bosnia and Herzegovina do not oblige public authorities to proactively publish information and do not contain opne data provision. Therefore, the legal framework regulating proactive transparency is completely outdated and no longer corresponds to the information and technological environment in which public authorities operate, and is in contrast with the practices and expectations of citizens when it comes to the principles of communication, scope, form and content on the accessible information about public institutions on internet.

As a result of inadequate public policies in this domain, proactive transparency of public institutions is very low, according to a survey presented in this report. On the other hand, the proactive disclosure of information on the website, in addition to relevant regulations, depends on a number of other factors, such as for example administrative culture, a willingness to undergo changes, support of the management, staff training, etc. This report contains a detailed analysis of key factors influencing the proactive disclosure of information of public institutions in BiH, as well as recommendations for improving policy and practice in the field of proactive transparency in BiH.

The report is available here. 

This publication has been produced within the project "Research Study on Proactive Transparency Initiative". This project is funded by the Programme for Strengthening of Public Institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Programme for Strengthening of Public Institutions is implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Government. This publication is printed within the project „Advocacy for Open Government: Supporting the Right to Know in South East Europe“, financed by the European Union.

The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Analitika – Center for Social Research and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of GIZ nor the European Union.