Abbreviation IDFI Type NGO Chair Levan Avalishvili | Formation 2009 (2009) Location Tbilisi, Georgia | |
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Purpose Enhancing openness of the government and promoting an informed civil society through ensuring access to public information | ||
The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) is a hybrid non-governmental organization in Georgia that was founded by Levan Avalishvili and Giorgi Kldiashvili in 2009. Mission of IDFI is to promote openness and transparency of the government, good governance, establish an informed society and support development of democratic values through ensuring access to public information. The Institute works actively in Georgia on transparency of archives and declassification of archival documents; it is engaged in studies of history of Soviet Union and modern history of Georgia.
Contents
Goals
Directions
The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) has four main directions: watchdog, think tank, advocacy and awareness raising. IDFI also works on promoting transparency of state archives
Watchdog activities
Since 2010, one of the core activities of IDFI in this direction is monitoring of access to public information. In the frames of the project "Public Information Database" IDFI requests public information from Georgian central, as well as local public institutions, legal entities and sub-agencies. Based on the received information, the organization annually prepares statistical evaluations about transparency of public institutions, as well as detailed research and analysis of various issues. Based on the research IDFI annually names the most open and closed public agencies. After the nomination, IDFI awards those Ministries and legal entities, which have improved their index of access to public information.
The organization regularly requests information from public institutions about the list of employees and remuneration,bonuses of public officials, salary supplements, traveland roaming allowances, as well as expenses of vehicle fleet services. Furthermore, the organization requests detailed information about implemented arrangements and public purchases. Afterwards, as a result of analysis of the received information IDFI prepares studies.
IDFI prepared studies about various corruption crimes around the construction costs of the Parliament of Georgia in 2013. The organization also studied car parking regulations in Tbilisi. In addition, IDFI prepared analysis of the information on bonuses, representation costs, roaming expenses and vehicle fleet of the Administration of the President of Georgia in 2013.
Advocacy
IDFI is actively engaged in the law-making process on the issues freedom of information, development of media and internet, as well as personal data protection and other aspects of public policy. The experts of the organization suggest their opinions and legislative recommendations to the government and to broader society.
IDFI was actively involved in creating of the state strategy of Digital Broadcasting Switchover. In order to implement the plan correctly, based upon academic arrangements IDFI continues the advocacy process and evaluation of the challenges which are still acute based on academic activities, as well as regular meetings and discussions.
In order to increase the level of transparency and accountability of the government, IDFI was actively engaged in the process of creating the (2014-2015) Action Plan for Open Government Partnership. The director of IDFI, Giorgi Kldiashvili is a co-chairman of the forum of “Open Government Partnership” along with Head of the Analytical Department of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, Giorgi Kldiashvili, as a representative of civil society, participates in various international meetings aimed at improving open governance and the accountability of the government.
Think tank activities
The experts of IDFI study various practical and theoretical issues of freedom of information, e-governance, economic and social policy, state governance, public administration and practical and other sectors that are of high importance for the society. Based on implemented activities, the Institute publishes studies, articles and text-books. By this time the specialists of the Institute have acquired expertise in the following areas: freedom of information; good governance; public policy and civic participation; e-governance; development of internet; freedom of expression and online activism; freedom of media; economics; social policy.
Awareness raising
IDFI also implements educational activities. Namely, the Institute organizes trainings, workshops, discussions and other kinds of informational campaigns (such as spreading flyers, preparing videos, publishing blog-posts etc.)for students, school pupils, journalists, public officials and other members of society on a regular basis The Institute organizes trainings and other informative meetings on such topics as e-governance, access to information and proactive disclosure of public information. The organization also implements its activities in the regions aimed at strengthening civil society and their level of awareness. The final goal of these activities is to share information with the young people, civic activists and bloggers in the regions about effective communication techniques with local and central government as well as about managing advocacy.
IDFI both independently, as well as with Ministry of Justice of Georgia, organized a number of meetings and seminars about Open Government Partnership (OGP) in all over Georgia and provided the society with information about the obligations of Georgia according to OGP Action Plan. In 2014, with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany and in partnership with the University of Bremen the organization implemented a project “Strategic Plan of Georgia 2020 – Strengthening Civic Participation (ZigB).’ There have been numerous awareness raising activities held within theframework of the project, as well as an international academic conference. The goal of the project was to inform the society about the strategic document of socio-economic development and its indicators of success as well as action plans.
Transparency of archives
One of the directions of IDFI’s activities is ensuring openness of state archives and guaranteeing access to documentary materials. Based on archive and other sources, the researchers of the Institute organize exhibitions, collect photo and documental materials, record oral stories, and publish studies and publications. In this scope, IDFI cooperates with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Archives of Georgia as well as with the world’s leading research Institutes and academic organizations.
The organization prepared a study about the places of mass purges in 1937-38; created collection of documentary materials regarding the events of 5–9 March 1956; in the frames of the project ”Past Legacy of a New State” the Institute analyzed significant events of the newest Georgian history (1989-1991). The organization organized exhibitions, where there were presented unique photos and documentary materials of the tragic events of Georgia found in the archives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the society “Memorial” as well as in the family archives of the victims of repression.
Public information database
Opendata.ge – is the most comprehensive online database of public information in Georgia created for ensuring watchdog activities. Opendata.ge was created in 2010 by Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) with financial support from Open Society Georgia Foundation. Since 2014, with the initiative of Open Society Georgia Foundation Opendata.ge transformed into a joint portal of CSOs working on access to information and currently combines efforts of the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), International Transparency – Georgia (TI-G) and association ”Green Alternative” (GA).
Database of FOI Officers in Charge of Access to Public Information
The database of FOI officers in charge of ensuring access to public information provides such information of FOI officers from more than 200 public institutions as their name, surname, position, telephone numbers and e-mail address as well as e-address enabling to file a FOI request, Besides, the database includes addresses of public agencies, web-pages and logos (in case of its existence).