This glossary contains definitions of concepts featured throughout the web portal and its downloadable tools.
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Duty of all people or authorities to explain, provide justification for, and communicate the decisions and actions that they have taken with respect to public resources that they have received or used on behalf of citizens. (Source: ParlAmericas and Latin American Network for Legislative Transparency, 2016)
Active involvement of citizens in public decision-making processes that may have an impact to their lives. (Source: Ministerio Secretaría General de la Presidencia, Chile & Consejo de Participación Ciudadana y Control Social, Ecuador, 2016)
Ladder representing the varying levels of participation possible, starting with the level providing citizens with the least amount of decision-making power at the bottom and the highest at the top. From top to bottom: informing, consulting, involving, collaborating and empowering. (Source: Based on an adaptation of the Ladder of Citizen Participation by Sherry Arnstein (1969) by Citizen Lab)
All non-market and non-State organizations outside of the family in which people organize themselves to pursue shared interests in the public domain. Examples include community-based organizations and village associations, environmental groups, women’s rights groups, farmers’ associations, faith-based organizations, labour unions, co-operatives, professional associations, chambers of commerce, independent research institutes and the not-profit media. Citizen participation strategies should not be limited to CSOs but should also include opportunities for citizens. (Source: NGO's and CSO's: A Note on Terminology, United Nations Development Programme)
Work with citizens to identify feasible solutions and make a joint decision.
A situation where a person's private interests — such as outside professional relationships or personal financial assets — interfere or may be perceived to interfere with his/her performance of official duties. (Source: Ethics Office, United Nations (UN), 2016)
Ask citizens for their feedback and consider the information provided in decision-making.
Control mechanism that contributes to the protection of public interests. On the one hand, while they are intended to detect and prevent conflicts between public interest and private, personal, professional or commercial nature; also, they warn about any potential cases of unjust enrichment and allow stepping in with a view to clearing any doubts and adopting any sanctions, should these be required. (Source: Anti-Corruption Office, Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Argentina, 2016)
Empowerment is about people -both women and men- taking control over their lives: setting their own agendas, gaining skills, building self-confidence, solving problems and developing self-reliance. No one can empower another: only the individual can empower herself or himself to make choices or to speak out. However, institutions including international cooperation agencies can support processes that can nurture self-empowerment of individuals or groups. (Source: UNESCO) In the context of the level of public participation in accordance with the Citizen Participation Ladder, empower signifies authorizing citizens to make the decision.
An agency whose purpose is to promote transparency in the civil service, supervise compliance with rules on transparency and disclosure of information by Government Agencies, and guarantee the right to access information. (Source: Law 20.285 on Access to Public Information, Chile, 2016)
Equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men and girls and boys. Equality does not mean that women and men will become the same but that women’s and men’s rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female. Gender equality implies that the interests, needs and priorities of both women and men are taken into consideration, recognizing the diversity of different groups of women and men. Gender equality is not a women’s issue but should concern and fully engage men as well as women. Equality between women and men is seen both as a human rights issue and as a precondition for, and indicator of, sustainable people-centered development. (Source: UN Women, 2016)
Provide citizens with information about their rights and responsibilities and decisions taken to strengthen the public understanding and create public awareness.
Engage citizens and in a two-way dialogue and consider their input in decision-making.
A practice whereby those who represent individual interests, argue in favour of them before decision makers. (Source: Centro de Implementación de Políticas Públicas para la Equidad y el Crecimiento (CIPPEC), 2009)
Government budget data that are made accessible to the public (online) in editable (machine readable) and reusable format, without any restriction (free/legally open). Requirements to protect the confidentiality of personal or classified information should be considered while posting open budget data. Source: Financial Management Information Systems and Open Budget Data: Do Governments Report on Where the Money Goes, Min & Dener, World Bank, 2013
Digital data that is made available with the technical and legal characteristics necessary for it to be freely used, reused, and redistributed by anyone, anytime, anywhere. Data must comply with the following six principles: 1. Open by default; 2. Timely and comprehensive; 3. Accessible and usable; 4. Comparable and interoperable; 5. For improved governance and citizen engagement; 6. For inclusive development and innovation (Source: International Open Data Charter, 2015)
A new form of interaction between citizens and legislative powers that promotes parliamentary openness and transparency, to ensure access to public information, accountability, citizen involvement, and high probity and ethical standards in parliamentary work. (Source: ParlAmericas and Latin American Network for Legislative Transparency (LALT Network), 2016)
Groups made up of all parliamentarians from the same political party or a group of legislators from different parties committed to advancing an issue (i.e. Gender Caucuses) or enhancing regional representation.
The norms of highest integrity that individuals should adhere to while serving as members of parliament. These norms should be codified in a code of conduct, which regulates the behaviour of legislators by establishing what is considered to be acceptable behaviour and what is not. In other words, it is intended to create a political culture which places considerable emphasis on the propriety, correctness, transparency, and honesty of parliamentarians’ behaviour. (Source: Legislative Ethics and Codes of Conduct, Stapenhurst, R. y Pelizzo, R., World Bank Institute, 2004)
A fundamental human right whereby any person may access information that is of public interest, developed by public institutions or by third parties with public funds. This information must be provided and posted in friendly formats that allow for real time access and reuse. (Source: Model Inter-American Law on Access to Public Information, Organization of American States (OAS), 2010)
A form of accountability that emerges from actions taken by citizens and civil society organizations to uphold this type of accountability by the state, as well as the efforts of governments and other social actors (media, private sector, donors) who support and respond to these actions. (Source: Fostering Social Accountability: From Principle to Practice, Guidance Note, United National Development Programme (UNDP), 2010)
Programmes and mechanisms in place to disclose reliable and accessible information on institutional performance, indicating officers' responsibility for use of public resources and decision making. (Source: Transparencia y rendición de cuentas, Jonathan Fox, en J. M. Ackerman coord. Más allá del acceso a la información. Transparencia, rendición de cuentas y estado de derecho, 2008) Note: (A) Active transparency: in accordance with enacted laws, publishing information on Internet sites of state organizations and services; (B) Proactive transparency: a combination of activities and initiatives that promote re-circulating information relevant to specific sectors of society, published by the liable subjects, in an effort to go beyond legally established obligations; (C) Passive transparency: the duty of Government agencies to respond to requests for information, unless this is prevented by secrecy or non-disclosure provisions set out by law. (Source: Los órganos garantes de la transparencia y el acceso a la información en Chile y México, 2012, and Instituto Nacional de Transparencia, Acceso a la Información y Protección de Datos Personales de México, 2016)
Duty of all people or authorities to explain, provide justification for, and communicate the decisions and actions that they have taken with respect to public resources that they have received or used on behalf of citizens. (Source: ParlAmericas and Latin American Network for Legislative Transparency, 2016)
Active involvement of citizens in public decision-making processes that may have an impact to their lives. (Source: Ministerio Secretaría General de la Presidencia, Chile & Consejo de Participación Ciudadana y Control Social, Ecuador, 2016)
Ladder representing the varying levels of participation possible, starting with the level providing citizens with the least amount of decision-making power at the bottom and the highest at the top. From top to bottom: informing, consulting, involving, collaborating and empowering. (Source: Based on an adaptation of the Ladder of Citizen Participation by Sherry Arnstein (1969) by Citizen Lab)
All non-market and non-State organizations outside of the family in which people organize themselves to pursue shared interests in the public domain. Examples include community-based organizations and village associations, environmental groups, women’s rights groups, farmers’ associations, faith-based organizations, labour unions, co-operatives, professional associations, chambers of commerce, independent research institutes and the not-profit media. Citizen participation strategies should not be limited to CSOs but should also include opportunities for citizens. (Source: NGO's and CSO's: A Note on Terminology, United Nations Development Programme)
Work with citizens to identify feasible solutions and make a joint decision.
A situation where a person's private interests — such as outside professional relationships or personal financial assets — interfere or may be perceived to interfere with his/her performance of official duties. (Source: Ethics Office, United Nations (UN), 2016)
Ask citizens for their feedback and consider the information provided in decision-making.
Control mechanism that contributes to the protection of public interests. On the one hand, while they are intended to detect and prevent conflicts between public interest and private, personal, professional or commercial nature; also, they warn about any potential cases of unjust enrichment and allow stepping in with a view to clearing any doubts and adopting any sanctions, should these be required. (Source: Anti-Corruption Office, Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Argentina, 2016)
Empowerment is about people -both women and men- taking control over their lives: setting their own agendas, gaining skills, building self-confidence, solving problems and developing self-reliance. No one can empower another: only the individual can empower herself or himself to make choices or to speak out. However, institutions including international cooperation agencies can support processes that can nurture self-empowerment of individuals or groups. (Source: UNESCO) In the context of the level of public participation in accordance with the Citizen Participation Ladder, empower signifies authorizing citizens to make the decision.
An agency whose purpose is to promote transparency in the civil service, supervise compliance with rules on transparency and disclosure of information by Government Agencies, and guarantee the right to access information. (Source: Law 20.285 on Access to Public Information, Chile, 2016)
Equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women and men and girls and boys. Equality does not mean that women and men will become the same but that women’s and men’s rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female. Gender equality implies that the interests, needs and priorities of both women and men are taken into consideration, recognizing the diversity of different groups of women and men. Gender equality is not a women’s issue but should concern and fully engage men as well as women. Equality between women and men is seen both as a human rights issue and as a precondition for, and indicator of, sustainable people-centered development. (Source: UN Women, 2016)
Provide citizens with information about their rights and responsibilities and decisions taken to strengthen the public understanding and create public awareness.
Engage citizens and in a two-way dialogue and consider their input in decision-making.
A practice whereby those who represent individual interests, argue in favour of them before decision makers. (Source: Centro de Implementación de Políticas Públicas para la Equidad y el Crecimiento (CIPPEC), 2009)
Government budget data that are made accessible to the public (online) in editable (machine readable) and reusable format, without any restriction (free/legally open). Requirements to protect the confidentiality of personal or classified information should be considered while posting open budget data. Source: Financial Management Information Systems and Open Budget Data: Do Governments Report on Where the Money Goes, Min & Dener, World Bank, 2013
Digital data that is made available with the technical and legal characteristics necessary for it to be freely used, reused, and redistributed by anyone, anytime, anywhere. Data must comply with the following six principles: 1. Open by default; 2. Timely and comprehensive; 3. Accessible and usable; 4. Comparable and interoperable; 5. For improved governance and citizen engagement; 6. For inclusive development and innovation (Source: International Open Data Charter, 2015)
A new form of interaction between citizens and legislative powers that promotes parliamentary openness and transparency, to ensure access to public information, accountability, citizen involvement, and high probity and ethical standards in parliamentary work. (Source: ParlAmericas and Latin American Network for Legislative Transparency (LALT Network), 2016)
Groups made up of all parliamentarians from the same political party or a group of legislators from different parties committed to advancing an issue (i.e. Gender Caucuses) or enhancing regional representation.
The norms of highest integrity that individuals should adhere to while serving as members of parliament. These norms should be codified in a code of conduct, which regulates the behaviour of legislators by establishing what is considered to be acceptable behaviour and what is not. In other words, it is intended to create a political culture which places considerable emphasis on the propriety, correctness, transparency, and honesty of parliamentarians’ behaviour. (Source: Legislative Ethics and Codes of Conduct, Stapenhurst, R. y Pelizzo, R., World Bank Institute, 2004)
A fundamental human right whereby any person may access information that is of public interest, developed by public institutions or by third parties with public funds. This information must be provided and posted in friendly formats that allow for real time access and reuse. (Source: Model Inter-American Law on Access to Public Information, Organization of American States (OAS), 2010)
A form of accountability that emerges from actions taken by citizens and civil society organizations to uphold this type of accountability by the state, as well as the efforts of governments and other social actors (media, private sector, donors) who support and respond to these actions. (Source: Fostering Social Accountability: From Principle to Practice, Guidance Note, United National Development Programme (UNDP), 2010)
Programmes and mechanisms in place to disclose reliable and accessible information on institutional performance, indicating officers' responsibility for use of public resources and decision making. (Source: Transparencia y rendición de cuentas, Jonathan Fox, en J. M. Ackerman coord. Más allá del acceso a la información. Transparencia, rendición de cuentas y estado de derecho, 2008) Note: (A) Active transparency: in accordance with enacted laws, publishing information on Internet sites of state organizations and services; (B) Proactive transparency: a combination of activities and initiatives that promote re-circulating information relevant to specific sectors of society, published by the liable subjects, in an effort to go beyond legally established obligations; (C) Passive transparency: the duty of Government agencies to respond to requests for information, unless this is prevented by secrecy or non-disclosure provisions set out by law. (Source: Los órganos garantes de la transparencia y el acceso a la información en Chile y México, 2012, and Instituto Nacional de Transparencia, Acceso a la Información y Protección de Datos Personales de México, 2016)
