ATI Knowledge Hub
Upcoming event, 24 Nov – ATI Masterclass: turning requests into reporting with Fiquem Sabendo
Sectors
Categories
A behind-the-scenes look at how Fiquem Sabendo uses Brazil’s FOI law to unlock data and support investigative journalism.
Join us for a one-hour masterclass with Maria Vitória Ramos, Co-founder and Director of Fiquem Sabendo, Brazil’s pioneering transparency and access to information agency.
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ati-masterclass-turning-requests-into-reporting-with-fiquem-sabendo-tickets-1921635787369?aff=ATICoPPage
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Upcoming event, 11 Nov – Networked auditors: crowdsourcing and community-led ATI
Sectors
Categories
Join us to discover how three organisations are using crowdsourcing and ATI laws to uncover data, monitor public projects, and drive accountability.
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/networked-auditors-crowdsourcing-and-community-led-ati-tickets-1921448798079?aff=ATICoPpage
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Putting transparency to the test: evaluating FOI in practice
Sectors
Categories
An ATI Community of Practice meeting to learn how we can effectively evaluate the implementation of Access to Information legislation.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Notes from the ATI Network Day, after TICTeC 2025
Sectors
Categories
Featuring discussion of recent ATI/FOI wins, Gen Z outreach via influencers, and shared ATI challenges like batch requests and data backups.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
The current state of open government and digital transparency in the Netherlands
Sectors
Categories
In this TICTeC 2025 presentation, discover three of Open State Foundation’s most impactful pro-democracy projects in the Netherlands, including a search tool to make documents of all levels of government more findable; research on late responses to Access to Information requests; and open calendars of ministerial meetings that anyone can subscribe to.
How do you know if your work is making an impact?
Sectors
Categories
mySociety and OpenUp worked closely with SPOON and the Átlátszónet Foundation, both organisations focus on improving access to government information, to explore a critical but often overlooked question: How do you know if your projects are actually making a difference?
In this insightful TICTeC session, SPOON and the Átlátszónet Foundation share their hands-on experiences, practical methodologies, and key findings from their efforts to —for the first time— track and measure the impact of their projects.
Civic tech for investigative impact: how data-driven journalism strengthens transparency and democracy
Sectors
Categories
Discover the measurable impact of civic tech to enhance transparency, accountability, and environmental protection, and how investigative journalism can utilise data tools to drive democratic outcomes.
As shared by Reinaldo Chaves from the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism in his TICTeC 2025 presentation, case studies involving Brazilian journalists show how by connecting disparate datasets, patterns of corruption, environmental violations, and misuse of public resources can be uncovered.
The impact of the Promise Tracker tool
Sectors
Categories
The Promise Tracker from Mzalendo Trust, launched in 2023, tracks government and opposition promises to enhance accountability and foster participatory democracy.
Hear more about its impact in this TICTeC 2025 presentation by Mzalendo Trust’s Gitungo Wamere and Caroline Gaita.
Keynote TICTeC 2025: A stronger democracy – through data, information and technology
Sectors
Categories
What is made possible by new forms of technology — especially in the civic participation space — and what needs to happen to make those possibilities a reality? Tech innovations are making political participation easier and more accessible across the globe, while open data and access to information continue to play a vital part in strengthening our democracies. In her TICTeC 2025 keynote address, Fernanda Campagnucci (InternetLab & University of Muenster) will draw on her latest research as lead of the State Capacity in Smart Cities for Online Participation (SCOPE) project.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Q&A for ‘Access to Information for the public good’ TICTeC 2025 session
Sectors
Categories
Question and answer session for the presenters of the following TICTeC 2025 presentations:
– Infrastructure for democracy: how Abrimos.info is transforming governance in Latin America– Martin Szyszlican (Abrimos.info, Mexico)
– Unveiling the power of transparency: how Access to Information exposed systemic failures in Poland’s 2020 elections – Marzena Błaszczyk 25 (Citizens Network Watchdog, Poland)
– Data to advance equity, inclusion, and sustainability – Silvana Fumega (Global Data Barometer, Argentina)
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Data to advance equity, inclusion, and sustainability
Sectors
Categories
The Global Data Barometer provides fresh insights into how data is being governed, shared and used to advance the public good, with a special focus on the Global South.
In Silvana Fumega’s TICTeC 2025 presentation, learn about key recommendations for strengthening data ecosystems, including fostering collaborations between civic tech actors, governments, and researchers to promote evidence-based decision-making and policy innovation.
Unveiling the power of transparency: how Access to Information exposed systemic failures in Poland’s 2020 elections
Sectors
Categories
The 2020 Polish presidential elections demonstrated how Access to Information can play a pivotal role in uncovering abuses of power.
In this TICTeC 2025 presentation from Marzena Błaszczyk, discover how Citizens Network Watchdog Poland used FOI to file criminal complaints against mayors for illegal data transfers, holding authorities accountable, exposing institutional failures, and challenging unlawful actions.
Infrastructure for democracy: how Abrimos.info is transforming governance in Latin America
Sectors
Categories
Abrimos.info is a newly established organisation with a mission to strengthen democracy across Latin America by building and scaling digital infrastructures that promote transparency, accountability, and public participation. Discover how they are driving measurable impact in transparency around public officials’ disclosures, contracting information and Access to Information, in Martín Szyszlican’s TICTeC 2025 presentation.
Webinar: Tackling the Climate Crisis with Access to Information rights
Sectors
Categories
In this 60 minute session, investigative journalist Lucas Amin (Democracy for Sale), Anne Friel (Client Earth), and Joschi Wolf (Frag Den Staat) each shared their knowledge around using Freedom of Information as an invaluable tool for tackling the climate crisis.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Insights on legal reform, from the ATI Network Salon with SPOON
Sectors
Categories
SPOON shared their work exposing the legal and practical gaps in the new WOO law, and pushing for collaborative, evidence-based reforms in line with international standards.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Notes from ATI Network fireside chat: Legal reform of FOI laws in France
Sectors
Categories
Laurent and Xavier from the French Alaveteli site MaDada shared a frank and enlightening account of their process working with Access Info on the reform of ATI/FOI laws in France.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
News from the ATI Network: February 2025
Sectors
Categories
News from the network, including collaboration between Access Info, MaDada, and OKF France on aligning French access to documents law to international ATI standards.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
News from the ATI Network: March 2025
Sectors
Categories
News from the network, including a new anti-SLAPP platform from Sieć Obywatelska Watchdog Polska, and a long-fought-for ATI win for KiMitTud.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
News from the ATI Network: January 2025
Sectors
Categories
News from the network, including policy recommendations from Vouliwatch/Arthro5A, and legal reform collaboration between SPOON, MaDada, and Access Info.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Legal Framework Reform Masterclass
Sectors
Categories
A 45 minute masterclass on legal framework reform, touching on legal analysis, how to choose your campaign and some case studies of what worked
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
News from the ATI Network: November 2024
Sectors
Categories
News from the network, including legal success for FragDenStaat, impact measurement mentorship with SPOON, and a new campaign from KiMitTud.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Impact Measuring Workshop from OpenUp ZA
Sectors
Categories
A 45 minute workshop given by OpenUp ZA on creating and using impact measures for advocacy and campaign work
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
News from the ATI Network: October 2024
Sectors
Categories
A look at what happened in the ATI network in October 2024
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Fundraising and Access to Information Guide
Sectors
Categories
Insights from our community of practice fundraising chat
News from the ATI Network: September 2024
Sectors
Categories
A roundup of what the Access to Information network sites have been up to in September 2024
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
News from the ATI Network: August 2024
Sectors
Categories
August 2024 monthnotes from the ATI COP
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Access Info Impact Award
Sectors
Categories
A video about Access Info’s Impact award 2024
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Reddit, WhatDoTheyKnow and Under-qualified medical staff
Sectors
Categories
An investigation into the use of underqualified medical staff using WhatDoTheyKnow and Reddit
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Pro Credits and Pro use
Sectors
Categories
A post about batch use in the UK
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
News from the ATI Network: July 2024
Sectors
Categories
Monthnotes of impact from the ATI COP
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Fundraising 101
Sectors
Categories
A beginners guide to fundraising streams
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Scorecards volunteering increases climate knowledge
Sectors
Categories
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Alaveteli Community of Practice: In Person Gathering
Sectors
Categories
A write up of the ATI COP in person meeting post TICTeC
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
New Feature in Alaveteli: Request Categories
Sectors
Categories
A post about the request categories feature for Alaveteli
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
New Feature in Alaveteli: Explore CSVs in Datasette
Sectors
Categories
Post explaining how to use the new Alaveteli feature – exploring CSVs in Datasette
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Strategy and Planning for FOI Sites
Sectors
Categories
Datasketch (Colombia), SPOON (Netherlands) and Pidala.info (Mexico) all run websites that help people get information from public authorities. In this video, they talk about their approach to this, and how they’ve built and grown their work in very different ways.
This meeting was part of mySociety’s Access to Information Community of Practice, which is part of the TICTeC programme.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
New Feature for Alaveteli: Importing Blog Posts
Sectors
Categories
A post about Alaveteli’s new feature – blog post importing – and how it works.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
How a payslip taught France about their Transparency rights
Sectors
Categories
A blog post about MaDada’s investigation into the president’s payslips
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Redefined civic tech: community-centric impact stories from Georgia
Sectors
Categories
AskGov in Georgia, based on mySociety’s Alaveteli platform, hosts 1,118 datasets. What sets it apart is that the data does not remain confined to the platform: through contests, fellowship programmes and datathons, storytelling and data visualisation projects are distributed to a mass audience, with topics such as the environment, corruption, transparency, gender and occupation.
This TICTeC 2024 presentation by Vero Melua from ForSet shares more.
How to use AI in analysing mass responses to FOI requests
Sectors
Categories
Authorities hold information that could clarify societal discussions — but the formats it is held in can make it challenging to interpret digitally. Fedrowanie streamlines the gathering of information from public institutions through mass FOI requests. A recent evolution from manual volunteer work to AI integration represents a leap in enhancing public discourse and governance.
In this TICTeC 2024 presentation, Marzena Blaszczyk (Citizens Network Watchdog Poland) shares their work with AI to analyse mass responses to FOI requests.
Can robots lobby? AI, democracy and political persuasion
Sectors
Categories
Lobbying is a negative influence often connected to corruption, secrecy and poor behaviour. But can AI change things for the better, improving the abilities of those who monitor lobbying, or helping raise awareness of problems? Conversely, will AI bring increased powers for political persuaders, perhaps even introducing the robot lobbyist?
At TICTeC 2024, Ben Worthy from Birkbeck College presented a paper asking how AI can change lobbying for better or worse. It looks in turn at how AI can allow different groups to do the same things but better; and do new things. It draws on examples from the UK and US, as well as wider academic studies, to predict what may happen, and offer a framework.
Data for democracy: a Canadian perspective on how governments can leverage civil society to hold big tech accountable
Sectors
Categories
The SAMbot project uses machine learning to evaluate abusive content sent to Canadian political candidates during elections. Bill-63, a new draft bill from Canada’s federal government which incorporates an Online Harms Act, may be the key to supporting research into how digital technologies are affecting our social fabric.
This TICTeC 2024 presentation from Sabreena Delhon and
Alex MacIsaac explores Canada’s recent data transparency efforts from the position of researchers at the Samara Centre for Democracy, and considers the potential for the new legislation to make a meaningful contribution to safeguarding Canadian and global democratic norms.
Q&A for ‘Civic tech for transparency’ session at TICTeC 2024
Sectors
Categories
Question and answer session for the following TICTeC 2024 presentations:
– How civic tech is unveiling corruption and championing democracy and environmental protection in Brazil – Maria Vitória Ramos (Fiquem Sabendo, Brazil)
– Empowering communities: Budeshi’s impact on transparency and accountability in Nigerian government projects – Nnenna Eze (Public and Private Development Centre, Nigeria)
– Have you empirically improved transparency and accountability? – Shaun Russell (OpenUp, South Africa)
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Have you empirically improved transparency and accountability?
Sectors
Categories
How can you say empirically that the work you are doing has made things more transparent in your field? If your work is nebulous and difficult to measure in real world impact, this is a challenge — and one faced by a collaboratively-made data visualisation tool aimed to make the South African parliament more transparent and accountable. For tips on how to measure the impact and effectiveness of your civic tech tools, check out this TICTeC 2024 presentation from Shaun Russell from OpenUp in South Africa.
Empowering communities: Budeshi’s impact on transparency and accountability in Nigerian government projects
Sectors
Categories
Hear from Nnenna Eze (Public and Private Development Centre, Nigeria)’s TICTeC 2024 presentation on Budeshi, the open-contracting tool, which has emerged as a pivotal platform facilitating transparency and accountability in public procurement. Data from Freedom of Information requests is published on the platform to allow thorough monitoring exercises across various Nigerian states. Journalists have been trained and communities empowered to independently investigate and report on discrepancies.
How civic tech is unveiling corruption and championing democracy and environmental protection in Brazil
Sectors
Categories
Hear from Maria Vitória Ramos (Fiquem Sabendo, Brazil) about two award-winning initiatives that address the power imbalance between society and the state, using Freedom of Information and a multidisciplinary approach integrating journalism, advocacy, training, and civic technology to monitor governmental spending and provide oversight of lobbying. The results? Pivotal public reports and significant legislative reforms.
Q&A for ‘mySociety and partners – working on climate’ TICTeC 2024 session
Sectors
Categories
Question and answer session at TICTeC 2024 for the following presentations:
– Data, prototyping and partnerships: mySociety’s approach to the climate/democracy problem – Zarino Zappia (mySociety, UK)
Scoring councils on their climate action
– Don von Rohland (Climate Emergency UK)
Fragmented climate data in the UK – Julia Cushion (mySociety, UK)
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Fragmented climate data in the UK
Sectors
Categories
Fragmented data is frustrating for everyone – it reduces the economic value of data, wastes taxpayers’ money, and prevents innovative, collaborative solutions to the climate crisis. In this short TICTeC 2024 talk, mySociety’s Julia Cushion shares some findings from mySociety’s product and policy work on improving data sharing between civil society, local/national government, and citizens.
Scoring councils on their climate action
Sectors
Categories
What difference can a small organisation make? With the right data — a lot. Climate Emergency UK first assessed every local council’s Climate Action Plan, and then moved onto marking actual climate action, publishing the results as a set of in-depth Scorecards. The real-life impacts of these scores have been notable. Find out more from this TICTeC 2024 presentation from Don von Rohland.
What is the role of civic tech in enabling the effective and democratic change needed to meet the challenge of climate change?
Sectors
Categories
At this TICTeC 2024 panel discussion, Genevieve Maitland Hudson (Social Investment Business / mySociety)
Maddy Carroll (Director, UK Programme, European Climate Foundation), Dr. Michal Nachmany (Founder and CEO, Climate Policy Radar) and Aleks Berditchevskaia (Principal Researcher, Nesta Centre for Collective Intelligence Design) discuss the opportunities and challenges that civic technology presents, when it comes to democratic climate action.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
TICTeC 2024 keynote address: Putting Democracy back into Climate Action
Sectors
Categories
Nick Mabey from E3G (Third Generation Environmentalism)’s TICTeC 2024 keynote speech. Nick emphasised the need to put democratic values, institutional strengthening, and governance innovation back at the heart of climate action if we are serious about protecting everyone from catastrophic climate damage.
Q&A for ‘Citizen engagement and parliamentary monitoring’ TICTeC 2024 session
Sectors
Categories
Q&A session for these TICTeC 2024 presentations:
– From data to democracy: the role of DCinbox in shaping informed citizenship and government accountability – Lindsey Cormack (Stevens Institute of Technology, US)
– Thailand’s first parliamentary monitoring tool – Thanisara Ruangdej (GG) (Punch Up & WeVis, Thailand)
– Empowering citizens: how Querido Diário is making Brazilian city policies accessible – Giulio Carvalho (Open Knowledge Brasil, Brazil) and Renne Rocha (Querido Diário, Brazil)
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
TICTeC 2024 keynote address: Joining the dots on civic tech and anti-corruption
Sectors
Categories
At TICTeC 2024 María Baron from Directorio Legislativo shared insights drawn from a rich career working from different angles to support and defend democracy across Latin America and globally. She shared insights into Directorio Legislativo’s digital anti-corruption solution, and approach to consensus building across polarised stakeholders, the latest milestone in their work to strengthen democracies across Latin America and beyond.
Empowering citizens: how Querido Diário is making Brazilian city policies accessible
Sectors
Categories
Querido Diário, a project by Open Knowledge Brasil, meticulously maps, scrapes and publishes the official gazettes of 350 cities, rendering them accessible through a user-friendly web interface and API. The project is implemented collaboratively by a community of more than a hundred people. Discover how Querido Diário is breaking down barriers and empowering citizens to engage with their cities’ policies.
Thailand’s first parliamentary monitoring tool
Sectors
Categories
Discover WeVis’ path to launching Parliament Watch, an open-source comprehensive platform that serves as a one-stop solution for monitoring Thailand’s parliament — and the challenges they faced along the way. Inspired by platforms like TheyWorkForYou and GovTrack, but adapting them to Thailand’s own political landscape, the initiative aims to increase political transparency.
Parents for Inclusive Education Case Study
Sectors
Categories
A case study on Parents for Inclusive Education’s use of FOI in their campaigns
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Statement on the ICO fine to PSNI
Sectors
Categories
A post about the proposed fine to PSNI from the ICO after their data breach in 2023
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Show and Tell: GONG on Data Visualisations
Sectors
Categories
A Show and Tell from Sara at GONG about their learnings from their data visualisations mentorship with ForSet in Georgia
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Show and Tell: Data Visualisation Mentorship
Sectors
Categories
Blog post about the Show and Tell from Sara at GONG
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Creating Datasets with FOI Data
Sectors
Categories
A blog post about the training on creating datasets from FOI data
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Creating datasets from FOI data
Sectors
Categories
A written account of the seminar which you can also see in video form.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
FOI advice: shorts
Sectors
Categories
Very short excerpts from the longer ‘Getting the most from FOI’ seminar.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Telling stories with FOI data: shorts
Sectors
Categories
Excerpts from the longer seminar.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Telling Stories with FOI Data
Sectors
Categories
A blog post about the training mySociety held on using FOI data to tell a story
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Telling stories with FOI data: summary
Sectors
Categories
A written account of the seminar which you can also see in video form.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Telling stories with FOI data
Sectors
Categories
Ilya Siatitsa of Privacy International, Isaac Beevor of Climate Emergency UK and freelance journalist Rosie Taylor explain how to get media coverage for the stories you uncover via FOI.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Getting the Most from FOI: summary
Sectors
Categories
A written account of the seminar which you can also see in video form.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Getting the most from FOR
Sectors
Categories
A training seminar on getting the most from requesting information in the UK
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Getting the Most from FOI
Sectors
Categories
Basic tips and trips for ensuring your FOI requests get full and adequate responses.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
You can use WhatDoTheyKnow for the good of the climate
Sectors
Categories
How to use FOI for environmental action.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Using Access to Information to Support Social Change
Sectors
Categories
A look at how organisations which support marginalised communities use and request information from public bodies, what the information unlocks and how to better support this use of access to information.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
50 news stories uncovered by WhatDoTheyKnow’s users
Sectors
Categories
On WhatDoTheyKnow’s 10th anniversary, we looked at some of the news stories large and small that have been found through FOI requests on the site.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
WhatDoTheyKnow and the Post Office Horizon scandal
Sectors
Categories
How one woman used FOI to uncover details of a massive scandal in the UK.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Using Freedom of Information Data for Campaigns and Visualisations
Sectors
Categories
Learning from OKFDe and ForSet about different ways to use FOI data to tell stories and make campaigns
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
CE UK and mySociety are using people power and Freedom of Information to bring transparency to local climate action
Sectors
Categories
A small charity was able to gather significant data around councils and carbon reduction, by sending mass FOI requests and using volunteers’ help to analyse them.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
FOI helps campaigns — sometimes in unexpected ways
Sectors
Categories
How FOI was used to help save a local athletics track in a London borough.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
How many rubber bands the Royal Mail uses, and other amazing facts revealed through FOI
Sectors
Categories
Nice examples of FOI being deployed in order to answer a variety of questions.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Freedom of Information uncovers inequalities in our schooling system
Sectors
Categories
How FOI can be used to challenge misinformation in advertisements.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Revealing vital environmental information with WhatDoTheyKnow Pro
Sectors
Categories
How a journalist uncovered important details of anti-climate lobbying to the UK government with FOI.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Research into mySociety’s online Freedom of Information platform, Alaveteli
Sectors
Categories
In what circumstances, if any, can the Freedom of Information tools mySociety builds be shown to have measurable impacts on the ability of citizens to exert power over under-performing institutions?
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Opening up government ministers’ meetings with lobbyists
Sectors
Categories
Discover a tool from Transparency International UK, which helps people ask for more details of meetings between MPs and lobbyists.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
FOI and Chinese CCTV cameras
Sectors
Categories
How charity Big Brother Watch brought about a change in the law, using FOI.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
How many people use Freedom of Information?
Sectors
Categories
Trying to understand the percentage of the population who use FOI.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Challenging public bodies who refuse to accept FOI requests by email
Sectors
Categories
Some authorities ask you to resubmit your FOI request via their own channels: this practice is illegal.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
How ForSet are spreading the word about Freedom of Information in Georgia
Sectors
Categories
Learn how the Georgian Alaveteli site AskGov.ge uses their skills in infographics to spread the word about FOI further.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Source & manage Freedom of Information data for impactful investigations & campaigns with Alaveteli
Sectors
Categories
How Alaveteli’s additional features for journalists, campaigners and researchers have been used to support impactful and award winning investigations.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
A transparency success in Belgium
Sectors
Categories
See how Transparencia.be, the Belgian Alaveteli site, published a map and made councils change their ways.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Business Improvement Districts on WhatDoTheyKnow
Sectors
Categories
Find out what BIDs are, what they do, and what sort of FOI requests might be usefully made to them.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Want to know more about sewage? Use WhatDoTheyKnow.com
Sectors
Categories
Which authorities might you send FOI requests to, to obtain useful information about water pollution and quality?
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Running an Access to Information platform in France: obstacles and success stories
Sectors
Categories
Samuel Goëta from MaDada speaks about the weaknesses of FOIA in France, how the French Alaveteli platform madada.fr manages them and the first success stories of the platform.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
A change in the law for school starters in Scotland — through FOI
Sectors
Categories
The Give Them Time campaign speaks about how requests sent via WhatDoTheyKnow.com helped them get the law changed, so that more children in Scotland can benefit from more time at nursery school.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Lost in Europe: deploying the Alaveteli network on a cross-border investigation
Sectors
Categories
Ten European FOI sites were used in an Netherlands-based investigation, Lost In Europe, into the thousands of children who go missing as they migrate across European borders.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Regulating Access to Information
Sectors
Categories
Comparing different systems of regulation that work in the UK, and systems of regulation across Europe.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Running an Access to Information platform in France: obstacles and success stories
Sectors
Categories
Samuel Goëta from MaDada speaks about the weaknesses of FOIA in France, how the French Alaveteli platform madada.fr manages them and the first success stories of the platform.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
The FOI Clearing House: an openDemocracy investigation into FOI at the heart of government
Sectors
Categories
Jenna Corderoy discusses her investigations into the Clearing House, a unit within the UK Cabinet Office that “advises on” and “coordinates” FOI requests referred by government departments.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Watch this space (and pay for it): the misuse of public resources in an election campaign
Sectors
Categories
In April 2021, Gong used the Alaveteli-powered platform ImamoPravoZnati to unveil misuse of public funds for political campaigns.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Freedom of Information as a tool for making cycle routes more accessible
Sectors
Categories
Using FOI in combination with the Equality Act of 2010 can have impressive results.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Lost in Europe: a cross-border investigation into missing children
Sectors
Categories
A written account of the project which tracked missing minors at European borders.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
What they don’t know: “information not held” responses
Sectors
Categories
Don’t despair if you receive ‘information not held’ in response to your FOI requests: this can be useful information in itself.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Exploring information about Freedom of Information in the UK
Sectors
Categories
Discover statistics on Freedom of Information in UK central government and in Scotland.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
How to use FOI in the UK
Sectors
Categories
Workshop presentation on using FOI in the UK.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
What can you do with FOI in the UK?
Sectors
Categories
Short workshop on some of the things that have been made possible through UK FOI requests.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Using Pro features: Dashboard and Batch request replies
Sectors
Categories
View the Alaveteli Pro dashboard, and see what happens when the responses come in from a batch Freedom of Information request to multiple authorities.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
How to make an FOI request using Alaveteli
Sectors
Categories
A short video walk through of making an FOI request.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Responding to and managing an FOI request with Alaveteli
Sectors
Categories
What an authority sees when they receive your FOI request, how they can respond and how the request-maker can manage a response once it is received.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Making and sending a batch request using Alaveteli Pro
Sectors
Categories
See how to make a batch Freedom of Information request to multiple authorities, using the Alaveteli Pro service.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Dashboard and Batch request replies on Alaveteli Pro
Sectors
Categories
View the Alaveteli Pro dashboard, and see what happens when the responses come in from a batch Freedom of Information request to multiple authorities.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Don’t let the auto-responses worry you
Sectors
Categories
A look at some of the common auto-responses from authorities, and why they aren’t as worrying as they may seem.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
FOI and appeals to the regulator
Sectors
Categories
Data on how many internal reviews result in some form of new information being released.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
What are environmental information requests and how do they differ in Scotland?
Sectors
Categories
An in depth explanation of EIR.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
From the horse’s mouth: chatting to MaDada
Sectors
Categories
Read about the experiences of MaDada, the French Alaveteli site.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Sharing is Caring
Sectors
Categories
An argument for journalists putting data into the public domain after their story has broken.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
A Million Moments for Democracy: using FOI to campaign against corruption
Sectors
Categories
From Czech Republic, learn how to leverage FOI sites to mobilise support, and to encourage citizens to engage in the democratic process.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
A change in the law for school starters in Scotland — through FOI
Sectors
Categories
We spoke to Patricia Anderson from the Give Them Time campaign about how Freedom of Information requests, sent via WhatDoTheyKnow, helped them get the law changed.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
How you’ve been using our services to help the climate
Sectors
Categories
Some examples of how to leverage mySociety sites, including WhatDoTheyKnow, to help fight the climate emergency.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
FOI and the Irish border issue
Sectors
Categories
Prior to Brexit, one person used FOI to understand more about plans around the Irish border – something that did, indeed, prove to be a big problem after the event.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
After Exploitation: using FOI to understand what happens to victims of modern slavery
Sectors
Categories
A dogged investigation reveals that survivors of modern slavery are not being given the treatment the government claims they are.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Introducing WhatDoTheyKnow Projects
Sectors
Categories
Discover our tools for collaborating across a team on large FOI projects.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Who’s checking your Facebook profile?
Sectors
Categories
Privacy International used FOI to understand how authorities are accessing social media accounts to screen job applicants, court defendants, protestors and recipients of benefits.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Learn everything you need to know about FOI, online
Sectors
Categories
Link to a training course from The Ferret.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Using FOI to protect social housing and council property
Sectors
Categories
Freedom of Information was one tool used in a coordinated campaign to prevent a council from selling off a large part of its property portfolio.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Exporting data from your batch FOI requests
Sectors
Categories
A step by step explainer on how to get data out of Pro.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Freedom of Information and mental health in Higher Education staff
Sectors
Categories
A widespread FOI project to learn more about the state of mental health in higher ed.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Transforming an industry through FOI
Sectors
Categories
FragDenStaat’s FOI campaign rallied members of the public to request food safety reports from their local authorities. It’s resulted in 100 court cases, and new legislation around food safety.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
FOI reveals that Higher Education Institutes spend more than £330 million on access to research journals
Sectors
Categories
How a librarian uncovered facts about the costs of research journals across our educational institutions.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Has your FOI request been used in a news story? Now you can let everyone know.
Sectors
Categories
How to add a link from your FOI request/s on WhatDoTheyKnow to any news stories or research where they’ve been cited.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
When the response doesn’t come: dealing with FOI requests that haven’t received an answer
Sectors
Categories
The channels available to you if you don’t receive a response within the allocated time.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
FOI helps reveal the new surveillance tools deployed by police
Sectors
Categories
Privacy International uncovered a wealth of information about new technologies being put into use by UK police forces, in advance of any regulation.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Taking Parliament to court: how Vouliwatch pursued the right to transparency
Sectors
Categories
Greek project Vouliwatch found themselves in the extraordinary position of issuing a lawsuit to their own parliament.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
FragDenStaat: a lighthearted approach with a serious mission
Sectors
Categories
The German FOI site is well-known for publicity stunts and thinking outside the box, all in the pursuit of transparency.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
AlaveteliCon 2019
Sectors
Categories
Follow the links to discover notes and slides about each of the sessions in this 2019 gathering of the international FOI community.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Sold From Under You by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism
Sectors
Categories
Discover this widespread investigation into how much property was sold by local councils in an attempt to raise money during austerity.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Using WhatDoTheyKnow to uncover how schoolchildren’s data was used to support the Hostile Environment
Sectors
Categories
Charity defenddigitalme discovered that personal information of school children was being used by the government to help locate those suspected of being in the country without leave to remain.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
My FOI request’s been refused — so, what now?
Sectors
Categories
A walk-through of the options available to you when you receive a refusal to your FOI request.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Why having the Right To Know matters
Sectors
Categories
Links to examples from around the world of where FOI has been used to make a difference.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Now you can ask coroners to provide information, through WhatDoTheyKnow
Sectors
Categories
Learn about the types of information you might request from coroners, and how it can be used.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Use your rights: The People’s Audit sheds light on council finances
Sectors
Categories
Thanks to the Local Audit and Accountability Act we all have the right to examine our council’s accounts for a set period each year.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
FOI: one part of the fight against the ‘lose-lose’ LOBO loans to local councils
Sectors
Categories
An investigation into controversial loans sold to councils by banks, known as LOBOs, by the group Debt Resistance UK.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
How local newspapers uncover council spending using FOI
Sectors
Categories
These examples might give you ideas for the types of information you can request.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Truth & justice for haemophiliacs: WhatDoTheyKnow and the contaminated blood scandal
Sectors
Categories
A first-person account of uncovering evidence that brought to light a national scandal in the UK.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
How a crowdsourced FOI campaign improved EU transparency
Sectors
Categories
After years of FOI requests and appeals, a campaign to release EU commissioners’ travel expenses, finally found success through a co-ordinated crowdsourcing campaign.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Sending multiple FOI requests: the WhatDoTheyKnow Pro batch feature
Sectors
Categories
How the batch feature works on Pro.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Memorable FOI requests from WhatDoTheyKnow’s first ten years
Sectors
Categories
Gain inspiration from some of the most impactful requests that our team can remember.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
ATOS, Capita, PIP… and some persistent FOI requests
Sectors
Categories
A disability campaigner unearthed truths about eligibility criteria for state benefits.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Introducing OPRAmachine: tackling political corruption in New Jersey
Sectors
Categories
This Alaveteli installation covers just one American state. The local journalist who runs the site explains the rationale behind it, and gives advice to others wanting to do similar.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Mapping the online Access To Information network in Europe
Sectors
Categories
Research on running an Access to Information requesting website in Europe, looking at the challenges faced by organisations, strengths and success stories.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
A successful first year – how Transparencia launched with a splash
Sectors
Categories
Learn from Belgium’s Alaveteli site, which has been and remains very good at attracting publicity.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
WhatDoTheyKnow used for research on FOI refusals
Sectors
Categories
Link to an article about best and worst practices in FOI refusals.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Croatia gets creative with Alaveteli
Sectors
Categories
Code for Croatia repurposed the Alaveteli codebase to make a complaints platform.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Six stories from WhatDoTheyKnow Pro
Sectors
Categories
Links to news stories unearthed by journalists using the Pro tool.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
NHS Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships on WhatDoTheyKnow
Sectors
Categories
Find out what these NHS bodies do, and what sorts of information you might ask them for.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Is your local authority making life difficult for wheelchair users?
Sectors
Categories
A disability activist finds the data that shows where taxis are allowed to charge more for carrying wheelchairs – or refuse to take them at all.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Introducing QueremosDatos: making access to information easier in Colombia
Sectors
Categories
Interview with the group who set up the Alaveteli site for Colombia.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
The Welsh Government and Aston Martin: the timeline of a delayed response
Sectors
Categories
Follow along with the 15-month saga to see what happens when you take a refusal to the ICO.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Right To Know: the long path to Rights of Way data
Sectors
Categories
This request for open mapping data encountered frustrations and successes along the way.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Now you can request information from the Police Federation of England and Wales
Sectors
Categories
Discover what this body does, and what kind of information you can request from it.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Crowdsourcing information on EU commissioners’ travel expenses
Sectors
Categories
Alaveteli site AskTheEU called upon their followers to help request the travel expenses of EU Commissioners.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Alaveteli for campaigners: How to create pre-written requests for your supporters
Sectors
Categories
A little-known method for helping followers to make requests to authorities.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Detention Logs: using FOI to reveal the truth about immigration detention in Australia
Sectors
Categories
Australian project Detention Logs is showing the power of FOI in bringing social change.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Freedom of Information and asbestos in schools
Sectors
Categories
One woman’s campaign to rid the UK’s schools of asbestos.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Workfare: what happens when the government doesn’t want to release information?
Sectors
Categories
Despite the government’s reluctance, FOI was used to reveal details of a controversial back-to-work scheme.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
How 350 FOI requests will increase the chance of success for start-ups
Sectors
Categories
Learn how mass FOI requests were used to discover information around empty shops, to help new businesses.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Meet The Users: Gavin Chait, part 1
Sectors
Categories
Gavin Chait used Freedom of Information to ask every local authority in the UK to provide data on empty business premises.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Meet The Users: Gavin Chait, part 2
Sectors
Categories
Part 2 of the interview in which Gavin explains his project to make things easier for start-ups.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
The small symbol that tells you all is well
Sectors
Categories
An explanation of the ‘proof of receipt’ icon on Alaveteli.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
What People Want To Know on WhatDoTheyKnow
Sectors
Categories
Research into the topics of FOI requests sent through WhatDoTheyKnow.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Does your council break the law?
Sectors
Categories
FOI is used to research pay conditions for overnight care workers.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Do authorities respond faster by email or through an FOI website?
Sectors
Categories
Research showing that online portals result in faster responses from authorities.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
West Ham stadium ruling: a win for transparency
Sectors
Categories
A ruling compels a high-profile football stadium to release its contract with West Ham football club.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Publishing responses to FOI requests ‘should be the norm’, says government commission on Freedom of Information
Sectors
Categories
Learn how WhatDoTheyKnow made a difference through its campaigning and advocacy for FOI.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
WhatDoTheyKnow as fact-checker
Sectors
Categories
In the era of misinformation, FOI can be used to not only discover, but also share, the truth.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Commission on Freedom of Information oral evidence: making a case for public disclosure
Sectors
Categories
Discover the arguments made in favour of FOI – they might be applicable elsewhere.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
What happens when you restrict Freedom of Information? Experiences from around the world
Sectors
Categories
Examples from nine countries of the effects of restricting Access to Information.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
WhatDoTheyKnow Helps Re-Open Cambridge Footpath
Sectors
Categories
A practical example of how to use FOI to bring change in your local area.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Advice for those setting up an Alaveteli Freedom of Information site
Sectors
Categories
Users of the Alaveteli Freedom of Information (FOI) software from around the world give their top tips for setting up a FOI request site.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Challenges of running Freedom of Information request sites
Sectors
Categories
In this video, users of the Alaveteli Freedom of Information (FOI) software from around the world explain the challenges of running FOI request sites in their countries.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Motivations for setting up an Alaveteli Freedom of Information website
Sectors
Categories
Users of the Alaveteli software from around the world explain their motivations behind setting up their Freedom of Information request sites.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Freedom of Information rights around the world
Sectors
Categories
Users of the Alaveteli Freedom of Information (FOI) software from around the world explain the FOI laws in their countries.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Using FOI to uncover the truth about the living wage
Sectors
Categories
One man’s campaign to ascertain whether carers were being paid a living wage by a care home that claimed to be committed to that.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Learnings from AlaveteliCon (2): the challenges are the same
Sectors
Categories
After AlaveteliCon 2015, a round-up of the common challenges of running an FOI site that are the same no matter which country you are working in.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Ten ways to promote Alaveteli sites
Sectors
Categories
Advice on how to bring more users to your FOI site.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Staying protected: How to avoid lawsuits in the age of user-generated content
Sectors
Categories
Open data expert Francis Davey delivers training on the UK’s Defamation Act and how this affects those running websites featuring user-generated content.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
The Third Sector and Online Citizen Empowerment: the Case of mySociety
Sectors
Categories
Surveys across all mySociety’s sites, including WhatDoTheyKnow, allowed these researchers to better understand the habits and motives of their users.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Assessing the Impact of Alaveteli
Sectors
Categories
Researchers Savita Bailur and Tom Longley answer this question: “In what circumstances, if any, can the FOI tools mySociety builds be shown to have measurable impacts on the ability of citizens to exert power over underperforming institutions?”
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Subscribe to FOI requests on any topic
Sectors
Categories
Instructions for how to receive an email whenever someone uses your chosen keyword/s in a request.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
How to keep up with hot topics in your local area
Sectors
Categories
Step by step walkthrough on how to follow a specific authority on an Alaveteli site, so that you get an email every time someone makes an FOI request to them.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
How to make a Freedom of Information request with WhatDoTheyKnow
Sectors
Categories
Never made an FOI request before? Start with these simple instructions.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Qué Sabes: Changing the face of FOI requesting in Uruguay
Sectors
Categories
An interview with DATA, the organisation running an Alaveteli site in Uruguay.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)
Asking for information in the face of silence
Sectors
Categories
What’s it like running an Alaveteli site in a country where FOI is not a right? Learn from Spain.
(You're leaving the site, this is an external resource)