FY 2015 WORLD BANK ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT AND FIVE YEAR RETROSPECTIVE Moving Forward on Transparency and Accountability WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 1 © 2015 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundar- ies, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Rights and Permissions The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The World Bank encourages dissemination of its knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncom- mercial purposes as long as full attribution to this work is given. Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to World Bank Publications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: 202- 522-2625; e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org. Cover Photo: © Arne Hoel/World Bank. Further permission required for reuse. 2 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 WORLD BANK ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT AND FIVE YEAR RETROSPECTIVE Moving Forward on Transparency and Accountability MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT When people have increased access to information, they have the opportunity to be more engaged citizens. Access to information not only improves transparency and accountability, it also increases people’s ability to share expertise to solve problems on the ground. The World Bank’s Access to Information Policy and Open Data Initiative have enabled us to make available more information and data than ever before. Both of these interventions are integral to our mission of ending extreme poverty by 2030 and boosting shared prosperity for the poorest 40 percent in developing countries. We have seen many examples of how citizen engagement has helped to improve the lives of people across the world. Our Documents and Reports database provides information that meets a variety of needs — practitioners who are looking for studies on agricultural best practices in South Asia; policymakers who need data to inform budget discussions; and researchers who need archival information to examine trends in energy sectors. The Access to Information Policy has been revised twice to refine its scope and to improve access to Bank information. We have also upgraded our external website and have developed mobile tools and applications to make it easier for the public to access information and data at any time. The World Bank consistently challenges itself to be as transparent as possible, and we’ve set a high global benchmark since 2010. As we work toward achieving our development goals, we rely on our stakeholders, partners, and citizens to use information and data to create and sustain inclusive societies. Jim Yong Kim WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 CONTENTS Abbreviations......................................................................................................................................................................... VI Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................................................... VII About the World Bank Group............................................................................................................................................ VIII Other World Bank Group Disclosure Policies................................................................................................................... IX 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................................................................................................................................1 2. FIVE YEAR RETROSPECTIVE...............................................................................................................................................3 3. ADAPTING THE POLICY TO DEMAND FY 2011 – FY 2015.............................................................................................6 4. PROACTIVE DISCLOSURE IN FY 2015...............................................................................................................................9 5. REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC’S ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN FY 2015........................................................................... 11 6. OPEN DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVES........................................................................... 21 7. OUTREACH, CONSULTATIONS AND CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT..................................................................................... 25 8. LOOKING FORWARD........................................................................................................................................................ 27 Appendixes............................................................................................................................................................................ 28 Appendix A. Selected Five-Year Trends...................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Appendix B. Exercise of the World Bank’s Prerogative to Disclose Restricted Information: Cases Considered by the AI Committee in FY 2015....................................................................................................................... 32 Appendix C. Appeals Concluded by the AI Committee in FY 2015.................................................................................................................. 33 Appendix D. Access to Information Committee............................................................................................................................................................. 34 Appendix E. Access to Information Appeals Board...................................................................................................................................................... 38 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 v ABBREVIATIONS AI Access to Information INT Integrity Vice Presidency Information and Technology Solutions Vice AI Policy World Bank Policy on Access to Information ITS Presidency API Application Program Interface ITSKI Knowledge and Information Unit, ITS App Application for a Mobile Device LCR Latin America and Caribbean Region Board Board of Executive Directors of IBRD and IDA MDB Multilateral Development Bank Budget, Performance Review, and Strategic BPS MIGA Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Planning Vice Presidency Organisation for Economic Co-operation and D&R Documents and Reports Database OECD Development DEC Development Economics Vice Presidency OGP Open Government Partnership DFI Development Finance Vice Presidency OKR Open Knowledge Repository External and Corporate Relations Vice Operations Policy and Country Services Vice ECR OPCS Presidency Presidency Fiscal Year, covering July 1 to June 30 of the FY P&P Policies and Procedures relevant year IATI International Aid Transparency Initiative PPF Policies and Procedures Framework IDA International Development Association SEC Corporate Secretary Vice Presidency IFC International Finance Corporation WFA Finance and Accounting Vice Presidency vi WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This World Bank Access to Information Annual Report was prepared by the External and Corporate Relations Vice Presidency with contributions from the Legal Vice Presidency (Patricia Miranda and Aristides Panou), the Information and Technology Solutions Vice Presidency (Elisa Liberatori-Prati, Vlada Alekankina, April Miller, William Buchman, Sherrine Thompson, and Jeannette Smith), and the Corporate Secretariat Vice Presidency (Sivan Tamir). Other contributions were received from the Development Economics Vice Presidency; Operations Policy and Country Services; Finance and Accounting; and Development Finance. The team in ECR was composed of Hannah George, Frances Allen, Davinia Levy Molner, and Isabel Tepedino. The report was prepared under the general guidance of Sumir Lal and Sandor Sipos. Graphic design and typesetting were provided by Jihane El-Khoury Roederer. This Annual Report received the support and endorsement of the Access to Information Committee, consisting of representatives of the Operations Policy and Country Services Vice Presidency, External and Corporate Relations Vice Presidency; Legal Vice Presidency; Corporate Secretariat Vice Presidency; Budget, Performance Review, and Strategic Planning Vice Presidency; Archives Unit of the Information and Technology Solutions Vice Presidency; Development Economics; the Global Practices; and the Regions. In FY 2016, the regional representation was held by the South Asia Region (SAR), and the Global Practice representation was held by Health, Nutrition, and Population Global Practice, Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions Global Practice, and Transport and ICT Global Practice. WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 vii ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP WORLD BANK GROUP GOALS End Extreme Poverty Decrease the percentage of people living on less than $1.25 a day to no more than 3 percent by 2030. 36% 28% 18% 9% 3% 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 Promote Shared Prosperity Foster the welfare and income growth of the bottom 40 percent of the population in every developing country. Sustainability These goals must be achieved in an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable manner. In October 2015, a new international poverty line was set at US$1.90 a day, using 2011 purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates. This report uses the previous US$1.25 a day poverty line based on 2005 PPP exchange rates. For more information, please consult the Global Monitoring Report 2015/2016, www.worldbank.org/gmr. FIVE INSTITUTIONS, ONE WORLD BANK GROUP The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) IBRD lends to governments of middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries. The International Development Association (IDA) IDA provides interest-free loans—called credits—and grants to governments of the poorest countries. Together, IBRD and IDA make up the World Bank, www.worldbank.org This annual report is based solely on the implementation of the World Bank’s (IBRD-IDA) Access to Information Policy, www.worldbank.org/wbaccess The International Finance Corporation (IFC), www.ifc.org IFC is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), www.miga.org MIGA was created in 1988 to promote foreign direct investment into developing countries to support economic growth, reduce poverty and improve people’s lives. The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), www.icsid.org ICSID provides international facilities for conciliation and arbitration of investment disputes. viii WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 OTHER WORLD BANK GROUP DISCLOSURE POLICIES International Finance Corporation: www.ifc.org/disclosure Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency: www.miga.org/access Integrity Vice Presidency: www.worldbank.org/integritypolicies Independent Evaluation Group: ieg.worldbank.org/access_to_information @WorldBank #OpenWorldBank @WorldBank facebook.com/WorldBank youtube.com/WorldBank WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 ix x WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 In fiscal year (FY) 2015, the World Bank continued to maximize the public’s access to information in its possession and to encourage improved aid transparency across the development community. July 1, 2014, marked the beginning of the World Bank’s fifth year of implementing its landmark Policy on Access to Information. Covering the period from July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015 (FY 2015), this annual report examines the evolution of the Policy and presents the statistics and deliverables for FY 2015 (as in the four previous annual reports). Making Information Publicly Accessible The World Bank has made more than 200,000 documents available to the public for direct searching and browsing in the Documents and Reports (D&R) database. In FY 2015, the public visited the D&R database more than 2.4 million times, viewed more than 8 million pages, and downloaded more than 1.5 million files. Providing Information on Request In addition to the information that is available online, the World Bank responds directly to members of the public on their individual requests for information. In FY 2015, 474 new AI requests were received through the World Bank’s AI online submission system (which does not include requests that were directly fulfilled at World Bank country offices). The World Bank fulfilled (in whole or in part) 93 percent of the requests for which it had adequate information to enable the institution to respond. The World Bank endeavors to respond to public access requests within 20 working days. The Policy recognizes that additional time may be needed for special circumstances, such as requests that are complex or that require consultation with internal or external parties. Of the requests completed in FY 2015, 84 percent received a final response within 20 working days. Exercising the Prerogative to Disclose Restricted Information Under the Policy, the World Bank reserves the right to disclose, under exceptional circumstances, certain restricted information if it determines that the overall benefit of disclosure outweighs the potential harm. The Policy also establishes different levels of authority for exercising this prerogative, depending on the type of information restricted. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 The Access to Information Committee (AI Committee) has the authority to exercise the World Bank’s prerogative to disclose certain restricted information. In FY 2015, the AI Committee exercised this prerogative in one case and declined to exercise it in two cases. For details, refer to Appendix B. Appeals The AI Committee also considers first-level appeals filed under the Policy. In FY 2015, it considered five appeals, upholding the decision to deny access to requested information in three cases and dismissing two cases. For details, refer to Appendix C. The AI Appeals Board serves as the second and final level for appeals alleging a violation of policy. In FY 2015, no appeals were filed before the AI Appeals Board. The World Bank responds to members of the public on their individual requests for information. Photo: © Jonathan Ernst /World Bank. Further permission required for reuse. 2 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 FIVE YEAR RETROSPECTIVE 2 Increased Transparency and Accountability In an effort to become more open and accountable to its wide range of stakeholders, the World Bank embarked on a mission in 2010 to make its projects and research more open and accessible. Recognizing the centrality of transparency and accountability to the development process, the Bank committed to strengthening public ownership and oversight of Bank-financed operations. Five years later, various milestones, both qualitative and quantitative, demonstrate the successful implementation of the World Bank Policy on Access to Information (the Policy). The Policy, effective July 1, 2010, benefited from internal and external consultations, face-to-face meetings in 33 countries, public feedback through a dedicated website, and close collaboration with civil society in the months before implementation. By moving from a policy prescribing what is disclosed to a policy allowing access to any The launch of information in the Bank’s possession that does not fall under any of the 10 exceptions, the Access to the Bank set a high global standard for transparency and accountability. Information Policy In 2010, numerous building blocks were required for successful implementation of the Policy. A comprehensive internal and external communication strategy prepared the in 2010 set a high institution to internalize the principles of the Policy and the new responsibilities of staff global standard for throughout the Bank. A major culture shift was needed for Bank staff to understand the Policy and apply it to their daily work; a staff handbook was developed; a mandatory transparency and training program targeting approximately 14,000 staff and consultants was rolled out; workflow automation and records management systems were enhanced; and dedicated accountability. websites were created to provide easy access to Bank documents, data, research, and financial and other useful resources, including an online portal for users to submit requests for information. Open Agenda The concurrent 2010 launch of the Open Data Initiative complemented the Policy and reinforced the Open Agenda of the Bank. Since its launch in 2010, the Open Data Initiative has succeeded in attracting a larger and broader audience to the Bank’s data, dramatically lowering the barriers to accessing the Bank’s development and operational data, and stimulating new lines of business with our clients. At the same time, the institutional governance arrangements for data have matured, and there is demand for implementing open data approaches more consistently across the Bank’s activities and for establishing suitable accountability and monitoring mechanisms. FIVE YEAR RETROSPECTIVE 3 Building on the Policy and the Open Data Initiative, the Bank continued to modernize and become more transparent by launching progressive policy changes and opening up its “treasure chest” of data and information. Open Development tools such as Open Finances, Open Knowledge Repository, Open Archives, Results Report, Corporate Scorecard, and several mobile apps, among others, attest to this effort. Success of the Policy Success of the Policy has to be measured through internal and external lenses. The paradigm shift toward better understanding of and appreciation for the importance of the Policy and its application to the daily work of Bank staff has been transformational. Staff are attuned to the spirit of the Policy and understand the principles and processes by which information is made public. Training on the Policy is part of the training provided for new staff and is integrated within other operational learning programs. Feedback from the Bank’s external stakeholders and peers has been positive, with the Bank considered a global leader in development transparency. The 2014 Aid Transparency Index noted that the World Bank has been a leading advocate for open development, open finances, and knowledge sharing. In 2014, the Bank also began disclosing, on a monthly basis, summaries of the requests submitted by the public, when the requesters had granted permission to disclose the information. Photo: © Arne Hoel/World Bank. Further permission required for reuse. 4 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 Responding to Demand Since 2010, the Bank has received and responded to more than 3,000 public requests. Understandably, the most robust demand was in the first year of the Policy, with the Bank receiving approximately 700 AI requests in fiscal year (FY) 2011. The number of requests declined to 474 in FY 2015, which can be attributed to the Bank’s proactive and systematic efforts to disclose documents online and the website’s improved search functionality and navigability. The most challenging aspect of demand is to understand the impact of the Policy on clients and civil society, as measured by the use of the information disclosed. One such example is a group of dedicated researchers who submitted an Access to Information (AI) request for a World Bank report on India’s Water and Sanitation Program, with the intention of using this information to analyze cost-recovery data for sanitation services in cities and across the country’s regions. As a result, they were able to fill a crucial knowledge gap in public health and sanitation services that can affect the ultimate consumer of public health services in the country. The appeals mechanism ensures that the Bank is responsive and held accountable for the effective implementation of the Policy. The number of appeals submitted to the first- and second-level appeals bodies has been low, indicating that the proactive disclosure and systems for responding to requests are working well. Policy Developments The Policy was modified twice in 2013 and 2015 to reflect changes pertaining to the declassification of verbatim transcripts and statements of the Executive Directors and staff prepared in the context of Board and Board Committee meetings, and to align the treatment of the documents and records of the Board of Governors with the treatment of those of the Board of Executive Directors. Further, the Policy was retrofitted into the new Policies and Procedures Framework. Lastly, the Policy anchor and ownership was transferred to the External and Corporate Relations (ECR) Vice Presidency from the Legal Vice Presidency (LEG) to further implementation, advocacy, and outreach efforts. The Bank continues to review and evaluate the Policy with the objective of pushing the boundaries of openness and transparency. FIVE YEAR RETROSPECTIVE 5 3 ADAPTING THE POLICY TO DEMAND FY 2011 – FY 2015 Policy Revisions Based on its implementation experiences, and to enhance the Policy, the World Bank modified the Policy in 2013 and 2015. The Policy changes are part of the Bank’s firm commitment to greater transparency, accountability, and access to information. The 2013 modification was made to reflect changes pertaining to the declassification of verbatim transcripts and statements of the Executive Directors and staff prepared in the context of Board and Board Committee meetings. The 2015 modification aligned the treatment of the documents and records of the Board of Governors to the treatment of those of the Board of Executive Directors under the Policy. The modifications approved certain documents and records of the Board of Governors for public availability. Policy Interpretations The Policy provides that the AI Committee “has the authority to interpret this Policy in line with the Policy’s guiding principles.” Over the past five years, the AI Committee has issued 14 policy interpretations, all of which are available at www.worldbank.org/en/ access-to-information. Policies and Procedures Framework (P&PF) The P&PF provides a new structure for developing and managing policies, procedures, directives, and guidance documents issued by the Board and management. The P&PF: • Organizes documents in a more efficient and user-friendly manner • Clarifies responsibility for sponsoring, approving, and managing them • Improves communications to staff about revisions and new documents • Provides easy access by placing all documents in a single, fully searchable repository. Effective July 1, 2015, the Policy was retrofitted into P&PF-compliant form. Table 1 presents the documents that were issued as a result of this retrofit, which are publicly available in the Policies and Procedures (P&P) repository at www.worldbank.org/policies. 6 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 Table 1. Documents Available in the P&P Repository Document Type of document Content Sponsor Policy governing public Bank Policy on Access to Policy accessibility of information in the Vice President, ECR Information Bank’s possession Objectives of the Bank’s AI framework; workflow and procedures on implementation, Access to Information Directive / Director, Global Practices Directive / Procedure including procedures for accessing Procedure Communications, ECR public information from the Bank and for filing an appeal under the Policy Access to Information Committee Terms of reference of the AI Chief Counsel, Operations Policy Procedure – Terms of Reference Committee Practice Group, LEG Access to Information Advisory Terms of reference for the AI Senior Vice President and General Procedure Council – Terms of Reference Advisory Council Counsel, LEG Website Updates Through its dedicated website, www.worldbank.org/en/access-to-information, the World Bank has created a portal for the public to submit information requests to the Bank. It also provided public access to documents and data, including lending projects from 1947 to the present and more than 200,000 documents that are available in the World Bank’s D&R database, http://documents.worldbank.org. On June 30, 2015, the English version of the website was revamped into a more modern and navigable platform, and its content was revised for better usability. Below are ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots of the home page. NEW (Before) (After) AI POLICY: ADAPTING TO DEMAND, FY 2011 – FY 2015 7 World Bank InfoFinder The World Bank has actively promoted the use of mobile technology to support the public’s access to Bank information. The World Bank InfoFinder application (app) for iPads and iPhones features an icon- based design and enables mobile users around the world to access the Policy as well as World Bank projects and operations, documents and reports, and other information. In FY 2015 the app was updated with new content. Since the first version of the InfoFinder was launched in September 2010, it has been downloaded more than 40,000 times. In FY 2015, the InfoFinder app was downloaded approximately 900 times by users from 140 countries. This drop in downloads in FY 2015 was likely due to the content upgrading exercise. Staff Training The World Bank continued to train Bank staff on their roles and responsibilities under the Policy and to support the institution’s commitment to transparency and accountability. In FY 2015, 810 staff and consultants participated in the mandatory AI e-learning program (Table 2). Table 2. Number of Staff and Consultants Completing the AI Training Program, FY 2011–15 Indicator FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 Number of staff 14,452* 560 1,400 1,400 810 * Since the Policy was launched in FY 2011 (July 1, 2010), the first training program required compliance of all staff and consultants. This number represents completion of the mandatory training by 99.4% of World Bank staff. The Information and Technology Solutions Vice Presidency (ITS) offered training to staff across the Bank in the areas of records management and related systems. In FY 2015, ITS staff held trainings in the East Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia regions that directly engaged more than 120 records management coordinators. ITS also raised awareness of staff and development partners on records management best practices through various outreach activities. Records Management Procedures Enhanced The Bank has fine-tuned its records management practices to strengthen the capture of Bank documents into its record keeping systems, which will enable preservation and access over time. To ensure better accuracy of metadata, such as Policy exceptions and security classifications, the Bank has also invested in monitoring both the quantity and quality of filing. The Bank has also improved the automated capture of project documents. As a result, the institutional records management system has seen a steady growth in its collection. 8 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 PROACTIVE DISCLOSURE IN FY 2015 4 Documents and Reports (D&R) The D&R database is the World Bank’s official curated collection of reports and publications. Final reports are disclosed to the public via the D&R database through routine workflow, proactive declassification, or in response to an AI request. Institutions and clients worldwide use the application program interfaces (APIs) from D&R to feed their own sites and searches. Table 3 provides a breakdown of the number and type of documents publicly released in FY 2015 and the total number of documents accessible in the D&R database. Table 3. Select Categories of Publicly Released Documents, FY 2015 Total Number of Documents Type of Documents Publicly Released in FY 2015 Accessible by the Public as of June 30, 2015 Country Focus reports 193 2,401 Board reports 579 6,178 Economic and Sector Work reports 147 11,287 Project documents 12,686 97,916 Legal documents 2,988 31,040 Publications and research reports 5,625 56,018 Total 22,218 204,840 The D&R database also contains approximately 19,000 publicly available non-English documents, which were viewed more than 400,000 times in FY 2015. The website is navigable in six languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish). The non-English D&R database received more than 830,000 page views in FY 2015. Board Records The D&R’s Simultaneous Disclosure page provides public access to certain Board documents prior to Board discussion and allows interested parties to sign up for email PROACTIVE DISCLOSURE IN FY 2015 9 alerts (Table 4). In FY 2015, the World Bank simultaneously disclosed 81 documents before Board discussion. Table 4. Publicly Released Board Records, by Quarter, FY 2015 July 1– October 1– January 1 – April 1– Type of Record September 30, December 31, March 31, June 30, FY 2015 2014 2014 2015 2015 Board minutes 15 15 9 18 57 Chair summaries 13 16 7 26 62 Green sheet summaries and 6 2 3 2 13 committee reports Committee minutes 11 21 5 24 61 Committee annual reports 2 0 0 0 2 Total 47 54 24 70 195 Archives In FY 2015, as part of its continued commitment to transparency and openness, the World Bank Group Archives enhanced public access to its holdings of primary source material by launching the Archives Holdings website, https://archivesholdings.worldbank.org/. Created using the Access to Memory open-source software, the website facilitates faster, more efficient, and personalized delivery of online services. The website offers an increasing quantity of digitized records from the 1940s to date. Since 2010, the Archives has also digitized more than 660,000 pages of records. In FY 2015, more than 30,000 linear feet of records were slated for inclusion in the Archives Holdings website. Further, the Archives declassified more than 328,000 pages, bringing the total number of pages declassified since July 1, 2010, to 1.7 million. Through this digitization effort, public access to older records for operational projects is also available on the Projects and Operations database, www.worldbank.org/projects. At the end of FY 2015, more than 167,000 folders of archival records were listed for more than 16,500 projects. Additionally, more than 975 of those folders have been digitized, making almost 210,000 pages of declassified archival records available on the Projects and Operations website. 10 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC’S ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN FY 2015 5 Public Requests for Information In addition to its proactive disclosure and efforts to make information readily available to the public online, the World Bank also releases information to the public on request. All AI requests submitted online are handled by teams in Archives and ECR. In addition to AI requests submitted through the online AI submission system, communications staff in country offices handle and respond to numerous local requests for information. Requests Completed The Bank received 474 new AI requests in FY 2015 (Table 5). In addition, it continued to handle several cases carried over from prior years: FY 2014 (27 cases); FY 2013 (8 cases); FY 2012 (4 cases). In total, the Bank handled 513 cases. Of the 513 cases handled in FY 2015, the World Bank completed and closed 482 cases — 94 percent, compared to 92 percent in FY 2014, 89 percent in FY 2013, 88 percent in FY 2012, and 84 percent in FY 2011. At the end of FY 2015, 31 cases remained under consideration. Of these, 4 cases carried over from FY 2014, 7 carried over from FY 2013, and 2 carried over from FY 2012. The World Bank received the remaining 18 cases in FY 2015. Of these 18 cases, 14 exceeded the 20 working-day response time, and 4 were received on or after June 4, 2015, and thus had not exceeded the 20 working-day standard at the end of FY 2015 (June 30, 2015). Table 5. Requests Handled, FY 2015 Indicator FY 2015 FY 2014 FY 2013 FY 2012 Total Cases handled in FY 2015 474 27 8 4 513 Cases completed in FY 2015 456 23 1 2 482 Cases that remained 18 4 7 2 31 open at the end of FY 2015 REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC’S ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN FY 2015 11 The 482 cases completed in FY 2015 include 456 cases received in FY 2015 and 26 cases carried over from preceding years: 23 from FY 2014, 1 from FY 2013, and 2 from FY 2012 (Table 6). Table 6. Number of AI Requests Received through the Online System, FY 2015 Indicator FY 2015 Number of AI requests received 474 Number of AI requests completed 482 Of the 482 AI requests completed in FY 2015, 326 were properly addressed to the World Bank and provided adequate information to enable a response (Table 7). Of the remaining requests completed: • 85 requests for data were handled through the Open Data Initiative • 43 requests were for documents not found in the World Bank’s custody • 30 requests required more information, but when asked for more information, the requesters were unresponsive • 13 AI requests were subject to other disclosure policies or regimes (Independent Evaluation Group, Inspection Panel, International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency). Table 7. Outcome of Completed Requests, FY 2015 Additional Requests Records not information Covered by Request for Indicator fulfilled or found in World needed or other disclosure World Bank data denied Bank custody unresponsive policy regimes requester Cases handled in FY 2015 326 85 43 30 13 Note: These numbers reflect cases with more than one outcome. Requests Fulfilled or Denied Of the 326 AI requests in FY 2015 that were properly addressed to the World Bank and had adequate information to enable the institution to respond, 93 percent (304 cases) were fulfilled in whole or in part. 12 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 Table 8 provides a breakdown of the requests that were either fulfilled or denied in whole or in part. Table 8. Requests Fulfilled or Denied (in Whole and in Part), FY 2015 Requests fulfilled Requests fulfilled Requests denied Total requests Indicator (in whole) (in part) (in whole) fulfilled or denied Total number 287* 17* 22 326 % of total 88 5 7 100 * World Bank fulfilled—in whole and in part—304 cases (93 percent of the total number of requests fulfilled or denied). Of the 17 requests that were fulfilled in part, the outcomes were due to the following reasons: • The requester was unresponsive (two cases). • Part of the request was handled through the Open Data Initiative (four cases). • Some of the records were not in custody (four cases). • The information was restricted by the “Information Provided by Member Countries or Third Parties in Confidence” exception (one case). • Some of the records were not in custody and the information was covered by other disclosure policy regime or information held by other organizations (one case). • The information was restricted by the “Attorney-Client Privilege” exception (three cases). • The information was restricted by the “Attorney-Client Privilege” and “Deliberative Information” exceptions (one case). • The information was restricted by the “Communications of Executive Directors’ Offices” exception (one case). Table 9 provides a breakdown of the Policy exceptions applied in all denials in FY 2015. This table represents the total number of times that each exception was applied. In some cases the requested information was covered by more than one exception. Table 9. Number of Times an AI Policy Exception Was the Basis for Denial, FY 2015 Information provided by Communication of Corporate Attorney- Financial Deliberative Personal member countries Executive Directors’ Administrative Client Privilege Information Information Information or third parties in Offices Matters confidence 7 2 6 11 1 1 5 Note: These numbers reflect cases where one or more AI Policy exception was applied. REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC’S ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN FY 2015 13 Timeliness of World Bank Response The Policy states that the World Bank endeavors to provide a comprehensive response to requests within 20 working days, recognizing that additional time may be needed in special circumstances, such as requests that are complex or that require consultation with internal or external parties. Of the 482 requests completed in FY 2015, the World Bank provided comprehensive responses to 84 percent within 20 working days and, on average, took 7 working days to complete a request (Table 10). Table 10. Timeliness of Cases Completed, FY 2015 Indicator Within 20 working days More than 20 days Total Total 403 79 482 % of total 84 16 100 For cases requiring more than 20 working days to complete in FY 2015, the average was 81 working days (Table 11). This high average reflects the impact of cases carried over from previous fiscal years. Such carryover is expected to continue being a factor in the number of working days required to complete requests. Table 11. Time Required to Issue a Final Response, FY 2015 Time required to complete FY 2015 Within 20 working days % of requests 84 Average working days to complete 7 More than 20 working days % of requests 16 Average working days to complete 81 Reasons for the additional response time: • Were complex and/or voluminous (i.e., extensive review by the Archives Unit); • Required consultations with relevant business units and/or external parties, including member countries and/or the requesters; • Were referred to the AI Committee and/or the Board for consideration; • Required the World Bank to seek additional information from the requesters in order to fulfill the requests, but the requesters were unresponsive; 14 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 • Required reopening the request because the requester modified the original request by adding additional documents to the request; • Required the requesters to visit the World Bank Archives Unit in person (such cases are held open until the requesters have physically accessed the documents identified as responsive to the requests). Exercise of the Prerogative to Disclose Restricted Information Under the Policy, the World Bank reserves the right, in exceptional circumstances, to disclose information restricted by the “Corporate Administrative Matters,” “Deliberative Information,” and “Financial Information (other than banking and billing)” exceptions if it determines that the benefits of disclosure would outweigh the potential harm to the interests protected by the exceptions (Policy, Section IV.1). The AI Committee (see Appendix D) has the authority to exercise the World Bank’s prerogative to disclose documents restricted by these exceptions if the documents are not Board papers or records classified as confidential or strictly confidential or were not provided to the World Bank by a member country or third party in confidence. If the documents are Board papers or records classified as confidential or strictly confidential, the Board holds the authority to exercise the prerogative to disclose. If the information was provided to the World Bank by a member country or third party in confidence, disclosure requires the consent of that party. In FY 2015, the AI Committee considered exercising the World Bank’s prerogative to disclose restricted information in three cases. Of the three cases considered, the AI Committee (a) publicly released the requested documents in one case and (b) upheld the AI Policy restrictions in two cases. As a result, the following documents related to the case where the AI Committee agreed to publicly release the documents were made available to the public: • Grant proposal for a Japan Policy Human Resource Development grant to the Philippines in 2006, related to the Social Welfare and Development Reform Project • Completion report for the Japan Policy Human Resource Development grant for the Social Welfare and Development Reform Project. Appendix B of this report sets forth the cases that the AI Committee considered in FY 2015 to exercise the prerogative to disclose restricted information. In FY 2015, 84% of the requests received a final response within 20 working days. REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC’S ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN FY 2015 15 Photo: © Li Wenyong/World Bank. Further permission required for reuse. Appeals One of the guiding principles of the Policy is to recognize a requester’s right to appeal if the World Bank denies access to the information requested. A requester may file an appeal asserting that: (a) The World Bank violated the Policy by improperly or unreasonably restricting access to information that it would normally disclose under the Policy (a violation of policy appeal) or (b) A public interest overrides the Policy’s exceptions restricting disclosure of the requested information, limited to information restricted by the “Corporate Administrative Matters,” “Deliberative Information,” and “Financial Information (other than banking and billing)” exceptions (a public interest appeal) (Policy, Section III.8(a)). Violations of policy appeals are considered first by the AI Committee; if the AI Committee upholds the decision to deny access, the requester is given the opportunity to file an appeal before the AI Appeals Board. In the case of a violation of policy appeal, decisions of the AI Appeals Board are final. In the case of a public interest appeal, decisions of the AI Committee are final. If the World Bank denies a request for information, the institution informs the requester of the decision and of the right to file an appeal. To simplify the appeals process, the World Bank sends the requester an electronic link for submitting the appeal. Similarly, if the AI Committee upholds the decision to deny access in a violation of policy appeal, the requester is informed of the right to file a second-level appeal before the AI Appeals Board and is provided with an electronic link. The second-level appeal would then be considered by the AI Appeals Board. 16 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 AI Committee The AI Committee serves as the first level for appeals alleging a violation of policy and as the first and final level for appeals asserting a public interest. The members of the AI Committee are listed in Appendix D of this report. In FY 2015, the AI Committee considered five appeals (Appendix C). In three of those five appeals, it upheld the World Bank’s initial decision to deny access. One of those cases also involved a partial dismissal on the public interest portion of the appeal because certain information was restricted by exceptions not eligible for consideration on a public interest basis. Two other cases were dismissed in their entirety. One dismissal was because the requestor failed to file within the required time, and one was because the matter was not within the AI Committee’s authority to consider. The text of the AI Committee decisions on appeals can be found at www.worldbank.org/en/access-to- information/aicdecisions. The AI Committee endeavors to reach a decision within 45 working days of receiving an appeal (AI Policy, Section III.8 (b) i). In FY 2015, it took an average of approximately 54 working days to conclude its considerations on appeals (see Appendix A for the five-year comparison of results of appeals decided by the AI Committee and average working days to conclude). This included consultations with relevant business units. AI Appeals Board The AI Appeals Board serves as the second and final level for appeals alleging a violation of policy. The members of the AI Appeals Board are listed in Appendix E of this report. No appeals were filed before the AI Appeals Board in FY 2015. The text of all AI Appeals Board decisions can be found at www.worldbank.org/en/ access-to-information/aiabdecisions. If the World Bank denies a request for information, the requester is given the right to file an appeal. Photo: © Sarah Farhat/World Bank. Further permission required for reuse. REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC’S ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN FY 2015 17 Requester Demographics Requesters are not required to identify themselves, and, as a matter of practice, the World Bank does not identify requesters when considering their requests. Personal information regarding individual requesters is only available to case managers who are handling the requests. However, requesters are given the opportunity to indicate their affiliation when filing a request. To better understand the members of the public who request information from the World Bank and how the institution might better serve them, the World Bank carries out an annual AI Survey. The 2015 AI Survey invited all members of the public who had electronically submitted a public access request in FY 2015 to rate and provide feedback on their experience. Respondents provided information on their demographics (that is, professional affiliations, geographic location) and the topics related to their information requests. The data below are gathered from the public access request submission forms and the 2015 AI Survey results (Table 12). Reports of complete AI Survey results for FY 2015 and previous years are available on the AI website, www.worldbank.org/ en/access-to-information/reports. Table 12. AI Survey Results, FY 2015 Affiliation of Respondent % of responses* Number of responses** Academia or education 69.2 90 Business or private enterprise 13.1 17 Other 6.2 8 Other public international organization 3.8 5 Government 2.3 3 Youth group 2.3 3 Media 1.5 2 Legal profession 0.8 1 Nongovernmental or civil society organization 0.8 1 Faith-based group 0.0 0 Multilateral development agency 0.0 0 Answered the question 87 130 Skipped the question 13 19 * % of responses for each affiliation based on the total number of responses submitted for this question. ** Number of responses submitted for this question. 18 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 Charts 1 and 2 provide a snapshot of the professional affiliations and regional location of the respondents to the five AI Surveys. Members of academia or education topped the list in all years, followed by business or private enterprises, nongovernmental or civil society organizations, governments, and “others.” In FY 2015, the proportion of members of academia or education increased, while that of nongovernmental or civil society organizations decreased. This trend suggests that the Bank’s proactive disclosure of current information is functioning well and satisfies the needs of users from the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and civil society organizations, while academic researchers continue to need historical information from the Archives. Chart 1. Professional Affiliations of Respondents to the AI Survey, FY 2011–15 80 70 60 50 Percentage 40 30 20 10 Business Other Development Legal Youth Academic NGO/CSO or private Government international Media Others agency Profession Group enterprise organization 2011 50 14 12 6 6 3 2 1 0 4 2012 54 8 16 4 5 5 2 1 0 5 2013 52 6 11 6 6 3 2 0 0 14 2014 55 7 15 1 6 4 4 1 2 5 2015 69 1 13 0 2 4 2 1 2 6 Note: Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding. REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC’S ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN FY 2015 19 Chart 2. Regional Location of Respondents to the AI Survey, 2011–15 35 30 25 Percentage 20 15 10 5 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Europe and Central Asia 31 29 31 29 34 US and Canada 21 28 31 27 28 South Asia 14 9. 7 6 5 Africa 12 7 8 18 9 Latin America and the Caribbean 7 9 8 5 9 East Asia and Pacific 6 9 9 10 6 Australia and New Zealand 5 6 4 2 4 Middle East and North Africa 4 3 3 2 5 Note: Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding. 20 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 OPEN DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVES 6 The World Bank is recognized as a global leader in openness and transparency. Publish What You Fund’s 2014 Aid Transparency Index (ATI), http://newati.publishwhatyoufund. org/2014/, ranked the International Development Association, which is part of the World Bank Group, as one of the top performers and moved it into the “very good” category, with a score of 82.27 percent. The 2014 ATI notes that the World Bank has been a leading advocate for open development, open finances, and knowledge sharing, specifically citing the World Bank’s Open Data and Open Finances portals and the fact that the World Bank’s Mapping for Results Initiative was formally integrated with the Projects and Operations portal, www.worldbank.org/projects. The World Bank is a founding member of International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) and has been publishing development data in IATI since 2011. The World Bank makes data on its projects and operations available in the open-source IATI format. In addition to data on its core activities, the World Bank also publishes the following in its IATI activity files: links to its strategy, annual report, allocation policy, procurement policy, country partnership strategies, subnational allocations, activity results, impact appraisals, conditions, as well as contracts and tenders. Open Data Launched in 2010, the Open Data Initiative continues to expand its reach and is increasingly focused on usability. Through this initiative, the public has access to more than 19,000 development indicators at http://data.worldbank.org/. Data portals include the Atlas of Social Protection Indicators of Resilience and Equity (ASPIRE); climate change; country policy and institutional assessment for Sub-Saharan Africa; debt; education; financial inclusion; gender; global consumption; Global Monitoring Report; health, nutrition, and population; jobs; child malnutrition estimates; Millennium Development Goals; poverty and equity; service delivery indicators; and statistical capacity, which are available at http://data.worldbank.org/products/data- portals. Microdata information for more than 2,000 surveys conducted in 186 countries is available at http://microdata.worldbank.org/index.php/home. The World Bank is a global leader in openness and transparency. OPEN DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVES 21 Open Finances In FY 2015, the World Bank Group’s Open Finances website, https://finances.worldbank. org/, provided the public with access to more than 80 data sets with financial data about World Bank Group activities. The public can access data in six languages on loans, credits, and grants for current and former borrowers of and donors to the World Bank. The website serves both general and technical audiences, allowing users to manipulate data, create and share visualizations, and access data through API. Summaries are updated monthly, with historical data going back to the World Bank’s first loan in 1947. The site also allows the public to access information on trust funds, project procurement data, financial statements, operational summaries, and other relevant financial data. The most popular data sets in FY 2015 were IBRD statements of loans, major contract awards, and the data set disclosing information on corporate procurement contract awards valued at US$250,000 and above. The World Bank Group Finances mobile app, http://financesapp.worldbank.org/about/, for Android and iPhone/iPad users, is available in nine languages (Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese, English, French, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish). In addition to the information on loans, credits, and grants, it includes tender notices (updated daily) and financial report summaries (updated quarterly). In FY 2015, the Finances mobile app had 17,169 active users. Open Contracting Open Contracting refers to norms, practices and methodologies for increased disclosure and participation in public contracting, including contracts implemented by the World Bank and other donors. It begins with the disclosure of the relevant public procurement information from pre-award activities through contract award and implementation to allow for effective monitoring and accountability for results. Data and information can be accessed through the Project Procurement app and the Financial Instruments app. The Project Procurement app offers the most recent procurement data on major contracts awarded under Bank-funded projects. The Financial Instruments app provides information on terms and rates for various financial projects and serves as a quick reference tool for clients and researchers. Both apps are available at http://apps.worldbank.org/. Open Knowledge Repository In April 2012, the World Bank was the first intergovernmental organization to adopt a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license for all of its formal publications and knowledge products, launching the Open Knowledge Repository (OKR), openknowledge.worldbank.org. In July 2012, the World Bank formally approved an Open Access Policy for all of its research outputs and knowledge products. The Open 22 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 Access Policy makes the institution’s formal publications freely accessible in digital form, and the CC BY license enables the public to share, use, and reuse World Bank published content with minimal restrictions. In FY 2015, more than 3.4 million publications were downloaded from the OKR. The OKR has received multiple awards and accolades, including “Best Free Reference Web Site” by the American Library Association. Open Aid Partnership The Open Aid Partnership (OAP) is a global initiative of the World Bank that aims to improve the supply of and demand for open aid data and build the capacity of relevant stakeholders to use the information for enhanced decision making. To this end, the OAP supported the Government of Sierra Leona in developing and launching its national Open Data portal, http://opendata.gov.sl/, which provides public access to data across all sectors and ministries with the intention of increasing the transparency of Ebola response funding. In FY 2015, the OAP strengthened its focus on results by finalizing its monitoring and evaluation plan and gathering and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data on its work. This information will help the OAP team to design engagements tailored to the specific challenges of each country and complement the efforts of OAP partners and the broader open data and government communities. In FY 2015, more than 3.4 million publications were downloaded from the OKR. Photo: © Nugroho Nurdikiawan Sunjoyo/World Bank. Further permission required for reuse. OPEN DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVES 23 Photo: © Daniella Van Leggelo-Padilla/World Bank. Further permission required for reuse. AidFlows The AidFlows website, www.aidflows.org, provides a comprehensive overview of development finance allocation, supporting the World Bank Group, development partners, and client countries with information on the levels of and trends in aid allocation, its geographic prioritization, and use. It provides the public with easy and free access to development finance data presented in a visually intuitive format. AidFlows is a data platform based on information provided by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Bank Group, and partner multilateral development banks (MDBs). It supports strategic dialogue between the regions, centrally managed units, operational units of development partners, and MDBs, assisting them in elaborating a more strategic approach to development finance. The aid community around the world and the public at-large can use AidFlows to track the sources and uses of development financing by individual donors or financiers and beneficiaries. AidFlows provides information, including basic statistical data, and a detailed analysis of development financing at the level of beneficiary countries, positioning the World Bank Group and MDB lending and investments in the context of external development finance (trust funds and financial intermediary fund) allocation. The Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Islamic Development Bank, and the African Development Bank have joined the platform, with customized windows for country-by-country data. The AidFlows partnership continues to add new data on development financing—such as OECD data on country programmable assistance, which results in actual cross-border flows—and to invite new members from other MDBs, foundations, and international financial institutions. 24 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 OUTREACH, CONSULTATIONS AND CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT 7 The World Bank is committed to transparency as an important enabler for increased participation, accountability, and development results. The Bank is increasingly focusing on strengthening demand-side capacity for the use of its information and data by all development stakeholders, including citizens, as an important enabling factor for facilitating increased accountability and more effective development outcomes. In addition to the South Asia examples mentioned below, other regions are carrying out similar outreach activities. Outreach In FY 2015, communications staff in the India office organized Open Data–Open Development trainings, comprising 12 events hosted in various cities. The events focused on Open Development and Transparency initiatives, citizen engagement, Open Data tools and resources, analytical tools, online learning, Open Campus, Open Finances, navigating the World Bank Projects and Operations website, and mobile apps. Open India 2.0 is a new tool designed to get information on India’s country partnership strategy, challenges, projects, knowledge products, and tools for users to post their queries and comments on the projects. This tool was promoted through events to various stakeholders, including academia, researchers, statisticians, civil society organizations, and other data users. A training event was organized with the Government of India to raise awareness on the availability of subnational data. Dialogue with stakeholders is a critical aspect of the work of the World Bank. Photo: © Simone D. McCourtie /World Bank. Further permission required for reuse. Outreach, Consultations and Citizen Engagement 25 Further, the India communications staff supported training activities in Pakistan to the media, students, researchers, and faculty members of various universities. Two events were organized in Islamabad on Open Data and Development. Consultations Consultations are one of the main forms of stakeholder engagement that opens up a two-way avenue for dialogue. Stakeholders are invited to share their views and ideas, which are considered by World Bank Group decision makers. Inputs collected from these consultations contribute to project design, policies, strategies, and reports or studies. The World Bank Group Consultations hub, http://consultations.worldbank.org, provides a one-stop shop for stakeholders interested in World Bank consultations. On the hub, the public can view ongoing and planned consultations as well as those that were closed within the past year. In FY 2015, the consultation platform completed seven country partnership strategies, three policy reviews, and one thematic report and initiated eight new consultations. As an example, the Procurement Policy Review that was completed in FY 2015 benefited from extensive global multi stakeholder consultations. Through the Consultations hub, the Bank was able to engage with stakeholders through direct feedback, studies, and calls for dialogue on issues, such as sustainable procurement, fraud and corruption, and the use of domestic preferences, all of which were reflected in the revised framework paper. The Consultations hub received feedback on papers, comments from meetings (summaries from consultations), forum threads, and written submissions, including reports and recommendations. Citizen Engagement Ongoing dialogue with stakeholders is a critical aspect of the World Bank work. Through stakeholder engagement, the World Bank is building partnerships as the basis for finding sustainable solutions to global, regional, and local development challenges. In FY 2015, building on the “Strategic Framework to Mainstream Citizen Engagement in World Bank Group Operations,” a support system was established for developing citizen engagement mechanisms in World Bank projects and operations. A network of focal points across Regions and Global Practices was established to support task teams with implementing the new framework, and a secretariat was established to support training initiatives, collection of global best practices, and development of new products and mechanisms. Consultations are one of the main forms of stakeholder engagement. 26 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 LOOKING FORWARD 8 As technology and social media play a growing role in facilitating access to information, the World Bank will continue to engage and respond to stakeholders with a view to fulfilling the goals of transparency, collaboration, and civic participation. The World Bank will continue to benchmark the Policy against that of other MDBs and global Freedom of Information Act standards. Improved service delivery, renewed focus on AI training, records management improvement, and systemic enhancements are high priorities as we move forward with the next phase of implementation. Additionally, the World Bank will amplify its outreach to stakeholders, both internally and externally through country offices. Photo: © Dominic Chavez /World Bank. Further permission required for reuse. LOOKING FORWARD 27 APPENDIXES 28 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 APPENDIX A. Selected Five-Year Trends Chart 3. Indicators of Public Access, FY 2011 – FY 2015 2.5 2.4 1.88 2 1.5 1.5 1.35 1.24 1.25 1.02 1.06 1.03 1 0.79 0.5 D&R database visits (millions) Files downloaded (millions) 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Chart 4. Documents Released, FY 2011 – FY 2015 250,000 204,840 200,000 182,622 152,884 150,000 134,462 119,639 100,000 50,000 Documents publicly released 29,874 22,218 15,482 14,823 18,422 Aggregate number of documents available in D&R at the end of FY 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT APPENDIXES FY 2015 29 Chart 5. Records Disclosed through the D&R’s Simultaneous Disclosure Page, FY 2011 – FY 2015 120 110 108 100 102 99 80 81 60 40 20 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 Chart 6. Publicly Released Board Records, FY 2011 – FY 2015 450 421 400 350 300 310 275 250 256 200 195 150 100 50 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 30 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 Table 13. AIC Outcomes on Appeals, FY 2011 – FY 2015 Indicator FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 Number of appeals decided 9 10 6 10 5 Results of appeals Original denial was upheld 9 5 6 8 3 Original denial was reversed 0 2 0 0 0 Appeal was dismissed 0 3 0 2 2 Average working days to conclude 41 50 52 53 54 Table 14. AI Policy Exceptions used in Denials, FY 2011 – FY 2015 AI Policy exception FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 Total Deliberative Information 33 17 20 25 12 107 Information provided by member countries 4 10 15 18 6 53 or third parties in confidence Corporate Administrative Matters 9 3 7 9 5 33 Personal Information 1 5 3 4 1 14 Attorney-Client Privilege 0 0 3 3 7 13 Financial Information 0 0 5 1 1 7 Security and Safety 0 1 2 1 0 4 Communication of 0 0 0 0 1 1 Executive Directors’ Office Total 47 36 55 61 33 232 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT APPENDIXES FY 2015 31 APPENDIX B. Exercise of the World Bank’s Prerogative to Disclose Restricted Information: Cases Considered by the AI Committee in FY 2015 Exercise of the World Bank’s Case number and AI Policy exception(s) prerogative to disclose requested information restricted information 1. AI2850 Information on a PHRD grant to the Philippines in 2006, Deliberative Information Yes related to the Social Welfare and Development Reform Project Corporate 2. AI3611 Administrative Matters, No Strategic staffing update papers Deliberative Information 3. AI3680 Financial Information No Data on project preparation and supervision costs (except banking and billing) 32 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 APPENDIX C. Appeals Concluded by the AI Committee in FY 2015 Type of Appeal Upheld or Reversed Case Number and Violation World Bank Decision to Applicable Exception(s) Information Requested of AI Public Interest Deny Access Policy 1. AI3487 Dismissed Internal Bank memo to files from A.S.G. Hoar on X X (untimely filing of appeal) Attorney-Client Privilege Anglo-Iranian oil” 2. AI3613 Dismissed (for appealing a Certain documents of the Task Force on Private matter that the AI Committee Foreign Investment of the Joint Development X X does not have authority to Not applicable Committee of the World Bank and the consider) International Monetary Fund 3. AI3560 Ethiopia Voluntary Resettlement Program, Diagnostic Mission, June 10 to 22, 2004: X Upheld Deliberative Information Aide-Memoire Upheld on both grounds and partly dismissed on public Attorney-Client Privilege, 4. AI3634 interest grounds (certain information provided by Information related to the World Bank’s review of the procurement process of the dewatering X X information restricted by AI member country or third party Policy exceptions not subject in confidence; Deliberative of the Tamnava West Field mine in Serbia to consideration on a public Information interest basis) Corporate 5. AI3611 Strategic staffing update papers X Upheld Administrative Matters, Deliberative Information WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT APPENDIXES FY 2015 33 APPENDIX D. Access to Information Committee The Access to Information Committee was established pursuant to the AI Policy. It serves as the internal body that (a) broadly oversees the AI Policy implementation; (b) is authorized to interpret the AI Policy; (c) makes decisions concerning whether to exercise the World Bank’s prerogative to disclose certain information that is on the list of AI Policy exceptions (that is, restricted information); and (d) considers appeals filed against the World Bank’s decisions to deny access to information. The AI Committee is supported in its work by a secretariat housed in the Operational Policy Group, Legal Vice Presidency. In FY 2015, the AI Committee consisted of eight principal members and their alternates, representing the Operations Policy and Country Services Vice Presidency (OPCS), External and Corporate Relations Vice Presidency (ECR), Legal Vice Presidency (LEG), Corporate Secretary Vice Presidency (SEC), Budget, Performance Review, and Strategic Planning Vice Presidency (BPS), Information Technology and Solutions Vice Presidency (ITS), Development Economics Vice Presidency (DEC), and one region. In FY 2015, the regional representation was held by the Middle East and North Africa region. Operations Policy and Country Services AI Committee chair since October 2013 Mariam J. Sherman Director, Results, Openness, and Effectiveness Alternate member since October 2013 Stefan G. Koeberle Director, Operations Risk Management Department External and Corporate Relations Principal member since July 2011 Alternate member July 2010 – June 2011 Sumir Lal Director, Global Practices Communications Alternate member since June 2015 Hannah Grace George Senior Communications Officer, Global Practices Communications 34 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 Alternate member December 2011 – June 2015 Jill Wilkins Manager, Global Engagement Legal Principal member since October 2013 Alternate Member November 2011 – September 2013 Anthony Toft Deputy General Counsel, Operations Alternate member since October 2013 Melinda Good Chief Counsel, Legal, South Asia Region Corporate Secretary Principal member since May 2012 Alternate member July 2010 – April 2012 Elisabetta Marmolo Manager, Corporate Affairs and Administration Alternate member since June 2015 Sivan Tamir Operations Officer, Policy and Operations Alternate member May 2012 – June 2015 Barbara Geiser Senior Operations Officer, Policy and Operations WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT APPENDIXES FY 2015 35 Budget, Performance Review and Strategic Planning Principal member since September 2012 Bryan Cook Division Manager, Corporate Procurement Alternate member since May 2012 Vivek Chaudhry Division Manager, Strategy and Finance Information and Technology Solutions Principal member since July 2010 Elisa Liberatori-Prati Chief Archivist, Knowledge and Information Services Alternate member since February 2014 Vlada Alekankina IT Officer, Information Management Services II Development Economics Alternate member since September 2014 Haishan Fu Director, Development Economics and Chief Economist, Development Data Group Alternate member since September 2014 Neil James Fantom Manager, Development Economics and Chief Economist, Development Data Group 36 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 Middle East and North Africa Principal member July 2014 – June 2015 Gerard Byam Director, Strategy and Operations Alternate member July 2014 – June 2015 Franck Bousquet Senior Regional Adviser WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT APPENDIXES FY 2015 37 APPENDIX E. Access to Information Appeals Board As part of the AI Policy, the World Bank established a three-member, impartial Access to Information Appeals Board. The AI Appeals Board considers second-level appeals alleging that the World Bank has unreasonably or improperly denied access to information that it would normally disclose under the AI Policy. The AI Appeals Board is supported in its work by a secretariat within the World Bank. The AI Appeals Board consists of three outside experts selected by the World Bank president and endorsed by the World Bank’s executive directors. Members Member since 2012 Richard Calland Associate Professor of Public Law, and the Director of Democratic Governance and Rights Unit, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town Member since 2012 Kevin Harry Dunion Director of the Centre for Freedom of Information, University of Dundee, School of Law Member 2012–14 Ramojus Kraujelis Chief Archivist of Lithuania Member since early 2015 Cecelia Marie Espenoza Veteran AI legal professional with prior adjudicatory experience 38 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015 39 TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESULTS Unlocking the Power of Information Five years after the launch of its landmark Access to Information Policy and the Open Data initiative, the World Bank has emerged as a convener, leader, and partner in global transparency, and is paving the way for a citizen-centered approach to development. Since 2010, the World Bank has expanded the public’s access to its information, knowledge, and research through a variety of resources. This proactive disclosure has helped to spread the organization’s wealth of operational information, research, statistics, and data on development challenges around the globe. Learn more at worldbank. org/opendevelopment. World Bank Open Development Resources Access to Information Policy Gain access to any information in the World Bank’s possession that is not on a list of 10 exceptions. worldbank.org/wbaccess Open Data Find more than 18,000 development indicators, including data portals on health, financial inclusion, poverty, and more. data.worldbank.org Open Finances Access, visualize, and share summaries of financial data for IBRD, IDA, and IFC activities. finances.worldbank.org Open Knowledge Repository Search this open access repository for World Bank Group (WBG) research and knowledge products. openknowledge.worldbank.org WBG Corporate Scorecard Discover a high-level and strategic overview of the WBG’s performance toward achieving the institution’s goals. worldbank.org/corporatescorecard World Bank Apps Download free mobile apps for development data, projects, and World Bank information. apps.worldbank.org First Directive on Information Disclosure Policy World Bank approves the Launch of Open Modification to the AI Policy Disclosure issued by the revised to release greater AI Policy. Paradigm shift to Finances platform, which Modification to the to clarify application to Bank, establishing range of documents. Historical presumption of disclosure, provides interactive data AI Policy to clarify Board of Governors records. presumption in records since 1946 added to list of exceptions and on the Bank’s financial declassification of certain 5th Anniversary of favor of disclosure Documents & Reports appeals process activities board records the AI Policy 1985 1993 2002 2003 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 First Policy on Information World Bank adopts Open Data initiative is Creation of Open Knowledge Mainstream citizen Disclosure approved. Project Translation Framework, launched, enabling free Repository and Open Access engagement, including Information Document (PID) which broadens access access to more than 2,000 Policy, for free access to all beneficiary feedback, in is introduced and dissemination to development indicators research and knowledge Bank supported operations larger audience and project data. products AI Policy becomes effective 40 WORLD BANK | ACCESS TO INFORMATION ANNUAL REPORT FY 2015