В условиях демократического государства открытость представляет собой принцип организации и осуществления публичной власти. Построение и функционирование государственной власти и местных органов власти на основе данного принципа расширяют возможности их взаимодействия с гражданским обществом через открытость принятия и реализации политических решений и активизацию общественного контроля над деятельностью органов государственной власти и местного самоуправления. Формирование открытости местных органов власти способствует решению проблем ответственности и эффективности управления.

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UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME IN UZBEKISTAN
LOCAL GOVERNANCE SUPPORT PARTICIPATION AND
PARTNERSHIP PROJECT
Article: A way forward to ensure the transparency of local governments
The views expressed by the author of this publication do not necessarily reflect the official position of the
United Nations of its subordinate organizations, including UNDP and the participating countries
Tashkent 2012

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SUBJECT
Introduction……………………………………………………………..
1. LGIC Press Secretary Training held by LGSP…………………….
2. The interactive training covered many different topics for LGIC
officers, from news story writing to interview techniques…………..
3. A variety of interview skills and technologies that Press Secretaries
would apply in their LGICs was used during the training
4. Belgium's Service Fédéral d'Information.......................................
5. Greece's KEP……………………………………………………….
6. Ireland's Citizens Information……………………………………….
7. Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture Website…………………………….
8. Romania's Constanta City Hall website……………………………..
9. Andalusian province of Spain’s CLARA………………………….
10. Catalan government of Spain's CAT365…………………………
11. Sri Lanka's Government Information Centre……………………..
12. USA's Federal Citizen Information Center……………………….
13. USA's Rural Information Center………………………………….
Bibliography……………………………………………………………
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Introduction
The importance of open, effective public communication between local
governments and citizens cannot be underestimated. The proper communication
between the government and the citizen has an impact on progress, sustainable
improvement in society, and efficient exchange of ideas and delivering
services.
Local governments and their officials and officers are the primary point
of contact between the citizen and the state. They are the first point of
information for citizens. They are the main government body closest to the
citizens. They are the ones relied upon to pass important government
information to their citizens.
It is vital that government officials at the local authorities are capable and
provided with the means to strategically, effectively and efficiently inform the
public, be they citizens, be they businesspersons, organisations and media alike.
This activity is usually performed regularly through Offices of Information
Services at the local government level on a professional manner.
In line with improving good governance at the local level, a regular,
consistent and timely flow of information from the local administration to the
citizen level should exist. A key activity of the UNDP Uzbekistan’s Local
Governance Support Project (LGSP) in Djizak and Namangan regions is
therefore to support strengthening local governments’ technical and functional
capacities to improve the transparent communication system through which
citizens receive public information.
In this regard LGSP will launch the opening of Local Governance
Information Centers (LGICs) in the regions of Djizak and Namangan to serve
the local population. By the end of 2011, the LGSP will have facilitated the
establishment of a total of 6 LGICs. Three LGICs will have been established in
each pilot region, with one each serving either a city, a district or a region:
DJIZAK REGION NAMANGAN REGION
- Djizak regional khokimiyat - Namangan regional khokimiyat
- Djizak city khokimiyat - Namangan city khokimiyat
- Zaamin district khokimiyat - Yangikurgan district khokimiyat

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The LGSP, under the Good Governance Unit of the UNDP in Uzbekistan,
earmarked this as an important target output directly relating to the facilitation
of “free access of population to the information related work of the government
bodies at all levels”. It is part of a citizen-centric approach to improve local
governance, by improving and strengthening the capacity of the local
government authorities and improving participation and partnership in joint
formulation and implementation of regional development strategy.
14. LGIC Press Secretary Training held by LGSP
The baseline for this LGSP activity was the result of monitoring and a survey
carried out in 2010 showed that there was a high citizen demand for high
quality, disaggregated information from government institutions in a timely and
comprehensive
manner. There have
been reforms to
improve citizen access
to information on
government activities
at the local level and
there is a new
Presidential Concept of
further deepening the democratic reforms and establishing the civil society in
the country which envisages the adoption of a new legislation on the
transparency of government organisations. LGSP has taken this baseline marker
and, assisting the regional, city and district khokimiyats, developed a
comprehensive Concept Note on Local Government Information Centers. In
line with this Concept Note, a number of supportive actions were taken by
LGSP to provide legal and analytical advice, to conduct the necessary public
communications and ICT trainings, procurement of assets such as ICT and
media equipment but importantly capacity building trainings on effective client-
based approach to deliver information services, Public Relations and outreach
training for press secretaries, as well as subsequent monitoring and evaluation.
The lessons learned from this LGSP pilot project could be used to create a

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sustainable institutional mechanism for future LGICs in other regions of the
country.
15. The interactive training covered many different topics for LGIC officers,
from news story writing to interview techniques. In this photograph, a mock
press conference
For Uzbekistan, LGSP hopes that through this pilot program of opening three
LGICs at the city, district and region khokimiyat in two different regions,
Djizak and Namangan, the public will be able to easily access information and
up-to-date news about government services, and make local governments’
performance results more
efficient and transparent.
Not only will it provide
easier access to information
at the two different levels
(regional and district) of
local governments, but at
their fully operational states,
LGSP aims to make all six
of them in full networking
communication with one
another, between and within, at region-to-city-and-district and region-to-region
approaches, facilitating the fast hierarchical movement of information.
16. A variety of interview skills and technologies that Press Secretaries would
apply in their LGICs was used during the training
In addition, LGSP aims for these LGICs to
reach out to their citizens through multiple
channels of communication, and intends to
reach different demographic groups through
different means. A website, blogging
platform and micro-blogging as well as
mobile-compatibility for websites useful for
the younger demographic, pre-assumes computer literacy and access to the
internet. Internet usage, however, is not as widespread among members of the

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older demographic groups, who might prefer face-to-face interaction with
employees of the local authority, and who would prefer to have their
information given to them in local meetings with their local authority.
Therefore, LGSP envisages a networked, multi-platform and multi-channel
LGIC.
Uzbekistan is not a unique case in terms of local government information
services. The idea of LGICs is not new, and there are many different models of
implementing these information centers in many countries. However, the ways
and means that information centers operate are different for each jurisdiction
depending on the needs and capacities of their local population.
In some countries, information of different governmental bureaux are
disseminated or accessed by the citizen through the respective offices. In
Albania, while there are no comprehensive information centers as such
information is disseminated by the different Public Relations departments of
relevant ministerial or governmental service entities. In Croatia, while there is a
recognised need to extend services to regional and local levels, information
centers operate through the different public service institutes, and citizens not
only have an access to information, but the centers are able to inform and advise
as well as process applications and complaints regarding the different services.
In Montenegro, while municipalities provide administrative procedures on
specific services, they still lack the capacity to provide full information on
broader issues (Contiades 2007, 40, 43, 45). These countries already have base
mechanisms for provision of information services, but they are not
comprehensive LGICs as such as citizens still need to visit specific offices for
different information needs. There are moves, in these respective countries,
toward more comprehensive service provision for their citizens.
On the other hand, there are many comprehensive Citizen Information
Centers in many countries, either run by local governments or through the
federal system. Of varying quality and accessibility, some function more
popularly through physically located centers, while in some other countries,
citizens prefer using a telephone call center, or having information provided
through the internet website. Some still have Citizen Information Services
which disseminate information over multiple channels. There are many different
ways to deliver information from the public authority to the citizens, and there

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are many different ways that the citizen may seek information, depending on the
needs of their citizens. This may be seen in the different cases of Belgium,
Greece, Ireland, Japan, Romania, Spain, Sri Lanka and the United States.
17. Belgium's Service Fédéral d'Information
Belgium also has a Service Fédéral d’Information, established by the official
federal body responsible to
disseminate information to its
citizens, and accessible by a
comprehensive website. It
centralises the search for
information regarding specific
citizen concerns such as
housing, education, justice,
mobility, taxes, work.
However, it has not taped into the alternative channels of communicating
information, and its news and list of addresses and websites of official Belgium
government offices are not frequently updated, and would be more
appropriately classified as a government website, and not an active information
center (Lobet-Maris, Van Bastelaer and De Vos 2000).
18. Greece's KEP
Greece has a centralised Citizen
Information Service accessible to
citizens. There is a comprehensive
website dedicated to disseminating
information and services, for the
population who use the internet. The most popular channel is a telephone call
center accessible from anywhere in Greece by dialling a short telephone
number. There also over 1,000 physical locations for this service. Public
services are obliged to take action within a 10 day time limit. Should this limit
be exceeded by the public agency, the application may request monetary
compensation of up to 600 euro to the relevant region or the Ministry of the
Interior, Public Administration and Decentralisation. The information service

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center is able to provide up to 60 different certificates, including passports,
university issued study certificates and engineering insurance services, and
between 1998 until 2003, received 2,730,000 telephone calls in the call center
for procedural information and applications (Contiades 2007).
19. Ireland's Citizens Information
The Government of Ireland provides Citizen Information Services through
physical LGICs, telephone services, as well as a Citizens Information website
run by the Citizens Information Board, where information on all government
services is available and
searchable in multiple
languages (Citizens
Information Board n.d.). Local
Citizen Information Centres
provide free, on-the-spot and
confidential information
regarding all aspects of citizen
life in the municipality in question. While those who prefer not to access the
website have access to the physical centre, the central website also connects
with demographic groups that find information through internet more
accessible, by providing a blog with an RSS so citizens can easily subscribe to
their updates, usually composing of important workshops and events for the
community. They also connect to citizens through micro-blogging websites
such as twitter for more immediate news briefs and updates, such as weather
warnings, as well as reminders of important dates for their citizens, such as tax
deadlines and college application deadlines. The website itself also provides a
version for mobile phones and allows the comprehensive information system to
be accessible anywhere.
20. Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture Website
Some of Japan’s many different prefectures also have physical information
centers. In Yamanashi
Prefecture, there is a
Prefectural Citizens
Information Plaza, where

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among other things, citizens may readily gain access to prefectural
administration-related public information and publications, open on all working
days (Yamanashi Prefecture n.d.), among other services. This Information Plaza
is within a bigger Prefectural Office Complex where there are offices of the
various departments located there that serve the local population which are then
readily accessible by citizens. This is one case and not all Prefectures provide
the same level of services through internet channels.
21. Romania's Constanta City Hall website
Romania’s network of Citizen Information Centers (CICs) is supported by a
CIC Network, and is affiliated with a non-governmental organisation, the
National Association of the Center of Citizen Information. Some municipalities
have dedicated information
offices where all departments
of a specific City Hall are
located within one location,
where citizens are able to find
accurate information for their
problems (Constanta City Hall
2009). In one particular city of
Constanta, nine different
bureaux tackle different issues of citizenship, including requesting audiences
with the Mayor in case of unsatisfactory responses. Citizen applications and
requests are registered in a program which tracks paper flows from department
to another until answers are received, and citizens may use this program to find
out their request status, and they may also view the status of their applications
online. However, most websites are still considered local government websites
aimed more at information dissemination for potential investors and tourists
than for the local citizens. On the other hand, Romania have developed a
manual for guiding government units in establishing CICs in different
jurisdictions, are actively establishing both new CICs and improving the
capacity development for staff and increasing the services provided. Training
for staff are done in how to best manage such facilities, on-location training, as
well as media and public relations training (Pamfil and Serban n.d.).

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22. Andalusian province of Spain’s CLARA
More similarly to the LGSP, many regional governments also seek ways to
more efficiently disseminate and connect with their citizen base. CLARA is an
initiative of the regional
Andalusian government of
Spain which is designed to
offer information to citizens. It
is part of a modernisation
process of Andalusian Public
Services in order to increase
transparency, agility and
efficiency. CLARA itself is a multi-channel platform for citizen information
and services and self-service in order to increase the access and appropriateness
of government service information to the citizens and minimise waiting periods,
as well as provided on-demand standard information. The regional government
also benefits by decreasing the gap between the Andalusian public
administration and its citizens, which are available through a multiple channel
format, through internet, through Andalusian government bureaus whereby
CLARA information is accessible to all visitors and through telephone. The
Andalusian government uses a model called Citizen Relationship Management
(CSM) which involves increasing efficiency both in its back-office, or internal,
management, information and communication exchanges and processes as well
as front-end, or external approach, to citizens (Segura Vinuesa 2007).
23. Catalan government of Spain's CAT365
The Catalan government also
has a similar information
center, one accessible through
telephone hotline and the
internet website portal,
CAT365, which provides
citizens with a starting portal
for various aspects of citizen
information (Contiades 2007,

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30). Thus in Spain, the initiatives of local governments provide improved
information services.
24. Sri Lanka's Government Information Centre
Sri Lanka has both a Government Information Centre (GIC) website and a call
center that enables citizens to obtain correct and relevant information regarding
citizen services presented in three languages (Sinhala, Tamil and English). The
project was initiated by the government and through an ICTA Re-engineering
Government Programme in
order to increase efficiency of
the information delivery to
citizens (Government
Information Centre 2009), in
regards to information
regarding individual as well as
businesses and also has a
comprehensive complaint
handling mechanism. In addition to a single four-digit phone number that Sri
Lankan citizens may call from anywhere in the country, the call center also has
a phone number for telephone calls from overseas, making the GIC more
accessible to even more Sri Lankans. According to the website, the call centers
routinely process up to 2500 telephone requests daily. The website was created
to relay information to information seeking citizens twenty-four hours a day,
seven days a week, versus the call centers which operates only for twelve hours
a day, seven days a week. The GIC website targets the computer-savvy
demographic groups by providing information through social media websites
such as Facebook and LinkedIn, micro-blogging websites such as Twitter, as
well as YouTube for video which informs their citizens the uses of the GIC. Out
of the 374 government organisations, such as ministries and departments that
operate, 106 had information accessible through the GIC. The GIC increased
awareness and its user base into non-central regions of Sri Lanka by providing
demonstrations and billboard campaigns, such as in Jaffna and Batticoloa
(Strategic Communication and Media Unit ICTA 2009). The GIC is not an
LGIC as it covers a wide range of information for Sri Lankan citizens regardless
of location.

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25. USA's Federal Citizen Information Center
For the United States, the Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC), having
been in operation for more than 40 years, is still the most comprehensive citizen
information service for the
whole of the USA, with
different internet media
platforms used for different
demographic groups, including
social media, blogging, micro-
blogging, free publications
accessible on the internet and
in print, as well as a fully
separate website dedicated for children. In a national survey conducted in 2003,
the American Customer Satisfaction Index, measuring the level of services
provided by the federal government for its citizen, the FCIC scored 79 out of
100 points, due to its “accessibility and usefulness of the free Consumer
Information Catalog” (U.S. General Services Administration 2004).
26. USA's Rural Information Center
There is also a centralised Rural Information Center run by the federal
Department of Agriculture for citizens
living in rural areas with information
and guides accessible by the internet
website as well as through telephone
call center. Like the United States
Federal Citizen Information Center,
several individual states as well as
municipalities and towns have their own Citizens Information Center. Most
have physical locations in their jurisdiction; due to varying fund allocations for
these, they vary in the quality and quantity of information given as well as
varying the amount of different channels from which they disseminate
information. For example, some tap into the readily available social media
networks, others do not. However, unlike FCIC, most are run by the local
authority offices.

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Governments are always seeking for new and innovative as well as efficient
ways of disseminating information and communicating on a two-way basis with
their local citizens. In the aforementioned examples, many are continually
updating the information services and systems they use to provide them through
monitoring and evaluation, similar to LGSP’s vision for Uzbekistan’s LGICs.
LGICs provide a comprehensive way to relate to their citizens, their main
service beneficiaries. For Uzbekistan, the LGIC pilot project in Djizak and
Namangan hopes to be a first steady step in the process of enhancing the
communication channels between the local authority and the citizens, through
more efficient and transparent information dissemination.
Soraya Soemadiredja, LGSP Intern
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