2014年-世界发展银行全球_Does_Access_to_Information_Empower_the_Poor__Evidence_from_the_Dominican_Republic_49页_1mb

Does Access to Information Empower the Poor?

Evidence from the Dominican Republic

Core Content

This paper presents an impact evaluation of the Access to Information (ATI) pilot project in the Dominican Republic (DR), examining whether access to information can empower poor citizens. The study combines quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the program's effects on various dimensions of empowerment, including civic knowledge, awareness and use of the right to information, trust in public institutions, civic participation, and local governance.

Main Findings

• No impact on awareness and use of specific ATI rights: The study found no significant effect on citizens' awareness or use of information under the specific rules of the Access to Information Law (ATIL).
• Increased general complaints to government: Despite no impact on ATI-specific awareness, individuals in treatment municipalities were more likely to address general complaints to the government, regardless of whether these complaints were covered by the ATI law.
• Positive impacts on local governance: There were statistically significant positive effects on local government responsiveness, prioritization of the municipal budget, and trust and satisfaction with certain local government services.
• Limited effectiveness of the ATI program: The program did not significantly improve the use of the ATI law, likely due to low awareness, lack of administrative capacity, and fear of reprisals among citizens.
• Challenges in implementation: SACs (Social Audit Committees) formed under the ATI program faced severe financial challenges post-intervention, leading to a halt in their operations.

Key Information

Program Overview

• Law: The Dominican Republic passed the Law of Free Access to Information (FOI) in 2004 and 2007, requiring government agencies to provide public information.
• Implementation: The ATI pilot project was launched in 2009 and completed in 2011, focusing on seven poor municipalities.
• Partners: The project was implemented by Grupo Gestion Moderna (GGM) and Centro Juan Montalvo (CJM), with support from the Japanese Social Development Fund and the World Bank.
• Objectives: To increase transparency and accountability in public service provision through civic education and the establishment of Social Audit Committees (SACs).

Evaluation Methodology

• Data Collection: Two rounds of data were collected – a baseline survey in late 2010 and a follow-up in mid-2012.
• Sample Size: 1,932 households were surveyed (966 in treatment and 966 in control groups).
• Matching Method: Nearest neighbor matching was used to select seven control municipalities that were comparable to the seven treatment municipalities.
• Estimation Technique: A difference-in-differences matching (DDM) estimator was used to assess the intent-to-treat (ITE) effect of the program.

Contextual Insights

• Low awareness of transparency legislation: Only 26% of respondents knew about the FOI law six years after its enactment.
• Role of community organizations: These were the main conduits for information dissemination, especially among more educated and politically active groups.
• Fear of reprisals: Many citizens feared that requesting information would lead to negative consequences from public officials.
• Bottlenecks in information access: Local politicians and civil servants were seen as the main obstacles to information access due to their reluctance to provide information and lack of understanding of the law.

Conclusion and Implications

• The ATI program had limited success in increasing awareness and use of the specific right to information under the law.
• However, it did lead to increased civic engagement and trust in local government services.
• The findings suggest that the effectiveness of ATI programs may depend on the presence of supportive civil society organizations and the ability to overcome institutional and political barriers.
• The study highlights the importance of combining qualitative and quantitative methods in evaluating the impact of information access programs.
• The results have implications for the expansion of the ATI program to a national level, emphasizing the need for sustained support and better implementation strategies.

Key Dimensions of Empowerment Analyzed

• Civic knowledge: Understanding of the FOI law and related processes.
• Awareness and use of the right to information: How often citizens request information from public institutions.
• Perceptions and trust in public services and institutions: Trust in local and national government, as well as in civil society organizations.
• Civic participation: Involvement in community-based organizations, participatory budgeting, protests, and other forms of collective action.
• Local governance: Responsiveness of local government, prioritization of municipal budgets, and delivery of public services.

Methodological Notes

• Balance tests: Baseline characteristics of treatment and control groups were found to be largely similar, with only minor differences in basic services.
• Confidence level: The study reports confidence levels of 90% for key outcome variables.
• Limitations: The study could not fully disentangle supply-side and demand-side effects, but it inferred that demand-side impacts were more likely to be predominant.

This research contributes to the understanding of how information access programs can empower citizens, particularly in developing countries, and provides valuable insights for future policy design and implementation.