TRANSPARENCY What do we mean by transparency? 1. Although there is no universally accepted definition of transparency, there is general agreement that it refers to public access to information and the right to know. 2. Transparency, in its broadest sense, refers to: how much citizens are entitled to access to information held internally; the information's breadth, precision, and currented; and what citizens can do as "outsiders" if "insiders" do not provide such access sufficiently. 3. Excessive secrecy can hinder citizens' ability to challenge abuses of public power and lower the quality of public decision-making. Almost every aspect of society and governance can suffer as a result of this. 4. As a result, transparency in terms of both the dissemination and disclosure of information as well as access to decision-making is crucial because it better enables civil society to: • impose accountability on the government and/or key decision-makers; • encourage good government; • enhance efficiency and public policy;
