[OpenSpending] R: [OpenSpending-discuss] WDMMG Turkey

Thu May 17 20:34:02 UTC 2012

Hi Lucy,

Just an update. 

Our activity in Turkey has ended for now, although we are hoping there might be a followup or new project coming in. 

As mentioned we did not manage to engage civil society organizations, but the Turkish Ministry of finance was quite interested the perspective of open government data (strange but true!). 
These are the “Guidelines for Public Finance Data Dissemination and Access" that we produced for them:
http://www.formez.eu/node/822

Aline

________________________________________
Da: okfn.lucy.chambers at gmail.com [okfn.lucy.chambers at gmail.com] per conto di Lucy Chambers [lucy.chambers at okfn.org]
Inviato: mercoledì 16 maggio 2012 17.59
A: Pennisi Aline
Cc: openspending at lists.okfn.org; Carlo Vaccari
Oggetto: Re: [OpenSpending-discuss] WDMMG Turkey

Hi Aline,

This sounds fascinating! I've been away, hence the delay but responses
to your questions inline:

On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 9:37 AM, Pennisi Aline <aline.pennisi at tesoro.it> wrote:
> Dear Lucy,
>
>
>
> I want to give you some feedback on an initiative in Turkey. I am involved
> in a capacity building Twinning project financed by the EU between the
> Italian Ministry of Finance and the Turkish General Directorate of Public
> Accounts (GDPA/MoF). The project mainly concerns improving data quality and
> access to public accounts. Within this framework we have been collecting
> information on fiscal transparency in Turkey and on the developments of the
> Turkish e-Transformation project. Within one of the activities of the
> project we are trying to address are:
>
> - contents of data published on public finance in Turkey (objects,
> classifications, standards, territorial detail, metadata)

Amazing! Are these internationally recognised classifications etc. or
has Turkey devised their own? We are also currently doing some work
around a standard for transactional data, focusing on re-user
perspectives, so I would be very interested to know how this is going!

> - technological solutions for data accessibility and visualization

Amazing, any results yet?

> - public understanding and involvement (media, citizens, NGOs)

>
> Among other things, we held a workshop on April 19th on “Opening Financial
> Data in Turkey: transparency, accessibility and citizen involvement”. Our
> slides are accessible by clicking here:
> http://vaccaricarlo.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/turchia-2012-2a/.

Very interesting, so you were also looking at how government
information systems can be adapted to make it easier to   output
information in the formats transparency organisations require it?

[...]

> The administrations involved were very interested but, despite efforts on
> our side in contacting civil society / ngos usually interested in fiscal
> transparency issues, we did not manage to hear their voice.

[snip list]

This is a very useful list, thank you! I'm sorry to hear they did not
contact TESEV.

>
> 1.       which data on public expenditure and revenues should be in your
> opinion regularly published, but is lacking
>
> 2.       what you would like a Citizens’ Budget to contain
>
> 3.       specific initiatives on budget transparency promoted by Local
> Government Authorities, in response to demands from community groups or for
> other reasons
>
> 4.       provisions for transparency on public procurement and service
> contracts
>
> 5.       whether there are open government data initiatives in Turkey
>
> 6.       the priority fields in which to invest for the development of
> e-government services
>
> 7.       other Turkish organizations (NGOs and government agencies) active
> in the field of fiscal transparency and e-government services
>
>
> Unfortunately we did not get any answer. We are going back in May and
> writing Guidelines for the Turkish General Directorate of Public Accounts to
> improve data dissemination access and citizen involvement. Should you have
> ideas, suggestions or more on people and organizations I could try to
> contact in Turkey to help respond to the above questions or provide any
> other kind of relevant info for us to show there is a demand for data and
> fiscal transparency, this could be an interesting opportunity.
>
I'm sorry to hear that there was no response :( Qu1. I also recently
was investigating, I have answers from 20 countries but none so far
from Turkey, will keep looking and if I get an answer, I will share
the results. On qu2. Have you tried contacting the IBP directly to see
whether they asked any similar questions in Turkey. They have been
producing very good guides on producing citizen budgets:
http://internationalbudget.org/wp-content/uploads/Citizen-Budget-Guide.pdf
and have been asking civil society organisations very similar
questions.

Regarding the wider open-government aspects, have you tried asking on
the open-government list?
http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/open-government

Sorry not to be more immediate help, but I will continue to think and
get back to you if I have any thoughts, please let me know if there
have been any updates,

Lucy

>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Aline
>
>
>
>
>
> Da: okfn.lucy.chambers at gmail.com [mailto:okfn.lucy.chambers at gmail.com] Per
> conto di Lucy Chambers
>
>
> Inviato: giovedì 19 gennaio 2012 18.53
> A: Pennisi Aline
> Cc: openspending at lists.okfn.org; Florio Giuseppe; Carlo Vaccari
> Oggetto: Re: [OpenSpending-discuss] WDMMG Turkey
>
>
>
> Aline,
>
>
>
> It may make sense to try and get in touch with the Turkish Economic and
> Social Studies Foundation
> (TESEV). http://www.tesev.org.tr/default.asp?PG=ANAEN. They have been
> involved with the International Budget Partnership and may be able to advise
> you most closely!
>
>
>
> Lucy
>
> On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 3:46 PM, Lucy Chambers <lucy.chambers at okfn.org>
> wrote:
>
> Hi Aline,
>
>
>
> I'm not aware of anything as yet. But I'll put a tweet out and see if
> anything comes back - I would also like to know for my reference.
>
>
>
> I'll be in touch if I hear anything back!
>
>
>
> Lucy
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 11:20 AM, Pennisi Aline <aline.pennisi at tesoro.it>
> wrote:
>
> Hi!
>
> Does anyone know about a Where Does My Money Go initiative in Turkey? Or
> about any open government data work there?
>
> Thanks for links, contacts or suggestions!
>
> Aline
>
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>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Lucy Chambers
> Community Coordinator
> Open Knowledge Foundation
> http://okfn.org/
> Skype: lucyfediachambers
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Lucy Chambers
> Community Coordinator
> Open Knowledge Foundation
> http://okfn.org/
> Skype: lucyfediachambers

--
Lucy Chambers
Community Coordinator,
OpenSpending & Data Journalism
Open Knowledge Foundation
Skype: lucyfediachambers
Twitter: @lucyfedia