ABSTRACT Under apartheid, the South African intelligence services operated in secrecy and without the framework of a Constitution upholding basic human rights. The situation changed drastically with the introduction of a democratic political dispensation in 1994, and with the adoption of the Republic of South Africa Constitution Act, 1996. One of the fundamental rights contained in the Bill of Rights (Chapter 2 of the Constitution) was the right of access to information. The subsequent passage of legislation to give effect to this right, required all state structures - including the civilian intelligence services, the National Intelligence Agency and the South African Secret Service - to actively disclose information about themselves, and to receive and respond to requests for access to records that were made in terms of the enabling legislation. The main issue with which the study is concerned - the balance between secrecy and transparency in a democracy - is one of a wider set of concerns related to democratic control and accountability of the intelligence and security services. The study explores policy options for reconciling the public’s right to information with the intelligence services’ need for a degree of secrecy with which to conduct their work. Inter alia, it compares the policy choices of three countries about how their intelligence services should function in relation to access to information legislation. The research reveals that there was uneven and erratic compliance by the intelligence services with key provisions of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000, up to and including August 2005. The weaknesses arose because of the absence of clear policy on how to implement the Act in relation to the intelligence services, and in relation to information held by the intelligence and security services. The study therefore argues the need for a comprehensive policy package, which sets criteria for the conditions under which information should be protected from disclosure, and the criteria for determining when information no longer requires such protection. Finally, it argues for strict oversight of the intelligence services’ choices around secrecy and transparency.

Open access is being talked about, and implemented, around the globe, by everyone from the U.N. to individual authors, editors, and publishers, and collaborative groups. As of October 2004, requests for a government mandate for OA had gone forward not only in the U.S. and the U.K., but also Croatia. The Scielo (Scientific Electronic Online) collections of Latin America are very substantial, fully open access journal collections. In the developing world, OA is seen not only as the best means to access the research results of others, but as an opportunity to contribute their own scholarly research findings. Outside the U.S. and the U.K., profits from scientific publishing are not common, and subsidies are not unusual. The author predicts that the present slow but steady growth in institutional repositories will be replaced in the near future by dramatic growth.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo,2016 / The Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) was approved by the South African Parliament in February 2000 and went into effect in March 2001. The Act has been introduced in both public and private sectors with the intention of implementing the constitutional right of access to information and further foster a culture of transparency and accountability in both public and private bodies by giving effect to the right to access to information. The purpose of this study was to examine the implementation process of PAIA in the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture in Limpopo Province. Using both the qualitative and quantitative approaches the study revealed that there are various factors that contribute towards non-adherence and compliance to PAIA. The main findings of the study are that, although access to information is regarded as the pillar of democracy in promoting transparency and accountability within the Department, PAIA, however, has not contributed to the improvement of access to information in the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture in Limpopo. One critical challenge the study identified is non-compliance with the requirements of the Act which is perpetuated by lack of seriousness on the part of management. The study recommends that the Department has to identify a Unit to be responsible for administering PAIA, capacitate the Unit with relevant skilled human resources and financial support. Furthermore, the study recommends that as mandated by the South African Human rights Commission, PAIA should be known to the public, staff members and stakeholders therefore awareness campaigns need to take place. Workshops and training sessions would also help in making this Act known, leading staff, people and stakeholders to use it for their benefit.

Submitted by Tatiana Lima (tatianasl@ufba.br) on 2015-03-19T19:24:37Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao_Versão_Final Luciana Bomfim Terra.pdf: 1769931 bytes, checksum: ff96feba24e5a5e04ec4eb253460db2a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Tatiana Lima (tatianasl@ufba.br) on 2015-03-20T19:15:21Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao_Versão_Final Luciana Bomfim Terra.pdf: 1769931 bytes, checksum: ff96feba24e5a5e04ec4eb253460db2a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-20T19:15:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao_Versão_Final Luciana Bomfim Terra.pdf: 1769931 bytes, checksum: ff96feba24e5a5e04ec4eb253460db2a (MD5) / A implementação da Lei de Acesso à Informação, no Brasil, é um tema ainda pouco explorado, tendo em vista a recente aprovação da Lei 12.527/2011, que entrou em vigor em 16 de maio de 2012, através do Decreto 7.724. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo a analise de como a Universidade Federal da Bahia vem implementando a LAI e como vem acontecendo a produção e a disponibilização das informações para o cidadão, sob a ótica da transparência apregoada pela Controladoria-Geral da União. Para isso, foram utilizados os parâmetros teóricos, baseados nos estudos de Carter, Neuman e Calland que foram organizados em três dimensões: legal, institucional e social. Através da pesquisa documental e de entrevistas realizadas com os servidores da UFBA, foi possível desenvolver o estudo de caso, numa abordagem qualitativa. Com os resultados alcançados, conclui-se que a UFBA vem atendendo às exigências legais, parcialmente, e não está preparada para a aplicação dos procedimentos necessários a fim de que a implementação da lei aconteça efetivamente. Dessa forma, está despreparada para assumir o compromisso com a transparência das informações governamentais. The implementation of the Law on Access to Information, in Brazil, is still a relatively unexplored subject in view of the recent adoption of the Law 12.527/2011, which entered into force on May 16, 2012, through Decree 7.724 This research aimed to examine how the Universidade Federal da Bahia has been implementing the LAI is happening and how the production and provision of information to the citizens, from the perspective of transparency touted by the Controladoria Geral da União. For this, we used the theoretical parameters, based on studies of Carter, Neuman and Calland which were organized in three dimensions: legal, institutional and social. Through desk research and interviews with the officers of the University, it was possible to develop the case study, a qualitative descriptive approach. With a results obtained, it is concluded that the UFBA been meeting the legal requirements, partly, but is not prepared to the implementation of the necessary procedures to ensure that the implementation of the law effectively happen. Thus, is unprepared to commit to transparency of government information. Keywords:

This research investigates the role of policy on crime reduction by establishing whether it is inhibiting or enabling e-governance. e-Governance is necessary to automate access by the Department of South African Police Services (SAPS) to information held by the Department of Home Affairs (DoHA). Automated Access to information is needed by SAPS to enhance the identification of perpetrators as a strategy for crime reduction. The study explored this process through a qualitative data collection and analysis methodology that utilized a case study of both departments to understand their policy practices with regards to access by SAPS, to information held by DoHA. The findings revealed that even though the departments are mostly in compliance with access to information policy, this does not enable SAPS to effectively address crime reduction. It was further revealed that the egovernance policy has not been regularly evaluated and adapted to the current identification needs of other departments and has therefore resulted in egovernance not being implemented to enable automated access by SAPS to information held by DoHA. Access to information and e-governance policies should be modified and adapted to identify emergency departments to take the urgency of their identification requests into account while the perceived benefits of e-governance being developed at DoHA should also be viewed in terms of the benefits to the rest of the departments taking into account their urgency levels.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Magister Legum - LLM

"The references above are illustrative of the fact that an effective right to information is significant to democracy and has an unequivocal basis in international and comparative human rights law. Although international jurisprudence in this area has been ambivalent, in this essay, a mounting body of evidence is produced in support of the proposition that Zambia, as part of the global village is under an obligation to gaurantee citizens a right to access information. ... The work is divided into five chapters. The first chapter introduces the subject and provides a general overview of the study. Chapter two addresses the theoretical framework and international standards in the area of access to information. Chapter three focuses on the South African context in detail and touches on the Ugandan freedom of information regime. The fourth chapter focuses on the situation in Zambia looking at the obvious gaps in relation to global trends as well as what Zambia could borrow from the South African experience and avoid from the Ugandan regime. The practice in terms of accessibility of public information is discussed, and chapter five is the concluding chapter with a summary of the findings in the foregoing chapters, as well as recommendations." -- Introduction. / Prepared under the supervision of Prof. Frederick Juuko at the Faculty of Law, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2006. / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

Submitted by Clebson Anjos (clebson.leandro54@gmail.com) on 2015-05-07T17:20:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1979657 bytes, checksum: 8578fc9247b9341db71333b6cef46941 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-07T17:20:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1979657 bytes, checksum: 8578fc9247b9341db71333b6cef46941 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-25 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The right to information is a fundamental human right, registered in many international conventions and treaties. In this context, public information acquires a new relevance, and is considered as public interest, resulting in information policy. This study analyzes the implementation of an information policy in a federal institution of higher education. So the study of problematic questions whether the archival structure available in the institution ensures implementation and maintenance of politics. This is a descriptive research with qualitative-quantitative approach, developed through case study. Data collection occurred through the bibliographical research, individual and participant observation and interviews with the actors of the process. The sampling was non probabilistic type, defined by criteria of accessibility and typicity. The theoretical framework addresses the information, its characteristics and its social value, resulting in information policy. Analyzes the overview of the right to information, and analyzed the Brazilian Access Act to information and its impact on some social issues such as transparency in public administration. It still includes the reference the archives of public institutions and document management as essential elements in maintaining the policy of access to information. The research results have shown that even with specific disabilities, the archival structure meets the demands of users, so that the Citizens Information Service operates satisfactorily. Identified himself, however, some factors involved in the management and operation of the service. The positive factors were the performance of the service managers, archival structure and the link between the Information Service and the archival service of the institution. Ever identified negative factors were the lack of institutional support, insufficient technological capabilities, as well as the lack of knowledge on the part of service users. Given the above were presented suggestions to improve the service. / O direito à informação é um direito humano fundamental, registrado em diversas convenções e tratados internacionais. Nesse contexto, a informação pública adquire uma nova relevância, sendo considerada como bem de interesse público, posto que resulta em políticas de informação. O estudo objetiva analisar a implementação de uma política de informação em uma instituição federal de ensino superior. Assim, a problemática do estudo questiona se a estrutura arquivística disponível na instituição possibilita o pleno funcionamento do serviço resultante da política de informação. Trata-se de uma pesquisa descritiva, com abordagem qualiquantitativa, desenvolvida mediante estudo de caso. A coleta de dados se deu através da pesquisa bibliográfica, documental, observação individual e participante e entrevista com os atores do processo. A amostragem foi do tipo não probabilística, definida por critérios de acessibilidade e tipicidade. O referencial teórico aborda a informação, suas características e seu valor social, tendo como resultado as políticas de informação. Analisa-se o panorama geral do direito à informação, sendo analisada a Lei de Acesso à Informação brasileira e seus impactos em alguns aspectos sociais como a transparência na administração pública. Contempla-se ainda, no referencial, os arquivos das instituições públicas e a gestão documental como elementos fundamentais para a manutenção da política de acesso à informação. Os resultados da pesquisa demonstraram que, mesmo ante deficiências pontuais, a estrutura arquivística atende às demandas dos usuários, de forma que o Serviço de Informação ao Cidadão funciona de forma satisfatória. Identificaram-se, no entanto, alguns fatores intervenientes na gestão e operacionalização do serviço. Os fatores positivos foram a atuação dos gestores do serviço, a estrutura arquivística bem como a vinculação entre o Serviço de Informação ao Cidadão e o serviço arquivístico da instituição. Foram identificados, como fatores negativos, a falta de apoio institucional, a insuficiência dos recursos de tecnológicos, bem como a falta de conhecimento por parte dos usuários do serviço. Diante do exposto, foram apresentadas sugestões para a melhoria do serviço.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2017-04-27T15:28:06Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Analise-do-Servico-de-Informacao-ao-Cidadao-das-IFEs-NE.pdf: 2394599 bytes, checksum: ea406a81a2f85a1f7431c52401037aa1 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-27T15:28:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Analise-do-Servico-de-Informacao-ao-Cidadao-das-IFEs-NE.pdf: 2394599 bytes, checksum: ea406a81a2f85a1f7431c52401037aa1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-29 / Desde a implementação da Lei de Acesso à Informação (LAI), em 2012, percebese uma busca intensiva da sociedade por informações de domínio público e a maior participação nas decisões governamentais, em relação à aplicação dos recursos públicos. O cumprimento da LAI resulta em práticas de transparência nas instituições, por meio da cultura do acesso e da oferta de serviços de informação à sociedade. Nesse sentido, a Ciência da Informação pode contribuir tanto nos processos de organização, disponibilização e acesso à informação, assim como na identificação das necessidades de informação dos usuários e na criação de uma base dos dados mais relevantes. Diante desse contexto, essa pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar os Serviços de Informação ao Cidadão (SICs), com foco no seu funcionamento, estrutura organizacional e no fluxo de informações utilizado. Permitindo assim, identificar pontos positivos e dificuldades que esses órgãos possam vivenciar no seu papel de facilitadores do acesso à informação. A pesquisa quanto aos objetivos é descritiva e tem natureza qualitativa e quantitativa. Quanto às fontes de dados é bibliográfica. Quanto aos procedimentos de coleta de dados foram utilizadas as técnicas de pesquisa documental e de levantamento, por meio de aplicação de questionário e realização de entrevista semiestruturada com os respondentes do sistema e-SIC das instituições da amostra. Como amostra selecionou-se as Instituições Federais de Ensino Superior do Nordeste com mais pedidos de informação no SIC, o que resultou em nove instituições. Os resultados obtidos forneceram embasamento para considerações importantes, das quais se destaca que os anos de cultura do segredo vivenciados pelas instituições e muitos dos seus servidores, ainda são um empecilho para que o fluxo informacional (desde o pedido de informação pelo cidadão até sua respectiva resposta) ocorra sem atrasos ou dificuldades, de forma eficiente. Outro destaque é para a inexperiência dos agentes públicos responsáveis pelo atendimento no SIC, assim como a ausência de ferramentas e técnicas para facilitar a localização de pedidos já respondidos e a falta de organização das informações coletadas na instituição, o que poderia facilitar a resposta a pedidos de informações com assuntos recorrentes no SIC. Conclui-se que é necessária a adoção de medidas no sentido de conscientizar e deixar mais claro o teor da LAI a todos os envolvidos no fluxo informacional para resposta aos pedidos de informação ao SIC, o que já ocorre em algumas instituições. De fato, a informação é o caminho para a cidadania, uma vez que é por meio dela que os cidadãos podem conhecer e exercer seus direitos na sociedade em que vivem. / Since the implementation of the Access to Information Act (LAI), in 2012, one sees an intensive search of society for public information and greater participation in government decisions regarding the use of public resources. Compliance with the LAI results in transparency practices in institutions, through the culture of access and the provision of information society services. In this sense, information science can contribute both in organizational processes, availability and access to information, as well as the identification of users' information needs and the creation of a base of the most relevant data. This research aimed to analyze the Citizens Information Services (SICs), focusing on its operation, organizational structure and flow of information. Thus allowing to identify strengths and difficulties that these organs can experience in their role as facilitators of access to information. Related to the aims, this research is descriptive, qualitative and quantitative. The data source is literature. As data collection procedures were used the techniques of documentary research and survey through questionnaire and carrying out semi-structured interviews with respondents of SIC in the institutional sample. As sample were selected the Federal Institutions of Higher Education of the Northeast with more requests for information on the SIC, which resulted in nine universities representing each state. The results provided basis for important considerations, which can be noted that the years of secrecy culture experienced by institutions and many of its servers, is still a stumbling block for the information flow (from the request for information by the citizen to their response) occurs without delays or difficulties efficiently. Another highlight is also the lack of experience of public officials responsible for serving the SIC, as well as the lack of tools and techniques to facilitate the location of applications already answered and the disorganization of the information collected in the institution, which could avoid the registration of further requests for information with recurring issues in the SIC. It is concluded that it is necessary to adopt measures to raise awareness and make clearer the content of LAI to all involved in the information flow to the requests for information to the SIC, which already occurs in some institutions. In fact, information is the path to citizenship, since it is through it that citizens can know and exercise their rights in the society in which they live.