Savita Bailur is a senior researcher for Innovation Labs, World Bank Institute. She gave this presentation at AlaveteliCon in Madrid in May 2015 about her research into the impacts of Freedom of Information tools. You can read this research here: https://www.mysociety.org/research/alaveteli-research/

1. The impact of online FOI
Savita Bailur & Tom Longley
research@mysociety.org

2. Aims
• In what circumstances, if any, can tools like
Alaveteli be shown to have an measurable
impact
on the ability of citizens to exert power over
underperforming institutions
• May-September 2014
– Literature review of broader & online FOI
– Skype interviews (27 sites incl. 20 Alaveteli)
– List of critical success factors (CSFs)

3. What is Alaveteli?

5. Findings
• 27 implementers of online FOI
• 17 out of 27 collected data (on request/response, not demographics)
• “Measurable impact” hard – just awareness-raising the first place
• Government indifference, evasiveness & lack of capacity (Italy quote)
• Media & CSOs not as forthcoming as expected
• Publicity & sustainability key issues (Québec quote)

7. Year established

8. Stats collected

9. Request/response

10. CSFs [critical success factors]
• Use Alaveteli
• Connect with the Alaveteli community and wider FOI community
• Think about your aim
• Invest in promotion
• Launch with an event
• Get government on your side … somehow
• Partner with an organisation
• Think about your business model
• Expect to put in the work
• It’s not about the technology

11. Further research on impact?
• Tools on measurement
• Support on research, e.g. what works, what
doesn’t work – A/B testing; interviews;
• How long do we allow before we talk “impact”