Public Access: The Access to Information Policy allows public access to any information in the ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP's possession that is not on a list of exceptions, enabling the ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP to proactively release information to the public. Information can be obtained in person at the or through in-country . Each ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP office is an excellent source of information, with each country maintaining a web page with project information and a network of professional staff to help citizens with their requests.
Web Access: The majority of users access information through the ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP website. The public can openly and freely access information on ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP operations, including the Projects and Operations portal, which provides detailed information on more than 11,000 lending projects, and the with more than 150,000 documents available. The ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP also makes available to the public development and financial data, including through , which allows public access to more than 9,000 development indicators and more than 1,200 survey datasets, and , which includes financial data on World ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP Group activities. For users on the go there is even an for iPhone and iPad and a for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.
Filing an Access to Information Request: The ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP has taken Access to Information Policy implementation seriously. For information that is not available on the ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP¡¯s website, the public may an Access to Information request at no cost. In FY 2013 the ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP received approximately 700 new public access requests, 89% of which were completed. The inflow of requests is managed by teams within the ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP according to formal procedures to encourage the prompt processing of requests. In cases where information falls under an exception, requesters can file an appeal through a formal .
Governance Framework: ¡°The ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP has continued to reinforce a strong governance framework for the AI Policy,¡± notes Anne-Marie Leroy, senior vice president and ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP Group general counsel. The policy established two bodies to hear appeals, the Access to Information Committee and the Access to Information Appeals Board. A new chair of the Access to Information Committee was recently appointed Mariam Sherman, ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP director of results, openness and effectiveness. Last fall, the World ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP Group President ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP selected three new to serve on the AI Appeals Board.
The ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP will continue to open up its data and knowledge, and will encourage governments to do the same, allowing stakeholders ¡ª especially the poor ¡ª to fully understand this information, participate in development processes, and hold governments and development providers accountable. Ultimately, the true test of effectiveness is how the ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP uses this evidence to change the lives of over a billion people in extreme poverty. Being more open about what the ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP does do and what the ¶¹ÄÌÊÓƵAPP knows is an important step in building a more prosperous and equitable world.