El Ombudsman has published the ninth annual report on transparència, access to public information and good governance, coinciding with the 10 years of Law 19/2014The report takes stock of a decade of public policies aimed at transparència and highlights the challenges we still have ahead of us.
Key data for 2024
- Requests for access to public information: 30.315 (+27,9% compared to 2023).
- Visits to portals transparència: more than 13 million (+63%).
- Response to the Ombudsman's questionnaire: 88,6% (892 public entities).
- Human resources: 64% of administrations do not have anyone dedicated full-time to transparència.
- Formation: only 27,7% have trained personnel in transparència and good government.
These figures show a clear trend: citizens demand more information and guarantees, while many administrations—especially small and rural municipalities—still have difficulty complying with the regulations.
The Open Government Network: a prominent commitment in the report
The Ombudsman's report not only analyses the degree of compliance with the Law, but also highlights the initiatives that have been key to advancing in transparènciaAmong them, the following stands out: Network of Open Governments of Catalonia, a space for inter-administrative cooperation that promotes the culture of transparència and in which the AOC Consortium is an active member.
According to the Catalan Ombudsman, this Network has been determining to promote a shared culture of transparència and reduce inequalities between administrations. Their work has focused on:
- Active advertising: developing tools and methodologies that help administrations systematize information.
- Self-assessment: creating mechanisms so that municipalities can measure their degree of compliance and detect areas for improvement.
- Inter-administrative cooperation: especially aimed at supporting rural municipalities, which often have fewer resources to implement legal obligations.
Thanks to this collaboration, a space has been consolidated that combines technology, methodology and cooperation, with the aim of moving towards a more transparent, participatory and citizen-centered government.
The role of the AOC Consortium according to the Catalan Ombudsman
According to the report, the AOC Consortium is an essential actor to make the transparència and open government in Catalonia. The Catalan Ombudsman stresses that his work not only facilitates regulatory compliance, but also reduces inequalities between administrations thanks to technology and cooperation.
The main outstanding contributions are:
- Data automation: Collaboration with the Catalan Ombudsman allows direct and reliable information to be obtained, reducing the administrative burden on local bodies and streamlining processes.
- Portals of transparència: The AOC portal is the most used by city councils and supramunicipal entities. When content is automatically incorporated, the level of compliance with the Law improves significantly.
- Usage analysis: The data shows what the most frequent needs of citizens are: generic requests, personnel calls and information about elected officials and senior officials.
These actions demonstrate that the role of the AOC is key to transforming the transparència in a real and accessible practice, especially for municipalities with fewer resources.
Pending challenges
Despite the progress, the Ombudsman's report highlights that there is still a long way to go. One of the main challenges is the reuse of public information: although the regulations provide for it, most portals continue to publish data in formats that are not very reusable, which limits its usefulness for citizens, companies and research.
Another critical point is the need to offer more advanced content. The transparència It cannot be limited to basic institutional information; it is necessary to incorporate data on interest groups, anonymized responses to queries, evaluation mechanisms and spaces for proposals and suggestions. This would allow for a more active and two-way relationship with the public.
Els small municipalities continue to be the most vulnerable. Municipalities with fewer than 5.000 inhabitants have difficulty complying with regulations due to a lack of human and technological resources. The report points out that methodological and technological support must be strengthened to reduce these inequalities.
Finally, the big challenge is promote a culture of transparència. It is not just about complying with the Law, but also about making it useful and understandable for citizens. This implies a change of mentality: seeing the transparència as a tool to improve trust and democratic quality, with a clear commitment to continuous improvement and collaboration between administrations.
Want to know more? Access the official summary and the full report
