Monday, 21 March 2011

The Transparency Officer : one more step in RTI



The Success of the RTI Act ,has compelled the Government to appoint the Transparency Officer to check the increasing tactics practices to mess up or to confuse the applicant while giving  the answers of the Questions asked in RTI.  Recently Government has not only the Transparency Officers but also draw the guidelines for these Officers.

Transparency Officer shall be the main centre of all actions connected with promotion of institutional transparency commensurate with the letter and spirit of the RTI Act . In performing this role the TO shall :

1   Act as the interface for the commission vis-a-vis the public authority on the one hand , and on the other vis-a-vis the public authority and the general public .information seeker . 

2. Engage continously in implemanting the Commisions's directive dated 15.11.2010 regarding pro-active disclosured under section 4 of RTI Act , vis-a-vis the public authorinty concerned . 

3. Regularly monitor decisions of the Central Information Commission (http://cic.gov.in) with a view to identity areas of openness both generic and specific as a result of such decisions.


          Ensure that all level of employees of the public authority are sensitized abourt these decisions and theri implications. 

         Be responsible for issuing advisories , to officers /staff about need for sensivity to institonal transparence and act as a change agent.

         Be responsible for sensitizing the officers/staff that the time limit stipulated in the RTI Act are outer limit for matters raised under RTI Act and officers/staff are required to be mentally tuned to disclose all informations, predetermined as open, within the shortest  possible time on receiving request.
 
          Be the contact point for the CPIO/FAA/Divisional Heads in respect of all RTI related matterss of the Organisation.  He will be the clearing house in all matters about making transparency the central point of organizational behaviour.
 
            Constantly remain to touch with the top management in the public authority about the strategy and the action to promote transparency within the organisation.
 
               Promote good management practices with the organisation centered on transparency.
 
                Devise transparency indices for various wings of the public authority in order to introduce healthy competition in promoting transparency.  
 
                 Help set up facilitation centres within the premises of the public authorities where members of the public can file their requests for disclosure of specific information nd can inspect the records and documents etc.
 
                  Work out, inconsultation with the departmental officers,the parameters of record management - its classification and indexing, plan of action for digitization of documents and records, networking etc. and oversee and help implement the function laid down in section 4 (1) (a) and 4 (1) (b) of the RTI Act.
 
                  Prepare information matrix based on analysis of RTI applications filed before the public authority and response thereof and, suggest to the top manageent the need for process reengineering, wherever necessary, as well a so work out modaliies of suo motu disclosure of information.
 
                  Be responsible for creating conditions in the organization to estblish and information regime, where transparency/disclosure norms are so rubust that the public is required to have only the minimum resort to the use RTI Act to access information.
 
                 Be responsible for operation a user-friendly website for various information relating to the public authority concerned, including  inter alia search option..
 
                  With the help of the appropriate wing to the public authority, set-up arrangements for training of the personnel to promote among them higher transparency orientation away from intultive reflex towards secrecy, now common.
 
                   Establish dialogue with the top management and key officials of the public authority regarding prevention of unnecessary confidentiality classification of documents and records under the Official Secrets Act and to check over classification.  
 

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