Activity Details (ID# 7556)

Activity Synopsis

The programme aimed at:

• promoting the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) as a professional tool for journalists;
• helping the public administration in implementing FOIA;
• enhancing accountability and public participation in the decision making process.

 

CIJ organised two training workshops open to journalists and public officers in the local administration. The trainings had the following format:

• Day One: separate courses for journalists and public officials;
• Day Two: common training dedicated to role playing and concrete cases.

The courses were taught by specialized and experienced trainers: Georgiana Ilie (CIJ), Diana Calinescu (APADOR-CH – Romanian Helsinki Committee), Codru Vrabie (Transparency International – Romania) and Ion Georgescu (Romanian Institute for Training). The four trainers developed and refined a format meant to meet the information needs of both groups. Special attention was given to the “bridging” of the two professional groups, by role playing and hands-on exercises. The exercises asked the trainees to find practical solutions to possible cases of information management.

Throughout the programme and beyond the participants stayed in e-mail contact with resource persons, trainers and mentors so that they could receive advice on their particular problems.

The alumni were invited to join the LibInfo e-group (LibInfo@yahoogroups.com) created and moderated by CIJ. The e-group includes journalists and public servants with an interest in FOI legislation and practice.

The trainees received documents related to transparency and good governance provided by the Information and Documentation Centre of the Council of Europe in Bucharest.

The workshops allowed the participants to engage in open and candid discussions, addressing very concrete matters of immediate interest for their work. They also facilitated the dialogue between two professional groups often “opposed” when requesting or managing public information.

 

This kind of training is in constant demand from both journalists and public officials. A remarkable high turnover in both professions makes the need for training higher.

Staying in touch with the trainees, via e-groups, is an effective, almost free kind of follow up. Thus, participants are exposed to continuous training and are able to exchange views, dilemmas, solutions and first-hand experience.

Such an approach also contributes to the creation of a “virtual community” of people interested in the problems of managing public information and helps building up expertise within the group.

One important precondition for the success of such follow up is the commitment of the organisers and resource persons, including moderators who volunteer their time and expertise to manage the e-group.
 

Journalists and public officials in charge of public information offices in Bucharest and the countryside