OSF: Novinka

Through a Call for Proposals, the project will identify local groups and individuals who deeply understand both digital technologies and the workings of their government and society. mySociety will then mentor selected organizations through the process of building impactful sites and services that increase transparency and accountability. mySociety in the UK runs some of the world's most widely imitated transparency websites, such as TheyWorkForYou.com and FixMyStreet.com, but it is hoped that many of the selected projects will be based on new ideas which could only have been thought up by those with a detailed knowledge of local circumstances.

The project is expected to foster a new ecology of experts within the target countries who understand how to build and maintain such systems, how to market them, and how to ensure that politicians and news media respond to them.

Approach

mySociety will conduct an online Call for Proposals (CfP) for individuals or organizations in target countries. Applicants who want to build digital transparency and democracy projects will be asked to submit an online form describing their project and in what way it will create positive pressure for change.

Unlike traditional foundation funding application processes, the ideas submitted will be made public immediately, as per mySociety's normal procedure for acquiring and vetting ideas within the UK. Additionally, users from around the world will be encouraged to comment on and critique the ideas.

The CfP site will be launched on October 14th, with four submission dates at monthly intervals thereafter (November 15th, December 15th, January 15th, February 15th). Selected projects will receive not only suitable funding but also direct hands-on assistance to build the project. Up to 10 projects in total will be funded by OSI and mentored by mySociety within this process.

The primary criteria for a successful project will be kept simple so as not to stifle unconventional thinking:

1. The projects have to generate some kind of meaningful transparency, accountability or democratic empowerment in relation to one or many public institutions within the applicant country.
2. The projects must seize the unique benefits that the Internet brings with it, such as scalability, two way communication, easy data analysis and so on.

Applications will be accepted from both organizations and individuals, and we will look most favourably on applicants with access to the advanced programming skills required to build sites like this. While it is expected that many of the proposals will come from existing NGOs, the CfP is absolutely open to submissions from individuals or groups with no prior direct experience of working in the transparency and accountability sector, but who have a good idea that addresses a problem they see in their country. Although the projects are expected to be built in the local languages, the application process will be conducted in English. Projects will be required to follow Free/Open Source licensing and development practices and to adhere to appropriate Open Data principles. Projects making use of mobile communications tools will also be considered.

After each round mySociety and OSI will conduct a formal vetting process in which we expect public comments to play a crucial role in helping us to understand project strengths and weaknesses in the given local or national context. Proposed projects being seriously considered for funding will then undergo a more rigorous evaluation process in consultation with OSI colleagues from relevant national foundations or regional programs.

mySociety will work closely with winning projects to develop specifications for the launch version of the tool, advise on technology choices and usability decisions, help hire suitable technical talent if needed, advise on public relations, and connect winners to the nascent but growing international network of transparency and accountability website builders.

Contact us
Please contact Tony Bowden (tony@mysociety.org) at mySociety, or Jerzy Celichowski (celichow@osi.hu) at the OSI Information Program with questions, or visit http://cee.mysociety.org/

Countries included in the call will be:
*  Albania
*  Bosnia-Herzegovina
*  Bulgaria
*  Croatia
*  Czech Republic
*  Estonia
*  Hungary
*  Kosovo
*  Latvia
*  Lithuania
*  Macedonia
*  Moldova
*  Montenegro
*  Poland
*  Romania
*  Serbia
*  Slovakia
*  Slovenia
*  Ukraine