1. Online Information Disclosure in Argentina: the Cristal Project
Presentation by
Alejandro Razzotti, Esq., MBA, MPP
Argentina State Modernization Project
General Coordinator IBRD Loan 4423-AR

2. Background
- Launched in February, 2000 as the national government’s budgetary transparency Web site (relaunched in August, 2000)
Implemented pursuant to Fiscal Responsibility
Law No , to make available information related to the administration of public funds
“to whatever institution or interested person”
Subjects (among others):
Budgeting, Procurement, Human Resources, Retirements and Pensions , Tax Liabilities

3. Background Organized around three main points: National State
Management Control
Citizen Control
Collecting all the information was not easy
Involvement of NGO’s: “Transparency Forum”
- Information Auditors
- Information Producers: “NGO’s section”

4. Context
Identified as a part of a political campaign within the Administration (2000/2001)
Related projects
Anticorruption Office, Ministry of Justice
Transparency & Anticorruption Strategy, National Plan on State Modernization, Undersecretariat of Public Administration (SGP)

5. b Current Status Online, with minimum update
Overlapping with information offered in other
public Websites
Relaunching under review (value)

6. National Procurement Office

7.                 
Other Websites
                                                      

8. Challenges Argentina, post 2002 GDP, Poverty “Digital divide”
Does Internet facilitate transparency?
Skepticism on government: ”voto bronca”

9. Lessons Learned Argentina rebuilds the State using OID tools
although it can’t be the only instrument
(or even the main one)
The Cristal Project didn’t fully achieve its goal
Lack of a continuos political will
Created as an external program
Data collection difficult
NGO’s involvement should be reinforced

10. Lessons Learned Commitment of Argentina will grow out
of this experience
- LAC Conference on Information Society