MORE ON TRANSPARENCY…….

Information access has long been a contentious issue in the public sector as well as in the private sector. Focus on the issue has brought forth a myriad of Legislation to open up the process. More recently, the high profile accounting and corporate financial scandals have brought new urgency for far greater information disclosure. And as a consequence of the digital advances, technology has both created the expectation and provided the tools to deliver greater information detail and provide more timely access to that information. Stakeholders and political bodies are increasingly demanding that organizations fully embrace greater Transparency.

One author recently described Transparency as a condition opposite of secrecy! “Secrecy means deliberately hiding your actions, transparency means deliberately revealing them. It is the deliberate attempt to move from a secretive or opaque organization to one that encourages open access to information, participation, and decision making, which ultimately creates a higher level of trust among stakeholders”

Many articles and conferences have been devoted to discussions on Transparency. It has become a focal point for Associations. Paul Meyer in his book “the will to Govern Well Knowledge, Trust and Nimbleness” which was based on research done under the auspices of the American Society of Association Executives found that transparency and trust are inextricably connected. He suggests, as others do
· to provide [on-line] access to decision-making documents;

· to share background information about important decisions;

· to provide clearer financial reporting;

· to Open up the decision-making process and expand breadth of governance

Full and complete Transparency will take a bit of time, but small steps are important.

Note: From excerpts from Paul Meyer’s article “The Truth about Transparency”
See: http://www.centeronline.org/knowledge/article.cfm?ID=2495&ContentProfileID=135187&Action=searching