The World Bank Access to Information Survey 2016 SUMMARY REPORT Survey conducted by ECRGP Dates of survey: October 12th, 2016 – January 2nd, 2017 Sent to: 410 members of the public who had made an access to information request, between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016, through the Bank’s AI Request Form Total No. Respondents: 163 respondents Response Rate: 39.8% SECTION A. ABOUT YOURSELF 1. How familiar are you with the World Bank? (N=163 respondents) Not familiar Extremely Don't 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 at all Familiar know 1.2% 1.8% 6.1% 3.7% 8.0% 16.0% 19.6% 14.1% 8.0% 19.0% 2.5% 2. Which best represents your geographic location? (N=130 respondents*) AI REQUESTS BY REGION SAR LCR EAP 6.9% 10.0% 8.5% ECA 21.5% United States and Canada MNA 33.8% 3.8% AFR Australia 12.3% 3.1% Europe and Central Asia 21.5% South Asia 6.9% United States and Canada 33.8% Latin America & Caribbean 10.0% Africa 12.3% Middle East & North Africa 3.8% East Asia & Pacific 8.5% Australia 3.1% *Of the 130 survey respondents for this question, 38.5 percent are located in borrower countries 1 . All survey respondents from AFR, LCR, and SAR are located in borrower countries. 55 percent of the survey respondents from EAP, 7.1 percent of the survey respondents from ECA and 80 percent of the survey respondents from MNA are located in borrower countries. Remaining 45 percent of the respondents from EAP, 92.9 percent of the respondents from ECA and 20 percent of the respondents from MNA are located in non-borrower countries. 1 Based on the OP 3.10 Annex D - IBRD/IDA and Blend Countries: Per Capita Incomes, Lending Eligibility, and Repayment Terms, July 2016, updated December 2016 The World Bank Access to Information Survey 2016 SECTION A. ABOUT YOURSELF (Continued) 3. Please indicate your affiliation. (N=130 respondents) Academia/Education 67.7% Media 1.5% Business or private enterprise 12.3% Multilateral development agency 1.5% NGO/CSO 5.4% Faith-based group 0.8% Government 3.8% Youth Group 0.8% Other public international organization 3.1% Legal Profession 0.8% Other* 2.3% * Respondents selecting the “Other” category were asked to write in their affiliation. Write -in affiliations can be categorized into the following affiliations: Entrepreneur and related to a former WB staff. 4. Approximately, how many times did you visit the World Bank’s website in the period between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016 (N=130 respondents) (1-10 times): (11-20 times): (21-50 times): (51-100 times): More than 100 times: Don’t know 32.3% 23.8% 25.4% 12.3% 6.2% 0.0% 5. How many times did you submit a request for information in the period between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016? (N=130 respondents) Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten More than Once Twice Thrice times times times times times times times 10 times 50.0% 20.0% 13.9% 2.3% 6.1% 2.3% 0.8% 2.3% 0.0% 0.8% 1.5% 6. Which of the following topic(s) relate(s) to the information that you requested? (N=130 respondents*) Governance 11.1% Social, Urban, Rural & Resilience 4.2% Environment & Natural Resources 8.3% Public-Private Partnerships 3.9% Agriculture 8.0% Water 3.9% Finance & Markets 7.5% Gender 3.3% Other** 7.5% Transport & ICT 3.3% Poverty 6.9% Jobs 3.0% Energy 5.5% Social Protection & Labor 2.5% Macroeconomics & Fiscal Management 5.3% Climate Change 2.2% Education 5.0% Trade & Competitiveness 2.2% Health, Nutrition & Population 5.0% Fragility, Conflict & Violence 1.4% * 130 respondents answered this question. Because respondents were allowed to select more than one topic, the data above reflects 361 selections. ** Respondents selecting the “Other” category were asked to write in relevant topics. Write -in topics can be categorized into the following topics: historic documents; economics and development; Bank internal institutions; financial information; record management; staff or employee information; procurement; statistics and data; monitoring & evaluation and country portfolio. The World Bank Access to Information Survey 2016 SECTION A. ABOUT YOURSELF (Continued) 7. We are interested in knowing the impact of the World Bank's Access to Information Policy. Please tell us how you used the information obtained from the World Bank. (N=130 respondents*) Research/Education 65.6% Investigative Journalism/Legislative action 3.9% Other** 9.7% Application for Funding/Grant 3.9% World Bank infrastructure project-affected 9.1% Employment opportunity 2.6% situation (environment, population) Municipality/Village/Community Programs 5.2% *130 respondents answered this question. Because respondents were allowed to select more than one topic, the data above reflects 154 selections. **Respondents selecting the “Other” category were asked to write in relevant topics. Write-in topics can be categorized into the following topics: financial analysis; social impact and personal interest SECTION B. ADEQUACY OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS 8. In which of the following World Bank search engines did you search for information before submitting your AI request: (N=120 respondents) Documents and Reports 70.0% Projects & Operations 19.2% Other* 10.8% *Respondents selecting the “Other” category were asked to write in their responses. These respondents used the data website, world development indicators and both the Documents and Reports and Projects & Operations combined . 9. Please rate the effectiveness of the World Bank search engine selected on Question 8 (Project & Operations website, Documents and Reports or Other) (N=120 respondents) Not effective at Very Don’t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 all effective know 1.7% 3.3% 5.8% 11.7% 14.2% 13.3% 16.7% 15.8% 5.8% 7.5% 4.2% 10. Was the Access to Information website easy to find from the World Bank’s homepage? (N=120 respondents) Difficult to Easy to Don’t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 find find know 4.2% 8.3% 10.8% 14.2% 12.5% 7.5% 10.8% 17.5% 2.5% 9.2% 2.5% 11. How satisfied were you with the information available on the World Bank’s Access to Information website ? (N=120 respondents) Not satisfied at Very Don’t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 all satisfied know 6.7% 1.7% 7.5% 13.3% 14.2% 11.7% 16.7% 13.3% 6.7% 7.5% 0.8% 12. The World Bank's Access to Information case management system allows users to track the status of their requests and communicate with the World Bank. How satisfied were you with the system? (N=120 respondents) Not satisfied at Very Don’t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 all satisfied know 7.5% 4.2% 10.0% 8.3% 9.2% 9.2% 13.3% 7.5% 9.2% 12.5% 9.2% The World Bank Access to Information Survey 2016 SECTION C: QUALITY OF SERVICE 13. If the World Bank contacted you after you submitted your request for information, how satisfied were you with the World Bank’s efforts to assist you (e.g., to help narrow the scope of your request, or to identify specific documents)? (N=115 respondents) Not satisfied at Very 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 N/A all satisfied 7.0% 5.2% 7.0% 6.1% 6.1% 5.2% 11.3% 6.1% 8.7% 13.0% 24.4% 14. If the World Bank had to take more than 20 business days to respond to your request, how satisfied were you with the World Bank’s efforts to keep you informed throughout the process? (N=115 respondents) Not satisfied at Very 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 N/A all satisfied 14.8% 4.4% 12.2% 6.1% 8.7% 2.6% 8.7% 6.1% 6.1% 5.2% 25.2% 15. If your request for information was denied (in whole or in part), how satisfied were you with the clarity of the World Bank’s explanation on why the request was denied? (N=115 respondents) Not satisfied at Very 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 N/A all satisfied 10.4% 3.5% 7.0% 3.5% 3.5% 2.6% 3.5% 1.7% 0.9% 4.4% 59.1% 16. If your request was denied and you filed a first level appeal to the Access to Information Committee, how satisfied were you with the clarity of the decision? If you did not file an appeal, please select N/A. (N=115 respondents) Not satisfied at Very 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 N/A all satisfied 1.7% 0.9% 0.9% 1.7% 2.6% 0.9% 0.0% 0.9% 0.0% 2.6% 87.8% 17. If you filed a second level appeal, how satisfied were you with the clarity of the explanation in the Appeals Board’s decision? If you did not file a second level appeal, please select N/A. (N=115 respondents) Not satisfied at Very 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 N/A all satisfied 0.9% 1.7% 1.7% 0.9% 0.0% 0.9% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 3.5% 90.4% 18. Survey respondents whose requests for information were denied and did not file an appeal were asked to comment on the reasons why they did not file an appeal. (i.e., to the first level, AIC) Comments were received from 30 respondents. Relevant comments can be generally grouped into the following categories: Positive: 3 respondents • Satisfaction with the decision – 3 comments Negative: 8 respondents • General lack of confidence in the system – 4 comments; • Lack of time/perception that appeal would take too much time – 4 comments; The remainder of the 19 comments did not respond to the issue presented. The World Bank Access to Information Survey 2016 SECTION C: QUALITY OF SERVICE (Continued) 19. Survey respondents were asked to comment on the quality of WB’s service in supporting their information access requests. Comments were received from 115 respondents. Relevant comments can be generally grouped into the following categories: Related to Satisfaction: 53 respondents • Competency and professionalism of the Bank staff – 6 comments; • General satisfaction with the answer provided by the Bank – 42 comments; • Satisfaction with speed of response – 5 comments; Related to Dissatisfaction: 40 respondents • Slow response time/lack of response – 13 comments; • General dissatisfaction with response – 10 comments; • Lack of availability or accessibility of information/data (including language issues) – 17 comments. The remainder of the 22 comments did not respond to the issue presented. 20. How satisfied were you with the World Bank’s accuracy in providing you the information or documents requested? (N=115 respondents) Not satisfied at Very Don’t 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 all satisfied know 7.8% 5.2% 3.5% 3.5% 13.0% 10.4% 11.3% 11.3% 7.9% 17.4% 8.7%