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Dialogic, in collaboration with Leiden University, the University of Amsterdam, and Utrecht University, is investigating how and how often the various exemption grounds from the Dutch Public Access to Government Information Act (Wet open overheid - Woo) are used to withhold documents or parts thereof from the public. Through this research, we aim to provide insights into patterns and differences in application and interpretation, facilitating informed discussions on transparency and careful consideration of interests based on facts.
This research is part of an Action Point within the Open Government Action Plan. As part of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) - a global movement with over 75 member countries since 2011 - the Netherlands develops an action plan every two years. The objective is to promote collaboration between government organisations, civil society groups, and citizens towards a more open government: one that enhances the capacity of citizens and civil society to address societal issues collectively. The action plan outlines the ambitions of the government and other stakeholders.
We are mapping the use of exemption grounds both quantitatively and qualitatively. Dialogic is utilising expertise in AI for this purpose. We are developing a method to dissect Woo decisions, highlighting the specific explanations of exemption grounds from the decisions. This allows us to analyse these explanations in a focused manner. Subsequently, they will be qualitatively analysed by an expert from Leiden University.
