INFORMATION OPENNESS OF PUBLIC CONTROL INSTITUTIONS. THE ANALYSIS EXPERIENCE BASING ON THE THE ARKHANGELSK REGION CASE

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Introduction. Since the conceptualization of public control as the basic form of implementing the principle of people’s sovereignty and a method to involve citizens into management of the state and society, the issues of openness and transparency of the government in regard to the implementation of the control procedures have been under close scrutiny of researchers. At the same time, the Russian Federation has at its disposal the necessary regulatory framework which accommodates the information openness of the objects of public control. However, the issue of evaluating the efficiency of the activities carried out by the subjects of public control rarely becomes a topic of research. An example of an under-researched issue is the issue of analyzing the accessibility, transparency and completeness of the data currently present on the websites of the subjects of public control. This discrepancy became the premise for the research, the results of which are outlined in this article.

Materials and methods. The main objects of the analysis in this study were internet portals, websites, and pages of public oversight entities in the Arkhangelsk region.

The following research methods were used: content analysis – examining the content of internet resources (portals, websites, and pages) of public oversight entities in the Arkhangelsk region based on specified criteria (relevance of information, contact details, reports, work plans, etc.). Comparative analysis – comparing the availability and completeness of information across different resources, identifying differences and patterns. Expert evaluation method – assessing the degree of informational transparency of public oversight entities based on predefined criteria (availability of information, feedback options, etc.).

Results and conclusions. The study concluded that the current level of informational content on the websites of public oversight entities in the Arkhangelsk region is unbalanced. The websites and pages of the Public Chamber of the Arkhangelsk Region and public councils under executive authorities are better structured, contain the required information, and are regularly updated.

On the contrary, the websites and pages of public councils under local self-government bodies are sometimes nonexistent, and existing sources often contain outdated or incomplete information.

Discussion. The practical significance of the study lies in identifying and analyzing factors influencing the level of informational transparency of public oversight entities. The research findings can be useful for government authorities and public oversight entities in the Arkhangelsk region to improve the quality and accessibility of information, thereby enhancing public trust and increasing citizen engagement in public oversight processes.

The results emphasize the need to develop standards for informational transparency, regulating the content and timely updating of data on the websites of public oversight entities. Improving feedback mechanisms and actively using digital tools can enhance the effectiveness of public oversight and encourage greater citizen participation in decision-making processes.

The theoretical significance of the study lies in expanding knowledge about the concept of informational transparency and its role in public oversight processes. This research helps to deepen the understanding the aspects of information accessibility that are the keys to successful interaction between public oversight entities and citizens. The findings can be used to develop new approaches for analyzing information flows in the context of public oversight and state-citizen interaction.

The study limitation boils down to the fact that the analysis was based solely on publicly available internet resources, without considering internal mechanisms of interaction with citizens. Future research may include surveys of public oversight participants and an examination of the actual level of citizen involvement in discussions and monitoring activities.

KEYWORDS

Public control, subjects of public control, Civic Chamber, civil society, Arkhangelsk region, information openness