Full text of the IIFD’s Methodology for the Monitoring of Government Bodies’ Official Websites is available in PDF format.

Housing and municipal utilities are fertile ground for various wheeling-dealing, and a filed for most cruel battles for information access. Up to now, courts quite seldom decide in favor of citizens seeking for information, though their favorite explanation “the information requested does not touch the applicant’s direct rights” is not easy to be used in such cases. Thus, it is especially rejoicing to see a positive court decision referring to the Russian FOI law.

Maintenance of Russian road communications takes huge volumes of funding each year, while results are sometimes difficult to be seen: a newly-mended road quite often needs more mending in some months. To get information on budget expenditures on road construction and maintenance is a way for citizens to control this field. In Novosibirsk, a court decision appeared to be needed to get the data in question.

When a holiday comes, a lot of fireworks is sold. Unfortunately, not all of them comply with safety norms. Meanwhile, official bodies do not hurry to disclose information what manufacturers of fireworks are licensed and which are not.