As part of our work in Brazil, CoST co-authored a Technical Note published within the framework of Brazil’s 6th Open Government Action Plan. The Note presents a diagnostic of federal transparency practices in infrastructure, which served as the basis for a set of recommendations for improvement.
The diagnostic was developed through a multi-method approach combining a regulatory review, analysis of federal data portals, mapping of international good practices, and a survey directed at federal institutions involved in the identification, planning, execution, and monitoring of infrastructure investments. This comprehensive and comparative analysis revealed significant gaps in transparency and social participation across the infrastructure lifecycle.
To address these gaps, the recommendations seek to integrate fragmented information systems, institutionalise an open data mandate to ensure uniformity and consistency in how infrastructure data are made available, and embed social participation as a core component of infrastructure governance. Key proposals include:
- Maintaining a unified, public, and regularly updated portal consolidating all federal infrastructure investment information, including direct investments, those by state-owned enterprises, and projects under concessions or PPPs.
- Promoting system integration through unique identifiers and redirection mechanisms to ensure end-to-end tracking of investments and data consistency, linking budgeting and procurement processes.
- Creating a public Project Bank as a transparency tool, consolidating portfolios of feasibility studies, impact assessments, and criteria used for project prioritisation.
- Establishing participatory mechanisms in strategic infrastructure planning to guarantee representation from civil society and affected communities in decision-making processes.
- Ensuring free, prior, and informed consultations with affected groups throughout all decision-making stages, including during planning stages.
The importance of our Open Contracting for Infrastructure Data Standards is demonstrated throughout the document, including our new sustainability data standards. Examples from the portals of CoST and OGP members, Jalisco, Sekondi–Takoradi, and Panama are also included.
The transparency efforts in Brazil continue, and CoST is currently working, in collaboration with Transparência Internacional – Brasil, the Office of the Comptroller General (CGU), GT Infraestrutura e Justiça Socioambiental (GT Infra), the Instituto Brasileiro de Auditoria de Obras Públicas (IBRAOP), the Instituto de Energia e Meio Ambiente (IEMA), and the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA), to support Brazilian authorities in developing an open data mandate to enhance transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in federal infrastructure investments.
Our recent achievements in Latin America have included the launch of Cali’s membership to CoST, Guatemala’s Infrastructure Transparency Index, Ecuador’s infrastructure data portal, and speaking appearances showcasing our tools at an OECD Ministerial Summit and social auditing work in Latin America’s largest open data summit.