How Honduras uses data to be transparent with the public

Being transparent with all stakeholders is an important factor in planning infrastructure.

Anyone impacted by infrastructure needs to be kept informed to ensure that plans are created, ran and delivered properly.

To boost transparency in Honduras, the government joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP).

Doing so meant that it needed to find ways to enable more people to take part in infrastructure matters, while being inclusive and accountable for the decisions it makes. These are key principles of the OGP.

Honduras’ case embodies principles 7 and 8 of the Enabling Better Infrastructure (EBI) guidance:

• Principle 7 outlines the importance of establishing relationships for long-term change and how including all stakeholders in strategic infrastructure planning can resolve conflicting demands.
• Principle 8 sets out how governments should set up structures to support the meaningful use of data, including setting resources aside for data gathering to ensure it can be easily assessed by anyone who needs it.

Below are some of the steps the Honduran government took to strengthen public engagement in infrastructure development.

An assessable database to boost awareness

To uphold their partnership with OGP, the government created SISOCS, an online data platform that provides Hondurans with instant access to key information on infrastructure projects, such as road construction.

This platform led to the creation of multi-stakeholder groups (MSGs) to review the data disclosed on SISOCS and raise any issues.

For example, when the Road Fund, a public body responsible for maintaining roads, failed to reveal key information, MSGs were concerned that infrastructure projects may not be running properly. Raising these worries led to the end of the fund, and the Directorate of Road Heritage Conservation was built in its place.

Sharing information has helped ensure the government upholds its commitment to the OGP by remaining transparent and being evaluated when they are not.

Involving different viewpoints

Involving the MSGs meant that people from the government, private sector, and civil society with different perspectives and backgrounds started to input into infrastructure decisions.

Having different viewpoints may have helped MSGs highlight certain issues (through media interviews, political dialogues, training events) that aren’t normally considered.

For example, MSGs raised environmental and social concerns about infrastructure projects, such as risks of flooding, lack of drinking water, and sewage pollution.

This has helped increase the number of environmental and social impact assessments conducted on the construction of seaports. In turn, this enables the government to proceed with projects knowing it has addressed concerns.

Encouraging accountability

SISOCS also helped the public lead the government to be more accountable when it comes to infrastructure projects.

With the help of SISOCS, Honduras become the first country in Latin America to disclose information on public-private partnerships (PPP) projects.

Information shared on PPPs has been assessed through independent reviews and public and media engagements, which has led to slow project delivery.

For example, disagreements on the management of finances were raised regarding the Touristic Corridor Project, which connected roads to three northern provinces. This prevented the project from going forward.

While this project wasn’t completed, the public did encourage the Ministry of Finance to create a new expert unit to improve the management of PPPs.

Sharing information on PPPs helped show how the public can have a say in their management. This can help the government avoid obstacles and deliver projects in the future.

Maintaining relationships to deliver projects

Honduras has shown that boosting transparency through the SISOCS online platform has supported its aim to be more open with the public and other stakeholders.

This has included the government, the private sector, and the public in the planning process.

Moving forward, maintaining these relationships is critical for ensuring that infrastructure projects and programmes stand the test of time.