Às Claras [Above the Board]
Esta presentción ha sido seleccionada como finalista del desafío
Ending Corruption: Honesty Instituted .
Providing information and analyses about political financing in Brazil. Understanding who finances whom is a crucial tool to better monitor the behaviour of politicians. Às Claras is a website (www.asclaras.org.br) that uses data informed by candidates to the Brazilian Electoral Tribunal to present them in a structured way. Besides listing all donors for each candidate (and, conversely, all candidates financed by each donor), the tool publishes many different statistical analyses performed over the data, helping to better understand the concentration of financing across states and parties, the "cost" of votes and others. All candidates for all elections since 2002 are included (the edition corresponding to the 2006 general elections is being finished at the time of this writing).
The main target of the initiative are journalists, NGOs and opnion-forming persons in general. It is not aimed at the general Internet public (which, anyway, is limited in Brazil).
Sobre ti
Ubicación
Project Street Address
Project City
Project Province/State
Project Postal/Zip Code
Project Country
tu idea
Focus of activity
Oversight/Accountability
Year the initative began (yyyy)
2003
Posicionamiento de tu iniciativa en el diagrama del mosaico,
Which of these barriers is the primary focus of your work?
Lack of Accountability & Transparency
Which of the principles is the primary focus of your work?
Foment Transparency
If you believe some other barrier or principle should be included in the mosaic, please describe it and how it would affect the positioning of your initiative in the mosaic:
Build citizenship [I don't understand the question about the "mosaic". Couldn't find a mosaic and the organizing principles nowhere.]
Nombre de tu proyecto
Às Claras [Above the Board]
Describe Your Idea
Providing information and analyses about political financing in Brazil. Understanding who finances whom is a crucial tool to better monitor the behaviour of politicians. Às Claras is a website (www.asclaras.org.br) that uses data informed by candidates to the Brazilian Electoral Tribunal to present them in a structured way. Besides listing all donors for each candidate (and, conversely, all candidates financed by each donor), the tool publishes many different statistical analyses performed over the data, helping to better understand the concentration of financing across states and parties, the "cost" of votes and others. All candidates for all elections since 2002 are included (the edition corresponding to the 2006 general elections is being finished at the time of this writing).
The main target of the initiative are journalists, NGOs and opnion-forming persons in general. It is not aimed at the general Internet public (which, anyway, is limited in Brazil).
Innovación
Description of initiative
Providing information and analyses about political financing in Brazil. Understanding who finances whom is a crucial tool to better monitor the behaviour of politicians. Às Claras is a website (www.asclaras.org.br) that uses data informed by candidates to the Brazilian Electoral Tribunal to present them in a structured way. Besides listing all donors for each candidate (and, conversely, all candidates financed by each donor), the tool publishes many different statistical analyses performed over the data, helping to better understand the concentration of financing across states and parties, the "cost" of votes and others. All candidates for all elections since 2002 are included (the edition corresponding to the 2006 general elections is being finished at the time of this writing).
The main target of the initiative are journalists, NGOs and opnion-forming persons in general. It is not aimed at the general Internet public (which, anyway, is limited in Brazil).
Innovación
Às Claras is a pioneering initiative in Brazil. There's no comparison to it. Internationally, only in the US there are tools aimed at the same general purpose, but even then they are not precisely equivalent.
Delivery Model
Being a website, Às Claras is its own communications mechanism. Average visits turn around 200 per day (much more during elections). However. the project's impact is not to be measured by the visitiation, but by its use by the target public. Às Claras is the Brazilian press' main independent source of information about political financing.
Key Operational Partnerships
There are no partners.
Impacto
Financial Model
Since it is an Internet tool, it is free. However, it is not for the general citizen, who in Brazil has very limited access to the Web.
What percentage, if any, of the total operating costs does earned income (from products, services, or other fees) represent?
0%
How is the initiative financed? Is it financially self-sustainable or profitable? How much do beneficiaries contribute?
The first edition of Às Claras (corresponding to the 2002 general elections) was financed by the Ford Foundation. The second edition (2004 municipal elections) was partially financed by Ford and partially by Transparencia Brasil own funds. The 2006 edition is being financed by the organisation's own funds. The project does not generate income.
Effectiveness
It is impossible to objectively measure the project's impact. Certainly the awareness about the links between political financing and decision-making processes has been growing in Brazil, but this has been happening due to a multiplicity of factors. Probably Às Claras contributed to that in some modest measure, but there is no way to actually give a number to it.
Which element of the program proved itself most effective?
Being a rather narrow-focused initiative, the project's effectiveness (or lack thereof) is concentrated in disseminating information about political financing.
Number of clients in the last year?
Not applicable.
What is the potential demand?
Not applicable.
Scaling up Strategy
Às Claras reached an essentially stable state. Priorities are being able to finance each election's edition.
Stage of the initiative
2
Expansion plan
Besides topical additions, there's no need to expand the project.
Origin of the Initiative
The project's original idea was formulated by a former member of Transparencia Brasil, professor Bruno W. Speck, a political scientist working at the University of Campinas. The signee directed the project and perfected it. There is no "personal history" to be told. The drive behind the project was providing information to the public in order to enhance its ability to monitor the State (by the way, this is the main motivation for almost all initiatives created by Transparencia Brasil).
Esta presentación se trata de
Sostenibilidad
Main Obstacles to Scaling Up
Not applicable.
Main Financial Challenges
Small amounts of money, focused on a couple of months, bi-annually.
Main Partnership Challenges
The project does not depend on partnerships nor are they been sought.
How did you hear about this contest and what is your main incentive to participate?
Changemakers contacted us and invited us to enter.
 | 310 weeks ago Às Claras [Above the Board] has been chosen as a finalist in Ending Corruption: Honesty Instituted. |
| 312 weeks ago Claudio Weber Abramo said: Thank for your comment. However, there is some misinformation. Às Claras has nothing to do with Poder Ciudadano's initiative. The latter ... about this Competition Entry. - leer más > |
| 312 weeks ago Richard Gottbreht said: Hello, My name is Rich Gottbreht from Global Insights and I am one of the entrants in the competition. Our work centers on helping ... about this Competition Entry. - leer más > |
| 318 weeks ago Patrick Meagher said: This seems to be a sound initiative with precedents elsewhere in the region, such as the campaigns by Poder Ciudadano in Argentina. We ... about this Competition Entry. - leer más > |