Most of the organizations and advocacy networks that the Open Society Institute supports rely on information as their most important commodity. How an organization's information is managed and communicated is critically important to the success of its work.

But many organizations are not equipped, either with tools or skills, to manage, present, analyze or otherwise use the information they have to its greatest effect. This component of the Information Program aims both to provide support to these organizations in their use of information, and to build global expertise that can address the information and communications needs of NGOs in innovative ways.

Civil Society Communication includes three separate but closely connected initiatives:

• Technology and Advocacy for Open Societies aims to build expertise at an international level in the use, development and dissemination of new tools and the advocacy tactics they engender.
• Human Rights and Information, run jointly with OSI’s Human Rights and Governance Grants Program, aims to help human rights advocacy organizations use the information they collect through monitoring activities most effectively.
• Transparency and New Technologies supports projects that use emerging technologies to broaden civil society and citizen access to government information and decision-making.

Technology and Advocacy for Open Societies
Transparency and New Technologies
Janet Haven
Associate Program Director
OSI Information Program
Email: jhaven@osieurope.org

Human Rights and Information
Elizabeth Eagen
Program Officer
OSI Information Program
Email: eeagen@sorosny.org