The Accountability Gap: Why More Public Data Does Not Always Mean More Accountability
New Global Data Barometer research, supported by the Global South Alliance’s Datafication & Democracy Fund, examines the gap between transparency commitments, public data availability, and the conditions needed for effective oversight.
Over the past decade, governments have invested in open data initiatives, digital platforms, and transparency reforms. More public information is available than ever before in many countries. But does this progress make it easier for citizens, journalists, and oversight institutions to hold those in power accountable?
Our new report, The Accountability Gap, explores this question using evidence from the second edition of the Global Data Barometer (GDB), covering 43 countries across Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
The report examines how public data is governed, made available, and connected across areas central to public accountability, including public procurement, public finance, beneficial ownership, political finance, lobbying, asset declarations, and land.
Its central argument is straightforward: transparency is necessary for accountability, but it is not sufficient.
From data availability to meaningful oversight
The findings reveal a recurring gap between formal commitments to transparency and the information that people can actually access and use.
In many countries, legal frameworks require the collection or disclosure of information, but implementation remains uneven. Data may be incomplete, difficult to access, or published in formats that limit meaningful analysis.
Another important challenge is fragmentation. Information about public contracts, company ownership, political donations, and public officials is often held in separate systems. Even where individual datasets are available, the lack of connections between them can make it difficult to examine relationships involving public resources and political influence.
Drawing on examples from Nigeria, Colombia, and Brazil, the report illustrates how progress in digital government and data publication can coexist with significant obstacles to public scrutiny.
The analysis also highlights the importance of looking beyond publication itself. Accountability depends on the ability to question decisions, demand explanations, and secure meaningful responses.
Recognizing the warning signs
Alongside the report, we are publishing Red Flags, a companion flyer that translates the analysis into a more accessible resource.
The flyer highlights warning signs that can help policymakers, civil society organizations, journalists, and researchers identify situations where transparency reforms may not be delivering the conditions needed for accountability.
Together, the two publications encourage a shift in how we assess progress in public data ecosystems: moving beyond how much information governments publish to examine whether that information can support meaningful scrutiny and public action.
Explore the publications
The Accountability Gap — Full Report (below)
An analysis of transparency, data governance, availability, and interoperability, drawing on Global Data Barometer evidence and country examples.
Red Flags — Companion Flyer (below)
A concise resource highlighting warning signs to consider when assessing whether public data initiatives support accountability.