eTransparency

Survey
Todaythereisanexpectationthatinformationwillbereadilyavailableontheinternet.Whenthisistrue
oftheinformationrelatedtoourgovernment,itfacilitatescitizeninvolvement,andcanprovide
confidencethatourelectedandappointedofficialsaremakingdecisionsinthepublicinterest.
Wehavereviewedtheinformationavailableontheinternetrelatedtothegovernanceofmanyofour
localelectedandappointedpublicbodies.Thisreviewwasstructuredtoidentifythoseprovidingthe
bestinformationneededforthepublictounderstandandparticipateinthedemocraticprocess.The
reviewwasnotintendedtobecomprehensiveorevaluatehowwellwebsitesmeetthedaytoday
needsofthatgovernmentsconstituents.
StatementofPositionontheCitizensRighttoKnow/CitizenParticipation,
asAnnouncedbyNationalBoard,June1984:
TheLeagueofWomenVotersoftheUnitedStatesbelievesthatdemocraticgovernmentdependsupon
informedandactiveparticipationatalllevelsofgovernment.TheLeaguefurtherbelievesthatgovernmental
bodiesmustprotectthecitizensrighttoknowbygivingadequatenoticeofproposedactions,holdingopen
meetingsandmakingpublicrecordsaccessible.

Our Goals

Toevaluatewebsitesinthecontextofacitizensrighttoknowaboutthedecisionmaking
processasitimpactstheirlivesandcommunities.
o whomakesdecisions(boardinfo)
o howandwhenthedecisionswillbemade(boardmeetings,agendas,policies)
o howonecanaccessinformationthatinfluencesthosedecisions(FOIA)
o howpublicmoneyiscollectedandspent(budget)
Toreviewfortransparencybestpracticesratherthanminimumstandardssetbystatelaw.
Toshowwhichgovernmentbodiesaredoingagoodjobandwhichneedimprovement.

Overview of the Process

Agroupoflocalvolunteersthathaveexperienceaselectedandappointedofficials,governmentstaff,
andcommunityactivistsdesignedasurveyoftheinformationtheyfeltshouldbereadilyavailableon
theoptimalpublicwebsite.Theydidthiswithanovicememberofthepublicinmind,perhapssomeone
wishingtoweighinonanissueofconcernforthefirsttime:whenandwherearethemeetings,whois
ontheboard/council,whatwillbediscussed,howcanIparticipate,howdoIgetmoredetails?
Informationthevolunteersfeltallgovernmentsshouldpublishwasidentified:budgetsandproposed


budgets,financialauditresults,thefullpacketofdetaileddocumentsexplainingwhatisbehindeach
agendaitem.
Afterthissurveywasdeveloped,agroupofLeaguemembersusedittoevaluatethewebsitesofmany
localgovernmentbodies.Thecompletedsurveyswerecompiled,andtherawscoresacrosssurveyors
averaged.Arelativeweightedscoringsystemwasdevelopedthatassignedahighermultipliertothe
questionsthatweredeemedthemostimportant.Thenbasedonthescores,gradeswereassigned.

OverallResults
CityofPeoria
CityofEastPeoria
PeoriaDistrict150
ICC
CityofMorton
TazewellCounty
DunlapSchoolDistrict
CityofPekin
MortonSchoolDistrict
IVC(Chillicothe)SchoolDistrict
CityofWashington
PeoriaParkDistrict
PekinSchoolDistrict
SpringdaleCemeteryAuthority
VillageofChillicothe
VillageofBartonville
PeoriaHeightsSchoolDistrict
VillageofPeoriaHeights
PeoriaCityCountyHealthDepartment
Richwoodstownship
PeoriaCounty
WashingtonSchoolDistrict
LimestoneSchoolDistrict
CityLink
VillageofDunlap
TriCountyRegionalPlanningCommission
PekinParkDistrict
EastPeoriaSchoolDistrict
VillageofWestPeoria
PeoriaTownship
PeoriaHousingAuthority
FondulacParkDistrict
CivicCenterAuthority
ChillicotheParkDistrict
PeoriaPublicLibraryBoard
PeoriaElectionCommission
MortonParkDistrict
MetroPeoria
PeoriaAirportAuthority
Limestonetownship

A
A
A
A
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
F
F
F
F
F

BoardInformation

MeetingInformation

(Membernames,phone,email,address,term)

(Time,Location,Contact,Agenda,Packet)

VillageofBartonville
PeoriaParkDistrict
CityofMorton
VillageofChillicothe
SpringdaleCemeteryAuthority
CityofPekin
PeoriaTownship
Richwoodstownship
TazewellCounty
PeoriaCounty
CityofPeoria
CityofWashington
VillageofWestPeoria
CityofEastPeoria
MortonSchoolDistrict
PeoriaDistrict150
VillageofDunlap
DunlapSchoolDistrict
PeoriaPublicLibraryBoard
EastPeoriaSchoolDistrict
CityLink
IVC(Chillicothe)SchoolDistrict
PeoriaHeightsSchoolDistrict
WashingtonSchoolDistrict
PekinSchoolDistrict
ICC
PeoriaCityCountyHealthDepartment
TriCountyRegionalPlanningCommission
PekinParkDistrict
FondulacParkDistrict
MortonParkDistrict
PeoriaHousingAuthority
PeoriaElectionCommission
VillageofPeoriaHeights
PeoriaAirportAuthority
LimestoneSchoolDistrict
CivicCenterAuthority
MetroPeoria
Limestonetownship
ChillicotheParkDistrict

A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
B
B
B
B
B
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
D
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F

WashingtonSchoolDistrict
CityofWashington
ICC
CityofEastPeoria
DunlapSchoolDistrict
Richwoodstownship
MortonSchoolDistrict
VillageofPeoriaHeights
CityofPeoria
PekinSchoolDistrict
EastPeoriaSchoolDistrict
PekinParkDistrict
VillageofBartonville
CityLink
ChillicotheParkDistrict
IVC(Chillicothe)SchoolDistrict
PeoriaHousingAuthority
LimestoneSchoolDistrict
VillageofChillicothe
CityofMorton
PeoriaHeightsSchoolDistrict
PeoriaParkDistrict
VillageofWestPeoria
PeoriaCityCountyHealthDepartment
SpringdaleCemeteryAuthority
TazewellCounty
PeoriaDistrict150
TriCountyRegionalPlanningCommission
CityofPekin
PeoriaElectionCommission
VillageofDunlap
PeoriaCounty
CivicCenterAuthority
MortonParkDistrict
PeoriaTownship
FondulacParkDistrict
PeoriaPublicLibraryBoard
MetroPeoria
PeoriaAirportAuthority
Limestonetownship

A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
B
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
D
D
F
F
F

FreedomofInformationAct

FinancialInformation

(Form,Howtosubmit)

(Budget,Audit)

PeoriaDistrict150
VillageofDunlap
TriCountyRegionalPlanningCommission
CityofEastPeoria
PeoriaCityCountyHealthDepartment
CityofMorton
TazewellCounty
CityofPeoria
VillageofBartonville
CivicCenterAuthority
ICC
CityofPekin
IVC(Chillicothe)SchoolDistrict
PeoriaParkDistrict
FondulacParkDistrict
MortonSchoolDistrict
LimestoneSchoolDistrict
VillageofChillicothe
PeoriaPublicLibraryBoard
CityofWashington
DunlapSchoolDistrict
PekinParkDistrict
VillageofPeoriaHeights
PekinSchoolDistrict
PeoriaHousingAuthority
PeoriaCounty
ChillicotheParkDistrict
WashingtonSchoolDistrict
PeoriaHeightsSchoolDistrict
MortonParkDistrict
EastPeoriaSchoolDistrict
CityLink
PeoriaAirportAuthority
Limestonetownship
MetroPeoria
PeoriaTownship
VillageofWestPeoria
Richwoodstownship
PeoriaElectionCommission
SpringdaleCemeteryAuthority

A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
B
B
B
B
C
C
C
C
C
C
D
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F

PeoriaDistrict150
ICC
TazewellCounty
CityLink
PeoriaCounty
CityofMorton
PeoriaHeightsSchoolDistrict
CityofPekin
VillageofPeoriaHeights
CityofPeoria
PekinSchoolDistrict
IVC(Chillicothe)SchoolDistrict
CityofEastPeoria
SpringdaleCemeteryAuthority
WashingtonSchoolDistrict
LimestoneSchoolDistrict
DunlapSchoolDistrict
EastPeoriaSchoolDistrict
VillageofChillicothe
TriCountyRegionalPlanningCommission
CityofWashington
PeoriaTownship
PeoriaParkDistrict
VillageofDunlap
MortonSchoolDistrict
PeoriaAirportAuthority
VillageofWestPeoria
VillageofBartonville
PeoriaHousingAuthority
MetroPeoria
MortonParkDistrict
PeoriaCityCountyHealthDepartment
PekinParkDistrict
Limestonetownship
PeoriaElectionCommission
FondulacParkDistrict
ChillicotheParkDistrict
CivicCenterAuthority
Richwoodstownship
PeoriaPublicLibraryBoard

A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
B
C
C
C
C
D
D
D
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F
F

Details
Thefollowingadditionaldocumentsareincluded:

Definitionsandrelativeweightingfactorsforeachsurveyquestion
Summaryscorecardsforgovernmentbodies

Conclusions

Manywebsiteswerewonderfulformeetingtheneedsofatypicalconsumerofservices.For
example,severalschoolwebsitesofferedgoodinformationtoparentsandteachers,andwere
quiteattractiveandeasytouse.However,thesesamewebsitesdidnotalleasilygiveaccessto
theinformationneededtoengagewiththeschoolboard.
Sincethereviewprocessinvolvedmultiplevolunteersevaluatinghoweasyitwastofind
informationonthesewebsites,thescoresaresubjectiveandscoreswereaveragedforeach
question.Justbecausethatvolunteerdidntfindtheinformationdoesntmeanitisntthere
somewhere,justthatitwasnotfoundwithinafewminutesoflooking.
Themajorityofwebsitesprovidedgoodinformationabouttheirpublicmeetings,butmore
shouldpublishfulldetailedagendapackets,andbeveryclearonhowtomakepubliccomments.
ThenumberofwebsitesthatseemtolackFreedomofInformationActinstructionswas
disturbing.
Thereisroomforimprovementinprovidingbudget,auditandotherfinancialinformation.
Toomanywebsitesfailedtoprovidedetailsonhowtocontactelectedorappointedofficials.

Selected reviewer comments

Ihateseeingadvertisingonthesepublicwebsites.Didasearchonaschoolsexeducation
curriculum,andgotsomeinappropriateads.
Thesizeofthestaffofthegovernmentbodydoesnotappeartohaveadirectrelationtothe
qualityofthewebsite.
Onequestionthatwasnotincludedonthesurvey,thatshouldhavebeenis:Arethere
instructionsonwheretodirectquestionsorcomplaints(e.g.,Pleasedirectquestionstothe
administrator,ifyoudonotgetasatisfactoryresponsepleasecontactyourrepresentativeor
thechairmanoftheBoard.)
MortonSchoolBoard
Meetinglocation:SomewhatunclearwhattheEducationandAdministrationCenterwasasno

streetaddressgiven.
OfallthesitesIvisited,theMortonSchoolsitewasthemostwelcomingforuserstryingtofind
outhowtheBoardoperatesandhowtointeractwiththeBoard.
PeoriaCounty
Iwassurprisedhowhardthingsweretofindonthewebsite,whenI'veattendedmeetingsthey
seemopenandtransparent,andhavelotsofdetailpublishedwiththeiragendas.
CityofPeoria
Despitethegoodsurveyresults,afterthesurveyswerecompletedInoticedthataspecial
meetingIdheardaboutwasnotonthecalendarontheCityswebsite.Aftermuchdiggingafter
themeeting,IdidfinditburieddeeperonaCityCouncilpage.Probablywasjustaclericalerror,
ormaybetheywantedtominimizepublicparticipation?

Next Steps

TheLeagueofWomenVotersofGreaterPeoriahassenteachofthesurveyedgovernment
bodiesacopyofthisreport,anexplanationoftheevaluationprocess,andtheirscorecard.Our
hopeisthatthisinformationcanbeusedinaconstructivewaytoseewheretheyareperceived
tobedoingwell,andwhereopportunitiesforimprovementexist.
TheLeagueofWomenVotersofGreaterPeoriawillsendapresspacketwithacopyofthis
report,anexplanationoftheevaluationprocess,andtheindividualgovernmentscorecards.