In 2003, the World Bank launched a world-wide effort to enhance dissemination of information and promote dialogue, discussion and feedback. Â Today, the Bank runs Public Information Services in nearly 100 countries and offers direct access to information in more than 230 information centers often run in partnership with local institutions and development partners as well as through various websites in Arabic, French, Mandarin, Spanish, Russian, and other languages.
To support this effort, the Public Information Services unit was created to coordinate and promote proactive and transparent information disclosure programs and practices in countries where the Bank operates. The basic premise of the unit is to provide strategic leadership and guidance to public information service professionals and in-country staff. Specifically, the unit is responsible for:
- providing guidelines and advice to countries to ensure the widest access to information
- training to ensure public information staff maintain a high level of proficiency and knowledge related to transparency and disclosure as well as the operations of the Bank
- maintaining and monitoring the release of disclosed documents to the public
- ensuring public access to all public documents
- responding to diverse inquiries and connecting the public to knowledge and information experts at the Bank
- ......and much more.
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