Transparentizing the Local: Assessing Transparency Initiatives in Local Governance

Transparency and accountability have been key drivers of governance agendas for the past decades. The rising concern for opening up government institutions to social scrutiny has also led to a growing output of academic inquiries focusing on a multitude of issues. From budget planning to democratic innovation in participatory mechanisms, the local has been the centre of attention of many scholars studying the causes and effects of transparency at this governance level. With a sample of 57 papers published over the last twenty years this articles provides a systemic review of the findings and insights scholars have arrived through the lens of transparency and accountability. The articles cover a wide range of themes, as well as methods and epistemic approaches, and display the multidisciplinarity characterising the study of the local. We highlight the role of technology in conceiving, designing, and implementing transparency at the locality. From this digitally-mediated perspective, we interrogate the role of multi-level governance, and, whether from a national, regional, or international rung, analyse the interrelations and dynamics therein. We identify a trend towards collaborative plans aimed at taking the local governance closer to society in regards of finance and budgets, data formats and open contracting. Issues are cross-cut by a focus on incrementing social participation and highlights the relevance of deliberative and collaborative democracy at local levels.