Transparency portals and open data portals in Brazil: evidence of asymmetric institutionalization in state governments
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36428/revistadacgu.v18i33.928Keywords:
transparency portals, open data portals, institutionalization, open government, public transparencyAbstract
In recent years, Brazilian governments have expanded their legal and institutional frameworks aimed at strengthening transparency and public access to information. Although transparency portals and open data portals are part of the same open government agenda, they were introduced at different moments and are supported by distinct legal foundations, which may result in different levels of institutionalization and administrative prioritization. This article provides a systematic and comparative assessment of the transparency portals and open data portals in the 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District, examining whether these instruments display asymmetric patterns of operational stability, data structuring, and continuity. Adopting a qualitative, descriptive-comparative approach based on documentary analysis, the study applies a set of theoretically informed indicators capturing institutional autonomy, thematic diversity, operational performance, data structuring, temporal coverage, and dataset volume. The findings indicate that Transparency Portals are more institutionally consolidated and homogeneous across states, largely due to a more coercive and mature legal framework. In contrast, open data portals exhibit substantial heterogeneity and often function as extensions of transparency portals, with limited thematic scope. At the same time, the analysis identifies an emerging technical convergence around a template inspired by the Federal open data portal, suggesting opportunities for improved intergovernmental coordination.
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