MALAWI d) Budget and expenditure? e) Information about procurement procedures, signed contracts? f) Vacancies and employment procedures? g) The name, the address, the telephone number and the working hours of the respective institution? h) The contact details of public officials? i) A mechanism to request and receive a response to electronic messages and requests for information? Total Score: 0/20 Category 2- Requests for Information The request for information that was sent to Ministry of Energy and Mines had the following questions: 1. How would you describe the relationship between the media and the Ministry of Energy and Mines in Malawi? 2. Do you periodically provide the media with information? 3. If yes, which media people or institutions do you share information with? Give at least two examples? 4. Does the Ministry of Energy and Mines have a specific way of giving out information? Kindly list down these ways? 5. Which way mentioned in Q4 above is most effective or mostly used when giving out information? And why? 6. What are some of the challenges that the Ministry of Energy and Mines face when disseminating or giving out information to the media or any other stakeholder? 7. Would you provide MISA Malawi with the Ministry’s policies and budget structures? Part 1: Requests for written information n = 20 Yes 1.Is there an official designated to take and respond to information requests? (Please state title of officials in ‘Additional Information’) • The Director of Energy Affairs 2. Did the institution reply within 21 days? (If less than 7 please state in ‘Additional Information’) • The institution responded within 6 days. 3. Did the Institution respond to a request for information? • 4. Does the authority publish its procedures for dealing with information requests? • 5. Did the institution provide all of the information requested? (If partially please mark ‘No’, indicate in ‘Additional Information’ how much of the information requested was supplied) • 6. Did the institution provide written reasons for the refusal of information? (If information was not refused, please contact the institution to find out what the policy is in this regard –if the institution supplies written reasons for refusal mark ‘Yes’) • The request for information is directed to the Director of Mines who responds to all requests for information. The institution does not have an established Public Relations Desk. • 7. Did the institution disclose information about its operations, budgets, structure etc. 8. Did the authority provide information without questioning the aims and motivations of the applicant? • 9. Did the institution acknowledge your request for information within 7 days? • 10. Was the information received clear and understandable? • Total Score: 14/20 26 Additional Information No No questions were asked and the response came within 6 days without any follow up