ZIMBABWE RATIONALE AND RESEARCH PARAMETERS community-based organisations (CBOs), citizens and journalists under the ATI Zimbabwe Campaign at the centre of the assessment. The stakeholders requested information from ten public institutions. The research was conducted and monitored in adherence to the Freedom of Information Act provisions guided by the General Regulations. Online platforms, including websites and social media platforms, were also observed. AIM OF THE STUDY This survey targeted ten public organisations to ascertain how responsive they were to information inquiries by the public. The survey was carried out from May to July 2023. Category 1: Website analysis OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY y y To determine which organisations (both government and public) provide information to citizens upon request, timeously and with relative ease. y All three municipalities assessed do not have websites. Only one (Mutare City Council) has active social media platforms. y Most websites are compatible with mobile devices, the device of choice for most citizens accessing the internet. y An improvement was noted in digital mix use as most institutions use multiple media channels (social media, email and websites). y Public institutions should consider website localisation so that services are offered in local languages to cater for all citizens. To determine which organisations (both government and public) utilise online platforms to promote ATI. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The research used qualitative and quantitative data collection methods to evaluate the level of public ATI held by government and public organisations. Each MISA Chapter conducted research by evaluating the websites of government and public organisations along with submitting written requests for information. This method seeks to establish the transparency and efficiency of government and public organisations in providing information to the public. Category 2: Requests for information ORGANISATIONS SURVEYED The following organisations were surveyed: 1. Judicial Service Commission 2. Kusile Rural District Council 3. Lupane Local Board 4. Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education 5. Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development 6. Mutare City Council 7. Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe 8. Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission 9. Zimbabwe National Water Authority y Two institutions invited the researchers to one-on-one meetings, where they shared the information requested. y Three of the ten information request responses were in Shona and isiNdebele. y Five out of ten institutions did not grant the requests for information. y Some of the institutions surveyed did not respond to the requests for information. y Many public institutions do not have designated information officers. Applicants were referred from one department to another before the appropriate department handled the requests. Sometimes, researchers were requested to leave requests at reception or with security personnel. y Most institutions demonstrated unfamiliarity with the Freedom of Information Act by failing to comply. They showed a reluctance to use the law for fear of reprisals. Some CBOs were reluctant to litigate or escalate issues with the Zimbabwe Media Commission. y One is likely to get a somewhat better response from institutions if they are a journalist/media practitioner instead of an ordinary citizen seeking information. 10. Zimbabwe Women’s Microfinance Bank SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS MISA Zimbabwe leveraged the human-centred approach by placing representatives of 111