MALAWI THE MOST OPEN PUBLIC INSTITUTION IN MALAWI Five of the institutions analysed qualify as frank and accessible in 2017; these include the Malawi Electoral Commission, Blantyre City Council, the Malawi Revenue Authority, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority. All these institutions scored above 20 for both the website and information requests. Overall, the results of the 2017 study show a great improvement in the way public bodies manage and provide information to the public. For five out of nine institutions to score above 20 sets a good standard that should be built upon. Based on the scores, the most open public institution in 2017 is the Malawi Electoral Commission. The Commission won the award in 2013 and 2014 and ought to continue this positive trend as the country prepares for the 2019 Tripartite Elections. The Commission’s Public Relations Officer responded to the request for information in less than 24 hours and provided all relevant information requested plus statements to support the Commission’s position. The Commission scored 15/20 in the website category and 18/20 in the request for information category. Therefore, the Golden Key Award for the most open public institution goes to the Malawi Electoral Commission. RECOMMENDATIONS This study has shown that ministries and departments are improving their online presence. All the nine institutions studied have an online presence; this is a great improvement and one way of promoting proactive disclosure. MISA Malawi would therefore like to appeal to all public bodies to explore ways of proactively disclosing information to the public. Proactive disclosure is a key ATI principle and reduces pressure on information holders. Few people request for information when such information is already in the public domain. 38