Promotional activities and education

Along with the protection of the right of access to information and re-use of information and the monitoring of the implementation of the Act, an important part of the Commissioner´s work is actively promoting the right of access to information and the re-use of information, primarily involving education and awareness-raising among information officers and public authorities, as well as among users of the right of access to information (citizens, media, associations, private sector).

The Information Commissioner promptly and regularly notifies the expert and the general public of current topics in the area of the right of access to information and the re-use of information. The Commissioner encourages and maintains continuous cooperation with civil society organizations, the academic community, other institutions and media, by organising public forums, roundtables, discussions and consultations on current topics from its scope. Also, the Information Commissioner and the staff of the Office of the Infomation Commissioner actively participate (with presentations or as introductory speakers) and in public events
in the Republic of Croatia organized by other bodies and civil society organizations – conferences, forums, workshops, round tables, and similar public events.

Promotional activities serve to establish the connection between Information Commissioner and public authorities and users (primarily citizens), and to foster cooperation and relations with the media, civil society organizations and the academic community.

The Information Commission develops and carries out educational activities related to the application of the Right of Access to Information Act for information officers in public authorities.

Educations are held according to the annual plan, which is to be submitted for the following year at the end of the calendar year and is published on the Commissioner's web site. Education is conducted in cooperation with the State School for Public Administration and the Judicial Academy, which organize education for their target groups. The education is also carried out in cooperation with partner bodies in charge for certain issues important for the implementation of the Law: education about re-use and Open Data is carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, education about public consultations in cooperation with the Office for NGOs, online education (webinars) is carried out in cooperation with the Central State Office for the Development of the Digital Society, and education on the prevention of corruption in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice.

Specific topics are addressed in cooperation with the Office of the National Security Council in terms of data secrecy and with the Personal Data Protection Agency regarding the protection of personal data and privacy. Part of the education is held by request of the public authorities or by the Commissioner´s proposal in the form of tailor-made educational modules focused on the particularities of specific groups of public authorities. During the annual planning of education, the specific needs of individual categories of participants as well as the educational cycles from previous years are taken into account, and the education is aimed at covering the entire territory of the Republic of Croatia equally.

Education is performed by officials of the Office of the Information Commissioner alone or in co-operation with the aforementioned bodies, and their performance has developed methodology and educational materials, with exercises.

Public events organized by the Information Commissioner

Promotion on public events in the Republic of Croatia