The 2015 report published by Transparify scored 169 influential think tanks in 47 countries. SEI was among just eight European institutions to receive a 5-star rating.
“We are pleased to be ranked ‘highly transparent’ in this year’s index,” says SEI Executive Director Johan Kuylenstierna. “We believe transparency is essential for building trust and credibility. We provide full disclosure of our funding and invite our partners and stakeholders to assess our objectivity and hold us accountable to our mission.
5-stars is the maximum rating and reflects a ‘gold standard’ of ‘exemplary transparency’ in public disclosure of funding sources according to the index’s authors. To achieve this accolade think tanks must use their websites ‘to disclose in great detail who funds them, with what sums, and for what research projects.’
“For SEI, transparency is not only about disclosure, but also about participation,” says Kuylenstierna. “We are equally committed to making research freely available and communicating it to those who can bring it to bear in policy-making and on the ground. Transparency is a keystone in bridging science and policy.”
SEI places great emphasis on transparency along with independence and scientific rigour. SEI receives funding from a wide variety of public and private sources. Detailed financial data and clear summaries are provided in SEI’s annual reports.
Transparify, based in Tbilisi, Georgia, says think tanks play an increasingly important role in public debates and the formulation of public policy worldwide. This can be positive and can inform politicians, media and the public in decision-making processes, although there are also concerns that policy advice delivered by think tanks can be driven by vested interests. Transparency, on the other hand, builds credibility and increases public confidence in the think tank community on the whole.
The average score for institutions ranked in the 2015 assessment was 2.6-stars.
According to Transparify’s banner on Twitter, ‘transparency is beautiful; if you have nothing to hide’. You can visit them at www.transparify.org and follow them @Transparify.
