QuiénEsQuién.Wiki
organization
PODER
description
QuiénEsQuién.Wiki is a database of public contracts with private and public actors in Mexico, which touches on over 200,000 companies. The data was gathered from public sources and is intended for use in investigations that illustrate the distribution of power and economic relationships between elites. The principle users include PODER, other CSOs, researchers, and journalists working in the area of transparency and corporate accountability. The site includes a brief user's manual. Additionally, PODER built this site with the intention that other organizations could add new data and develop focused investigations without having to create or maintain similar online infrastructure on their own.
PODER has an in-house team of 6-7 people who spend at least some of their time developing, maintaining or using the database, including 3 technicians, 1 researcher/data analyst, and 2 journalists, as well as others who support related advocacy efforts as needed. Data gleaned from the site is used to fuel investigations into specific stories that can lead to the creation of their own dedicated websites. Doing so involves having an idea of what specific data one is looking for, access to the portal from one’s device and enough comfort navigating the site. Additional research skills are necessary to make use of the data in further research, such as access to information requests and on-the-ground research, as well as to develop a compelling story and materials that might include a narrative, infographics and a dedicated website. Having access to media contacts, web developers and people with advocacy experience is important to publish these materials, get media coverage and to get the results into the hands of pertinent decision makers. While PODER carries out investigations on its own or in collaboration with other civil society and media organizations, it can also provide back-end development support to others wishing to do so making use of the database.
impact
Illustration of Impact: PODER collaborated with Mexican organization Serapaz and the Frente de Defensa de Atenco (Atenco Defense Front) to undertake research on the financial contracts and elites associated with a highly controversial proposed airport in Mexico City. They made use of data from QuiénEsQuién.Wiki in combination with information gathered through community workshops, access to information requests and detailed analysis of the financial structure of the deals. The results are presented online at [torredecontrol.org][1]. Care was taken to ensure that the portal could be accessed by cell phone so that community groups could readily access the site. The findings provided complementary arguments to support long-standing community opposition to this project, which the government used to cancel the airport’s construction in late 2018.
Latin American media and civil society organizations have also undertaken collaborative investigations with PODER, such as the media organization OjoPúblico in Peru, to investigate and publish online reports about commercial relationships between economic groups and their owners in Peru to identify poor practices and possible cases of conflict of interest.