FACTS 500 Methodology
Version 0.1 — how accountability scores are computed
How the Score Works
FACTS 500 assigns each jurisdiction a composite score from 0 to 500 by evaluating the quality of laws across five pillars. Each pillar is scored independently on a 0–100 scale; the composite is their sum. A jurisdiction that scores perfectly on all five pillars earns 500 points.
The score measures what the law requires — not whether government complies. A strong FACTS score means the legal framework on paper contains robust accountability provisions. A low score means the law is silent, permissive, or weak in ways that reduce accountability. Actual compliance, enforcement, and outcomes are separate questions.
The Five Pillars
| Letter | Pillar | Max Score | What It Measures | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | Fiscal Transparency | 100 | Budget publication, expenditure reporting, audit independence, procurement disclosure, beneficial ownership | View Fiscal laws → |
| A | Accessibility | 100 | Digital accessibility laws requiring government services to be usable by people with disabilities | View Accessibility laws → |
| C | Checks & Oversight | 100 | Independence of oversight bodies: audit institutions, ombudsmen, inspectors general, and ethics commissions | View Oversight laws → |
| T | Transparency | 100 | Open records and freedom of information laws: response deadlines, exemptions, appeal rights, enforcement | View Open Records laws → |
| S | Sunshine | 100 | Open meetings laws: advance notice requirements, public comment rights, closed session limits, enforcement | View Open Meetings laws → |
| Composite (FACTS) | 500 | Sum of all five pillars | ||
Fiscal Transparency (F) — 10 Dimensions
The Fiscal score is built from ten dimensions of budget and financial accountability law.
| Dimension | Max Points | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Budget Publication | 15 | Requirement to publish annual budget before the fiscal year begins; machine-readable formats |
| Expenditure Reporting | 15 | In-year spending reports; transaction-level disclosure; online portal |
| Audit Independence | 15 | Supreme audit institution authority, independence from executive, public reporting |
| Procurement Disclosure | 10 | Competitive bidding requirements; contract publication; award justification |
| Beneficial Ownership | 10 | Disclosure of ultimate beneficial owners of government contractors |
| Debt & Liability Reporting | 10 | Public reporting of total debt, contingent liabilities, pension obligations |
| Revenue Transparency | 10 | Disclosure of tax expenditures, intergovernmental transfers, fee schedules |
| Asset Disclosure | 5 | Public official financial disclosure; public registry of government assets |
| Citizen Budget | 5 | Plain-language budget summary accessible to the general public |
| Enforcement | 5 | Penalties for non-disclosure; legislative review authority |
| Total | 100 |
Other Pillars
Each of the other four pillars has its own methodology page with full dimension weights and scoring rules.
- Accessibility laws — WCAG standard required, scope, enforcement, monitoring requirements
- Checks & Oversight Score methodology — appointment independence, funding, removal protections, investigative authority
- Transparency laws — response deadlines, exemption scope, appeal mechanisms, proactive disclosure
- Sunshine Score methodology — advance notice, public comment, closed session limits, documentation, enforcement
What FACTS Measures
FACTS 500 evaluates the quality of law, not government performance. A jurisdiction with strong laws may have poor compliance; a jurisdiction with weak laws may perform better than expected through culture or practice. The score is a starting point for inquiry.
Data comes from UnGovr’s own research into statutory and regulatory text. Where law is ambiguous or data is incomplete, we apply conservative interpretations — uncertain fields score zero rather than receiving partial credit.
Known Limitations
- Partial data. Many jurisdictions have scores for only some pillars. A missing pillar contributes zero to the composite, which understates the true score for that jurisdiction.
- Not all jurisdictions are scored. Coverage is deepest for the United States and expands as data is collected internationally.
- Law changes. Scores reflect the law as of the date the data was last updated. Legislative changes may lag by months.
- Calibration is ongoing. Weights were set based on structured judgment; they will be revised as real-world distributions are observed across more jurisdictions.
Version: v0.1