As an example let’s take the project AR-L1326: Immediate Public Health Response Project in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic to contain, control and mitigate its effect on the provision of health services in Argentina, financed by the IDB. General information on the project, containing its main data, can be found on the Bank’s website, and more than 20 documents related to the project’s preparation, approval, and implementation process can be found in the Documents section. Most of the documents are available in Spanish and some of them (the most significant ones) also in English. However, through this channel it’s impossible to access some relevant documents related to the project. In particular, the Project Operating Regulations (ROP, by its Spanish acronym). This document is important for an in-depth understanding of the project since, according to the approved loan contract,19 “the first disbursement of the Loan resources is conditional on the Executing Agency having put into effect, through a ministerial resolution, the ROP, in the terms previously agreed with the Bank.”20 In addition, there is a degree of confusion concerning some of the documents published on the Bank’s website. For example, although the final Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) of the project has been published, it appears within the “Proposed” Documents section, which raises doubts as to whether this document has actually been approved and on what date. Two requests for information were made with specific questions about this project, one to the IDB21 and the other to the Argentine government22. In the case of the IDB, although the request was answered within the deadlines established by its Access to Information Policy, it cannot be considered of high quality. For most of the 10 questions asked, very short answers were provided that basically referred to the documents published on the website. Providing practically the same information that is available on the web without adding pertinent clarifications or responding to particular doubts raised does not reflect the best practices regarding access to information. In addition, the information provided regarding the project’s implementation is not very useful or understandable when trying to ascertain the current status of project implementation and the measures adopted so far. Another example is represented by the aforementioned project T3049: CANEF – Support for the Development of a Regional Extractive Sector Vision for Latin America and the Caribbean. Only basic project information can be accessed on the IDB website and the available documentation is limited to four consulting Terms of Reference. According to the current Access to Information Policy and its Implementation Guidelines, the Bank should disclose the project profile at the country level, the technical cooperation profile, the project’s environmental analysis, cooperation operation plans, and factual information, among other documents. Likewise, the project is not included in the list of projects financed in Argentina. Therefore, there is neither enough information, nor quality information, about the regional project, nor about the bank’s specific cooperation in the country. Although information on the development of the strategic plan can be accessed through the Argentine Official Bulletin (Resolution 47/2020) and through a specific website created by the Ministry of Productive Development, the information available does not refer to the IDB’s financial cooperation. The information that has been obtained was accessed via attendance at meetings related to this strategic plan. 19. LOAN AGREEMENT No. 5032 / OC-AR. IDB. Retrieved June 29, 2021, from: https://www.iadb.org/projects/document/EZSHARE-2056220512-8306?project=AR-L1326. 20. Clause 3.01. of LOAN CONTRACT No. 5032 / OC-AR. IDB. 21. Information request made on April 14, 2021, through the existing form on the IDB website (https://www.iadb.org/en/access-information/ information-request) and answered by the Bank on April 22, 2021. 22. Information request made on April 13, 2021, through the “Trámites a Distancia” platform of the Argentine government (https://www. argentina.gob.ar/solicitar-informacion-publica) and answered on May 26, 2021, after notification of an extension request for the response on May 4, 2021. 25 DFIs FINANCING IN ARGENTINA DURING THE PANDEMIC: COVID-19 PROJECTS AND TRANSPARENCY SHORTCOMINGS