United States Design Report 2019–2021 – For Public Comment

In 2020, the Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM)The Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) is OGP’s accountability arm and the main means of tracking progress in participating countries. The IRM provides independent, evidence-based, and objective ... published the design report for the United States’ fourth action planAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen.... The report covers the action plan development process and the design of commitments.

The IRM researcher in the United States, Jason I. McMann, summarizes the findings below:

“The United States’ fourth national action plan contains commitments of broad interest to the American public. However, almost half of the commitments are recycled from pre-existing, ongoing government programs and, as written, do not signal significant changes in government practice. The U.S. should reengage and deepen trust with stakeholders by designing and implementing a clear, well-publicized, and well-documented co- creation process where civil society has greater buy-in. Future commitments should respond to national priorities with significant, measurable, and specific milestones.”

The public comment period closed January 25, 2021.