Action plan – Osasco, Brazil, 2021 – 2024

At-a-Glance

Duration

October 2024

Date Submitted

8th September 2021

Foreword(s)

Osasco’s Open Government Agenda has been made by punctual initiatives through some department at public administration, however, when the city signed the Open Government PartnershipThe Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on improving government transparency, ensuring opportunities for citizen participation in public matters, and strengthen... More, in 2020, a process started inside the public management, with that, we begin to institutionalize the agenda by elaborating the first Open Government Action Plan, co-creating it with actual social participation. The document alone is not the answer to formalize the agenda at all counties, but is fundamentally important to cultural transformation for open government.

The Action Plan execution will involve bureaucrats, citizens and councilmans implementing the commitments by looking with the perspective of public transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More, social participation, accountability, and technologic innovation. Additionally, we hope this form of elaborating the plan will not be just for public consultation in the end, but an actual participative organization, what will be made by Municipal Open Government Forum.

Finally, we understand that the monitoring is an important part of the Open Government Process, which means that it only can be made with methodological rigor, to achieved that kind of academic accuracy, we’ve invited Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp), a local institution to be a part of the process, they will elaborate with Osasco’s Administration the monitoring of the Action Plan, which will be another way to mark social participation.

Open Government Challenges, Opportunities and Strategic Vision

This subsection details the Open Government Strategic Vision in your local area that should guide the commitments for the action plan period.

What is the long-term vision for open government in your context and jurisdiction?

Osasco see the Open Government as a long-term process that involves a cultural transformation of public policy management, which means putting the citizen, their needs and experiences, at the center of decision-making, besides allowing social participation at all districts inside the city. Furthermore, permitting the county to surpass regularization borders, access to information and public transparency, reaching an effectiveness of this policies in everyday life of public administration through modern and transverse instruments to all parts of the City Hall and at public disposal.

Consequently, the opening we want to build will make Osasco a more democratic and plural city, with its institutions strengthened and solid, capable of a perfect balance between economic and social development in order to reaffirm human rightsAn essential part of open government includes protecting the sacred freedoms and rights of all citizens, including the most vulnerable groups, and holding those who violate human rights accountable. T..., as well as diversity for respect.

What are the achievements in open government to date (for example, recent open government reforms)?

Osasco’s administration, knowing the responsibility to promote and to implement an open government agenda, through an Action Plan bound to OGP, incorporated to its administrative reform, approved in January 2021, your own department, called Department of Open Government and Strengthening Citizenship inside of its Secretary, named as Management and Planning Secretary. Moreover, instituted at its strategic planning (mandatory by Brazilian law) for the next four years a chapter dedicated to the theme, which directly implies the consolidation of Open Government by programs and actions.

Beyond that, the administration started the discussion to update the public transparency decree, to reopen the Access to Municipal Information Committee (CMAI – initials in portuguese) as the main organ for active and passive transparency at Osasco.

Recently, the city was also select to compose a program bound to our version of Office of Inspector General (called Controladoria Geral da União – CGU) directly connected to subjects like transparency, integrity, social participation and fight against corruption. Within social participation, the formulation and execution of Open Government Action Plan is the main point.

What are the current challenges/areas for improvement in open government that the jurisdiction wishes to tackle?

Nowadays, Osasco’s Open Government Agenda is based on isolated initiatives, however, the goal is transformed that in a set of intersectoral and institutional actions that integrate programs and projects that combine social participation, access to public information and public policy monitoring. That said, the Administration needs to better explain its task, especially the budget, which is one of two main point of the Action Plan, once discuss with its employees and society, to build a future where citizens can understand and be a part of decision-making, as well as integrated to the public management enough to be the protagonist of the policy formulation, considering human rights, diversity, race and genderOGP participating governments are bringing gender perspectives to popular policy areas, ensuring diversity in participatory processes, and specifically targeting gender gaps in policies to address gov... equality.

What are the medium-term open government goals that the government wants to achieve?

In the medium-term, Osasco’s Administration has as a goal amplify and qualify active and passive transparency, making sure all public information are at disposal in a citizen language, besides reinforce at all districts social participation using digital channels andinnovative methodologies to reach all kinds of people. Also, to implement the idea of public policy formulation considering the citizen as an important part of the process, as well as not take for granted our employees. To all that, we also need to make innovative projects connecting all areas to technology and simplify the accountability and public service.

How does this action plan contribute to achieve the Open Government Strategic Vision?

The Open Government Action Plan is a tangible way to achieve the goals we set to Open Government policy. The elaboration process and beyond that, its execution, can mobilized the public management to put this theme at the agenda, knowing that face the pandemic and its social and economic effects are priorities now. Furthermore, the Action Plan can establish new kinds of ways of public policy operationalization, that means it is only by institute an effective data transparency and social engagement that new ways to resolute public problems will appears.

Lastly, the Administration comprehends the Action Plan as a fundamental instrument to face the current crisis in Brazil and in a local level, by opening real possibilities to approach the population, strengthening citizenship, democracy and diversity of one urban and complex city as Osasco.

How does the open government strategic vision contribute to the accomplishment of the current administration’s overall policy goals?

Osasco’s Administration make its planning for the next 4 (four) years (2022-2025), which involvesmunicipal governance and strategic course of proceduresas a future point of view, referred to economic development, quality of life and social justiceTo address barriers that prevent citizens from having their justice needs met, OGP participating governments are working to expand transparency, accountability, and inclusion into all systems of justi.... For that purpose, were establish 3 (three) major guidelines: “Osasco para Todos”, “Osasco do Futuro” and “Osasco Desenvolvida”. Open Government strategic view will go through all thesebenchmarks and inside those are specific themes that discuss human rights, race and gender equality, which came from social participation process and will be transformed into final public policy such as Health, EducationAccountability within the public education system is key to improving outcomes and attainment, and accountability is nearly impossible without transparent policies and opportunities for participation ... and Culture. The Open Government areinside of its own benchmark which referred to a modern and simple city.

Engagement and Coordination in the Open Government Strategic Vision and OGP Action Plan

Please list the lead institutions responsible for the implementation of this OGP action plan.

• Management and Planning Secretary (SEPLAG, initials in portuguese)
• Finances Secretary (SF, initials in portuguese)
• Municipal Open Government Forum (in progress)
• Intersecretariat Working Group (in progress)

What kind of institutional arrangements are in place to coordinate between government agencies and departments to implement the OGP action plan?

The institution arrangements are lead by Department of Open Government and Strengthening Citizenship and includesthe strategic planning, especially its own theme. Are also involve some others Secretaries, such Secretary of Government, Finances Secretary, Management and Planning Secretary and our local version of Office of Inspector General, called Controladoria Geral do Município.

What kind of spaces have you used or created to enable the collaboration between government and civil society in the co-creation and implementation of this action plan? Mention both offline and online spaces.

Due to Covid-19 Pandemic, the process of Open Government discussion with the population was hybrid, some of the meetings were in offline with all Covid-19 protocol and some of them online, using ZOOM and survey by Google Forms.At the first one, all meetings took place with Secretaries and other institutional organs that represent all citizens to demonstrate the main idea and invite them to the co-creation processCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders (e.g., citizens, academics, private sector) is at the heart of the OGP process. Participating governments must ensure that a dive.... The virtual meeting was organized todebate with citizens about all challenges face by Osasco’s administration andOpen Government commitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action...s. The surveys were made to authenticate the main propositions that came from online social participation.

What measures did you take to ensure diversity of representation (including vulnerable or marginalized populations) in these spaces?

For these nine meetings were mobilized municipal employee, management advisors, municipal advisors, the City Council, institutions and social movements, besides municipal employee of the secretariat of people with disabilitiesA government is not open unless it is accessible to all, and governments are working to ensure people with disabilities are afforded equitable services and opportunities to participate. Technical spec..., secretariat of childhood and youthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... and the secretariat of gender equality.

The municipal employees were chosen based on their knowledge and experience making public policy and participation on “Conselhos Municipais” an organization related to a specific theme (health, education, etc) which their members can be anyone, citizens, bureaucrats, entrepreneurs and so on, and they have some level of decision-making, in 2021, 62,5% of these organization were active in Osasco.

The municipal advisors were invited during their own meetings or by e-mail and shared the invitation through the social media.

The City Councilors were invited through official letters, e-mails and personal invitation from the Municipal Secretaries.

Who participated in these spaces?

During the meeting of Open Government Action Plan co-creation, we gather a diverse group of people andinstitutionalleadersof several areas such as equality of race and gender, human right, children’s rights, people with disabilities and others.

How many groups participated in these spaces?

7

How many public-facing meetings were held in the co-creation process?

9

How will government and non-governmental stakeholders continue to collaborate through the implementation of the action plan?

The main form of collaboration between government and non-governmental stakeholders will be the creation of an Open Government Forum by November 2021. This will be a permanent space composed by bureaucrats and society with regular activities for commitment execution and promotion of public events of Open Government. 

Please describe the independent Monitoring Body you have identified for this plan.

As agreed with OGP and local organizations (Osasco/SP), this item will be submitted in October 2021.

Provide the contact details for the independent monitoring body.

To be determined.

What types of activities will you have in place to discuss progress on commitments with stakeholders?

As agreed with OGP and local organizations (Osasco/SP), this item will be submitted in October 2021.

How will you regularly check in on progress with implementing agencies?

As agreed with OGP and local organizations (Osasco/SP), this item will be submitted in October 2021.

How will you share the results of your monitoring efforts with the public?

As agreed with OGP and local organizations (Osasco/SP), this item will be submitted in October 2021.

Endorsement from Non-Governmental Stakeholders

• César Augusto, Member, Associação Esportiva Soldiers
• Ana Cristina Sewaybriker, Lawyer, Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil
• Luciana Cobo, Member, Conselho Municipal de Promoção da Igualdade Racial
• Katia Vanzini, Researcher, University
• Sandro Tibby, Member, Osasco Radio Web
• Deisedai Oliveira, City Councilor, Mandata Coletiva AtivOz
• Sheila Marcondes, Member, ABRAAC
• Mirtes Soares, Citizen,
• Raynni Bertolazo, Advisor, Câmara Municipal de Osasco