End of Commitment Report – Design and implementation of the comprehensive Accountability strategy for the #CartagenaCuenta 2023 citizenship, with a territorial approach, social inclusion and permanent dialogue, with an emphasis on planning and public finances
Overview
Name of Evaluator
Camilo Ignacio Gonzalez Becerra
Member Name
Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
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... Title
Plan de acción – Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, 2022 – 2023
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...
Design and implementation of the comprehensive Accountability strategy for the #CartagenaCuenta 2023 citizenship, with a territorial approach, social inclusionOGP participating governments are working to create governments that truly serve all people. Commitments in this area may address persons with disabilities, women and girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, tr... More, and permanent dialogue, with an emphasis on planning and public finances.
Problem
The accountability process has been one of the priorities of the administration.
Section 1.
Commitment completion
1.1 What was the overall level of progress in the commitment implementation at the time of this assessment?
Complete
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The Mayor’s Office of Cartagena de Indias has fulfilled its commitment to design and implement the comprehensive Citizen Accountability Strategy #CartagenaCuenta 2023, with a territorial focus, social inclusion, and permanent dialogue, emphasizing planning and public finances.
On Thursday, December 7, 2023, the 2020-2023 Accountability Public Hearing was held, chaired by Mayor William Dau Chamatt, together with all the secretaries and directors of the office department, at the Adolfo Mejía Theater, with the attendance of civil groups and public servants.
This strategy has sought to improve the dialogue between the District Administration and the value and interest groups, communicating in a clear and understandable way the fulfillment of the Development Plan “Save Cartagena Together 2020-2023”, the decisions taken, the results, and progress in guaranteeing rights.
Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:
1.2 Describe the main external or internal factors that impacted implementation of this commitment and how they were addressed (or not).
The implementation of the comprehensive Accountability Strategy #CartagenaCuenta 2023 was influenced by several factors, both external and internal. Externally, citizen participationAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, citizen participation occurs when “governments seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to m... More, the socioeconomic context, and political and administrative support played important roles. Internally, staff training, information and technology systems, and inter-institutional coordination were decisive.
To address these factors, promotional and awareness-raising activities were carried out to encourage citizen participation and explain the importance of accountability. In addition, the formats and language of the reports were adapted to make them understandable for different audiences.
The investment was directed towards training and the improvement of information and technology systems to facilitate the collection and presentation of data. Inter-institutional coordination mechanisms were also established to ensure the coherence of the information presented and the active participation of all relevant agencies.
The comprehensive accountability strategy focused on promoting citizen participation, adapting to socioeconomic conditions, strengthening institutions, and coordinating effectively to ensure effective and transparent accountability in Cartagena.
1.3 Was the commitment implemented as originally planned?
Most of the commitment milestones were implemented as planned
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment to implement the comprehensive Accountability strategy for citizens #CartagenaCuenta 2023 was carried out as originally planned in most of the milestones. The Mayor’s Office of Cartagena de Indias set a clear objective of promoting efficient, effective, and transparent management, with an emphasis on citizen participation and permanent dialogue.
The 2020-2023 Accountability Public Hearing was held on Thursday, December 7, 2023, as scheduled, with the presence of Mayor William Dau Chamatt, secretaries, department directors, civil groups, and public servants. This event was part of the strategy to inform citizens about the management carried out, the results obtained, and the progress in guaranteeing rights.
Provide evidence for your answer:
Section 2.
Did it open government?
2.1.1. – Did the government disclose more information; improve the quality of the information (new or existing); improve the value of the information; improve the channels to disclose or request information or improve accessibility to information?
Yes
Degree of result:
Major
Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.
The feedback received on the Public AccountabilityAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, public accountability occurs when ”rules, regulations, and mechanisms in place call upon government actors to justify their actions, act upon criticisms ... More Hearing 2020-2023 reflects a series of certainties and satisfactions among the attending citizens regarding the information provided, the event’s logistics, and the scope of the achievements and institutional objectives related to the District Development Plan.
In general, most attendees expressed satisfaction with the amount and quality of the information provided during the hearing. Many highlighted the clarity and comprehensibility of the reports presented, as well as the relevanceAccording to the OGP Articles of Governance, OGP commitments should include a clear open government lens. Specifically, they should advance at least one of the OGP values: transparency, citizen partic... of the topics addressed. The perceived 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 and honesty in presenting the results of public management were aspects that generated trust and satisfaction among the citizens.
Regarding the event’s logistics, most respondents considered the organization to be adequate and that a conducive environment for the exchange of ideas and citizen participation was ensured. The availability of suitable spaces, convenient scheduling, and the availability of informational material were aspects highlighted by the attendees.
As for the scope of the achievements and institutional objectives related to the District Development Plan, the feedback was varied. Some citizens expressed satisfaction with the progress and results presented, highlighting improvements in infrastructure, public services, and social programs. However, others expressed concerns and pointed out areas where they believed challenges still needed to be addressed.
Provide evidence for your answer:
2.1.2. – Did the government create new opportunities to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation inform or influence decisions; improve existing channels or spaces to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation/ inform or influence decisions; create or improve capabilities in the government or the public aimed to improve how the government seeks feedback from citizens/enables participation/ or allows for the public to inform or influence decisions?
Yes
Degree of result:
Outstanding
Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.
The implementation of the commitment to design and implement the comprehensive Accountability Strategy for Citizens #CartagenaCuenta 2023 has had a significant impact in several areas.
Firstly, it has strengthened transparency and accountability in Cartagena’s public management. By promoting ongoing dialogue with citizens and focusing on territorial aspects, social inclusion, and financial planning, the strategy has allowed citizens to have a clearer understanding of government actions and how they affect their lives.
Secondly, the implementation of this strategy has contributed to improving citizen participation in decision-making. By providing clear and understandable information about public management, greater community involvement has been encouraged in identifying problems, setting priorities, and monitoring government commitments.
Additionally, the strategy has impacted the local government’s planning and financial management. By establishing mechanisms to explain decisions and actions related to public finances, greater responsibility in the use of resources has been promoted, and better planning of expenditures to meet the community’s needs has been achieved.
2.1.3 Did the government create or improve channels, opportunities or capabilities to hold officials answerable to their actions?
Yes
Degree of result:
Major
Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.
The implementation of the commitment to design and implement the comprehensive accountability strategy for citizens #CartagenaCuenta 2023 has had a significant impact on the responsibility of public officials.
Thanks to this strategy, channels of accountability have been created and strengthened, allowing citizens to monitor and evaluate the performance of officials. Mechanisms have been established to transparently report on governmental actions and decisions, increasing the visibility of officials and their accountability to the community.
This approach has generated opportunities for citizens to actively participate in the decision-making process and hold officials accountable for their actions. By having access to detailed information about public management, citizens can demand accountability from officials and improvements in the quality of services and the effectiveness of public policies.
In practice, the impact of this strategy is reflected in a greater awareness among officials about the importance of being accountable for their actions. They know they are being watched and evaluated by the public, which incentivizes them to act with transparency and responsibility in their roles.
Moreover, this culture of accountability has led to an improvement in the professionalism of public administration. Officials understand the importance of meeting performance standards, which contributes to more efficient and service-oriented management.
Provide evidence for your answer:
2.1.4 Other Results
Not Applicable
2.2 Did the commitment address the public policy problem that it intended to address as described in the action plan?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment to design and implement the comprehensive accountability strategy for citizens #CartagenaCuenta 2023 directly addressed the issue of lack of transparency and citizen participation in public management. The Action Plan established that the main objective was to promote efficient, effective, and transparent management of government entities, with an emphasis on accountability as a participatory space where the administration informs citizens about various aspects of its management. To achieve this, it aimed to improve two-way dialogue between the District Administration and stakeholders regarding the fulfillment of the “Let’s Save Cartagena Together 2020-2023” Development Plan, the management carried out, decisions made, results and progress in guaranteeing rights, in clear and understandable language.
Section 3.
Lessons from
implementation
3. Provide at least one lesson or reflection relating to the implementation of this commitment. It can be the identification of key barriers to implementation, an unexpected help/hindrance, recommendations for future commitments, or if the commitment should be taken forward to the next action plan.
An important lesson from implementing this commitment is the need to maintain clear and constant communication with the public throughout the entire process. Although the Public Accountability Hearing was held and relevant information was provided, the varied feedback received reflects that there are still areas for improvement in communication and citizen participation.
For example, while many citizens expressed satisfaction with the amount and quality of information provided during the hearing, others voiced concerns and pointed out areas where challenges still need to be addressed. This suggests that there may be discrepancies in the perception of institutional achievements and objectives between the administration and the public.
An important reflection is that, in addition to reporting on the progress and results achieved, it is essential to actively listen to the concerns and expectations of the citizens. This means creating spaces for ongoing dialogue and effective mechanisms to systematically collect feedback.
For future commitments related to accountability, additional strategies should be considered to engage the public more actively and ensure meaningful participation in the decision-making process. This could include using online participation tools, conducting regular public consultations, and continuously educating the public on transparency and accountability issues.
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