Action plan – Dar Chaabane El Fehri, Tunisia, 2024 – 2027

At-a-Glance

Duration

Dec 2027

Date Submitted

28th November 2024

Foreword(s)

Since the beginning of its term in March 2023, the current municipal administrator has made concerted efforts to establish a new approach to public affairs management at the municipal administration level that brings together all stakeholders in local affairs, including citizens, associations, specialists, and the media, to enhance 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 in the challenges of local governance, planning, and budgeting infrastructure and improving municipal performance. Based on the opinions, suggestions, and aspirations of citizens from the current administration, it was found that a large segment is dissatisfied with the traditional way in which the municipality is managed. This is why the Municipality has shown interest in joining 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 order to correct the shortcomings of traditional mechanisms and ensure that citizens who are the ultimate stakeholders are prepared to decide how to use their resources. This initiative mainly aims to enhance 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, fight corruption, and involve citizens in decision-making.

Open Government Challenges, Opportunities and Strategic Vision

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

Since the beginning of the term of the previous Municipal Council in 2018, we have begun to implement many open government initiatives, including increasing financial transparency and adopting new mechanisms to enhance citizen participation. The municipality of Dar Chaabane El Fehri considers the local platform of the Open Government Partnership a tool to enhance its reform initiatives as follows:

• Exploiting the open government approach to solve problems that affect improving the quality of life of citizens, with a focus on developing the quality of services provided and improving infrastructure.
• Strengthening trust between the municipality and the citizens and creating a dynamic of joint creativity and cooperative work between the administration and civil society as a driving force for innovation to facilitate administrative processes.
• Creating an indicator for adopting a governance model based on the principles of transparency and participatory democracy to attract foreign investment and international cooperation.

These will be the main drivers of the measures included in the action plan.

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

Since 2018, the municipal administration has launched several measures to strengthen the principles of OGP including participatory decision-making, service development, and transparent and accountable management. More specifically, interventions include:

•  Enhancing citizens’ participation in decision-making to improve the quality of public services through electronic forms and broadcasting municipal council sessions directly through the official page of the municipality of Dar Chaabane Al-Fihri on Facebook, which allows citizens to submit their opinions, suggestions, and level of satisfaction with the services provided by public facilities.
• Establishing a new office in charge of information to facilitate and accelerate the process of responding to citizens’ demands and informing them of all developments in municipal work.
• Establishing a municipal data portal elbaladiya.tn to publish all data related to the budget and completed and proposed projects to add transparency to municipal work.
• Collecting data via electronic surveys and QC.
• Using SMS/emails to reply to citizens’ complaints.
• Using the YOUTUBE channel to broadcast the contents of assembly meetings and sensitize citizens.
• Using the official site of the municipality to share meeting minutes.

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

In the municipality of Dar Chaabane Fehri, we are already working on forming an open government, but our goal is to make it even more open.
Our organization has already developed plans for open government that highlight the following areas for improvement:

The municipality’s digital portals are in good condition, but we are working harder to communicate more efficiently with citizens, facilitate interaction with them, and support their integration into public challenges.

Involving citizens in decision-making to enhance trust between the municipality and citizens. Our municipality focuses on promoting cooperation between the public and private sectors. This will help create interaction and proposals about approved public initiatives and policies through creating spaces and mechanisms that enhance ease of interaction and community development.

Effective participation involves all societal parties and groups, moving forward with a mixed model in which formal and informal participation coexist and complement each other. Developing effective channels and mechanisms to improve the well-being of public life are the challenges that our institutions wish to address.

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

The local OGP goals in the medium term are as follows:

• Develop an open municipal government system that can serve as a model for coordinating and promoting open government reforms. The goal is to engage citizens in decision-making processes and involve them in managing the city’s challenges.
• Establishing a dynamic of joint 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... and collaboration between the administration and civil society to encourage investment in the region.
• Establishing a remote processing system to speed up administrative services. The municipal administration is still moving forward with the gradual implementation of the digitization of administrative services by adopting a digital platform to facilitate citizens’ support and help.

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

To benefit from the current administration’s desire to co-create an action plan and contribute to the strategic vision of the OGP Local, the local OGP steering committeeThe Steering Committee is OGP’s executive decision-making body. Its role is to develop, promote and safeguard OGP’s values, principles and interests; establish OGP’s core ideas, policies, and ru... will include the following 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...:

• Establishing an interactive relationship with citizens, and adopting a digital system through which citizens are involved in decision-making concerning the establishment of municipal projects and their evaluation as well as their monitoring, in addition to reporting violations and abuses.
• Because of the global Climate Change crisis, the municipality of Dar Chaabane Elfehri is working hard to make its citizens resilient by raising awareness and promoting adaptation and mitigation.

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

The strategic vision of open government contributes to achieving the city’s joint development plan and enhancing trust between the municipality and the citizens by consolidating the principles of open governance that impact the economic and social development of the Municipality and improve the quality of services.

In the current development plan, the municipality seeks to consolidate transparency and co-create a dynamic of collaborative and participatory process. In addition to digitalizing and simplifying services and administrative procedures, participatory practices will contribute to increasing trust and ease of business in the city.

In addition, the Development Agenda has made clear the need to make significant progress in achieving the Sustainable Development GoalsOGP countries are experimenting with open government innovations to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 16+ which includes peaceful, just and inclusive societies.... The Open Government Vision will directly support all active citizens by establishing a complaints mechanism and a participatory platform to improve service delivery, especially hygiene and infrastructure.

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.

• Municipality of Dar Chaabaane Elfehri
• Information Office
• Association Tunisienne pour un Futur Meilleur

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

The Media Office, in coordination with the person in charge of running the municipality, and the Tunisian Association for a Better Future, is the executive body for the process of following up the action plan. Decisions are made unanimously. Among its functions:

• Addressing issues related to participation, especially the participation of other government agencies.
• Develop and maintain internal and external communication channels regarding the action plan implementation process.
• Follow up on the implementation of the action plan.
• Developing a training initiative and workshops.

This Steering Committee is responsible for coordinating and communicating with civil society organizations and other departments relevant to their participation in the co-creation process and also works to implement the commitments. They will meet at least every term to assess progress and communicate needs and challenges.

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.

To facilitate cooperation and coordination between the government and civil society, we have used:

• Electronic platforms such as Elbaladia.tn, electronic forms, the official Facebook page, and other social media platforms, and the QC code to collect citizens’ opinions, collect data, and inform civil society representatives of all new developments.
• WhatsApp and e-mail.
• The steering committee, which includes members of civil society (the engine of partnership between the government and civil society in the city), and is responsible for developing the action plan, organizational model, and implementation procedures.
• An independent monitoring committee consisting of representatives of associations and public figures to monitor and follow up on the implementation of the action plan.

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

To ensure diverse representation, we have prepared comprehensive communication plans to reach all groups, by opening the door to participation through the municipality’s official website and sending official invitations to all civil society organizations and other government agencies, in addition to creating digital comments and video flashes published on the page, the municipality’s official Facebook and YouTube channels, with banners hanging in the city streets, and a digital form was developed to facilitate interaction with citizens and listen to their opinions. In addition, the process of selecting civil society organizations participating in the investment program included representation from women’s associations and 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.... We also conducted field campaigns to introduce the Open Government Initiative and its principles in the countryside and the city.

Who participated in these spaces?

We have shared these spaces with a variety of local associations, organizations, and active personalities including:

• Charitable and relief associations
• Environmental associations
• Educational and pedagogical associations
• Artistic and cultural associations
• Development associations
• Sports associations
• 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 ... center
• Children’s club
• Primary schools
• Middle schools
• High school
• National organizations
• Public figures
• Bloggers/electronic press

How many groups participated in these spaces?

16

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

2

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

Government and non-governmental stakeholders will continue to collaborate through the implementation of the action plan by engaging in ongoing dialogue, shared responsibility, and continuous monitoring. This involves regular meetings, consultations, and participatory bodies to ensure that all voices are heard and considered.
The action plan emphasizes co-creation and co-implementation, where both government and civil society work together to develop and execute commitments. This collaborative approach ensures that the action plan is ambitious, innovative, and responsive to the needs of all stakeholders.
Additionally, the action plan includes mechanisms for transparency and accountability, such as open dataBy opening up data and making it sharable and reusable, governments can enable informed debate, better decision making, and the development of innovative new services. Technical specifications: Polici... initiatives and public reporting, to keep all stakeholders informed and involved in the progress. This continuous engagement helps to build trust, improve the quality of public services, and achieve long-term sustainable development goals.

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

The Independent Monitoring Body identified for this plan is a key component of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Local initiative. Its primary role is to assess and report on the progress of the action plan, ensuring transparency and accountability.
The IMB follows a structured process, including inception assessments, end-of-commitment assessments, and final learning exercises. This helps to evaluate the effectiveness of the action plan and provides recommendations for improvement. The IMB also ensures that all stakeholders, including the municipality and civil society, are involved in the monitoring process.
The IMB shall consist of public figures and civil society activists, taking into account the 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... of women. This will align with the diversity of the members’ fields of expertise and the work plan.

Provide the contact details for the independent monitoring body.

• Mongi Souilem, Water expert, epi.nabeul@yahoo.fr
• Hela Chaabane, Member of the City Maintenance Association, helasamir19641971@gmail.com
• Jalel Mehrez, Member of the Tunisian Scouts, Jalelmehrez1@gmail.com

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

Ensuring effective communication with stakeholders on progress towards the implementation of commitments is vital to transparency and accountability. Some of the key activities that will be implemented are:

• Regular meetings.
• Workshops, training sessions, and targeted discussion groups.
• Public events and open days.
• Surveys and feedback mechanisms.
• Digital platforms: project websites and newsletters.

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

Tracking progress requires balancing communication, technology, and management techniques.
We will use the following:

• Regular meetings.
• Regular auditsInstitutional and legal frameworks are necessary for providing assurance of the integrity of financial information and of compliance with budgetary rules and procedure. Technical specifications: These... to ensure standards and timelines are being met.
• Dashboards to visually track key metrics.
• System for continuous feedback to address issues immediately.
• Communication Platforms to communicate on an ongoing basis.

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

Transparency and public access to our monitoring results are top priorities. We’ll share the outcomes through several channels to ensure wide reach and accessibility.

First, we’ll publish detailed reports on our official website, featuring interactive dashboards and downloadable data sets for deeper analysis. To cater to diverse audiences, we’ll include summaries and infographics highlighting key findings in a digestible format.

Secondly, we’ll leverage social media platforms to disseminate snippets of information, accompanied by visuals and links to the full reports. This approach will engage a broader audience and encourage public interaction and feedback.

We’ll also organize webinars and live Q&A sessions to discuss the results, providing a platform for stakeholders to ask questions and gain a clearer understanding of the data. Press releases and media briefings will be issued to ensure coverage by traditional news outlets, enhancing our reach to those who may not follow us online.

Lastly, we’ll collaborate with educational institutions and community organizations to present the findings in workshops and seminars, fostering community engagement and ensuring the information is accessible to all.

These multifaceted efforts will ensure that our monitoring results are effectively communicated to and understood by the public.

Endorsement from Non-Governmental Stakeholders

• Tunisian Association For a Better Future, Cultural and Educational Association,
• Environment Lovers Association, Environmental Association,
• UTSS – Dar Chaabane El Fehri, Social Association, Tunisian Union For Social Solidarity
• FutureMag – Jouranalisme Citoyen, Blogger,
• JCI – Dar Chaabane El Fehri, Youth Association, JCI Tunisia
• Les Sources Du Bien, Charity Association
• FNCT, National Organisation
• ATPE, Environmental Association
• Tomouh, Development Association
• NDI, Non-Governmental Organization

Commitments:

• Implementing online mechanisms to increase participation in decision-making.
• Co-creating and implementing a sustainability program with stakeholders.

Letter of Support
Action Plan of the Global Initiative for OGP in Dar Chaaban El Fehri’s Municipality
Citizen’s Participatory Questionnaire for Sustainable Waste Management