Action plan – Lisbon, Portugal, 2024 – 2025

At-a-Glance

Duration

Sep 2025

Date Submitted

29th November 2024

Foreword(s)

For the Municipality of Lisbon, joining OGP LOCAL represents an opportunity to strengthen and expand the Transparency and Corruption Prevention Strategy, which is one of the key initiatives included in the Lisbon Government Plan 2022-2026. Its primary objective is to enhance municipal transparency by addressing crucial aspects such as organizational culture, internal systems, and control and accountability mechanisms. The overarching aim of this Strategy is to elevate the quality of public service, raise awareness, and foster the internalization of ethical principles in municipal activities.

The Transparency and Corruption Prevention Strategy resulted from a broad participatory process that involved workers, leaders, elected officials, citizens, and specialists, among others and is based on three strategic axes – People, Organization, and City – and on three pillars of intervention – Prevention and Control, Participation and Accountability.

Anchored on this Strategy, our Open Government Strategic Vision will strengthen the pillar of Participation, through the active involvement of civil society in the design, implementation, and assessment of public policies and measures in order to provide better, more responsive, and transparent services to citizens.

With the goal of leveraging open government, Lisbon’s 1^st Action Plan is focused on the involvement and permanent participation of governmental and non-governmental organizations representing civil society. To this end, we have a dedicated team with experience in public participationGiving citizens opportunities to provide input into government decision-making leads to more effective governance, improved public service delivery, and more equitable outcomes. Technical specificatio..., a robust capacity for co-creation and policy development, and project management skills. Also, we have the constant support of governmental organizations and civil society representatives gathered in multi-stakeholder forums.

Open Government Challenges, Opportunities and Strategic Vision

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

With the main goal of restoring citizens’ confidence in the reliability and quality of services provided by the Municipality of Lisbon, our long-term strategic vision is to strengthen 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 throughout the public policy life cycle and increase organizational transparency and accountability. To this end, we intend to develop and internally promote methodologies that allow the effective involvement of citizens and other stakeholders in the design, implementation, and assessment of our services. We aim to take a prominent position in promoting innovation and building a stronger local, national, and global community dedicated to the principles of open government.

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

Open government initiatives have been actively promoted by the Lisbon City Council. We were the first European capital to implement a Participatory Budget (2008) and the first country in the world to carry out a nationwide participatory budget (2016). The ongoing 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... to open government extends:

• to experimental co-creation projects focused on citizens (2020), supported by AMA;
• to the 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... portal (more recently, we launched the new Open Data Plan 23 | 27 – Strategy for Lisbon);
• to the Citizens’ Council initiative (2022).

Defining a Transparency and Corruption Prevention Strategy is one of the main initiatives included in the Lisbon Government’s Plan 2022-2026. Its main objective is to increase the transparency of the Municipality of Lisbon and strengthen citizens’ trust. The overarching aim of this strategy is to elevate the quality of public service, raise awareness, and foster the internalization of ethical principles in municipal activities. The design of this Strategy arises from a broad participatory process, involving workers, managers, elected representatives, as well as external experts, and other stakeholders. The creation on July 5, 2023, of two new departments – the Department of Transparency and Corruption Prevention and the Audit Department – are important milestones in the ongoing development of this Strategy.

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

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

• Right to InformationThe legal right to request information from the government allows the public to follow government decision-making, participate in ensuring better decisions, and hold the government accountable. Techni...
• 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... & Controls
• Legislative Openness
• Civic Space
• 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...

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

The main medium-term objective is to leverage Lisbon’s open government practices. To this end, the action plan we present focuses on the involvement and consultation of governmental and non-governmental organizations representing civil society, valuing data and information management as a basis for improvement.

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

The commitments of the plan allow us to move forward transversally on issues that are fundamental to our Open Government Strategic Vision, framed by our Transparency and Corruption Prevention Strategy

Commitment 1: contributes to the Open Government Vision, as it strengthens transparency, accountability, and citizen participation. This commitment not only ensures the effectiveness of the Law, but also promotes a more accessible, open public administration committed to the principles of open government, with the aim of increasing public trust and improving the quality of services provided.

Commitment 2: contributes to Lisbon’s Open Government Vision, as it strengthens participation, transparency, and accountability, aligning with the strategic objectives of improving the quality of public services and fostering an ethical culture in municipal activities. It also facilitates the building of a stronger and more participatory community, both locally and globally, in promoting the principles of open government.

Commitment 3: the creation of an Integrated Municipal Service Model strengthens transparency, citizen participation, and accountability, aligning with the Open Government Vision by promoting a more efficient, accessible, and innovative public administration. This model not only improves the quality of service to citizens but also contributes to strengthening public trust in municipal institutions and building a stronger, more participatory community.

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

Lisbon Open Government Strategic Vision contributes to achieving the current administration’s overall policy goals by strengthening and expanding the municipal Transparency and Corruption Prevention Strategy.

Therefore, this strategic vison not only enhances the Transparency and Corruption Prevention Strategy, but also prioritizes the importance and impact of open government actions in local governance. It also seeks to embed transparency, accountability, and civic engagement into the policy-making process.

Consequently, the Open Government Strategic Vision aligns with and amplifies the administration’s goals of creating a more inclusive, effective, and trusted government.

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.

• Lisbon City Council/Department of Transparency and Corruption Prevention

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

The institutional arrangements for coordinating the implementation of the OGP action plan involve a structured collaboration led by the Lisbon OGP executive board and composed of representatives from various sectors, including members of government organizations, civil society representatives, and invited experts, such as the Agency for Administrative Modernization (AMA), the Commission for Access to Administrative Documents (CADA), the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences – NOVA FCSH, the Observatory of Economics and Fraud Management (OBEGEF), the Civil Society Associations Platform (PASC) – Casa da Cidadania, and Transparency International Portugal (TI Portugal). This group’s main objective is to advise and support the coordinating structure of the Municipality of Lisbon’s participation in OGP LOCAL in identifying, designing, and implementing policies, strategies, and initiatives that promote transparency, citizen participation, accountability, and innovation in public management within the local government.

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.

Lisbon Transparency and Corruption Prevention Strategy’s cooperation spaces: the broad participatory process was based on 3 focus groups, 9 meetings,s and one hundred 175 participants.

New co-creation spaces (online and offline):

1. Microsoft Teams is our main organizational virtual environment. To foster cocreation between the Lisbon OGP Team, government organizations, and civil society stakeholders, we created a specific Team. The OGP Management Team also has a private channel.
2. Rede Intermunicipal de Transparência e Prevenção da Corrupção: it is an informal network that gathers (in virtual, but also in physical meetings) technicians and experts in transparency and corruption prevention that work in Portuguese municipalities. Using the existing virtual Microsoft Team, we created a specific channel dedicated to “Administração Aberta Local” (Local Open Government).
3. Grupo de Reflexão Estratégica para an Administração Aberta (GREAA): this is a think tank created to advise and support the Lisbon OGP executive board in the identification, design, and implementation of policies, strategies, and actions that promote innovation in local government. It is a prospective multi-stakeholder group, with representatives of central government, civil society, and invited experts and researchers.
4. Grupo de Acompanhamento (GA): each commitment is supported by a specific Follow-up Group. Key stakeholders that are relevant to the topic are addressed by the commitment intervein in its cocreation process.

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

In the context of the Strategy for Transparency and Corruption Prevention, several measures were implemented to ensure diversity of representation. In the creation of new collaboration spaces for the co-creation and implementation of the action plan, we prioritized inclusivity by identifying key stakeholders from both government and civil society whose knowledge and actions were relevant to the open government areas being developed. This approach aimed to ensure that all voices, including those of marginalized and vulnerable groups, were heard and represented.

To facilitate broad participation, new collaboration spaces, both online and offline, were created. These included a dedicated Microsoft Teams platform, the Rede Intermunicipal de Transparência e Prevenção da Corrupção (RIMTPC) network, the Grupo de Reflexão Estratégica para a Administração Aberta (GREAA), and the Grupo de Acompanhamento (GA) for monitoring commitments. These measures ensured that diverse perspectives were integrated into the process, fostering an inclusive and transparent approach.

Who participated in these spaces?

Lisbon OGP Local teams (Lisbon Point of Contacts + Deputy Councilor’s advisors, Department of Transparency and Corruption Prevention, and Department of Citizen Relationship and Participation staff)

• Rede Intermunicipal de Transparência e Prevenção da Corrupção (RIMTPC)
• Grupo de Reflexão Estratégica para a Administração Aberta (GREAA)
• Grupo de Acompanhamento (GA)

How many groups participated in these spaces?

4

How many public-facing meetings were held in 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...?

11

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

The Lisbon OGP Local team, along with governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, will maintain ongoing collaboration through regular meetings, progress reviews, and feedback sessions throughout the action plan’s implementation. This continuous engagement will be facilitated by our multi-stakeholder forums (GREAA, RIMTPC, and GA), ensuring that diverse perspectives contribute to each phase of the plan. Additionally, transparent reporting mechanisms will allow stakeholders to monitor progress, identify challenges, and adjust as needed.

Our Microsoft-based collaborative structure dedicated to OGP LOCAL will further support this collaboration by enabling real-time information sharing, stakeholder input, and accountability, fostering an inclusive approach to achieving the plan’s goals.

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

In the year 2017, the Universidade Católica Portuguesa publicly introduced the newly created applied research unit, CESOP-Local. The 2030 Agenda came into effect on January 1, 2016, and with it, the Sustainable Territories project of CESOP-Local was born in Portugal.

CESOP-Local’s mission is to conduct applied studies in administrative territories, using the 17 Goals and 169 Targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a reference.

CESOP-Local’s team monitor the degree of sustainability of the territory, the dynamics of stakeholder involvement, and the level of organizational performance of each municipality. They investigate, empower, and train.

Provide the contact details for the independent monitoring body.

• Ricardo Ferreira Reis, Director of the Center for Applied Studies – CEA, cesoplocal@ucp.pt

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

To discuss the progress of commitments with stakeholders, several activities will be implemented to promote active participation and the engagement of all those involved in the process. One of the main activities will be participation in collaborative forums, which will bring together municipal services, citizens, and civil society representatives.

The adopted methodology will include the involvement of all internal services of the public administration, as well as citizens and civil society representatives. Special attention will be given to the suggestions and opinions collected from both groups through participatory processes, both internal and external.

Participatory tools will be essential in this process. Surveys and questionnaires will be used to collect data and opinions in a structured way, and co-creation sessions will be held, where citizens and technical staff can share their perceptions about current services and suggest improvements. These sessions will allow all participants to share their experiences and expectations, ensuring that the decisions made reflect the needs and desires of the community.

Through these activities, it will be possible to monitor the progress of actions, identify any necessary adjustments, and ensure that stakeholders feel heard and engaged in the results of the implementation process.

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

To regularly check progress, we can adopt the following practices:

• Schedule regular meetings with stakeholders to check progress, discuss challenges, and adjust plans as needed;
• Prepare periodic reports, detailing the status of activities, milestones achieved, and problems encountered;
• Establish and monitor specific performance indicators for each commitment, ensuring that goals are being met;
• Schedule regular assessments or audits to verify compliance and effectiveness of implemented actions;
• Make information available on the Lisbon municipality’s OGP website to monitor progress in real-time and share information;
• Gather feedback from stakeholders and the community to assess the effectiveness of implementations and identify areas for improvement;
• Maintain documentation of activities and progress to ensure transparency and allow for audits.

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

To share monitoring results with citizens, we should adopt the following approaches:

• Make the results available on a portal or website dedicated to OGP, where citizens can access reports, graphs, and other relevant information in a transparent and accessible way.
• Prepare and distribute periodic reports that summarize progress against commitments and ensure that these reports are easy to understand for the general public.
• Organize public events, such as webinars, workshops or community meetings, to present monitoring results and discuss implications so that citizens can ask questions and gain clarification on results and progress.
• Use municipal platforms to share summaries and updates on monitoring results, engaging the public, and encouraging participation and feedback.
• Create infographics and data visualizations that make results more accessible and understandable for all citizens.

Endorsement from Non-Governmental Stakeholders

• Margarida Mano, President of the Board, Transparency Internacional (TI)
• Jorge Máximo, Board Member, Transparency Internacional (TI)
• Luis Vidigal, Chair, Platform of Civil Society Associations (PASC) – House of Citizenship
• Mário Tavares da Silva, Vice-Chair, Observatory of Economics and Fraud Management

Commitments:

• Assessment of the implementation and effects of Law on Access to Administrative Documents in Lisbon Municipality.
• Collaborative process for redefining the allocation of municipal support.
• Creation of an integrated municipal service model.