Action plan – Medellin, Colombia, 2025 – 2027

At-a-Glance

Duration

Dec 2027

Date Submitted

27th February 2025

Foreword(s)

From the Multi-Stakeholder Local Forum of the Special District of Science, Technology, and Innovation of Medellín, led by the Secretariat of Citizen Participation, we take on the challenge of strengthening active participation, 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, accountability, and innovation to bring the District Government’s initiatives closer to all citizens.

The objectives of the First Open Government Local Plan of Medellín are to strengthen accountability strategies, expand citizen participation, and innovate in collaborative practices with local civil society. These initiatives are based on transparency, openness, and shared responsibility to sustainably improve the quality of life of citizens in our territory

Our application to the Local Open Government Network was made possible through collaboration between public entities and local civil society organizations. The common goal is to apply Open Government principles in Medellín and strengthen democratic practices. Our city has a strong community base that actively participates in solving public issues. As a result of this historic participatory process, our local multi-sectoral forum has emerged.

In this regard, we reaffirm our 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 managing, designing, and implementing actions within the framework of the First Action Plan, incorporating the valuable contributions of stakeholders from the Local Multi-Stakeholder ForumRegular dialogue between government and civil society is a core element of OGP participation. It builds trust, promotes joint problem-solving, and empowers civil society to influence the design, imple... and the general public. Additionally, we will collaboratively conduct monitoring and follow-up processes, promoting a transparent, participatory, and responsible process.

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?

The strategic vision for Open Government in Medellín is based on the current District Administration’s commitment to strengthening accountability, citizen participation, and innovation. The goal is to promote a transparent and collaborative approach to improving the quality of life for the inhabitants of our territory.

As Medellín transitions into a Special District of Science, Technology, and Innovation, we embrace this challenge by fostering strong connections between citizens and local public officials. We believe that this process can only thrive in an environment rooted in transparency, openness, collaboration, shared responsibility, and social trust.

In this sense, we see Open Government as a key pathway to achieving these objectives and reaffirm our commitment to advancing in this direction.

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

Significant progress has been made in open government, including:

• The creation of the Secretariat of Digital Innovation in 2020, has strengthened digitalization and transparency in public management.
• The implementation of the public policy on innovative, sustainable, and socially responsible public procurementTransparency in the procurement process can help combat corruption and waste that plagues a significant portion of public procurement budgets globally. Technical specifications: Commitments that aim t... More in 2020, promotes more efficient contracting processes aligned with sustainability and social responsibility principles.
• The organization of 18 editions of the Transparency Fairs, fostering access to information and citizen participation in government accountability.

These achievements reflect our commitment to open governance, improved resource management, and the promotion of transparency and innovation in public administration

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

In the District, citizen participation has been a significant reflection of collaboration between citizens and government. However, under the principles of 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 (OGP) Local, there is a great opportunity to strengthen existing mechanisms through digital tools.

During 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..., citizens identified several key challenges:

• The politicization of government actions and a lack of trust in the state have reduced citizen participation. This poses a challenge for the administration in improving participation levels across all territories.
• It is essential to enhance the government’s engagement with citizens by facilitating their involvement and creating appropriate spaces for 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 advocacy.

Building on Medellín’s historical progress—such as the articulation of the University-Business-State Committee (CUEE), social control over public management, digital transformationGovernments are working to increase access to and quality of government services, improve transparency, and create opportunities for participation by using information and communications technologies.... More, 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... development, and innovation promotion—we have a solid foundation for strengthening the District under Open Government principles. Additionally, participation in the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Network provides a key opportunity to enhance public sector transparency and interaction.

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

In the medium term, our main priorities are strengthening accountability and citizen participation. Through the First Open Government Local Action Plan, we aim to redefine both processes—ensuring transparency, openness, and collaboration lead to more inclusive, ambitious, and effective outcomes.

With a focus on shared responsibility, we seek to strengthen social trust and foster a participatory governance culture, positioning Medellín as a benchmark for Open Government. Our objectives include:

• Ensuring access to public information by improving communication channels and using clear, simple language.
• Promoting active citizen participation in decision-making and public management, including the formation of working networks and support for community leaders.
• Ensuring 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... More of all social groups with a differential approach based on 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... More and youth.
• Encouraging participation from an early age by integrating civic engagement and social oversight into school curricula.
• Using public innovation to improve communication between government and the community.
• Leveraging new technologies to facilitate access to information and citizen engagement.

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

This Action Plan significantly contributes to the Open Government Strategic Vision by focusing on two key pillars: accountability and citizen participation. These efforts align with Local Planning and Participatory Budgeting, one of the most impactful citizen-driven projects in the history of the District Administration. Additionally, youth clubs serve as key spaces for advocacy and social transformation.

Promoting accountability practices in a participatory environment of this scale provides a valuable opportunity to expand our reach and drive meaningful change. This project fosters a more transparent, inclusive, and responsible public administration in Medellín.

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

The Open Government Strategic Vision aligns with the overarching policy goals of the current District Administration. Under the 2024-2027 District Development Plan: Medellín Te Quiere, there is a clear need to strengthen public trust, enhance institutional transparency, and implement strategies that positively impact civic culture.

The goal is to comprehensively improve local public management and promote transformative transparency. In this context, the Open Government Action Plan serves as a key tool for broad engagement with both citizens and public officials.

We firmly believe that, by embracing Open Government principles, we can achieve these objectives—fostering a more transparent, participatory, and efficient administration.

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.

• Secretary of Citizen Participation
• Undersecretariat for Training
• Youth Secretariat

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

Collaboration between the Secretariat of Citizen Participation and the Youth Secretariat has been strengthened, engaging citizens interested in building a more just society. Additionally, close coordination has been promoted between sub-secretariats and teams working on social oversight and strengthening youth democracy.

This collaboration fosters co-creation spaces for developing commitments and initiatives that shape new approaches to implementing local policies. Moreover, support professionals serve as key facilitators for plan implementation.

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.

Recently, in-person workshops have been held with members of the OGP Local Medellín multi-stakeholder forum, along with a co-creation space based on a participatory methodology. This process included phases focused on understanding, exploring, and ultimately generating inputs to shape the initiative. This

These meetings include:

• In-person workshops with members of the OGP Local Medellín multi-stakeholder group.
• A co-creation space using participatory methodologies.
• Joint work sessions for strategy and action development.
• Dialogue spaces for planning and implementation.
• Evaluation and follow-up planning to ensure goal achievement.

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

Colombia currently has four open government plans and one Open State plan. The most recent plan stood out for incorporating a gender perspective.

This approach was integrated into our co-creation process in Medellín, with a special focus on ensuring diverse participation in each working group. To achieve this, we implemented a color-coded system to identify different participant profiles, ensuring equitable and diverse representation. This process was carried out rigorously by the team in charge.

Who participated in these spaces?

In the district’s case, the commitment started at level 3, meaning the problem and its solution pathway had already been identified. Thus, co-creation involves citizens familiar with related initiatives.

A total of 53 citizens and 15 representatives from various sectors participated, including public entities like the Secretariat of Citizen Participation and the Secretariat of Youth, civil society represented by Corlide, academia through the University of Antioquia, the private sectorGovernments are working to open private sector practices as well — including through beneficial ownership transparency, open contracting, and regulating environmental standards. Technical specificat... More via the Medellín Chamber of Commerce, and community actors such as Local Action Boards, Youth Clubs, and “Pilositas,” an initiative by the Secretariat of Youth. Public officials and district contractors also attended.

Participants were randomly grouped to diversify contributions. The co-creation process resulted in a systematic record, an analysis, and a video documenting the collective work.

How many groups participated in these spaces?

10

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

4

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

The Local Multi-Stakeholder Forum will hold monthly meetings to provide feedback on strategies proposed by the District Administration for action plan implementation. These meetings will also strengthen outreach efforts by leveraging forum members’ networks and capabilities.

Additionally, the plan aims to connect the district with Open Government Partnership (OGP) networks for best practices. This requires ongoing coordination with the Multi-Stakeholder Forum to exchange experiences, share lessons, and promote Open Government principles throughout the process.

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

The University of Antioquia, through its Social Innovation area, with extensive experience in citizen participation, public management oversight, and transparency.

Provide the contact details for the independent monitoring body.

• Carolina Patricia Grajales Barrios, Universidad de Antioquia,  coord.innovasocial@udea.edu.co

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

A website linked to the “Sí Ciudadanía” platform is being developed, featuring a monitoring and tracking section under “Action Plans.”

It will include an online data visualization tool and a permanent open form for citizen feedback, questions, and contributions.

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

• Direct communication
• Email and virtual meetings
• A set of indicators will be created to track project implementation.

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

Results will be shared via the Mayor’s Office’s official channels and government accountability events. Additionally, a dedicated OGP District website is being planned to centralize information and enhance citizen engagement.

Endorsement from Non-Governmental Stakeholders

• Wilmar Giraldo, Chief Executive Officer, Corporación Libertad y Democracia – Corlide
• Alejandra Naranjo, Project Professional, Corporación Libertad y Democracia – Corlide
• Juan Esteban Ospina, Researcher, Corporación Libertad y Democracia – Corlide

Co-creation process in Medellín.