Action plan – Rosario, Argentina, 2021 – 2023

At-a-Glance

Duration

October 2023

Date Submitted

2nd August 2021

Foreword(s)

For Rosario, being elected as a local member 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 in October 2020 meant recognition of more than twenty years of experience in Open Government public policies.

The context of the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to rethink ways of doing this policies, and revealed the importance of creating new tools to connect with citizens. This is why the Action Plan seeks to create new ways of governing through the constant collaboration of the Municipality with other actors, including the ”Colectivo Ciudadano para el Gobierno Abierto” which is a city non-government stakeholders association for open government policies.

With the desire to create an essential change for the city, we have made a 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 create an Action Plan that will allow us to have an open door government. We want to continue moving towards a city where every citizen is part of public decisions, listening to them but also being accountable and responsible.

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?

Our Strategic Vision for Open Government is framed by the decision of the current municipal administration to accelerate the processes of 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.... and deepen the construction of public policies based on data and evidence.

At the beginning of the current administration, we observed that our social life was completely immersed in a complex process of digital transformation. This has generated new ways of linking, of doing procedures, of establishing channels of participation, along with the need for new mechanisms to increase the efficiency of the State to interpret the quantity of data that we need to organize and use to define public policies.

But this modernization must take place in a humane way, without anyone being left out. We assume this as a challenge for our city administration, where the Open Government paradigm is a transversal tool that allows us to incorporate citizens into the discussion and creation of these public policies.

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

Our city has a long history of achievements in open government even before the paradigm was conceptualized. In our EOI we describe many of them, and here we will focus on the achievements of the last few years:

• (2016) 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: Implementation of Ord. 9279. Today it’s in a process of transformation according to the Digital Transformation Project
• (2017) Rosario 2030 Strategic Plan: We have called on the citizens of the municipality to discuss, consult and agree on the Third Strategic Plan of the city that continues the 20-year line of strategic planning, starting with the Rosario Strategic Plan (1998) and the Rosario Metropolitana Strategic Plan (2008).
• (2019) Rosario Urban Plan (Update)
• (2019) Creation of the Directorate of Open Government, to promote an active and  transversal agenda based on transparency, participation and collaboration.
• (2020) We start a Citizen Acupuncture Laboratory (LAC)
• (2020) Co-creation of the Open Government Dialogue Board with CSOs
• Within the Digital Transformation Project of the municipality:
  • (2020) Creation of a new Participation Portal with DECIDIM technology.
  • (2020) Development and planning of a new Data Portal (Statistical+Administration+Open).
  • (2020) Development of a new city portal with a new transactional approach.
  • (2021) Evaluation of the accessibility and usability of municipal web platforms for 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....

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

A key part of the strategic vision of Municipal government focuses on improving decision-making through public data and evidence-based policies.

At the same time, this objective must take into account the diversity of actors and issues, both in government and in civil society.

To achieve these objectives, it is necessary to increase the capacity of State agents and to move forward with various actions to increase and improve the quality of the data produced by government, always taking into account transversal objectives such as gender policies and 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.

These commitments are aimed at resolving it and introducing reforms on some of these issues.

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

All the open government policies in our administration are framed by a central project of the Municipality of Rosario and the Secretariat of Modernization and Proximity, which is the digital transformation of the municipality.

This transformation includes proper administration and opening of data, including its publication, internal and by citizens use. It also requires the implementation of technological solutions and the improvement of the capacities of state agents and citizens. Improving Access to Public Information processes includes active and passive transparency.

This includes the development of a system interoperability platform, a digital citizenship program, and a new transactional website more accessible, agile and transparent.

Finally, the monitoring and constant updating of participatory tools, incorporating evaluation mechanisms with the objective of transforming them into dynamic tools.

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 in the transformation of interaction with citizens and evidence-based policies.

First commitment will allow us to generate dynamic and evaluable tools of citizen participation that adapt to the changes in our society. This is also reflected in the strengthening of public policies on environment and climateIn the face of intensifying climate change, OGP participating governments are using their action plans to increase transparency of environment-related information, ensure public oversight of climate f... change, generating increased citizen participation and better monitoring of the Local Climate Action Plan.

As a third commitment, we will create tools and capacities that allow us to analyze public policies with a gender perspective and contribute to evidence-based policies. In the fourth commitment, we will continue working to improve the tools for Access to Public Information. Finally, we will seek to advance in terms of transparency through the Open ContractingA transparent procurement process, known as open contracting, increases competition, improves public service delivery, and ensures governments better value for their money. Technical specifications: C... Data Standard and joining the Open Contracting Partnership community.

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

The current municipal government seeks from the first moment to accelerate the processes of digital transformation and the deepening of the construction of public policies based on data and evidence.

The creation of the Secretariat for Modernization and Proximity demonstrates the conviction to move forward on this path that is deeply related to the Open Government paradigm.

Therefore, this strategic vision of open government not only reaches the commitments of this plan, but also prioritizes the impact and importance of open government actions in local governance. It also seeks to build and design an active and transversal agenda on transparency, participation and collaboration, this is essential for strengthening the objective of the current administration.

It is important to consider that our vision involves the government and citizens as a whole, the value of this vision implies an advance in the control of government actions and the democratic exercise in general.

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.

• Secretariat of Modernization and Proximity
• Secretariat of Gender and Human Rights
• Secretariat of Environment and Public Space
• Coordination of Municipal Cabinet
• Directorate of Research, Public Ethics, Transparency

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

The participation of the Coordination of Municipal Cabinet, which is the coordinating body of the secretariats into which municipal government is divided, enables us to make progress in this direction.

In addition, the Ministry of Modernization and Proximity also acts as a transversal entity, being the secretariat responsible for the technological modernization of the municipality and the tools for citizen participation.

Finally, during the co-creation phase, this interaction was also strengthened in the relationship with citizens and CSOs with the creation of thematic but also transversal spaces for discussing commitments.

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.

Initially, with the creation of the Open Government Dialogue Board (multistakeholder forum), we have formed a local network of more than 20 organisations and active social actors.

We have implemented  co-creation process online on the Rosario Participa platform that uses Decidim technology. This platform was implemented as part of the objectives of the Secretariat for Modernization and Proximity.

We have set up various forums for participation and awareness-raising:

1.  “Deciding Together: Co-Construction of Public Policies” is a series of events on innovation, citizen participation and participatory democracy.
2. Meetings of co-creation of Action Plan.
3. Public consultations on the thematics of the Action Plan and on its proposals.
4. Ultimately, we use the Padlet tool to conduct a public consultation with the aim of adding comments on the five shortlisted projects.  In parallel, we held thematic meetings with municipal secretariats, related social organizations and the Open Government Dialogue Board.

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

Citizen participation is a fundamental axis of the Municipality of Rosario and therefore has various tools to ensure diversity in participation. In this particular case, all municipal actors were involved in the process through internal communication with a view to incorporating government territorial and sectorial agendas.

In addition, the process was disseminated through the ”Consejos Barriales” a system of  neighbourhood councils and the municipality’s social networks to reach out to residents who are unfamiliar with the issue.

Finally, the creation of the ”Colectivo Ciudadano para el Gobierno Abierto de Rosario” with more than twenty civil society organizations and dissemination through the Federation of Argentine Foundations (FEDEFA) helped to have a different perspective from organized civil society.

Who participated in these spaces?

Throughout this process of participation, the following have been involved:

• Agents of the Municipal State (at least 10 areas represented by six secretariats and entities: Coordination of Municipal Cabinet, Modernization and Proximity, Gender and Human Rights, Environment and Public Space, Mobility, General Directorate of Investigations, Public Ethics and Transparency).
• Representatives of civil society organizations working on the following topics: civic participation, culture, health and food, 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 ..., gender, labour and economics, legislationCreating and passing legislation is one of the most effective ways of ensuring open government reforms have long-lasting effects on government practices. Technical specifications: Act of creating or r..., ecology and climate action, among others.
• Citizens who have contributed about their experiences of the day, especially talking about ecology, urbanism and civic participation.

How many groups participated in these spaces?

33

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...?

6

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

The Open Government Dialogue Board will continue to function until the end of the current administration, not only monitoring the implementation of this plan but also incorporating other issues that were not included in the commitments.

The Dialogue Board and the government referents for the commitments will set up follow-up committees for each commitment. The commitments presented also require a strong presence of citizens and CSOs in their implementation, so it is impossible to separate the government-CSO collaboration in the process.

On the other hand, the use of a digital platform that allows the publication of government goals and commitments facilitating citizen monitoring created by “Participes” project is being evaluated. This platform will be managed by citizens and CSO’s with the commitment of the state to generate the necessary actions to share relevant information.

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

The IMB will be based on the creation of a Science, Technology and Innovation Forum (CT+i) which will be an independent consultation and scientific-technical collaboration institution.  This forum will play a fundamental role in the independent monitoring strategy as a space for collaboration between the various scientific and technological teams of Rosario and the region for the collaborative construction of indicators, the review of monitoring processes and proposals for improvement.

It will be coordinated by the “Centro de Estudios PoliLab UNR” (RES.  CD 0491/19), founded in 2017, which is the public policy innovation laboratory of the National University of Rosario.

The implementation of this IMB will start once the submission of the Action Plan and the listing of its members added to the Action Plan Open RepositoryAccess to relevant information is essential for enabling participation and ensuring accountability throughout the OGP process. An OGP repository is an online centralized website, webpage, platform or ... has been completed.

Provide the contact details for the independent monitoring body.

• Dr. Rita M. Grandinett, Director of PoliLabUNR, ritagrandinetti@gmail.com

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

The Open Government Dialogue Board has a strategy for monitoring the implementation of this plan, which includes:

• Continue with monthly progress assessment meetings
• Implementation of an open agenda of thematic meetings on each commitment.
• Using a digital platform that allows the publication of government goals and commitments facilitating citizen monitoring created by “Participes” project, this platform will be managed by the citizenry an the CSO’s  with the commitment of the state to generate the necessary actions to share relevant information.
• Accountability activities to be defined according to the milestones of each commitment.
• Publication of all relevant information on the Rosario Participa website and in the Open Repository of the Action Plan.
• The IMB also has in its works plan evaluation actions open to the public.

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

The Directorate of Open Government is responsible for regularly coordinating the participation of the various areas involved in the meetings of the Open Government Dialogue Board.

The periodicity of these assessments is determined by the milestone of each commitment.

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

The results will be published on our official citizen participation website Rosario Participa which means that it is freely accessible and secure to guarantee democratic processes.  This website has been used to communicate the entire process of co-creating the Action Plan and we will continue to do so with the follow-up and implementation of it.

We will also share the results through the official social networks of the Secretariat for Modernization and Proximity and internal and external mailings from gobiernoabierto@rosario.gob.ar on order to ensure greater dissemination of the Plan’s follow-up.

Another mechanism is the dissemination of progress in the “Consejos Barriales” and, at each milestone, to carry out information and accountability public activities.

Endorsement from Non-Governmental Stakeholders

• Andrea Camardo, Coordinator of Training Projects, International Planning and Strategic Cooperation, Centro Cultural Parque de España (CCPE)
• Andrea Meinardi, President, Observatorio Legislativo
• Esteban Hernandez, Fundación Apertura, Fundación Apertura
• José Martinez, Technical Adviser, Acción Colectiva
• Luis Cardoso Ayala, Executive Director, Acción Colectiva
• María Florencia Torres, Project Coordinator and International Cooperation, Fundación Nueva Generación Argentina
• Maria Paola Ukic, Teacher and researcher, Instituto del Transporte (UNR)
• Ramiro Galassi, Project Coordinator, EnRedandoSalud
• Rosa Rita Maenza, Teacher and researcher, UTN – UCEL – Red Académica de Gobierno Abierto
• Cecilia Bianco, Coordinator, Taller Ecologista
• Cristian Bergman, Director, Grupo Trascender
• Delfina Chenevier, Political Incidence, Fridays for Future Rosario
• Dora Saucedo, President, Centro de Desarrollo Integral para la Familia y la Mujer
• Florencia Roveri, Coordinator, Nodo Tau
• Mario Raimondi, Coordinator, Fundación El Desafio
• MIrko Moskat, Co-founder and Executive Director, Taller Ecologista
• Paula Picolo, Coordinator, TECHO
• Victoria Bruch, Co-founder and Coordinator, EnRedandoSalud
• Virginia Russo, Programming and production equipment, Centro Cultural Parque de España (CCPE)

English-Espanol-Letter-Mayor-Pablo-Javkin.pdf

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