End of Commitment Report – “Comunitat Oberta” (Open Community). Networks and tools to promote public integrity at the local level of the Comunitat Valenciana and make the good municipal practices of open government visible

Name of Evaluator

Aida Vizcaíno Estevan

Email

socevaluacion@gmail.com

Member Name

Valencian Community, Spain

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

Action plan – Valencian Community, Spain, 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...

“Comunitat Oberta” (Open Community). Networks and tools to promote public integrity at the local level of the Comunitat Valenciana and make the good municipal practices of open government visible

Action

“Comunitat Oberta” consists of the implementation of networks and tools to promote public integrity at the local level of the Comunitat Valenciana and make visible the good municipal practices of open government, in order to make the culture of open government involve all administrations on common bases, make it easier for local entities to adopt instruments to advance in integrity and improve citizen access to all information. To do this, there will be a search engine and a map on the GVA Oberta 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 portal that allows users to easily and visually consult the open government resources of local entities. In this way, they make open government practices visible and it is easier for citizens to access information from all entities from a single point. A collaboration agreement will also be adopted between the Generalitat, the provincial councils, the FVMP, the Valencian Antifraud Agency, and the University of València to collaborate and channel actions aimed at improving the integrity of local entities, within the framework of the Law on transparency and good governance and with the collaboration of the Valencian Antifraud Agency and the University of València. Within the promotion of good integrity practices, the digital tool for transparency of the Generalitat’s interest groups will also begin to be used in the field of local entities with the adhesion of the València City Council.

Problem

In the Comunitat Valenciana, there are different administrations with which the citizens relate, and 542 municipalities with very heterogeneous characteristics and realities. In recent years, progress has been made in the regulatory framework of transparency and good governance, with obligations for all administrations, and open government practices have been developed in many entities. However, there are many small administrations with few resources for which it is more difficult to comply with obligations and incorporate open government structures and tools, and progress is uneven. For this reason, support measures are needed to make it easier for local entities to fulfill their obligations and advance in open government, as well as collaboration and coordination between the different institutions to adopt coherent and effective policies in the Comunitat Valenciana. In addition, due to the existence of so many different administrations, with their corresponding portals and channels, it can be difficult for citizens to access all the open government resources or find out about the initiatives that are being carried out.

1.1 What was the overall level of progress in the commitment implementation at the time of this assessment?

Substantial

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

The commitment has made the expected progress, at least as specified in the initial document. The three committed tasks have been completed in a timely manner: the open government map, the drafting, signing, and implementation of the agreement for the creation of integrity frameworks for local entities, and the promotion of the incorporation of local entities into REGIA. In the latter case, the signing of the agreement with the Ajuntament de València, not specified at the beginning of the process, is added as a significant complementary milestone by the referenced entity.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

• Open Government Map
• Follow-up Report “Comunitat Oberta,” Signing of the Agreement for the Creation of Integrity Frameworks
• Link to REGIA (Registry of Interest Groups)

1.2 Describe the main external or internal factors that impacted implementation of this commitment and how they were addressed (or not).

The potential factors affecting the commitment are based on “controllable” tools for the entity: the creation of digital resources (interactive map); drafting and signing agreements with entities, supplemented by training provided by the entity; and training, advertising, and agreement signing to promote the entry of entities into REGIA. These actions have limited variability concerning the context, although they must be strongly valued given the short execution period, of less than a year. A subsequent stage with more impactful or transformative proposals would be expected.

In this regard, the training conducted aligns with the training plans of the GVA itself and the network of local entities, facilitating their achievement.

1.3 Was the commitment implemented as originally planned?

All of the commitment milestones were implemented as planned

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

As shown in the initial document, the design and final execution correspond. In the last milestone, promoting the incorporation of local entities into REGIA, the signing of the agreement with the Ajuntament de València, not specified at the beginning of the process, is added as a significant complementary milestone by the referenced entity.

Provide evidence for your answer:

• Milestones
• Event: Internal Information System Management in Public Administration Workshop
• Event: Law 2/2023, a Paradigm Shift in the Fight Against Corruption. Impact on the Valencian Community 

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.

Indeed, the commitment contributes entirely to the opening of more and better available information. The creation of the open government map as an online portal where six key items can be crossed and analyzed to understand the state of open government in the municipalities of the Valencian Community:

• Transparency portal
• 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
• Access to public information procedure
• Participatory budgets
• Code of Good Governance
• Governance Network

The qualitative leap in this regard is significant. It would be desirable to know statistics about the portal’s usage, its statistics, and its profile as a step forward in quality public information.

On the other hand, incorporation into REGIA enhances public information about the influence action of Valencian interest groups on public administrations. Similarly, informational feedback on the impact of this measure on REGIA itself would be advisable.

Provide evidence for your answer:

• Interactive Open Government Map

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:

Marginal

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

This section requires two important clarifications. On the one hand, it is evident that the creation of interaction networks, knowledge sharing, and information exchange is encouraged through the Agreement for the creation of integrity frameworks for local entities, which also involves other cross-cutting administrative organizations (AVF). Therefore, from this perspective, the evaluation would be positive. However, on the other hand, the interactive OG map, as well as the promotion of incorporation into REGIA, have been conceived, at least at this initial stage (it is unknown if further development will continue or if they are finished products), as unidirectional spaces where citizens can only access information, albeit valuable for its novelty, but they do not facilitate or seek the creation of interactive communities.

Provide evidence for your answer:

• Integrity Frameworks Agreement
• Link to REGIA (Registry of Interest Groups)

2.1.3 Did the government create or improve channels, opportunities or capabilities to hold officials answerable to their actions?

Yes

Degree of result:

Marginal

Explanation: In narrative form, what has been the impact on people or practice.

The information becomes accessible to the public easily and intuitively through the website; the interactive OG map, agreements and training, and the space for REGIA. The functional level is automatically held responsible for ensuring the availability of information, while at the same time, it is consistently exposed to a process of improvement and adaptability to the needs or demands of the citizens.

Milestones 2 and 3 related to agreements directly address local entity officials in activating integrity frameworks for their organizations, which directly translates into public responsibility. However, what is important is to measure, in a future phase, the impact of the GVA initiative on the implementation of these integrity programs and the feedback it has on organizational culture and citizen relations.

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 goal of Commitment 3 is the establishment of a community of entities linked to the issue of open government. The evaluated period shows the willingness to articulate the pillars through essential information to understand the issue’s state (interactive GO maps), a regulatory framework (agreements for integrity frameworks and REGIA), and specific training. Transversally, the idea of integrity frameworks emerges, which, as an ambitious proposal, seeks to transform the organizational culture of local entities in this matter. Therefore, it affirmatively responds to the question. However, these actions are “easily reversible” in that they are subject to political will and budget allocation, meaning they have a variable impact conditioned by circumstances. This would likely be the commitment’s weak point.

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.

The conceptualization is very positive in that it appeals to different levels and spheres of action, combining accessibility and informational transparency (which is very necessary) and calling for a change in the organizations themselves, although it is true that it has been activated through the signing of agreements and very specific, yet not widespread, training.

In a sense, the initiative of the Conselleria de Transparencia should be reflected, in a subsequent phase, in a co-leadership with local entities. The success of the commitment would rely on municipalities taking responsibility to implement the measures but also, above all, proposing new actions according to their needs. The role of the Conselleria de Transparencia should be to support resources, provide a transversal strategic perspective, and accompany the entities.