End of Commitment Report – Improve citizens’ engagement and participation in the budget process

Name of Evaluator

Abiodun Essiet

Email

abiodunessiet@gmail.com

Member

Abuja, Nigeria

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...

Action plan – Abuja, Nigeria, 2021 – 2022

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...

Improve citizens’ engagement and participation in the budget process

Action

This commitment will ensure that information about the budget process is made available to citizens in an accessible and timely manner so that citizens can make inputs across the budget cycle.

Main Objective: to increase awareness and intensify citizens’ participation in and ownership of the budget process.

The challenge: low 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. Inadequate 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 and accountability mechanisms around the budget process.

The impact: a citizen-centric budget that prioritizes the needs of citizens achieved through improved participation across the budget cycle.

Results: improved citizens’ engagement and participation in the budget process with consideration for 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... and diversity. Increased citizens’ awareness of the budget process. Timely release and publication of both proposed and approved budget documents to the public.

Problem

Due to inadequate information on budget processes, citizens do not participate effectively across the budget cycle.

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

Complete

Provide a brief explanation of your answer:

The commitment was thoroughly implemented, and a substantial level of progress was recorded wherein information about the budgetary process was made available and accessible to citizens in time. The council engaged with the citizens, and civil societies, and together with Council, they participated, co-designed, and co-created AMAC’s 2022 budget and same captured the basic needs of the citizens as raised by them during the time. For the first time in the history of the council’s budgetary preparation, the citizens were given the power to decide and choose the needs of their communities that should be captured in the council budget.

Provide evidence that supports and justifies your answer:

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

An internal factor was the transition of the government to a new administration. To manage the process of transitioning the government, a 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... was set up to manage the implementation of the commitment plan which was constituted by members of the council and the civil societies. The AMAC OGP Local steering committee working group was inaugurated to help steer through and support the implementation process from start to finish and ensure it stays on track and meets set goals as contained in the action plan. The committee had a series of meetings wherein citizens were sensitized on their budget process. A budget retreat was organized by AMAC and it had 9 committee members in attendance wherein a budget call (budget calendar) that announced its budget preparation was made.

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:

The commitment from the onset was to improve citizens’ engagement and participation in the budgetary process by ensuring that information about the budgetary process is made available to citizens to aidMore and better information about aid helps partner countries and donor institutions plan and manage aid resources more effectively, parliaments and civil society to hold governments accountable for t... transparency and accountability around the budget process. Increasing citizens’ awareness of the budgetary process, citizens were equipped to make informed inputs to the various stages across the budget cycle which further improve accountability in the government budgetary process and system. Townhall meetings were also organized in the various wards that make up the council to get the needs of the communities, three priority needs were selected by each ward and one of the needs was captured in the budget for 2022. Hence, to a large extent, it can be said that the commitment was implemented as originally planned.

Provide evidence for your answer:

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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:

Outstanding

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

To a large extent, it addressed the public policy problem around citizens’ involvement in the budget-making process but considering the challenge of change of government, sustaining a practice might be determined by the new leadership of the council if the practice is not institutionalized. There has been some engagement to create a policy around 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 with the members of legislators which will be captured in the by-law of the council. This engagement is still ongoing, and a policy around OGP will help institutionalize the achievement of the commitment plan.

Provide evidence for your answer:

• AMAC Fulfilled OGP Local Action Plan

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:

Major

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

The commitment plan activities created new opportunities to seek feedback from citizens/enable participation in the budgetary process. Citizens were able to share the challenges in the communities and itemized their needs on the scale of priority through an inclusive process. It is now practiced for the government to organize regular town hall meetings to sensitize members of the public about government intervention and for the government to get feedback from a citizen on issues affecting public service deliveryTo ensure that citizens of all groups are better supported by the government, OGP participating governments are working to improve the quality of and access to public services. Commitments in this are....

Provide evidence for your answer:

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

Not Applicable

Degree of result:

– Select –

2.1.4 Other Results

– Select –

Degree of result:

– Select –

2.2 Did the commitment address the public policy problem that it intended to address as described in the action plan?

Unclear

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.

1. The complexity involved in reaching citizens through organized community meetings: if not for the support from CSOs and partners in funding and technical support, it would not have been easy for the government alone to engage citizens in structured tailored conversations.

2. How it instilled trust between the citizens and the government: this is in the area of citizens getting involved and expressing their excitement to invest their trust in the government so far they are allowed to be involved in budget making.

3. Serving as an example to other local governments: the OGP mechanism and structure is an effective tool that governments at all levels, especially those at the local level should adopt. It provides them with a framework to deliver good governance