Local Roundup | October 2024

Here’s our monthly roundup of updates from the OGP Local community for October 2024. If you missed any of the previous roundups, you can find them here!

ADVANCING OPEN GOVERNMENT PROCESSES

1. Austin (United States)  is engaging community stakeholders to co-create its third OGP action plan, which focuses on four main areas: climate, economic resilience and the workforce, AI and accountability, and enhanced equity assessments tools. 
2. Goiás (Brazil) has launched a new phase of its OGP action plan co-creation, focusing on citizen participation, transparency, ombudsman services, and accountability. After reviewing over 50 thousands public suggestions, the city is now inviting citizens to help prioritize these key commitments.
3. Villanueva (Honduras) started co-creating its first OGP action plan and held a participatory process to elect a Local Open Government Committee (CGAL) who will be responsible for coordinating the open government process. 
4. Rosario (Argentina) is co-creating its second OGP action plan with representatives from twenty civil society organizations. 
5. Pichincha (Ecuador) is calling on citizens and stakeholders to submit their ideas for its first OGP action plan, aimed at boosting transparency and encouraging civic participation.
6. Mar del Plata (Argentina) is collaborating with FASTA University Observatory to develop its first OGP action plan. 
7. Navarra (Spain) held a co-creation workshop in Pamplona to translate three strategic axes—improving public services, clear communication, and more inclusive participation—into concrete and measurable commitments.
8. Ouellé (Côte d’Ivoire) held trainings for local stakeholders—including government officials, community leaders, women, youth, and volunteers—to prepare them for the co-creation of the OGP action plan. The upcoming phase will involve public consultations to further engage the community in the open governance process. 
9. Jalisco (Mexico) presented the results of its third OGP action plan for 2021-2024, which focuses on improving government transparency and citizen participation. 
10. Explore valuable insights from the End of Commitment and Final Learning Exercises on the OGP action plan recently conducted in Banggai (Indonesia) Catalonia (Spain) and Kaduna (Nigeria).

ENHANCING CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION 

1. Tarkwa Nsuam Municipality (Ghana) held a public assembly focused on governance and community development, emphasizing the vital role of communities in ensuring effective governance at the local level. 
2. Yoff Municipality (Senegal) recently hosted the fourth edition of the “Face aux Yoffois”  (Facing the Residents of Yoff) event, where officials and residents discussed strategies to enhance citizen participation in municipal programs for women, youth, and the elderly.
3. The City of Zagreb (Croatia) is implementing a participatory budgeting project, inviting residents of four districts to propose and vote on local improvements like parks, playgrounds, and road repairs. 
4. Goiás (Brazil) launched phase two of the Citizenship Ambassador Project by selecting 460 projects from 600 applications to drive open government, citizenship, and public health initiatives.

STRENGTHENING NETWORKS AND PARTNERSHIPS FOR OPEN GOVERNANCE

1. OGP Local initiated a series of meetings bringing together members and key national stakeholders from Argentina, Indonesia, Kenya, Colombia and Chile to strengthen open government ecosystems within countries and foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and mutual support.
2. OGP Local members Maipu (Chile), Quintana Roo and Chihuahua (Mexico), Santa Catarina (Brazil),  Quito and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas (Ecuador) shared their experiences on how they use open and collaborative cartography to strengthen climate resilience. 
3. Bar (Montenegro) presented the results of its good governance project during a meeting organized with the International Republican Institute, highlighting the essential role of open government in promoting transparency and accountability.
4. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) recognized Quezon City for its commitment to enhancing governance, promoting transparency, and improving public services following its OGP membership.
5. Valencia (Spain) celebrated the International Day of Universal Access to Information by showcasing its open government progress, such as the creation of the Community Network (Comunitat Oberta), a key open data commitment in Valencia’s previous OGP action plan.
6. Kaduna’s (Nigeria) governor praised OGP as a key model for tackling governance challenges in Africa and the Caribbean at the UN General Assembly in New York. 

PARTNER COLLABORATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES

• In partnership with People Powered, OGP Local offers several opportunities to receive support in designing and implementing participatory programs. Apply by November 24!
  • Climate Democracy Accelerator (CDA) – This accelerator helps governments engage communities in deciding how to address the climate crisis. Applications are welcome from all regions. 
  • Mainstreaming Participation Accelerator (MPA) – Led by the Institute of Public Finance, this accelerator supports government reformers in embedding inclusive public participation practices across sectors and institutions. Applications are welcome from all regions. 

People Powered also offer other opportunities, including

• Inclusive Democracy Accelerator (IDA) – Applications from Latin America, Africa, Asia, or Eastern Europe only.
• Democratic Innovations Accelerator (DIA) – Applications from the European Union and Horizon Europe countries only.
• Join CEPAL discussion forum on Open Local Government and its contribution to the promotion of sustainability and climate action. 

MEET THE OPEN GOV CHALLENGE

In the wake of the International Day of Older Persons, we invite you to implement policies that better involve under-represented communities in decision-making, including older persons. Examples are from Basque Country (Spain), which fosters elderly participation in local governance through the ALXTOR project, and Semarang (Indonesia), which enhances the participation of vulnerable groups in development planning.