Launching the OGP 2023-2028 Strategy: A Letter From the OGP Co-Chairs

Dear 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 community, 

We are proud to be the current lead co-chairsThe leadership of the Steering Committee is made up of four co-chairs who provide strategic guidance and support to advance OGP’s overarching priorities. Co-Chairs serve two-year terms beginning on ... of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and are honored to launch OGP’s Strategy 2023-2028. We would like to begin by thanking you for your active participation in this community and the strategy development process, and start to turn our collective focus on implementation.

Since OGP was founded in 2011, it has become a home for thousands of deeply committed reformers like yourselves taking action to make a difference. Our collective efforts have seen reforms implemented that have made governments more open and accountable to citizens and fostered the partnership between governments and civil society. This has made a real difference. In OGP’s second decade the opportunity is to create a partnership that builds on lessons learned to date and open government as a central part of the answer to the complex challenges and the prolonged democratic backsliding the world is facing in 2023. This needs changing the culture of government, changing how we think and act in facing these crises. 

OGP’s 2023–2028 strategy is the result of a year-long consultation process that has had contributions from over 1000 individuals, groups, networks, OGP members, and multistakeholder fora throughout the process. This is a strategy for all of us, not just the OGP Support UnitThe OGP Support Unit is a small, permanent group of staff that work closely with the Steering Committee and the Independent Reporting Mechanism to advance the goals of the Open Government Partnership.... or the OGP 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.... 

What we heard from our community is that for OGP to remain relevant, vibrant and impactful, we need to push the frontiers of open government together and build:

• A more politically engaged partnership: where a much broader spectrum heads of state, ministers, mayors, and parliaments provide political support for open government and OGP. Where we act proactively and quickly to ally with leaders who have the authorizing environment when windows of political opportunity open up, and where we partner effectively with other global and regional organizations and initiatives to build this political coalition. 
• A more people-centered partnership: we need to collectively invest more in the people – community, coalitions and leaders – that make bold change happen at the local, national, and international level, equipping them with the capabilities skills they need to secure public and political support, engage new actors and help spread open government principles and practices. We need to build greater public support for open government and deepen our efforts to engage them in the policies and decisions that impact their lives.   
• A more inspiring partnership: we need to expand our work in providing the inspiration, data evidence, stories and connections on how open government makes a real difference, with the aim of making OGP the home for inspiration and connections that influences, incentivizes, and recognizes leaders to take risks and innovate.  

This will be accomplished through five strategic goals listed in the image below.

Our collective challenge is now to begin implementing this ambitious strategy together. We are suggesting three immediate ways the open government community can come together to begin this journey:

• Convene your national or local OGP multistakeholder fora and other domestic stakeholders to discuss the opportunities presented by the strategy and how it can be implemented in your own domestic or regional contexts.
• Attend the 2023 OGP Global Summit in Tallinn, Estonia in September with a high-level delegation of ministers, local government leaders, civil society and others from across your government or organization. The Summit will be organized to take this new strategy forward, and there will be opportunities for members of the community to volunteer to lead in different areas. 
• Model ambitionAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, OGP commitments should “stretch government practice beyond its current baseline with respect to key areas of open government.” Ambition captures the po... and action in the partnership-wide policy goals, and inspire others to do the same. 

As Co-Chairs, we remain committed to supporting our joint efforts in advancing our collective goals at this crucial juncture for the Partnership and for open government and democracy worldwide.