OGP: the five-year milestone and what lies ahead

On the margins of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) two weeks ago, alongside the heads of state and hundreds of civil society who crowded the streets of midtown Manhattan, we celebrated five years of 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. It was at the UNGA five years ago that OGP was launched, by eight government and nine civil society organizations, that has now grown into a movement with 70 countries and hundreds of civil society organizations, committed to making their governments more transparent, accountable, and participatory.

Last week was no doubt a time for celebration in the OGP community – a recognition of the 3,000+ commitments, across important areas like access to information, anti-corruption, budget 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 citizen engagement. It was also a celebration of the reformers – the men and women in government and civil society who had partnered to engineer these policy commitments and brought OGP to where it stands today. Through efforts of open government reformers, we can strive for a state when open government is no longer an esoteric, feel-good idea, that is recognized in politicians’ speeches and then forgotten when policy is developed, but a tangible, critical component of policymaking. OGP can begin shifting that conversation. It was great to see heads of state like President Hollande of France and Prime Minister Kvirikashvili at the OGP 5-year event acknowledge the critical importance not just of transparency, but that government decision-making should be accessible to and involve the citizenry.

This was also a time for reflection, on how far OGP has come and the impact it is having. It was clear in the conversation at the 5-year event – in the speeches by Mexican open government activist Haydee Perez and of Oxfam International ED Winnie Byanyima, among others – that the promise of OGP remains unfulfilled until it makes a tangible difference in the lives of ordinary citizens. The honeymoon period is over, for OGP and for the countries that have signed on. There was a call for action for OGP to raise the bar for citizen engagement, co-creation and impact. We need to ensure governments show stronger 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 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... and greater political 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... in implementation. At the global civil society leaders breakfast meeting, taking stock of OGP and how it is delivering for civil society, there was a clear need articulated – to broaden the base of commitments made in the National Action Plans. For example, currently only 2.5% of total commitments are on health and 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 ... each. The majority of commitments at present link to improving government structures and efficiencies, which though in and of itself is not a bad thing, there is a need to push for commitments that improve services that touch the everyday lives of citizens.

Lastly, as any good milestone event should we made our very own birthday resolutions – that started the conversations on setting an ambitious agenda for the way forward. The strategic refresh and the mid-term review, both currently underway, will inform the work plan for the partnership in its next phase. The 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... members have been hosting a series of online and offline conversations with the broader civil society community across regions, who shared their key challenges and priorities. We clearly heard the OGP community tell us that the rules of the game are not strong enough; or not enforced effectively. We heard concerns about the current consultation guidelines, and the eligibility criteria. Concerns have been expressed that it is very easy for a country to join the OGP however rules for ensuring compliance with the principles of the OGP as stipulated in the Articles of GovernanceThe OGP Articles of Governance establish the mandate and high-level policies of the Partnership, including the Steering Committee, the Support Unit, and the Independent Reporting Mechanism. They also ... are neither strong enough nor clear. A way forward will need to address these and as the Steering Committee we are committed to putting our weight behind these issues.

What is unique about OGP is its model – one that puts civil society at the heart of policy. The last five years have helped us test what works and what needs to be improved. And as the Steering Committee and 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.... prepare for the next phase of OGP’s work, we ask for your renewed engagement. OGP will only be able to deliver on that agenda if we collectively own it. We ask you to join hands with us formulate a shared vision of what we need to do collectively in the next five years of OGP, in order to realize our common goals. We ask for your partnership – at the global level and at country level to make stronger, more impactful commitments, and more effective and strategic coalitions as civil society. As Darren Walker said at one of the events last week, OGP is a big, bold, gutsy idea that is the work of a lifetime, not a matter of a couple of years. Here’s to doubling down together to play the long game.