Open Government Week – Jordan

Hayat Center is a non-governmental organization established by a group of young Jordanian activists in 2006. Through its RASED for 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 Monitoring Program, Hayat Center-RASED works on monitoring the Jordanian government’s performance in selected open government commitments through the lens of 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, accountability, openness, and civic participation. Hayat Center-RASED worked as an Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM)The Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) is OGP’s accountability arm and the main means of tracking progress in participating countries. The IRM provides independent, evidence-based, and objective ... research organization for Jordan’s first and second national OGP action plans. In the last two years, Hayat Center-RASED has intensified its work with the government on building the capacity of staff and helping the government implement its commitments by developing communication channels between government entities and Civil Society/Civil Based Organizations (CSOs/CBOs). In 2016, Hayat Center-RASED established a coalition of CSOs/CBOs “TATWEER,” aiming to enhance government transparency and enhance cooperation with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC) – the responsible ministry for coordinating OGP in Jordan.

In May, Hayat-Rased and Tatweer ran an impactful series of events for Open Government Week, in cooperation with OECD and MOPIC. Open Government Week gathered donors, leaders, and thinkers from throughout Jordan to share ideas, discuss solutions, and commit to new levels of 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 with the government. This year, Open Government Week included a launch event, eleven open dialogue sessions, and four university open days.

The launch event at Amman’s Regency Palace Hotel on May 7 provided government and civil society with the opportunity to engage on efforts to enhance transparency and accountability. The event brought together 136 representatives of national and local government, civil society, international organizations, media, and academia to contribute to dialogue on the laborTransparent workforce data and increased representation of workers in labor policy-making lead to policies that better protect workers’ rights and remove barriers for underrepresented groups in the ... market and human rightsAn essential part of open government includes protecting the sacred freedoms and rights of all citizens, including the most vulnerable groups, and holding those who violate human rights accountable. T... data. At the event, the government coordinator for human rights spoke alongside panelists from the Department of Statistics, the Civil Service Bureau, the Phenix Center for Economics and Informatics Studies, the National Center for Human Rights, the Transparency and Human Rights Unit at the Public Security Directorate, Al-Balad Radio, and civil society. 

From May 8-16, open discussions were held in cooperation with OECD in eleven governorates, spanning the topics of genderOGP participating governments are bringing gender perspectives to popular policy areas, ensuring diversity in participatory processes, and specifically targeting gender gaps in policies to address gov... mainstreaming in government services, transparent decision-making, and public accountabilityAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, public accountability occurs when ”rules, regulations, and mechanisms in place call upon government actors to justify their actions, act upon criticisms ... More. 351 representatives from civil society, the Directorate of Public Works and Housing, the Directorate of 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 ..., the Directorate of the Water Authority, and the Directorate of Health participated in these open discussions, which took place in Ajloun, Amman, Aqaba, Balqa, Irbid, Jerash, Karak, Madaba, Mafraq, Tafila, and Zarqa.

Meanwhile, at four universities, open days raised almost four thousand students’ awareness of Open Government Partnership (OGP) values and the legal right to access information and empowered students to become active participants in the decision-making process. The successes of the open days at Al-Bayt University, Tafila Technical University, and the University of Jordan inspired a community-based organization in Jerash to run an open day at Jerash Private University as well, expanding Open Government Week to a broader community of youthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ....