Open government is about enabling citizens to participate in the decisions that affect their lives, and making government more transparent, responsive and accountable. The Open Government Partnership has emerged as a leading platform in realizing that ambition, with civil society being the principal partner in realizing it. Governments that join OGP have to meet minimum requirements around openness and are monitored closely. What if – in the spirit of partnership – civil society was asked to meet some minimum level of openness? What would it look like?
In order to be eligible to participate in the Open Government Partnership (OGP), governments must demonstrate a minimum level of commitment to open government principles in four key areas: Fiscal Transparency, Access to Information, Income and Asset Disclosures and Citizen Engagement. A country is eligible to join the OGP if its government meets these criteria measured by objective governance indicators using public data sources.
In addition, the OGP encourages governments to do other things: follow guidelines on openness and transparency, ensure timely delivery of action plans and hold meaningful consultation with civil society. OGP encourages governments to define commitments that are relevant to open government, house OGP at an appropriate ministry and use OGP as a domestic accountability mechanism. Continue>>>
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