Analysis of Open Government Partnership (OGP) Organization’s Activities with Marginalized Communities
Introduction
The Open Government Partnership organization aims to converse with marginalized and under-represented communities to improve on education and health. In the last 30 years, there has been tremendous progress in the world. However, one third of the world population still continues to live below the poverty line. Marginalized communities still continue to struggle with deeply-rooted issues such as discrimination, economic, political, social, and cultural norms and beliefs.
OGP has over 200 commitments to support marginalized and under-represented communities in improving their education and health outcomes. The commitments endeavor to better understand the needs of the communities and eliminate any barriers to accessing information and services. There needs to be a concerted effort in eliminating extreme poverty in the world by ensuring better access to better healthcare, jobs, education, and other opportunities ford marginalized groups. The milestone is only possible if organizations such as OGP ensure everyone is included in the world progress.
In 2011 government and civil society leaders created a partnership to create a powerful force that is OGP. The aim was to improve on accountability and responsive governance. The Open Government partnership boasts over seventy-eight country members and other continuously joining local governments who represent over 2 billion people in the world. The organization also contains members such as civil society groups who continue to agitate for the rights of the marginalized communities.
The mission and vision of the OGP continues to be relevant and powerful as when it was founded in 2011. The partnership is now mature and continues to adjust to the constantly evolving context. The organization now boasts of over 4,000 open government reforms with a significant number showing lasting impacts. The partnership, however, continues to experience challenges such as backsliding democracies, deteriorating civic space and politics that is authoritarian and populist.
Needs Assessment
The competing trends form the basis for the formation of OGP’s new three years plan implementation plan commonly referred to as “3YP”. The objective of the organization’s plan is to offer an improved roadmap for implementing the partnership’s vision and mission. Since 2011, the partnership has recognized the constantly changing operating environment. The implementation plan will bring clarity and focus to how the partnership improves outcomes for marginalized groups. The plan also recognizes additional areas that should receive focus in terms of time, energy, and resources. The 2020 annual implementation plan recognizes this within the 3-year strategy. Within the plan is the need to achieve the medium-term collective results to achieve the overall desired results. To achieve this, the reformist in government need to work hand in hand with the civil society and other strategic partners.
The Support Unit (SU) and the Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) also serve an essential role. The three-year plan elaborates on the crucial role these arms play within the organization. Among the partnership’s strategic approaches and main areas of focus include forming global partnerships, reducing corruption, increasing member states, and reforms that empower marginalized groups such as creation of a beneficial ownership register in Armenia and Nigeria, open contracting in in Panama, beneficial services in Ghana, and engaging citizens in Burkina Faso.
What OGP has Learned
The partnership aims to evolve while remaining true to its mission and vision. However, the organization to remain true to its purpose despite the constantly changing geopolitical environment. The vision of OGP creating inclusive governments that are sustainable, transparent, and accountable. Improving on equality is one of the core aims of the partnership. Marginalized groups experience difficulties in accessing crucial services such as health and education and gaining recognition din policy making. The “3YP” will demonstrate results in individual reforms within the member states and the working of the policies put forward by the advocacy groups. The aim is to create an open government that creates value and credible alternatives to the closed government.
OGP offers a domestic and international solution to empower reformers that serve marginalized communities. Domestically, the partnership aims to support reformers who collaborate to design, implement, and monitor the government to make them more open, accountable, and responsive to all citizens. On the international stage, OGP aims to support reformist by encouraging better political leadership, mobilizing networks for peer learning, developing coalitions, and fostering space for sharing reforms that are working.
OGP Milestones
In order to form a complete picture of the OGP’s 3-year plan, it is important to understand the current situation. The metrics since the formation of the partnership in 2011 to the current year are clear. The organization has grown from 8 members to 78 in 2020. Over 20 local governments are members of the organization and continue to be partners in an aggressive subnational and national engagement process. The members also include over 3,000 civil society groups. The organization has over 4,000 commitments of which over 66% have been successfully implemented. The IRM branch has published over 350 reports to improve on learning and accountability.
The organization has so far organized over six global summits that has shown tremendous improvements in political engagements. The engagements include 78 ministers and other high level officials that were hosted by the Canadian Prime Minister of Ottawa Trudeau in 2019. The headline of course goes beyond headline numbers such as understanding the real impact. In the medium-term effects of the plan, the action plan aims to improve the planning process. Two-thirds of the countries possess the initiate to improve on the situation. The issue is critical to OGP plan 3-year plan in bringing together the crucial partners such as the civil society and creating unusual partnerships such engaging the civil society in a critical conversation. In a survey undertaken by the organization, 62% of the respondents from the civil society in a consecutive partnering. The critical partnership in the OGP brings together government and private partners in building unusual partnerships and creating client-oriented dialogue. According to a 2018 survey 62% of the civil society respondents gave feedback that the OGP plan was reflected in the OGP plan.
The unique multi-stakeholder co-creation processes and domestic level yielding processes need commitments on anti-corruption, engaging the citizens, opening the data sharing process. In this case it should be understood that OGP will have to take into account some of the governmental issues. Ideally, dependency on the same democratic assembly is the that is perceived to aid in emancipating the masses. From the political perspectives the imperatives of the modern economic systems will have to take into account some of the economic crisis have been existing.
On the other hand, OGP is considered to have the propensity of expanding as well as deepening the whole within the stipulate period. What this implies is the fact that democracy has the potential of reducing some of the changes that could have happened within the system. Marginalized societies still remain to struggle with deeply-rooted issues such as judgement, economic, political, social, and social norms and beliefs. There needs to be a concerted effort in eliminating extreme poverty in the world by ensuring better access to better healthcare, jobs, education, and other opportunities ford marginalized groups. The landmark is only likely if organizations such as OGP safeguard everyone is included in the biosphere progress. The Open is perceived to have the potential of enhancing paradental partnership boasts over seventy-eight country members and other continuously joining local governments who represent over the amount of people in the world. The organization also contains members such as civil society groups who continue to agitate for the rights of the marginalized communities.
According to independent watchdog Freedom House, fundamental human rights, the rule of law and civil society are under attack around the world. Various avenues have reported serious violations of the freedoms of association, expression and peaceful assembly in over 100 countries. Trust in government has continued to fall, according to the Edelman Barometer. It is precisely at this moment that OGP is well positioned to step up and serve as a positive global force for deepening democracy and openness, and as a countervailing force against the rise of closed government. OGP has been far from immune to these challenges of governments closing democratic space. Hungary and Tanzania both decided to quit the partnership. Azerbaijan has been suspended, and several members are grappling with major corruption scandals and shrinking civic space. Additionally, some traditional champions of democracy and global governance norms have retreated from the global stage, spending their political capital elsewhere.
Yet, despite these challenging circumstances there are signs of resilience, commitment and hope. Courageous reformers from government and civil society are joining forces to co-create and co-implement concrete commitments expanding civic space, empowering citizens to shape and oversee policies and services, and undertaking transformational reforms to combat corruption. Many governments have also stepped up into leadership roles in OGP, including the co-chairs, other Steering Committee members, and a number of thematic champions on different policy areas. Collective Results Living up to OGP’s vision requires achieving two impacts over the long term. First, the partnership must lead to impacts at a level that citizens experience, whether through improved services, reduced corruption or more efficient government; openness in the abstract means little if it fails to improve people’s lives. And second, OGP must contribute to building a stronger global movement for open government and democracy, that is able to stand up for open government values and principles, whilst being a countervailing force against efforts to undermine them. These two impacts are also interrelated: improvements in public policies and services that come 4 about through increased transparency and civic participation make a stronger case for democracy and civic participation in public life, creating a more vibrant global movement. In order to achieve these impacts, there are four Collective Results where OGP should demonstrate progress over the next three years.
Ambitious open government reforms that empower citizens to shape and oversee government are credibly implemented. OGP countries role model values such as government-civil society cooperation, inclusion and civic space, and advance a holistic open government agenda. Policies that empower citizens through transparent, participatory and accountable government are implemented by reformers in government and civil society across multiple countries, raising the bar on cross-country open government standards and principles. 4. Global: Open government issues have a stronger presence on the global stage, including in global governance fora and frameworks. These Collective Results can be advanced in any OGP country and will only be delivered through a true partnership-wide effort, including the government and civil society reformers using OGP at the national/local level, OGP’s strategic partners, the Steering Committee, and the SU and IRM.
These Collective Results are also interrelated. For example, an ambitious open government reform on a theme related to public participation could be implemented by a government and civil society coalition in a bright light country that is then showcased on the global stage to inspire others. Each Collective Result reinforces the others. There are five complementary strategic approaches through which OGP participants can advance the Collective Results. A stronger universal OGP platform supports reformers to advance open government in local, national and regional contexts. Over the next three years, the OGP SU and IRM will build a stronger platform for all 78 national members and a growing number of locals to access resources, tools, guidance and peer inspiration and support on open government. Civil society and government reformers in any OGP country should be able to use their country's OGP membership to design and implement better action plans that reflect citizen priorities.
Major projects to strengthen the OGP platform in the next three years include a refreshed IRM that is more user focused and in tune with when inputs are needed into country OGP processes, an expanded and more ambitious OGP Local strategy, and improving the resources available to all participants in the knowledge and learning hub. OGP’s Rules of the Game will also be reviewed in the 10th anniversary to ensure they are best incentivizing and supporting reformers in government and civil society to make use of their country’s OGP membership. OGP commitments deliver results for citizens. Over the next three years, the most transformative commitments that have the potential to have tangible benefits for citizens should be credibly implemented. Better support needs to be provided to reformers to form effective coalitions for change, armed with the necessary political backing, inspiration from peer countries, technical knowledge and resources to implement ambitious open government reforms using the OGP platform. OGP countries become “Bright Lights”. OGP countries should role model open government and act as exemplars of the partnership, or “bright lights”. Reformers in government and civil society should work together to maintain political commitment to open government, demonstrate inclusive co-creation, produce ambitious action plans, and credibly implement their most transformative commitments. Thematic policy areas see greater ambition and implementation. OGP members and civil society should advance policies that promote open, inclusive and responsive government, spreading innovation and encouraging adaptation and adoption across OGP’s membership.
OGP can catalyze collective action through research and analysis on policy areas, strengthened partnerships and networks of expertise, and cross-country coalitions. Global advocacy strategies spur country action. OGP reformers should come together as part of global advocacy strategies to advance country-level action that moves openness and democracy forward. Through global and regional events, leveraging global platforms, stronger political leadership and smart use of campaigns, OGP can showcase the work of reformers and champions on the global stage to inspire more progress from other members. While these strategic approaches can be advanced by all actors in OGP, the SU and IRM will seek to balance its staff time, energy and resources between running the universal OGP platform (strategic approach #1), and a short list of specific focus areas.
The rationale for this approach is that while all OGP members should be supported to make best use of the platform, there are some commitments, countries, themes and global strategies where the conditions are in place to make significant progress and where OGP could add value and complement the work of partners. In these areas, additional focus by the SU and IRM could help deliver the Collective Results. 6 7 OGP’s Theory of Change OGP’s Theory of Change outlines the role of the OGP platform, and the catalysts and change agents whose actions affect the intermediate, long term and ultimate impact OGP wants to make in the world. The evolution of OGP’s plan incorporates learning on how the platform contributes to change, and OGP’s role in a large ecosystem of other actors working on complex governance challenges. Pre-conditions OGP currently has 78 national members and a growing number of local participants. Before joining, each country must meet OGP’s Eligibility Criteria and pass the OGP Values Check, and commit to upholding the principles of open and transparent government by endorsing the Open Government Declaration. This helps to ascertain two critical things at the point of entry. That there is enough political and civic space for accountability actors such as citizens, civil society organizations and media to operate freely.
That there is demonstrated commitment from the government to advance the open government agenda Of course there are countries that have joined OGP with high levels of political space and commitment to open government, which have since experienced declines in civic space and openness. In those contexts, the OGP process may become inactive, or in the most extreme cases result in countries exiting the partnership. Many Catalysts and Change Agents, One OGP “OGP” is made up of many different parts, including reformers in government and civil society in member countries, the OGP Steering Committee, strategic and thematic partners, and the staff at the SU and IRM. These are the catalysts and change agents who have shaped the priorities and evolution of the partnership to date, and each play a critical complementary role. Country reformers.
The Government Point of Contact both at Ministerial and civil servant level, and their teams; the lead civil society actors; and the Multi-Stakeholder Forum - are at the forefront of change. Their energy, skill, political acumen, and commitment are critical in ensuring the action planning process and global platform lead to ambitious, implemented reforms. These reformers engage with the partnership because it gives them a platform to collaborate and connect with others advancing open government. The platform brings them visibility and recognition for innovative and successful reforms, as well as political cover for difficult reforms. It gives them credibility, via the association with OGP and the rigorous standards of the IRM. It also helps them build relationships with other reformers, both within their political context and across 8 countries. And finally, OGP helps build their knowledge and skills in policy design and implementation. The Steering Committee provides political leadership, strategic guidance and accountability to the partnership, and especially to the SU/IRM.
The Steering Committee is also expected to lead by example in how they engage with their own action planning process and thematic leadership. Finally, the Steering Committee is responsible for ensuring the OGP model and Rules of the Game are robust and incentivizing the change OGP is trying to support. Strategic Partners bring technical expertise, strategic thinking, and financial support to all members of the partnership and most notably to country reformers in government and civil society. OGP’s strategic partners range from civil society organizations working regionally and globally, to multilateral partners like the OECD, UNDP, and World Bank that strengthen the ecosystem around domestic open government ambitions.
The SU and IRM play a coordination role across the partnership, continually looking for ways to better support other catalysts and change agents to make the best use of the partnership and maintaining the credibility of the partnership through independent assessments of action plans. This includes providing universal services to civil society and government in all OGP member countries and locals. Universal services include access to guidance, tools, evidence and peer inspiration on what it means to be an open government, protect civic space, and how citizens can play an active role in shaping and overseeing government. These services are vital for strengthening the foundations of the OGP process in each country, so that space for deeper, more transformative change can be created. In a small number of focus areas, where there are clear strategic and political opportunities for change, the SU/IRM will invest extra time, resources and services.
The Contribution of the OGP platform The OGP platform is designed with reformers in government and civil society at the national and local level at its heart. Supportive elements such as strategic partners, Steering Committee and arms can influence and shape political incentives, level the playing field between government and civil society, help build thematic coalitions, and promote learning and skill sharing across countries. Country reformers can use these incentives and support services to advance open government reforms domestically and internationally, and in turn influence OGP’s incentives: Shape the political incentives, ideas and norms around open government by raising the visibility of the open government agenda in global and regional fora, and create the space for country reformers to take action and trigger a race to the top between countries.
