OGP seeks comment on draft strategic plan

The Open Government Partnership Steering Committee is seeking comments on its draft two-year strategic plan.

The plan outlines the long and short-term goals of the OGP and measures for success, suggesting 40 action items for the achievement of those goals and measures.

Perhaps most significantly for South Africa, given the government's apparent lack of commitment to the implementation of its action plan, on which SAHA has previously reported, is the proposal to ‘deepen engagement with participating countries'.

This ‘engagement' is to include:
• convening at least one annual, working-level peer exchange meeting for participating countries to share perspectives on the OGP process and best practices in OGP commitments;
• undertaking intensive outreach through Steering Committee governments' diplomatic posts in OGP participating countries to ensure capitals are well informed about OGP process expectations and requirements; and
• convening regional and thematic meetings before the annual conference in order to facilitate relationship building in smaller, more manageable settings.

Also significant is the proposal for monitoring and assessing the implementation of country action plans. Two assessments will be conducted; one a government self-assessment, the second an independent reporting mechanism, to be overseen by an international expert panel and to be conducted by researchers within the relevant country, which will include obtaining citizens views of the plan and its implementation.

Comments may be emailed to info@opengovpartnership.org or posted publicly on OGP's blog "Good ideas come from everywhere" http://blog.opengovpartnership.org/

Comments received will be discussed by the Steering Committee's ad hoc strategy and hiring working group and will be made public along with the final version of the strategic plan. No timeline for the provision of comments has been provided by the OGP.

Download the strategic plan.