1. How to create & implement stronger OGP action plans
Gjergji Vurmo, IRM Researcher for Albania & Artela Mitrushi, OSI TTF Fellow

2. What time (of the year) is it?
…Action plans due 30 June 2016 Albania, Armenia, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malawi, Mexico , Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Romania, Serbia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay.

3. OGP Timeline 2016
January – June 2016: Governments & civil society co-create OGP action plans
May 2016: Draft plans for peer review
June 30th: Governments submit final action plans
July 1st: Implementation begins
Resources for use
(When in doubt) OGP Manual
Check out the (34) IRM reports 2015

4. OGP Manual http://bit.ly/24t3egB
Action plan development guidance & template
Calendars
Consultation guidance, best practices, and examples
Working group briefs
Self-assessment reports guidance

6. Structure & Format Use AP template Written in plain language
Clear, succinct, action-oriented
5 – 15 ambitious commitments
Quality over quantity
Spread over multiple themes

7. Commitments should be clustered under themes
A strong, comprehensive action plan should address multiple themes with each theme containing multiple commitments, some of which have milestones
THEME 1
Commitments should be clustered under themes
Commitment 1
Milestone 1
A theme contains one or more commitments
Milestone 2
Commitment 2
Commitments should be broken into milestones
THEME 2
Milestones should be measurable
Commitment 1
Milestone 1
Not all commitments will need milestones
Milestone 2
Milestone 3

8. Commitments should be…
Specific
- Describes the status quo and problem being solved
- Describes specific activities undertaken
- Describes the outcomes expected
Specific M
Measurable
- Commitments broken into clear, measurable milestones
- Measurable, verifiable benchmarks that can demonstrate fulfillment and improvement
Measurable A
Answerable
- Specifies ownership by listing the implementing agency
- Specifies coordinating or supporting agencies
- Specifies civil society, multilateral, or private sector partners
Answerable R
Relevant
- Clear relevance to open government clear
- Addresses transparency, accountability, and/or public participation T
Time-bound
- Clearly states deadline
- Milestone dates are made clear
- Does not have to coincide with 2-year action plan cycle

9. CONTENT

10. When designing commitments…
When designing commitments…
Think of open government as a toolbox
How can open government solve public policy problems, improve services, and have real impact for citizens?
How can tools of transparency, accountability, or participation help? 
Learn from others
How have other countries tackled similar problems? 
Be creative
What are new national, regional, and global problems that need to be addressed?
SDGs? Sub-national reforms? Bundled commitments? 
Be Ambitious
What is transformative, has real impact, and is achievable?

11. Starred commitments
Relevant + Specific & measurable + High potential impact + Significant progress
Examples:
Ukraine: Access to communist era archives: draft a law, in cooperation with civil society, opening up of communist-era archives
Chile: Implement and monitor lobbying act: Ensure effective implementation of the law.
Georgia: Political party financial declarations: Publish party financing data in accessible formats.
Canada: Mandatory reporting on extractives: Introduce legislation on payments made to governments related to the commercial development of oil, gas, and minerals.

12. Use OGP action plans to advance SDG implementation

13. Consultation Process
Engage, Reflect, Share

14.     4         1. Availability of timeline & process
What is needed? 
1. Availability of timeline & process 
2. Adequate notice 
3. Awareness raising        
4. Multiple channels 
5. Breadth of consultations 4
6. Documentation and feedback

15. Government & CS co-create action plan
Consultation is not a one-time event
(Check Guidance for National OGP dialogue)
Dialogue - from development through implementation
Few tips:
Use IRM report - Start from the lessons learned
Define & carry out the consultation together (GOV+CS)
Use momentum to (re)design the dialogue during implementation
Use momentum to involve other ministries, issues and levels of government (including sub-national), new civil society actors
Ask OGP to broker expertise, advice and support

16. Multi-stakeholder forum
Structure of Forum
Clear leads, participants, roles, rules and meetings
Forms vary – From ad hoc, informal, regular, centralized, co-managed…
Forum Activities
Preparing for NAP development
Commitment tracking
Awareness raising & external communication
Upholding accountability
When in doubt - Use the Handbook on design and management of multi-stakeholder forums

17. Examples: single forum or a “hub-and-spoke” model
Georgia - Commitment 10 of the country’s second national action plan moves forward the activities of Georgia’s Open Government Forum (Forum). Established in Georgia’s first action plan, the Forum is comprised of responsible agencies, NGOs, international organizations, and private sector. The national forum sessions are held regularly, on a monthly basis to support implementation of the action plan, monitor progress of commitments, and raise awareness on Open Government Georgia’s process.
United States – Government and civil society created implementation and monitoring teams organized based on specific commitments to complement more central meetings between key government actors and civil society. The entity leading the coordination forum is selected based on commitments, and the participants in the each forum consist of those relevant and active to that particular issue area

18. Advised OGP resource

19. How to use the (wealth of) OGP data?⬤
Civil Society
- Identify model/ ambitious commitments to advocate for
- Identify civil society partners in other countries ⬤
Governments
Find model commitments to include in your action plan
Seek countries for peer exchange and learning ⬤
Contact the Support Unit
Get connected with your peers
Get connected with Working Groups and multilaterals

20. A resource for government officials and civil society representatives developing national OGP Action Plans

21. ..Don’t forget to THINK GLOBAL
Mechanism pushing for domestic reform & accountability
National Process
International initiative supporting collective action
Global Platform
Issues of strategic importance (SDGs, civic space)
Bundled commitments
Regional/ International meetings
Working
Groups
Global coalitions/ networks
Connecting the national with the global

22.     4 Seek assistance… Support Unit Website: Calendars & Guidance
Direct Support | Brokering Exchanges | Webinars
Website: Calendars & Guidance
Working Groups
Open Data | Fiscal Openness | Natural Resources | Access to Information | Legislative Openness  4
Multilaterals
World Bank | UNDP | IDB | OECD
OpenGov Guide
opengovguide.com

23. Useful contacts
(Govt. Support & Peer Exchange)
(Civil Society Support)
Govt. POCs:
Open Government Partnership
@OpenGovPart #OGP #opengov 