OGP: Ensuring access to "public consultation"
Stephen Buckley
Dear Joe Foti (OGP/IRM),
I am glad that I got to speak with you and Suzanne Piotrowski last week during her open meetings at the OpenGov Hub in D.C. for evaluating the U.S. (2nd) National Action Plan for the Open Government Partnership.
I have reported back to the leadership of the U.S. affiliate of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2-USA) about those meetings, but I keep getting questions from them about the process that are also unclear to me. So I hope you can help me (and others, I suspect) better understand exactly what an organization like the IAP2 (founded in 1990, with over 400 U.S. members) is supposed to have been doing in order to be invited to participate (i.e., to get a seat at the table) in the same way as other interested organizations:
http://www.opengovpartnership.org/how-it-works/civil-society-dialogue
- Getting a seat at the table: The OGP process requires
government to consult with civil society and citizens, and the
Independent Reporting Mechanism assesses the quality of this
consultation. As a result, OGP can help ensure that
civil society experts have a seat at the table to discuss critical
open government reforms with their own public officials. [emphases
added]
https://m.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/NAP%202%200%20Self-Assessment%20Report%20final.pdf (See page 3):
- Other actors involved: Executive branch
agencies and civil society organizations, primarily those focused
on public participation
- Brief description: Identify best practices for public participation in government and publish best practices and metrics for public participation.
- Ambition: This commitment will improve the way government interacts with civil society in policymaking, decision-making, and general governance. It provides agencies with concrete steps to take to ensure the public can participate in these important efforts.
- Description of results: In 2014, a team of more than 70 government leaders led by GSA identified best practices in public participation along with civil society. The government team co-created the Public Participation Playbook alongside civil society and launched the first iteration of this living document in February 2015.
- Brief description: Identify best practices for public participation in government and publish best practices and metrics for public participation.
Of course, it's understandable that the U.S. government wants to OGP to think that it has been doing a good job of consulting with "civil society" since 2011. But it appears that certain organizations are given special access to otherwise closed discussions, contrary to the spirit, if not the letter, of OGP Guidance.
In the meantime, please help us understand how the OGP "can help ensure" that the IAP2 (and any other org) can be invited to participate with a "seat at the table" in the same way as any other interested organization.
Thank you for your attention.
best,
Stephen Buckley, #OpenGov liaison
International Association for Public Participation (U.S. affiliate)
collaboration engineer
Cape Cod, Massachusetts / USA
http://www.OpenGovMetrics.com
G: +1-508-348-9090
skype: opengov
Zarek, Corinna
Hi everyone,
Steve, I see that your note is intended for Joe Foti, but wanted to respond to some of the points you raised that relate directly to the USG’s work on open gov issues.
I wanted to address your comment that IAP2 does not consider itself as an engaged participant for the Public Participation Playbook. There were several wide-reaching invitations for anyone and everyone to participate in that work – not limited in any way. In fact, there were so many requests for additional participation and input via blog posts and messages in this discussion group that I worried some of the fine folks on this list might have been getting Public Participation Playbook fatigue!
If individuals or groups chose not to engage, that is perfectly understandable but anyone and everyone was invited to be part of that project throughout the process. The Nov. 25 blog post introducing the project read, “The team would like your input as well! Over the next month, contribute your ideas….” And we appreciated the individuals who rolled up their sleeves and got to work helping to build this – they chose to take a seat at the table and pitch in.
We really appreciate feedback on constructive ways for participation and hope that you and other experts in this space will join us the next time there is an open invitation.
Thanks,
Cori
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Joseph Foti
Consultation during development of action plan
Availability of timeline: Countries are to make the details of their public consultation process and timeline available (online at a minimum) prior to the consultation;
Adequate notice: Countries are to consult the population with sufficient forewarning;
Awareness-raising: Countries are to undertake OGP awareness-raising activities to enhance public participation in the consultation;
Multiple channels: Countries are to consult through a variety of mechanisms—including online and through in-person meetings—to ensure the accessibility of opportunities for citizens to engage;
Breadth of consultation: Countries are to consult widely with the national community, including civil society and the private sector, and to seek out a diverse range of views; and
Documentation and feedback: Countries are to make available online a summary of the public consultation and all individual written comment submissions.
Consultation during implementation
Consultation during implementation: Countries are to identify an existing or new forum to enable regular multistakeholder consultation on OGP implementation.