The OGP Network
The OGP Networking Mechanism
The OGP Networking Mechanism connects OGP governments with providers of open government expertise to help aspiring OGP governments develop innovative, cutting-edge open government commitments.
The OGP Networking Mechanism’s mission is to introduce governments to peer governments, non-governmental groups, and private companies with experience, skill sets, and technology that can assist governments with conceptualizing and implementing ambitious best practice open government commitments and reforms. Our hope is that through those introductions and conversations, which can include more detailed technical assistance when requested, aspiring OGP governments are able to develop more ambitious OGP commitments that push the envelope in terms of what is possible with respect to open government reforms.
The OGP Networking Mechanism is currently managed by a small team made up of the Global Integrity and the World Bank Institute, and chaired by Global Integrity. The OGP Networking Mechanism works closely with the OGP Support Unit and reports to the OGP Steering Committee.
COMING SOON: In the coming months, this website will offer users the ability to view the profiles of OGP Networking Mechanism “suppliers” of open government expertise. These suppliers (nearly 40 unique organizations and growing weekly) range from technology companies that have built some of the world’s leading “open data” websites to leading non-governmental groups working on transparency reforms to innovative governments with expertise to share around freedom of information and e-government implementation. Watch this space!
The OGP Networking Mechanism in practice (hypothetical example)
Country X aspires to be at the vanguard of reform when it comes to transparent management of its natural resources, in particular its extractive resources. Already an Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) member, the government is savvy around issues of extractives transparency but approaches the OGP Networking Mechanism for assistance in thinking through specific sub-national transparency reforms in key regions of the country that are mineral-rich. The Networking Mechanism Case Manager connects the government with both the Revenue Watch Institute (RWI) as well as two local-level non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in neighboring countries that have worked with their respective local and national governments to develop and implement best practices at the sub-national level for promoting extractives transparency. The Case Manager also connects a tech company with a local NGO that is interested in using geo-referencing software to help Country X map its natural resource concessions in tandem with other local NGOs. Following intensive virtual and in-person consultations with RWI, the tech company, and the local NGOs, the government crafts a cutting-edge set of sub-national transparency reforms that it commits to in March 2012.
