Czech Republic Results Report 2022–2024

The Czech Republic’s sixth action planAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen... saw moderate early resultsEarly results refer to concrete changes in government practice related to transparency, citizen participation, and/or public accountability as a result of a commitment’s implementation. OGP’s Inde... More across three commitments, with progress in whistleblower protection, state grant transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More, and public participationGiving citizens opportunities to provide input into government decision-making leads to more effective governance, improved public service delivery, and more equitable outcomes. Technical specificatio.... Compared to previous cycles, the co-creation processCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders (e.g., citizens, academics, private sector) is at the heart of the OGP process. Participating governments must ensure that a dive... was more ambitious and inclusive, with expanded civil society involvement and a more inclusive approach. Moving forward, stakeholders could prioritize sustained high-level engagement and secure adequate funding for commitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action... implementation.

Implementation

The Czech Republic’s sixth action plan comprised eight commitments.^[1] Three commitments—on whistleblowing, state grant transparency, and public participation—achieved moderate early results. Notable early results included the enactment of legal protections for whistleblowers, as well as improvements in the availability and quality of state grant data.

Five commitments were fully or substantially completed, while three—on open dataBy opening up data and making it sharable and reusable, governments can enable informed debate, better decision making, and the development of innovative new services. Technical specifications: Polici... in educationAccountability within the public education system is key to improving outcomes and attainment, and accountability is nearly impossible without transparent policies and opportunities for participation ..., strategy data availability, and small-scale public contracts transparency—saw limited progress. The most successful commitments, such as whistleblower protection, public participation, and state grants transparency, were initiated in the previous OGP cycle. This highlights the value of long-term reform efforts in achieving meaningful change. Institutional commitment, coupled with active collaboration with civil society organizations (CSOs), was instrumental in ensuring sustained progress and broader stakeholder engagement.

The Action Plan Review identified two promising commitments. Commitment 6, focused on transparency guidelines for small-scale procurement contracts, did not yield early results due to a strategic shift in ministerial priorities towards a national public procurementTransparency in the procurement process can help combat corruption and waste that plagues a significant portion of public procurement budgets globally. Technical specifications: Commitments that aim t... More strategy away from partial reforms. Commitment 7 on state grants transparency produced modest results due to a strategic shift to a different reporting system midway through its implementation.

The previous action plan showed similar completion and early results levels, with two of five commitments—on judicial transparency and whistleblower protection—yielding early results. Institutional and context-dependent challenges, such as the length of public procurement processes and changes in implementation strategies, were largely the reasons behind delays in both plans.^[2] The factors behind the limited completionImplementers must follow through on their commitments for them to achieve impact. For each commitment, OGP’s Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) evaluates the degree to which the activities outlin... More of the remaining commitments were largely the same as the 2022–2024 action plan.

Participation and Co-Creation

The Czech Republic’s OGP process is coordinated by the Ministry of Justice’s Anti-Corruption Unit, with oversight from the Working Commission on Open Government and State Administration Transparency, which also serves as the multi-stakeholder forumRegular dialogue between government and civil society is a core element of OGP participation. It builds trust, promotes joint problem-solving, and empowers civil society to influence the design, imple... (MSF). During the 2022–2024 action plan cycle, a new process for selecting new CSO members was piloted. It involved an open call for applications to expand the scope of actors and candidates self-selecting representatives among themselves. This expanded civil society participation, but the institutional setup remained unchanged.

Key achievements in participation included the inclusionOGP participating governments are working to create governments that truly serve all people. Commitments in this area may address persons with disabilities, women and girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, tr... More of additional commitments after high-level political discussions and the introduction of a new methodology for CSO representation within the MSF. However, challenges such as limited participation from a broader range of CSOs and underrepresentation of marginalized voices such as ethnic minorities persisted.

The co-creation process yielded three new commitments and the introduction of two ministries to the OGP process: the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry for Regional Development. While the co-creation involved high-level discussions of the action plan in the Government Council, discussions in the MSF increased but remained formal. These improvements marked a step forward from previous cycles, but efforts to ensure more diverse and sustained participation in future cycles are essential.

Implementation in Context

During the implementation period, several domestic factors influenced progress. A significant development was the departure of the Pirate Party from the coalition government in September 2024. This occurred following the dismissal of Regional Development Minister Ivan Bartos due to issues with digitizing the building permit system. This political shift led to a cabinet reshuffle but did not disrupt the overall majority in parliament.^[3]

In terms of institutionalization, the Czech Republic continued its commitment to open government by aligning OGP initiatives with the Government Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2023–2026.^[4] This strategy emphasizes priorities such as enhancing transparency and accountability, hence reinforcing the country’s dedication to open governance principles. These developments underscore the ongoing efforts to strengthen open government practices in the country, despite facing political and administrative challenges.