What is the Reformers’ Program?
The Reformers’ Program provides comprehensive, tailored support to governments to address civic space challenges and strengthen civic freedoms. We help you design and implement effective reforms that create sustainable improvements in civic space while building lasting capacity for productive government-civil society collaboration.
The Reformers’ Program supports these core components of civic space:
- Freedom of Assembly: Enabling peaceful gatherings and protecting demonstrators
- Freedom of Association: Simplifying CSO registration and operations
- Freedom of Expression: Protecting critical voices while maintaining reasonable limits
- Media Freedom: Ensuring journalistic independence and safety
- Digital Rights: Safeguarding online freedoms and privacy
What Your Government Will Receive:
- Expert Facilitation: Dedicated specialists to guide your reform process and maintain momentum
- Customised support specific to your country’s context and institutional environment
- Practical implementation assistance to turn policy into reality
- Technical Expertise: Access to specialists in civic space standards and best practices
- Assistance with legislative drafting and policy development
- Consultation on institutional design and governance structures
- Comprehensive assessment of your regulatory frameworks
- Peer Learning Network: Connect with other government reformers who have successfully navigated similar challenges
- Direct advice from officials who understand your position
- Structured relationships with clear objectives and measurable outcomes
- Resource Mobilisation: Support for securing implementation funding
- Introductions to international donors and partners interested in supporting civic space reforms
- Assistance with developing compelling funding proposals
- Recognition: Showcasing of transformational reforms
- Consideration for the Open Gov Challenge on Civic Space
- Visibility through OGP communications channels
Strong performers within the Reformers’ Program will be invited to join the Civic Space Lab Leaders’ Group.
Who is the Reformers' Program for?
Is your government committed to strengthening civic freedoms? The Reformers’ Program welcomes partnership at a range of levels:
- Countries undertaking meaningful democratic reforms or working to improve civic space conditions
- Administrations with demonstrated ministerial-level commitment to addressing civic space challenges through concrete policy actions
- Government institutions with a mandate to enhance civic participation and protect democratic freedoms
What is the output?
As part of the Reformers’ Program, your government will receive support to develop one of the following deliverables, tailored to your specific context and needs:
- Civic Space Strategy – A comprehensive, high-level framework addressing all fundamental civic freedoms, developed collaboratively with civil society and containing concrete actions to strengthen your civic environment
- Civic Space Action Plan – A focused set of practical, implementable reforms co-created with civil society to address priority civic space challenges in your country
- Targeted Civic Space Reform – Specialised support to design and implement a specific reform addressing a critical civic space challenge, such as protest law modernisation or civil society registration improvement
How can countries apply to join?
To apply to join the Reformers’ Program, please submit a letter from a government minister or equivalent institutional leader that outlines:
- A statement of commitment to strengthening civic freedoms and improving civic space in your country
- Current civic space challenges that you wish to address
- Specific areas of focus (e.g., freedom of assembly, association, expression, media freedom, or digital rights)
- Existing reform initiatives related to civic space that are already underway
- Ministerial-level support and institutional framework available to implement reforms
- Willingness to collaborate with civil society organisations in developing solutions
- Expected outcomes and how the Reformers’ Program me would help achieve them
- Preferred type of deliverable (Civic Space Strategy, Civic Space Action Plan, or Targeted Civic Space Reform)
- Commitment to knowledge sharing with other participating countries
How will countries be selected?
Applications will be evaluated against these criteria by a selection panel comprising members of the OGP Support Unit, Steering Committee and key partner organisations.
- Strong Political Commitment: Ministerial-level dedication to enhancing civic freedoms and democratic governance
- Active Reform Agenda: Current implementation or planning of meaningful democratic improvements
- Institutional Framework: Government bodies with clear authority to strengthen civic space and participation
- Specific Focus Areas: Identifiable challenges in freedoms of assembly, association, expression, media, or digital rights that our expertise can address
- Partnership Mindset: Willingness to collaborate with civil society organisations in developing solutions
- Implementation Capacity: Ability to implement agreed reforms within a reasonable timeframe
- Regional Considerations: We aim to support governments across diverse geographical regions
- Knowledge Exchange: Capacity to both share insights and learn from other participating countries
Join
Join today! Contact [email protected] for more.
Apply by November 30 with a ministerial-level letter of commitment.