Action plan – Bogotá, Colombia, 2021 – 2023

At-a-Glance

Duration

October 2023

Date Submitted

23rd August 2021

Foreword(s)

“Bogotá needs a government that listens and finds solutions by common agreement”. 

“(…) This city is speaking to us. Every street, every square and every park speaks, sings, moves to demand the city and the country that the citizens of the 21st century dream of and deserve. We are going to take care of each other. We will not allow them to steal our hope. We will not allow them to steal more lives from this new generation, a generation that today takes to the streets to demand that we do not leave them stuck in the same debates with the same characters of the past. a generation that demands we free them from those restraints, and give them opportunities and capabilities to participate in public and political life, in the economic and sustainable development that the XXI century demands (…)”. 

Claudia Nayibe López Hernández, January 1, 2020. 

Open Government of Bogota – GAB is a public management model with the aim of strengthening the relationship between the District Administration and their citizens, based on principles and strategies in the areas of 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, participation, collaboration, and services. 

We are convinced that, to solve our city challenges, we need consensus and joint actions among all sectors of the citizenry through teamwork and through the exchange of their experiences. As a result, the inhabitants of Bogota could become the best example of collaboration and collective intelligence in the protection of the public property that belongs to all of us. 

The District Administration, headed by Mayor Claudia López, has decided to plan the city based on a permanent, constant, and direct dialogue with citizens, emphasizing the construction of a democratic city, the strengthening of government institutions, and the frontal fight against corruption. Thus, we seek to contribute to Bogotá’s consolidation as a city-region, with an open, transparent, and inclusive government in the construction of a new social contract for the 21st century.

Open Government Challenges, Opportunities and Strategic Vision

This subsection details the Open Government Strategic Vision in your local area that should guide the commitments for the action plan period.

What is the long-term vision for open government in your context and jurisdiction?

Our horizon of meaning consists of transforming the public management of the Capital District under a model of intelligent governance and cultural change, based on citizen empowerment in ICT for the exercise of its political, social, and economic rights. The transformation will improve the relationship between citizens and district institutions, the access to clear and relevant information about the government’s actions and will bring a greater citizen involvement in public affairs. 

Therefore, Bogotá’s Open Government seeks to be a cross-cutting model for the Capital District based on four pillars: transparency, participation, collaboration, and services. In this context, which is conducive to co-creating innovative responses to the city’s challenges, it would be possible to: 

• Bring citizens closer to District institutions and enable their participation in the identification of problems and alternative solutions 
• Strengthen institutional and citizen capacity for the management of technological tools necessary for the pillars of open government 
• Strengthen the relationship between the communities and their territories for the solution of local and city-wide problems 
• Achieve greater citizen participationAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, citizen participation occurs when “governments seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to m... More, empowerment, and decision-making power to build consensus around the city’s planning and challenges 
• Advance towards a truly democratic, egalitarian and rights-based city

What are the achievements in open government to date (for example, recent open government reforms)?

Bogota is one of the capitals in Latin America with high levels of public services and interactions between citizens and public institutions. This has led, in turn, to institutional bases for the incorporation of open government mandates and strategies.  

In 2011, Bogota created a public policy for citizen participation, which recognizes participation as an exercise of political rights and an instrument of social mobilization. A key achievement in this regard was the enactment of a guide for the formulation and implementation of district public policies. The guide incorporates citizen participation in the construction of each public policy adopted by the city. 

The issuance allowed Bogota to make progress in the opening and display of public information through transparency sections on all web portals of district institutions, as well as the adoption of permanent accountability strategies. 

Bogotá Abierta, our first platform for digital participationMany governments are creating online mechanisms for citizens to petition, call for action, and participate in making decisions on issues they care about.  Technical specifications: Refers to public p... More and citizen collaboration, was created in 2015. It marked a definitive milestone for the arrival of open government in the city.

Additionally, the Bogotá 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... Portal was created, which manages, articulates, and visualizes the data generated by the 56 entities and makes them available to the public. During 2019, by means of District Decree 768, a participatory budgeting strategy was formulated and implemented in the Local Mayors’ Offices for the democratization of investments.

What are the current challenges/areas for improvement in open government that the jurisdiction wishes to tackle?

Assuming the challenges of open government begins by taking much more advantage of ICT to collectively plan and carry out collaborative actions for the improvement of our public management. Over the last decade, Bogota has made progress in the development of institutional strategies so that its citizens are linked to democratic exercises through face-to-face and virtual channels. All of this for the co-creation of solutions and for the use of public information, within the framework of transparency, collaboration, and participation. 

In view of the above, and taking into consideration the importance of the guiding principles of open government for its materialization in the strengthening of public management in Bogota, it is essential to: 

• Improve citizens’ access to new technologies that allow them to exercise their rights to information and democratic participation.  
• Strengthen citizen capacities and competencies to adopt and implement open government strategies. 
• Offer and strengthen spaces for collaboration and co-creation of knowledge between citizens and public officials, with the help of academia, to solve problems in collaborative workspaces. 
• Citizen support and involvement in the open government of Bogota implies a greater effort in accountability, opening information in a useful way, deciding part of the budget with the participation of communities, and inviting citizens to build solutions based on civic intelligence.

What are the medium-term open government goals that the government wants to achieve?

Our medium-term objectives are circumscribed in purpose five of the District Development Plan: “A New Social and Environmental Contract for the Bogota of the 21st Century: 2020-2024”, from which we intend to build Bogota – Region with open, transparent government and conscious citizenship. They also contribute to the goal 27 of our development plan, which is to position the Open Government of Bogota-GAB as a new form of governance that reduces the risk of corruption and increases citizen control of government.  

In this context, we will implement institutional strategies for citizens to practice digital democracy, social control, and the use of public information in conditions of equity, accessibility, and 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. All within the framework of transparency, collaboration and participation. 

Having explained the above, our long-term objectives are as follows: 

• Facilitate citizen access and use of public information as an instrument for citizen participation, civic intelligence, and social control for the creation of public value. 
• Promote direct democracy and the recognition of multiple citizen expressions through digital tools that facilitate participation in an easy and effective way to all people. 
• Promote public collaboration and innovation to find civic solutions to the challenges we face as a city. 
• Strengthen citizen capacities for technological and digital appropriation of open government. 

How does this action plan contribute to achieve the Open Government Strategic Vision?

We want to take government out of the offices and bring it closer to the daily life of citizens for a transparent and democratic relationship, which is essential for building solutions and making decisions collectively. Our action plan is composed of actions based on OGP values for each of the six commitments, in aspects such as the following: 

• Leveraging technology and collective intelligence to make better decisions on the destination of public investments.  
• Expanding the spaces for dialogue and decision making with citizens in unprecedented dimensions. 
• Improving the relationship experience between citizens and the district government, so that their participation in public affairs transcends election days. 
• Encouraging collaboration for the collective design of public policies and services; summoning different actors of the city to innovate and assume co-responsibility for the solutions to public challenges. Thus, improving citizen advocacy and user experience.  
• Making the information we provide relevant, so that accountability allows us to correct what does not generate public value for citizens.   

The establishment of the Open Government Circle will, in the short- and medium-term, strengthen our ties with governmental entities with experience and interest in open government strategies, as well as with civil actors that bring different perspectives to the table and represent Bogotá’s citizens.

How does the open government strategic vision contribute to the accomplishment of the current administration’s overall policy goals?

Informing citizens about the actions and results of our management, fighting corruption, and democratizing the way Bogotá is governed are fundamental actions to regain citizen trust, empower inhabitants and create public value. We propose to assume, together with citizens, the social, environmental, and economic challenges the city must overcome. All through digital infrastructures for transparency and with technologies for participation and collaboration. 

Therefore, Bogotá’s Open Government seeks to be a cross-cutting model for the Capital District based on four pillars: transparency, participation, collaboration, and services. On the institutional side, it aims to articulate, guide, and give continuity to the old and recent strategies that Bogota has developed to open its government. On the citizenry side, its purpose is to bring them closer to the administration, responding to their demands for a more direct and more inclusive democracy, thus increasing citizen confidence.

Engagement and Coordination in the Open Government Strategic Vision and OGP Action Plan

Please list the lead institutions responsible for the implementation of this OGP action plan.

• General Secretariat of the Office of the Mayor of Bogota – Open Government of Bogota
• District Government Secretariat
• District Secretariat of Planning
• District Institute for Community Action and Participation (IDPAC)
• District Secretariat of Health
• District Secretariat for Women
• District Secretariat of Mobility
• District Secretariat of Habitat
• District Secretariat of Security, Coexistence and Justice

What kind of institutional arrangements are in place to coordinate between government agencies and departments to implement the OGP action plan?

The Open Government of Bogota has an inter-institutional coordination, led by the General Secretariat, the Secretariat of Government, the Secretariat of Planning and the District Institute for Community Action and Participation. These four entities issue guidelines and articulate strategies in transparency, participation, collaboration, and user experience according to their competences. The remaining district institutions implement the open government model in accordance with the principles, actions and objectives established by such coordination within the framework of the District Development Plan. 

 As for Bogota’s Action Plan, it is formulated and implemented with the participation of eight district institution, which are in charge of fulfilling the commitments as follows: 

•  General Secretariat of the Office of the Mayor of Bogota: Coordination of the Action Plan 
• District Secretariat of Security: ICT in security and peaceful coexistence 
• District Secretariat of Habitat: Collective intelligence in public spaces 
• District Secretariat of Health: Territories of innovation and participation in health 
• District Secretariat of Mobility: Information for Road Safety 
• District Secretariat of Women: Bogota 50/50 
• Secretariats of Government and Planning, and IDPAC: Local investments
  

What kind of spaces have you used or created to enable the collaboration between government and civil society in the co-creation and implementation of this action plan? Mention both offline and online spaces.

The commitments set out in the application letter were created based on the results of ideation, co-creation and consultation exercises carried out by the responsible institutions during the development of their democratization processes. 

 Accordingly, in response to the recommendations and proposals of the Territorial Council of District Planning, this initiative intends to: “consolidate the District System of Planning and Participatory Budgeting as a scenario in which authorities and civil society instances meet and interact; in which planning and budgeting timelines are harmonized to agree on development plans and land use plans that transcend government periods, with the purpose not of having a governmental imprint, but of having a sequence of sustainable and harmonious development according to social realities.” 

As such, the Plan’s commitments address six strategic challenges for the city that have already been identified and prioritized by both the citizens and the governmental institutions. 

 Nevertheless, with the aim of ensuring a more participatory and inclusive process, in 2021 the Open Government Circle was created and a roadmap of several phases for the co-creation of the Plan was defined. The first phase, construction of the strategic vision, was based on the more than 900 citizen ideas for the improvement of commitments received in Bogotá Abierta, a virtual platform that collects citizen contributions. 

What measures did you take to ensure diversity of representation (including vulnerable or marginalized populations) in these spaces?

Each of the activities for the construction of the Action Plan took into account population and inclusion parameters. For instance, the members of the Open Government Circle were chosen considering their parity in terms of governmental and civil actors. The invitation to participate in the consultation in Bogotá Abierta and the Citizen Ideas Fair was made through formal and informal channels to broaden its dissemination. Additionally, the members of the Open Government Circle prioritized their interest groups to convene representatives of Bogota’s communities. 

 Finally, the call to the 230 participants of the 18 co-creation workshops was made considering criteria of genderOGP participating governments are bringing gender perspectives to popular policy areas, ensuring diversity in participatory processes, and specifically targeting gender gaps in policies to address gov... More parity (66% of the participants identified themselves as women) and disability (more than 30 caregivers and 11 people with disabilitiesA government is not open unless it is accessible to all, and governments are working to ensure people with disabilities are afforded equitable services and opportunities to participate. Technical spec... participated). In addition, organizational and territorial criteria were chosen so that the workshops wholly represented Bogota’s society, which resulted in the participation of the 20 localities of Bogota. More than half of the attendees were part of social and community organizations or associations. 

Who participated in these spaces?

At the level of governmental actors, public servants belonging to the entities that make up the Open Government Circle, other sectors of the district and members of local governments participated. 

 At the level of civil actors, participation bodies such as Local Action Boards, Local Planning Councils, Community Health Participation Committees, local observatories, the Local Disability Operating Committee and the Council of Bogota were convened.  

Likewise, social leaders, bicycle users, women’s organizations, representatives of the academic sector and, of course, unorganized citizens were also included. 

How many groups participated in these spaces?

200

How many public-facing meetings were held in 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...?

26

How will government and non-governmental stakeholders continue to collaborate through the implementation of the action plan?

The main scenario for collaboration and dialogue among government actors is the Open Government Circle. In addition to being part of the general deliberation, collaboration and decision-making table, the actors that comprise it will have the opportunity to accompany the implementation and monitoring of the 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... that is most in line with their interests and institutional experience through commissions created specifically for each commitment. 

 Likewise, we hope that the representativeness of the Circle will increase with the inclusion of new social, community and academic members who express their interest in joining the process in later phases. The considerations related to the selection and admission process are described in the Circle’s Manual. 

Please describe the independent Monitoring Body you have identified for this plan.

Following a consultation and invitation to several civil society organizations, economic associations, and academia, Formación Avanzada, a business organization dedicated to the development of 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 ... and research services in science and technologyMaintaining the integrity of the scientific process — through open science, training, and rigorous evaluation criteria — is critical to ensure accurate health policy and strong public trust in gov..., was appointed as an independent monitoring entity. Nelson Barrios Jara is its general director.  

The organization Formación Avanzada has developed two working sessions with the GAB General Coordination to establish the scope and priorities of its role as monitor of the process. 

 It is also important to mention that a monitoring, measurement, and evaluation model, known as GAB Monitor, is being built. It will provide different tools for decision-making in the process of monitoring the implementation of the Action Plan. We are also developing a dashboard for permanent accountability on the progress of the action plan in Bogotá’s Open Government platform. It will be publicly available. 

Provide the contact details for the independent monitoring body.

• Formación Avanzada, Organization for development of education, nelbar137@gmail.com

What types of activities will you have in place to discuss progress on commitments with stakeholders?

The implementation of the Action Plan will include the following actions to accompany the stakeholders:

• Follow-up and stocktaking sessions with the Open Government Circle of Bogota.
• Sessions of ideation and co-creation of implementation strategies and social control with stakeholders associated to the commitments.
• Exercises to take advantage of information and open data for continuous improvement.
• Forums and discussion and analysis conversations.
• Citizen control surveys.

How will you regularly check in on progress with implementing agencies?

The Open Government Circle of Bogota will have the function of permanently monitoring the commitments. The Circle will have working committees for each commitment to ensure better and more effective follow-up. Likewise, bimonthly meetings will be held with each of the leading institutions of the commitments so that they can take stock of their progress. Finally, a formal progress report will be requested every three months to evaluate the process and its course. This will include a visualization of progress on the Open Government virtual platform, as well as the application of an evaluation instrument called GAB Monitor.

How will you share the results of your monitoring efforts with the public?

We will have a special space for OGP on our gobiernoabierto.gov.co platform. Through this platform we will post all our progress on each commitment as well as the co-creation spaces that will take place throughout the Action Plan. Citizens will have the possibility to follow up on the commitments as well as to make permanent contributions and monitor them.

Endorsement from Non-Governmental Stakeholders

• Liliana Castañeda, President of Territorial Council of District Planning (CTPD)
• Mónica Villegas, Corona Foundation
• José María Balcázar, Bogotá Chamber of Commerce
• Jhon Alexander García, Laboratory of Innovation of the National University of Colombia
• Laura Daniela Gómez, Representative of Bicycle Users
• Eligio Rey, Representative of community participation in Health
• Jaqueline Hernández, Representative of the District Council on Disability
• Bayron Valdivieso, Representative of Veeduría Distrital
• Julián Moreno, Mayor of Suba locality
• Alfredo López, Member Territorial Council of District Planning (CTPD)
• María Fernanda Chavarro, Candelaria Citizen Observatory
• Sergio Villarreal, Representative of youthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... More organizations

Compromisos plan de acción gobierno abierto de Bogotá