Action plan – Valencian Community, Spain, 2022 – 2023

At-a-Glance

Duration

Jun 2023

Date Submitted

29th November 2022

Foreword(s)

The Comunitat Valenciana Action Plan has been implemented jointly with civil society, in a participatory process initiated in July 2022, which involved more than 60 people from around 50 organisations from across the region. It should be noted that the participation processes that aim to cover the full length of the Comunitat Valenciana, with its highly irregular geographical distribution that is strongly conditioned by the main communication axes, mean that virtual spaces, both for meetings and for personal discussions, have been incorporated into this process to ensure accessibility for all the agents involved.

The main lines of the action plan include promoting participation and training in participation, with a special focus on 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 participation, implementing mechanisms for public integrity at different institutional levels, promoting 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... and promoting transparency and accountability.

The Action Plan’s lines of work are:

1. Transparency and the right to understand.
2. Open Community
3. Innovation and the culture of open government

The Consell Valencià de la Joventut has played a prominent role in representing civil society to the Alliance. It’s the highest representative body of Valencian youth organisations and their representative before the GVA and public and private institutions involved in youth policies.

We highlight the need for an Action Plan Monitoring Group, made up of people and organisations involved 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..., but which is also open to other types of actors in the region, so that it is constituted with a regional and sectoral balance, complying with the principles of intersectionality and territoriality as well as generational and 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 equality.

The proposal by the Regional Ministry for Participation, Transparency, Cooperation and Democratic Quality is to create this group after the presentation of the plan, and also to include representation from the Comunitat Valenciana Participation Council.

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?

The long-term vision is to consolidate the process of institutionalising open government in all the institutions across the Comunitat Valenciana, to build its own shared model of open government implementation, and to root this culture of openness in the institutions throughout the region and in society as a whole. This requires leadership, partnerships and initiatives at all levels, between governments and public institutions but also with the general public and civil society.

This vision assumes a broad and constantly evolving concept of open government, which is based on the principles of transparency, integrity, accountability and 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, and which aims to improve the quality of democracy and citizens’ trust in institutions.

It is also a vision of open government that is oriented towards democratisation, development and equality. The development of open government must harness the full potential of the digital transformationGovernments are working to increase access to and quality of government services, improve transparency, and create opportunities for participation by using information and communications technologies.... More, but at the same time ensure that it is ethical, inclusive and accessible, and commit to closing the digital divide, especially for those sectors of the population that may be most affected.

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

The GVAOberta transparency portal channels the accountability of the GVA (includes the TEP platform: allows private organisations to meet their transparency obligations). The GVA also has an open data portal, and an Open Data Strategy.

CV Law 1/2022 of 13 April on transparency and good governance is a second-generation law that adapts to current challenges and extends the obligations of transparency and accountability while establishing the basis for unlocking data and building integrity systems.

There is pioneering regulationGovernment reformers are developing regulations that enshrine values of transparency, participation, and accountability in government practices. Technical specifications: Act of creating or reforming ... on transparency related to lobbyingLobbying transparency allows the public to ensure that there is diversity of participation and contribution to public decision-making. Technical specifications: Policies and actions affecting lobbying... by interest groups, with a law and regulations. The regulatory footprint has been published and there is a mandatory register (REGIA) that tracks stakeholder contacts with public officials and civil servants. In terms of public integrity, there is the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, the Conflicts of InterestA key part of anti-corruption involves preventing or revealing conflicts of interest — when a public official is in a position to use public office for personal or private gain. Technical specificat... Control Office and a system of alerts to prevent irregularities and malpractice in the administration.

A pilot participatory budgeting project has been carried out on the portal, in which citizens were able to decide on how to allocate part of the Generalitat’s budget. The ParticipAcció awards have been launched to highlight and reward good practices, along with the Municipal Participatory Governance Network. The CV Citizen Participation and Promotion of Associations Act is currently being drafted, which will promote and deepen the participatory governance model.

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

Three lines for improving the implementation of open government in the CV have been identified and presented in a working document during the Action Plan co-creation process, they will provide the citizens and administrations invited to participate with a starting point for discussion, reflection, needs detection and the subsequent design of proposals.

The three interrelated and complementary lines of action presented in this section have been prioritised by the working groups:

1. “Comunitat Oberta”. Networks and alliances between organisations and institutions are essential to progressing in the cultural change we have been discussing. This line includes actions aimed at deepening open government in the local sphere and promoting good municipal practices.
2. Innovation and a culture of open government This involves training within and outside the public administrations, raising awareness and strengthening links and networks with citizens and civil society and, in particular, promoting the change in culture that open government entails, starting with 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 .... Not surprisingly, the Consell Valencià de la Joventut plays a prominent role in the Alliance.
3. Transparency and the right to understand. Transparency and accountability imply that information is available and easily accessible to the public. The right to know also includes the right to understand by using clear and visual language that is accessible and understandable to everyone and that extends into new areas.

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

The open government objectives that the Comunitat Valenciana aims to achieve in the medium term are:

• Achieve transparency in public activity that is real and effective, based on clear, simple and understandable communication that allows citizens to easily understand the information, thus integrating the right to understand as part of the right to know.
• Consolidate a public data governance and openness model that integrates collaboration between the administrations, to ensure data ethics and transparency, and develop an ecosystem of re-using actors.
• Develop integrity frameworks within the public administrations across the Comunitat Valenciana and establish a common model for the local sphere.
• Foster planning, evaluation and accountability systems that include citizen participation and allow transparency to be oriented towards accountability through a culture of planning and evaluation.
• Promote a culture of open government in society through stable and consolidated open government education programmes for children and youth, as well as open government training resources for citizens and associations.

Consolidate and promote the recognition of good practices in participation and open government in order to increase their social impact.

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

The strategic vision of open government assumes a broad approach. A vision that seeks to root this change in culture in all the public administrations and in society as a whole. A vision committed to innovation, 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 and the fight to close the digital divide, which seeks real and effective transparency and includes the right to know and understand information.

The action plan contains three commitments that embody the lines of work on open government policies, which are based on partnerships and are aligned with the medium-term objectives and long-term vision.

The “Comunitat Oberta” 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..., focuses on the municipalities, seeks to encourage and promote open government at the local level and to develop a coherent model throughout the region.

A commitment to innovation and an open government culture seeks to promote this cultural change in society, with training and education projects and partnerships with civil society and young people. It is also geared towards innovation and a culture of planning and evaluation for accountability.

The “Transparency and the right to understand” commitment seeks to change the way the administration communicates and informs citizens in order to achieve real and effective accountability through clear communication, with instruments that allow citizens to know and understand the information.

These short-term commitments initiate a process that will continue in order to achieve the medium- and long-term goals and vision.

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

The Valencian administration’s vision of open government plays an important role in its agenda. Since 2015, one of the cornerstones of the government convention has been democratic quality and good governance, and there is a specific department to promote this. Regulations and different instruments have been created to this end, including independent bodies and authorities and an administrative organisation for its widespread implementation in the administration.

The ultimate goal is to improve the reputation of the CV and the public’s confidence in its institutions, which will aidMore and better information about aid helps partner countries and donor institutions plan and manage aid resources more effectively, parliaments and civil society to hold governments accountable for t... the government as a whole because it improves the perception of the public sector and of public services and policies as a whole.

Transparency played an important role during the COVID-19 crisis, as it was essential the administration was accountable and published information on the impact and evolution of the pandemic, as occurred on GVA Oberta and the open data portal. Now, open government and institutional quality have a fundamental role to play in the economic and social recovery of the CV, which is why it is part of the Valencian Strategy for Recovery and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, as well as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The commitments and milestones also contribute to various government objectives and lines of work, such as innovation, digitalisation, accessibility and the fight to close the digital divide, as well as education and youth policy

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.

• Conselleria for Participation, Transparency, Cooperation and Democratic Quality
• Directorate General of Information and Communications Technologies. Conselleria for Finance and Econ
• Institut Cartogràfic Valencià. Conselleria for Territorial Policy, Public Works and Mobility
• Consell Valencià de la Joventut.
• Municipal Participatory Governance Network.
• Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces.
• Valencian Anti-fraud Agency
• Ajuntament de València

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

At present, the following agreements, conventions and bodies will be involved in coordinating and monitoring this Action Plan, and an overseeing body is in the process of being set up:

• Framework collaboration agreement between the Generalitat, through the Conselleria for Participation, Transparency, Cooperation and Democratic Quality, the provincial councils of Valencia, Alicante and Castellón and the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, to collaborate in matters related to participation, transparency and good governance.
• Municipal Participatory Governance Network, an instrument for collaboration, discussion and reflection between the Conselleria for Participation, Transparency, Cooperation and Democratic Quality, which is responsible for citizen participation, the municipalities and the regional associations, in relation to local policies for citizen participation promoted in the Valencian region.
• Comunitat Valenciana Participation Council
• Technical commission for coordination in the field of transparency, coordination body in the field of transparency in the Generalitat.

Action Plan monitoring group. This group is in the process of being set up, once the co-creation process of the present plan has been completed.

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.

Three parallel spaces for participation have been created:

1. Consultation with the different autonomous and provincial administrations.

The Valencian government as a whole was sent information on the process and an invitation to provide those actions and/or commitments that could be incorporated into the Action Plan. The provincial councils and the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces was also informed and invited to participate. A total of 18 contributions were received.

2. Open discussion on GVA Participa: a discussion was initiated through the GVA Participation Portal (https://gvaparticipa.gva.es/) to gather input from the public.

This was moderated by the teams in the Directorates General of Citizen Participation and Transparency. Eleven duly registered individuals participated who provided a total of 17 contributions.

3. Regional working groups:

Three working groups were set up (Valencia, Castellón and Alicante) with the aim of decentralising the process and promoting accessibility and mobility for the organisations and individuals who wished to participate. Each group conducted two sessions, with a total of 5 hours per group. Forty-four organisations and 56 people took part.

As a result of this process, an Action Plan Monitoring Group will be created, incorporating the people and organisations involved, which will also be opened to other types of agents, including the Comunitat Valenciana Participation Council.

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

The first phase of the co-creation process consisted of drawing up a map of the agents that implement and support actions and programmes to promote citizen participation, transparency and open government, with the aim of verifying that the invited organisations contribute to a decentralised participation process that takes into account the organisational reality of the agents within the Comunitat Valenciana region.

The criteria for the invitation to participate in this process were:

• Public institutions and administrations
• Citizen organisations
• Civil society

The list compiled and based on these three criteria totalled more than 300 organisations and leading individuals who were sent information on the co-creation process and an invitation to participate in the working groups, consultation and discussion on the platform.

Who participated in these spaces?

The organisations participating in this process were:

• Public institutions and administrations: conselleries (regional ministries), provincial councils and the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces
• Municipal Governance Network.
• Technical staff from the Valencian Alliance for Open Government.
• Citizen organisations.
• Civil society.
• Public universities.
• Leading individuals linked to participation and transparency through agreements and grants.

A total of 44 organisations and 56 people participated in the working groups, 11 people in the open consultation via the platform and 18 public institutions in the region.

How many groups participated in these spaces?

50

How many public-facing meetings were held in the co-creation process?

10

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

Once the document is finalised, a presentation event will be held, to which all the participating organisations and agents will be invited, as a way of concluding the participatory process to co-create the plan, return the participation data and present the Comunitat Valenciana Action Plan for an Open Government PartnershipThe Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on improving government transparency, ensuring opportunities for citizen participation in public matters, and strengthen... More.

This concluding event will review the whole process, with special emphasis on the role played by the public and the administration. A summary video will be shown, summarising the process that has been followed in the different meetings and work sessions.

As already mentioned, an Action Plan Monitoring Group will be set up, comprising people and organisations involved in this process, but which will also be open to other types of agents, with a geographical and sectoral balance, taking into account intersectionality, territoriality, intergenerationality and gender equality. The Comunitat Valenciana Participation Council will also be represented. The organisations and individuals that make up this group will decide on the tasks to be carried out and the frequency of its meetings, with a minimum frequency of quarterly meetings.

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

An agreement was reached with the Spanish Evaluation Society that it would be the body in charge of independently monitoring and evaluating the co-creation process and the results achieved as part of the implementation of the commitments.

The contact person has been kept informed at all times of the co-creation process, being provided from the beginning with the documents generated as well as the calendar of planned meetings and access to the discussion on the GVA Participa platform.

Two representatives from the Spanish Evaluation Society participated in each of the sessions held with the 3 working groups created.

Provide the contact details for the independent monitoring body.

• Daniel Catalá Pérez, President of the Spanish Evaluation Society, socevaluacion@gmail.com

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

In order to discuss the progress made on the commitments and the actions to be taken, monitoring meetings will be held both in person and online, thus encouraging maximum attendance and they will be held with the appropriate frequency. The Conselleria for Participation, Transparency, Cooperation and Democratic Quality will be responsible for convening, publicising and registering these meetings.

The organisations and individuals that make up the Action Plan Monitoring Group mentioned in the previous sections will decide on the tasks to be carried out and the frequency of these meetings, which will be at least quarterly and will be the starting point for subsequent organisation.

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

The Conselleria for Participation, Transparency, Cooperation and Democratic Quality plays an active and leading role in all the commitments included in the Action Plan, and it will therefore be responsible for coordinating a series of regular meetings, both by the Action Plan Monitoring Group and at the interdepartmental level when the activities related to each commitment so require.

All the topics discussed in these meetings and any agreements reached will be published on the GVAParticipa platform, as will a schedule of meetings, the milestones reached and interim evaluations on the progress made towards achieving the commitments.

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

The results relating to the different milestones and actions carried out will be published on three virtual spaces:

• GVAParticipa Platform: https://participem.gva.es/es/open-government-partnership
• GVAOberta Portal: https://gvaoberta.gva.es/es/alianca-govern-obert
• On the space reserved for the Comunitat Valenciana OGP: https://www.opengovpartnership.org/es/members/valencian-community-spain/

Endorsement from Non-Governmental Stakeholders

• 2 representatives, Consell Valencià de la Joventut.
• 1 representative, Open Data Chair, Professorships
• 1 representative, PAGODA Chair in Open Government, Participation and Open Data
• 1 representative, Governance, Transparency and Social Responsibility Observatory
• 1 representative, Valencian Open Data and Transparency Observatory – UPV
• 3 participants, Universitat d’Alacant
• 3 participants, Universitat Jaume I – Castelló
• 1 participant, Universitat de València
• 1 representative, Spanish Foundations Association

Links to GVA relevant documents
Comunitat Valenciana OGP Local Plan de Acción (Esp)
Comunitat Valenciana OGP Local Action Plan (En)
Alianca Govern obert