Independent Reporting Mechanism – Action Plan Review

How does it help?

The 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... Review analyzes the action plan’s characteristics to inform a stronger implementation process. It is a technical review of the action plan’s strengths and challenges that provides recommendations on how to achieve effective implementation and results. It identifies and focuses on the most promising commitments and assesses 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.... The Action Plan Review commences just after the action plan is submitted to OGP.

Who is it for?

Action Plan Reviews are for government and civil society reformers implementing commitments. They are also for implementing and funding partners, OGP staff, interested citizens, and the broader open government community. The IRM refers back to Action Plan Reviews at the end of the implementation period for the baseline against which 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 are assessed.

How do we do it?

1. The IRM begins the research process for an Action Plan Review once a country submits an action plan to OGP. The IRM notifies the OGP Point of Contact that research has begun and introduces the IRM researcher assigned to the report.
2. IRM staff work with the researcher to identify the plan’s most promising commitments based on clarity, open government values, and potential results. The researcher also assesses a country’s co-creation practices, particularly compliance with the minimum requirementsAll OGP participating countries are expected to adhere to the Participation and Co-Creation Standards. Each Standard includes clear and measurable minimum requirements that all OGP participating count... of the OGP ‘Participation and Co-Creation StandardsCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders is at the heart of the OGP process. The Participation and Co-Creation Standards are intended to support this collaboration throug....’
3. The IRM researcher conducts desk research and interviews with in-country actors to inform the analysis. The researcher also reviews evidence available on a country’s OGP website/repository.
4. The draft report is reviewed through a multi-step process including IRM staff, OGP colleagues, and an external expert.
5. The draft is then shared with the government and/or 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... for a 21-day pre-publication comment period.
   The IRM incorporates comments as appropriate and provides a general summary to the OGP Point of Contact on how feedback was taken into account.
6. After copy editing and translation to a country’s administrative language, the report is shared online for a 14-day public comment period. The IRM incorporates comments as appropriate and publishes them alongside the final version of the report unless requested otherwise.
7. The final Action Plan Review is published on the OGP website and the link is shared with the OGP Point of Contact.