OGP National Handbook – Rules and Guidance for Participants (2022)

Version 5.0 (Formerly OGP POC Manual) – Updated February 2022

The OGP National Handbook was designed to help reformers in government and civil society navigate the OGP process. It includes guidance, examples, best practices, templates, and information on 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 all the key moments in a country’s participation in OGP.

All content has been updated to reflect the new 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... which were designed to ensure that the rules are light touch and flexible, and lead to greater 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... ambitionAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, OGP commitments should “stretch government practice beyond its current baseline with respect to key areas of open government.” Ambition captures the po..., inclusionOGP participating governments are working to create governments that truly serve all people. This includes many historically oppressed groups such as persons with disabilities, women, lesbian, gay, bi..., and relevanceAccording to the OGP Articles of Governance, OGP commitments should include a clear open government lens. Specifically, they should advance at least one of the OGP values: transparency, citizen partic.... Ultimately, the intent is to equip reformers with better guidance on how to use OGP to respond to their country’s most pressing societal challenges.

This handbook consists of seven parts

• Section 1 discusses the roles and responsibilities of key actors in the open government process. 
• Section 2 details the requirements in co-creation.
• Section 3 outlines action plan rules and required templates in co-creation.
• Section 4 focuses on implementation of the action plan.
• Section 5 describes accountability processes and information provision.
• Section 6 provides guidance on other actors in open government beyond the executive department, more specifically the judiciaryWhile a majority of open government reforms occur within the executive branch, OGP members are increasingly taking on commitments to increase the openness of the judicial branch. Technical specificati... and local governments.
• Section 7 provides the minimum participation requirements and guidance for when countries are considered acting contrary to process.