Plain Language: a tool to guarantee simple, fast and effective communication between the State and citizens (ARBA0004)

Commitment ID

ARBA0004

Commitment Title

Plain Language: a tool to guarantee simple, fast and effective communication between the State and citizens.

Problem

Most of the state's work is carried out through the drafting of different texts (regulatory and administrative), in addition to information and content published on government web pages. This wording is characterized by containing complex grammatical structures, with long sentences and technical language that hinder communication between the State and the recipients of public policies. This way of communicating public affairs affects the right to understand and access to public information. For this reason, it is important to achieve clarity in communication to increase trust, inclusion, and democratic legitimacy, and also guarantee the right of access to information in a simple, inclusive, and accessible manner. In turn, it is necessary to strengthen citizen participation and accessibility to procedures, rights, and regulations for neighbors.

Status quo

Plain Language has acquired an important place on the public agenda. In 2020, Law 6367 was enacted, which establishes the obligation to write in plain language all documents issued by organizations that belong to the public sector of the City of Buenos Aires. The Legal and Technical Secretariat (SECLYT) of the Executive Power and the Legislature worked on the drafting of Plain Language Manuals and Guides so that all the technical areas of the government have tools to apply this writing style. To promote the use of plain language, SECLYT designed a curriculum and provided training to government officials and agents through the Higher Career Institute. Likewise, the Articulation and Coordination Table on Access to Public Information and Transparency of the Three Branches of the State, created from a commitment of the 3rd Action Plan, translated the Access to Public Information Law into plain language. However, it’s difficult to implement plain language throughout the Public Administration as a cross-cutting tool to change the way to communicate public affairs. Therefore, it’s important to know the perspective of the organizations to improve the projects.

Action

The commitment aims to strengthen the plain language policy in the City of Buenos Aires. For this, it will seek to a) generate participatory instances with civil society and listen to the demands of citizens; b) train different areas of government on the subject and include it in their agendas; c) disseminate the issue to the public; d) have online access to procedures, regulations or documents in plain language; e) carry out self-assessments in government areas to have proposals for improvement.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

Through the consolidation of spaces for exchange with civil society, the commitment proposes identifying regulations and the most consulted documents and procedures that generate difficulty for citizens with the aim of writing them in plain language. In turn, an interdisciplinary group will be sought to work on the subject and the work carried out will be disseminated through the launch of the Plain Language section on the government and Legislature web pages. Finally, training will be carried out internally, which will strengthen capacities.

What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?

Plain language is the foundation for a more inclusive open government. It is part of a global agenda of transparency, accountability, and access to public information as ways to guarantee citizens' access to public information, the exercise of their rights, and the fulfillment of their obligations.

Primary Policy Area

Inclusion, Right to Information

Primary Sector

Legislature, Public Services (general)

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?