Establish Permanent Participation Mechanisms (CIOUE0002)

Commitment ID

CIOUE0002

Commitment Title

Establish Permanent Participation Mechanisms

Problem

The commitment aims to address the problem of weak citizen involvement in local decision-making, which results in sometimes inadequate allocation of public resources, poorly reflected community priorities, and a lack of trust in elected officials.
The absence of continuous consultation structures prevents youth, women, and marginalized groups from contributing effectively to budgetary choices and local development projects.
This participation deficit limits the effectiveness, equity, and relevance of municipal policies and slows the consolidation of transparent, inclusive, and accountable local governance.
The establishment of forums, workshops, decentralized consultations, and the radio program “Citizen Call” will help address these shortcomings and strengthen citizen ownership of public decision-making.

Status quo

Describe the current state of the policy issue at the start of an action plan.
(for example: 26% of complaints of judicial corruption are currently not processed.)
Maximum 1,000 characters

At the beginning of the OGP 2025–2027 Action Plan, citizen participation in the municipality of Ouellé remains limited and unevenly distributed.
Although occasional consultations have been organized, most villages and settlements still do not have access to structured mechanisms for dialogue with elected officials.
The voices of young people, women, and marginalized groups are often poorly taken into account, which leads to an allocation of resources and local priorities that can be disconnected from the real needs of the population.
Budget and development decisions are largely centralized at the Municipal Council level, reducing transparency and accountability of elected officials.
The absence of permanent, decentralized, and inclusive participation tools limits citizen ownership of municipal projects and hinders the consolidation of open, participatory, and responsible local governance.
→ Only 1% of the population gives an opinion on the preparation and execution of the budget.

Action

This commitment involves establishing a continuous and structured citizen consultation system, including community forums, participatory workshops, decentralized budget consultations, and the use of the municipal radio program “Citizen Call” to collect and integrate citizens’ views into all stages of planning, implementing, and evaluating local policies.
Expected results include: increased and regular citizen participation — especially among young people, women, and marginalized groups — better alignment of local priorities with actual needs, and strengthened transparency, accountability, and legitimacy of municipal decisions.
Overall objective: to ensure inclusive and participatory local governance, where every citizen can influence the selection and monitoring of municipal projects.

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

The commitment “Establish permanent participation mechanisms” will help address the problem of weak citizen engagement in local decision-making by creating regular and accessible spaces for dialogue between elected officials and communities. Citizens — particularly youth, women, and marginalized groups — will be able to express their needs, prioritize actions, and monitor the implementation of municipal projects.
Expected outputs include: community forums and participatory workshops, decentralized budget consultations, broadcasts and audience interaction through the “Citizen Call” municipal radio program, and summary reports on citizen contributions.
Expected results include: increased and continuous citizen participation, better alignment of local policies with real needs, enhanced transparency, and more inclusive, legitimate, and accountable local governance.

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

The commitment “Establish permanent participation mechanisms” is directly linked to the long-term objective of the Commune of Ouellé’s strategic vision for open government, which aims to build inclusive, participatory, and transparent local governance. By enabling citizens — particularly youth, women, and marginalized groups — to regularly contribute to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of local policies, this commitment promotes the co-creation of public decisions, strengthens the accountability of elected officials, and reinforces trust between the municipal administration and the population. It supports the municipality’s ambition to become a model of open government by 2035.

Primary Policy Area

Civic Space, Inclusion

Primary Sector

Justice, Land & Spatial Planning

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?