Plain Language and Open Government – Strategies, Tools, and Methodologies (ARCRR0010)

Commitment ID

ARCRR0010

Commitment Title

Plain Language and Open Government – Strategies, Tools, and Methodologies

Problem

The concept of Open Government, along with its initiatives and public policies on transparency and citizen participation, often fails to achieve significant penetration among the general population. This calls for a reformulation of various aspects of the strategies, tools, and methodologies used to communicate the pillars of Open Government. This is frequently due to the language employed being either outdated or excessively technical, aimed more at experts than at citizens. Open Government language, in particular, is riddled with technical terminology, and given its cross-cutting thematic scope, it is difficult to understand. This problem is further exacerbated when addressing specific age groups, such as children and youth.

Status quo

Currently in Rosario, the various Open Government policies fail to make an impact beyond academic, journalistic, or specialized civil society spaces. Some initiatives have been implemented with relative success—particularly the first Action Plan—but they have not yet reached a significant portion of the population. This issue becomes increasingly complex when considering specific age groups, educational levels, or income brackets, where explanations of the pillars of Open Government that work for some groups do not resonate with others. In addition, there is no methodology for communicating the pillars of Open Government to children and youth. This challenge has already been noted by the Open Government Partnership, which addressed it in its Guide for Open Government Skeptics, highlighting it as an ongoing issue to be resolved.

Action

The commitment pursues the goal of promoting the development of strategies, tools, and methodologies designed to improve and clarify government communication, specifically within the framework of citizen participation and the other pillars of Open Government, with a focus on fostering citizen engagement, particularly among youth. To this end, work will be carried out with experts, according to age group, to define methodologies for communicating the pillars of Open Government. Efforts will also be made to establish Plain Language policies covering various aspects of Open Government and to encourage other municipal areas to consider receiving training on this topic. This clear communicative approach seeks to strengthen the connection between institutions and citizens through transparent and direct language, promoting a more participatory and democratic society.

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

Once implemented, the commitment will enable the improvement of citizen participation tools, enhance knowledge of the Open Government paradigm and its pillars, and enhance public confidence in institutions. Incorporating plain and simple language is essential for Open Government, as it facilitates the understanding of public information and promotes citizen participation. Clear and accessible language allows all citizens, regardless of their educational background or literacy skills, to comprehend policies, laws, and government services, thereby fostering greater transparency and collaboration between government and society. Furthermore, the initiative will seek to design methodologies to disseminate this topic among youth, establishing collaborative networks with civil society organizations, conducting awareness and visibility campaigns, and evaluating communication processes as well as reviewing policies that may benefit from improvement.

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

This commitment is related to the Open Government Strategic Vision, which continues Rosario's rich history of Citizen Participation, where we focus on deepening engagement with the citizens of Rosario, accelerating digital transformation processes, and deepening the development of public policies based on data and evidence. To deepen and renew these policies, it is essential that all city residents be reached by them. To do so, we must strengthen communication and understanding of the pillars we work on. Furthermore, this commitment seeks to complement Strategic Objective 1 of the OGP 2023-2028 Strategy, which aims to foster a broader, more engaged, and interconnected community of open government reformers, activists, and leaders; protect and expand civic space; be a hub for innovators, evidence, and stories of open government; and, above all, promote collective action.

Primary Policy Area

Civic Space, Inclusion, Right to Information

Primary Sector

Cross-sectoral, Other/NA

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?