Local Roundup | December 2023

Here’s our monthly roundup of updates from the OGP Local community for December 2023.

OPEN GOVERNMENT PROCESSES

• Madrid, Spain, initiated the co-creation of its fourth OGP Local action plan, forming a diverse group to drive the process and seeking public input through a public consultation on Decide Madrid. Share your ideas!
• Chihuahua, Mexico, co-created the “Open Data Policy of the Municipal Government of Chihuahua” to enhance accessibility to public information, fostering collaboration, and empowering civic initiatives.
• As part of their OGP Local action plan, Monterrey, Mexico, launched a new Open Gov Committee bringing together municipal departments, civil society organizations, and citizens to gather essential information, and monitor actions combating gender-based violence.
• San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico, worked with its citizens to create a new digital process to report on the delivery of public services, reducing response times by 51% and boosting satisfaction to 84%.
• Bogotá, Colombia, presented the results report of their Open Government Index, providing crucial insights into the adoption and integration of information and communication technology, innovation, and data. Explore the visualization dashboard of the main index results. 
• Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Ecuador, was awarded the first prize in the Democratic Quality category by the Ibero-American Union of Municipalists for their OGP Local action plan.
• Rosario, Argentina, presented the Guide for Good Practices in Citizen Participation, a compilation of experiences and tools from Rosario and around the world.
• The Wassa Amenfi East, Ghana, OGP multi-stakeholder forum reviewed its OGP Local action plan. Also, the Municipal Assembly accounted to its citizens in a Town Hall meeting. 
• Stakeholders in Banggai, Indonesia, evaluated the regency’s OGP action plan, showcasing successes such as their online application to achieve minimum service standards for pregnant women, recognized with the OGP Local Accelerator Award.
• Cartagena, Colombia, highlighted its strides in transparency and the fight against corruption over the past four years, underscoring accomplishments such as establishing the Transparency and Anti-Corruption Advisory Group and joining the Open Government Partnership.

EVENTS

• Valencia, Spain, hosted the XIII Interregional Conference on Citizen Participation to share experiences in public participation between Autonomous Communities. During the opening, the President of the Valencian Community, Carlos Mazón Guixot, reaffirmed the Community’s commitment to OGP Local. Watch the recording here. 
• Madrid, Spain, held the VI Transparency and Open Data Conference. The City Council’s Transparency Portal had 1.7 million page views last year, 73% more than in 2019.
• The Tbilisi City Council, Georgia hosted an event to close the Council of Europe project on “Strengthening Participatory Democracy and Human Rights at the Local Level in Georgia.” 
• This month, Quintana Roo, Mexico, held its Seventh Open Government and Sustainable Development Review. Governor Mara Lezama highlighted its symbolic significance, emphasizing its contribution to combating corruption by incorporating citizen perspectives through a thorough review of commitments.
• The Council of Europe, State Chancellery of the Republic of Moldova, and OGP organized a roundtable in Moldova to engage municipalities in advancing good governance initiatives at the local level.
• Catalonia, Spain, hosted in a forum in Brussels to discuss the coming European legislation on artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting the government’s commitment to foster the digital economy.

DON’T MISS

• Integrity Action released two reports: “Does citizen monitoring improve infrastructure quality?” (Kwale County, Kenya) and “Does citizen monitoring save public money?” (Northern Ghana). Explore key findings and engage in this interactive quiz.
• Apolitical Foundation featured the Secretary of Citizen Participation in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, Ximena Peredo, recognized as a ‘Democratic Innovator of the 21st Century’ at the Athens Democracy Forum.
• Consul Democracy highlighted Glasgow City Council’s citizen engagement initiatives for using Consul Democracy-based platforms . Learn more and find out how other cities are using Consul Democracy’s software. 
• Counterpart has actively supported OGP since 2012, recently collaborating with Yerevan, Armenia, on their award-winning initiative “Green Seal-Green Deal”. 

DEADLINE EXTENDED: The application process to join OGP Local has been extended to January 26, 2024. Access all the relevant information to prepare your application and watch the latest recording of our informational sessions.

If you missed any of the previous roundups, you can now find them here!