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OGP Local Application Process (2022)

The 2022 Call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) to join OGP Local has ended.

Expression of Interest (EOI)

The EOI must be submitted by a government official following the below criteria. It is important to note that the EOI has to be supported by at least one non-governmental stakeholder. It is expected that government and non-governmental stakeholders coordinate regarding the application prior to submission.

Please ensure to submit only one EOI for your jurisdiction by coordinating with all interested stakeholders, including government departments, local councils/parliaments, autonomous agencies and non-governmental stakeholders. It is recommended that all relevant stakeholders and departments within government are consulted, including the department of external relations.

The expressions of interest will seek information on the following criteria for assessment:

  • Reasons for joining OGP Local and ambition of future directions of open government action (relative to the starting point or maturity of the agenda in the applicant’s context).
  • Track record on open government or co-creation with non-governmental stakeholders (at least one open government related reform or successful example of public policy co-creation in the past 3 years should be provided). This could include participation in national open government initiatives.
  • Capacity and resources for co-creation and implementation, including identified staff in government and non-governmental stakeholders.
  • Clarity of the benefits for the local jurisdiction in joining OGP.
  • Potential contributions to the OGP Local community of practice.

Letters of Support

The Expression of Interest must include one letter of support from the head of the jurisdiction (or senior official with delegated authority) and at least one from a non-governmental organization supporting the application. The letters must demonstrate their respective support for the application of their jurisdiction and must express their commitment to:

  • Meeting OGP values as written in the OGP Declaration;
  • Carry out the co-creation process;
  • Monitoring and learning of their action plan; and
  • Contribute to the global OGP Local community through peer learning, regional and global events, peer support and political leadership.

Guidance and sample letters of support are available here.

The OGP Support Unit reserves the right to ask for more additional information based on the submitted application information.

Selection Process

Once all applications have been submitted, they will be assessed for completeness and meeting the minimum criteria. Following the initial assessment, the applications will be subject to a due diligence process to determine if any of the applicants might pose reputational risk for OGP. All applications that pass the due diligence process will be assessed by a Selection Committee (SC) who will determine the final list of new members to OGP Local.

The Selection Committee (SC) will evaluate and assign scores to all eligible applications according to the criteria elements (reasons for joining, ambition, track record, capacity, clarity of benefits, and potential contributions). However, scores will not be the only deciding factor for final selection. Cohort balancing, regional diversity, due diligence and cohort fit will also be considered.

While an intake of up to 50 members is currently envisaged, there will be a 10-15% margin for acceptance if there are a few candidates who meet criteria but lose out due to cohort balancing considerations.

Selected new members will be informed by mid-May 2022 .

Cohort Diversity Considerations

Selection will include balancing: regions, urban/non-urban mix, size and type of local government, and level of economic development. Cohort fit will also be assessed in terms of common thematic interest areas and scope for peer learning and support, or potential for innovation. In case there are multiple shortlisted applications from the same country, the views of the national point of contact (POCs) and multi-stakeholder forum (MSFs) will be sought on which Locals might have the maximum potential to have a demonstration and inspiration effect on their peers.

Opportunities for all applicants

Locals that are not in the final list to join the 2022 cohort, will be explicitly invited to participate in the knowledge and learning activities, online discussions, and overall activities of OGP Local. The OGP Support Unit will also initiate conversations with the applicants and the national POCs and MSFs on exploring how interested Locals might be engaged in the national OGP process.

All applications will be made available online and OGP will communicate how the final cohort was selected at the conclusion of the process.

Open Government Partnership