Building on the Momentum: Co-creation Insights from Armenia

The creation of the fourth OGP action planAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen... in Armenia coincided with a defining moment in the country. In April-May 2018, nationwide anti-government protests, referred to as the Velvet Revolution, led to drastic changes in the country’s political leadership, giving hope to Armenian people for a better future and more accountable government.

Development of the fourth action plan had already started before the political changes took place; however, the co-creation process gained full speed and renewed vigor in July 2018. Thanks to the support of donors, civil society launched a large scale awareness-raising and consultation. In particular, two CSOs, Freedom of Information Center of Armenia and Armavir Development Center, organized numerous meetings in the capital and the regions to reach out to wider civil society. This represents a significant improvement compared to the previous action plan cycles.

The co-creation processCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders (e.g., citizens, academics, private sector) is at the heart of the OGP process. Participating governments must ensure that a dive... reflected renewed energyEnsuring universal access to sustainable, dependable, and affordable energy is critical to every aspect of prosperity. Increasing public oversight and transparency in the energy sector can help to ens... More in the country brought by the change of government. The general belief in the political will to reform has generated much needed enthusiasm to contribute ideas on how to make the government more responsive to citizens’ needs. For the first time, face-to-face meetings were held with various civil society organizations, media, and citizens in all ten regions of Armenia, and also target groups of civil servants and youthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... More. Opportunity was also provided for online submission of suggestions thus allowing any citizen to suggest their own ideas. Thematic groups involving representatives of government, CSOs, and experts have helped to dive deep into specific issues and develop consensus on the final solutions.

The public crowdsourcing exercise created unprecedented opportunities for wider parts of Armenian society to have a direct say in the formulation of the fourth OGP action plan. However, it also created challenges for the OGP Multi-Stakeholder ForumRegular dialogue between government and civil society is a core element of OGP participation. It builds trust, promotes joint problem-solving, and empowers civil society to influence the design, imple... (MSF), which was in charge of collecting public input and turning them into specific, relevant and meaningful commitments. MSF had to deal with a large number of ideas and proposals, which were not always well developed or relevant to open government. Under the stress of time limitations, it was challenging to thoroughly discuss all the proposals and shape these ideas into OGP relevant commitments. Some proposals required iterative discussions over a longer period of time. This process showed that there is need for a more systematic approach in collecting, deliberating and prioritizing commitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action... proposals, and more importantly – to agree on the mechanism of final decision making.

Despite challenges, the genuine consultation, openness and collaborative approach of public officials paid off to make the action plan more ambitious. Unlike the previous three action plans, the government decided to commit to reforms involving legislative changes, which made it possible to put more ambitionAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, OGP commitments should “stretch government practice beyond its current baseline with respect to key areas of open government.” Ambition captures the po... in the plan. For example, Armenia became one of the handful of countries in OGP who committed to create a publicly accessible register of beneficial ownershipDisclosing beneficial owners — those who ultimately control or profit from a business — is essential for combating corruption, stemming illicit financial flows, and fighting tax evasion. Technical... More, tracking ultimate ownership of mining companies at the piloting stage. The Armenian government also pledged to build a platform for the electronic submission of petitions, which will enable citizens to gather support on issues and launch legislative initiatives. The commitment on educationAccountability within the public education system is key to improving outcomes and attainment, and accountability is nearly impossible without transparent policies and opportunities for participation ... information allows parents to enlist their children in the schools of their preference without additional bureaucratic barriers and corruption risks, as well as report on encountered problems, which will be further tracked by the responsible ministry. Another important commitment is the public accessibility of a land cadaster, which sheds light on land ownership and use purposes, allowing to monitor transactions on land slots owned by communities or changes of land zones, and report on possible violations.   

There is still much room to ensure effective co-creation processes in Armenia. What we can say based on the recent co-creation experience is that major improvements were made and solid ground was set for achieving further success in participatory decision-making and advancing more accountable government.