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Open government summit: PR stunt or a chance for real change?

Simon Burall|

It’s easy to be cynical, especially when the UK is rethinking the Freedom of Information Act, but the OGP summit in Mexico can achieve reform

I’m writing this having just got off the plane that took me to the Open Government Partnership summit in Mexico.

It’s never a good sign when the person next to you spots what you are writing and decides to challenge you on how useless democracy is: how money has corrupted democracy, which is just a fig leaf for the most powerful. It’s worse when they find out why you’re on the plane in the first place: an international summit of 2,000 people travelling to Mexico to talk about open government.

It’s easy to be cynical about open government and democracy. The words are used too easily to cover up bad policy decisions, bad policy outcomes and corruption. It’s even easier to be cynical about international summits; 2,000 people travelling to Mexico to talk about open government is, for some (and if I’m honest even a little bit for me), a huge PR open goal.

An essential resource for public leaders, offering news, commentary and access to a range of perspectives and best practice from everyone involved in public services.

But the Open Government Partnership (OGP) is like no other international process I’ve been involved in – and I’ve been involved in more than my fair share.

The Open Government Partnership summit in Mexico City is pushing to make governments more open, participative and accountable. Photograph: Imagebroker/Rex Shutterstock

There are precious few international or national organisations that place government and civil society firmly on a level, with equal power. There are even fewer where governments make joint commitments with civil society to push themselves to be more open, more participative and more accountable. To top it all, these commitments are independently reviewed rather than peer reviewed in the style of mutual back-slapping.

But what really draws me to the OGP is that it focuses on creating a space where reformers inside government and civil society can work together, learn from each other, push and inspire each other, and make deeper, more challenging reforms.

That is certainly the aspect that I felt helped to make the second OGP action plan in the UK more stretching and further reaching and recent reports from the independent review mechanism suggest this perception about the impact of the OGP is real.

I’m not starry eyed about the OGP. How could I be when the UK is reassessing its commitment to freedom of information and the FoI commission looms over our third action plan process like an unwanted guest at a wedding? And there is always the real risk that the summit could descend into fine words but no genuine action.

All the reformers, both inside and outside government, need to keep the focus firmly on learning and action so that we come back home from Mexico with more than the warm glow that results from interesting conversations.

This is an edited version of a blog that first appeared on the network’s website. 

Filed Under: Challenges and Solutions Right to Information
Open Government Partnership