Peru: aspiring to a more inclusive process

The Peruvian state and the administration of President Ollanta Humala decided to join the OGP in September 2011, thereby reaffirming the President’s priorities of enhancing transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More, fighting corruption, improving accountability and increasing civic engagement. In November 2011, the first meeting was convened by the Department of Foreign Affairs with NGOs and various government agencies, whereupon the Secretary of Public Management of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers was assigned the responsibility of setting up a multisectoral working group to develop the Peruvian 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.... The OGP principle of engaging civil society in the Action Plan process was understood at the outset. According to Mariana Llona, Head of the Secretariat, ‘there was never a differentiated space where government gathered separately from civil society.’ Invitations went out to a range of civil society organisations – labour unions, NGOs and business associations.

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An eight-member public–private working group was established with equal representation from civil society and government. The four NGOs nominated by a broader group were specialist organisations involved in issues of governance, transparency, freedom of information, anti-corruption, development and poverty alleviation. Under the principle of equal participation, ‘we shared the role of rapporteur between the Secretary of Public Management and Proética, the Peruvian chapter of Transparency International, thereby dividing the work of disseminating information and gathering inputs for the action plan,’ says Samuel Rotta of Proética.

From drafting and consulting to finalising

The initial Action Plan drafted by the working group formed the basis of wider consultations, which were held during March 2012. The consultations were divided between the Secretariat – responsible for the state agencies, while Proética and others shared the plan with other broader civil society. The draft Action Plan was also posted on the website of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers at http://www.pcm.gob.pe/InformacionGral/sgp/plan_accion.html and on other government websites. Comments and suggestions were invited. The use of social media (Twitter and Facebook) was restricted largely to techies and activists, with mixed results. ‘We made intensive use of our social media accounts to disseminate the Action Plan and to invite comments during the consultation period. In the end, we didn’t get a massive response,’ says Samuel.

Proética also organised two informational workshops in the capital, Lima, which were attended by 20–30 different CSOs, including environmentalists and those working in 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 ..., health and women’s rights. Meanwhile, the Secretariat organised various forums such as round table meetings with public agencies and workshops, including one specifically for techies. During this period the media was mobilised to raise public awareness and enhance citizen participationAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, citizen participation occurs when “governments seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to m... More. ‘At the end of the process, we received 36 contributions from 33 contributors, nine of whom were citizens, nine were civil society organisations and 15 were public bodies,’ Ana María Tamayo, an Advisor to the Secretariat explains. The international development partner, GIZ, supported the working group with funding for consultants, and helped with the development of indicators and other activities following the release of the Action Plan. Once all inputs had been systemised and discussed by the working group, the final Action Plan was prepared, adopted and finally approved by a ministerial resolution in early April 2012, in readiness for formal submission to the OGP Steering CommitteeThe Steering Committee is OGP’s executive decision-making body. Its role is to develop, promote and safeguard OGP’s values, principles and interests; establish OGP’s core ideas, policies, and ru....

Some reflections

According to Samuel, a key success of the process from civil society’s perspective has been its participation in the working group and the chance to be involved from the very beginning in setting public policy. And while the number of organisations may have been small, their representation has been broad. For government, since its inception the initiative has remained true to the spirit of civil society inclusionOGP participating governments are working to create governments that truly serve all people. Commitments in this area may address persons with disabilities, women and girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, tr... More. ‘There was significant synergy between the state and civil society, which gave impetus to the design process of the Action Plan and the subsequent development of indicators,’ says Ana. Both parties also agree on the shortcomings of the consultation process: time, finances and human resources. These key constraints limited civil society and government inputs and restricted the meetings to Lima. ‘The tight timelines also served as a positive incentive to get things moving fast. However, our communication strategy to spread the word was far from ideal. Peru is a multicultural, multi-ethnic country and we need to develop a friendlier language with which to approach the people – 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 organisations and women’s groups, as well as the local municipalities.’

Looking ahead

In January 2013, a permanent Multisectoral Commission – made up of government agencies, civil society and the private sectorGovernments are working to open private sector practices as well — including through beneficial ownership transparency, open contracting, and regulating environmental standards. Technical specificat... More was created by a Supreme Decree signed by the President, Prime Minister and Chancellor. This new legal entity is responsible for monitoring, evaluating and disseminating the Action Plan. ‘It is important that the OGP Working Group is now institutionalised, and with this comes validation and security,’ says Samuel. The representation of the private sector is considered important – in the form of social entrepreneurs who foster social innovation and attract investment in strategic areas such as education and technology. The media is present among the Commission’s other members, including a much-valued representative of the Council of Peruvian Journalism, an NGO working on issues of press freedom. ‘We need to find ways of making the OGP more appealing by persuading the media to tell real stories, for example of how a person in the Andes is making use of the Access to Information Law,’ suggests Samuel. Demonstrating how policies change the lives of ordinary people remains an on-going challenge.

Open government principles are not new to Peru or Latin America. After years of political and economic crisis, both government and civil society believe the OGP captures the rethinking of transparency and access to information issues that has taken place. The involvement of all organs of civil society remains vital to legitimising the Action Plan. ‘The administration is confident that this initiative could enhance the trust between the state and its citizens,’ says Ana.

Peru by Open Government Partnership