Lucy McTernan reveals what's happening during Open Government Week, and how you can get involved in changing the way government works
Throughout this week, thousands of reformers from government and civil society across the world have been celebrating and showcasing their efforts to promote accountability, transparency and citizen participation.
This year’s Open Government Week is a massive show of global solidarity, with those working to protect and promote democracy holding hundreds of events, discussions, workshops, hackathons, conferences, competitions and launch events, all available to everyone online.
On everything from an open gov approach to recovery from the pandemic, to seeking out beneficial owners of companies, to preserving natural resources to enhancing public services, there is a discussion on how an open approach can bring about better outcomes for citizens.
Financial transparency and citizens’ rights to ‘follow the money’ is of particular interest to me and I’ll be dropping in on a conversation in Portugal, where people are working much as we are here in Scotland in making an open budget portal a reality.
There’s a lot on anti-corruption initiatives, several around open procurement processes, and I know several of my civil society colleagues working at UK level will be accessing those with keen interest.
A big theme of this years’ week has been civic space, not least because of a call to action by this year’s co-chairs of the global partnership, Maria Baron and the Government of South Korea. With a vibrant third sector and wider civil society here in Scotland we might think this is not a major issue for us. But regulation, resources, the ability of people to come together to express themselves and participate, the human rights of assembly and association need protecting and nurturing here in the UK, just as anywhere else.
Open Gov Week has grown from a good idea – Italian I think! – just three years ago to this massive demonstration of the length and breadth of the open government community – reformers in government and in civil society in 78 countries at nation state level and at other levels of governance in 76 local areas, including both Scotland since 2016, and since last year, Glasgow at the city level. We are part of something truly enormous and vibrant and we have so much to learn from our peers throughout the world.
Here in Scotland, we are just about to start work on our third National Action Plan, co-creating commitments that will build on our work to date which has introduced participatory budgeting, linked the national performance framework to the sustainable development goals, and pushed open data agenda. Civil society campaigners have undoubtedly influencing Scottish Government, and forged new alliances with reformers inside government.
Join the Civil Society Steering Group
To support this to happen the Open Government Network’s Civil Society Steering Group is refreshing its committee and is looking for people passionate about changing the way government works to come forward.
As a member of the Civil Society Steering Group, you'll help to lead this work and sit round the table with senior officials and politicians to forge good solutions. You'll bring your ideas and experiences to develop the network and take a key role in co-creating the latest Open Government Action Plan for Scotland.
SCDC is working as a host-secretariat on behalf of the Civil Society Steering Group and Scottish Government who are calling for nominations for the committee from now until 7 June 2021 at 5pm.
To nominate yourself or another civil society colleague, or for more information, simply email info@scdc.org.uk.
