Open Government Partnership Global Summit 2018

OGP is fundamentally about action. Every participating government - local or national - has to work with civil society to produce an open government action plan, outlining a program of reform for two years through specific, time-bound commitments. Given the focus on action, delivering real impact in the lives of citizens depends on the successful implementation of transformative reforms.

OGP’s Independent reporting Mechanism notes that over half of OGP commitments are complete or close to completion (55%). While 14% of commitments are potentially transformative, only 7% are implemented. In other words, there is much more room to fully realize the transformative potential of open government reforms if commitments are successfully implemented. The IRM cited the lack of financial support, technical assistance, and government ownership as key constraints that prevent commitments from being completed.

To address this gap, OGP is evolving its strategy with a greater emphasis on support for implementation. By targeting barriers to implementation--by securing financial support for reforms on the ground, strengthening partnerships with organizations that provide technical expertise in priority thematic areas, and building the capacity of local actors through enhanced country support programs--OGP has an opportunity to move the needle on impact. Donors and multilateral institutions have a crucial role to play here. Given their resources, convening power, and technical expertise, they are uniquely positioned to support the implementation of transformative open government reforms.

This panel will focus on what donors are doing and can do to make sure that open government reforms are implemented. This session will ask donors working in different areas of open government on what can be done to close the implementation gap--i.e. unpack their priorities, challenges, opportunities, and how results can be achieved based on their considerable experience. Panelists will be asked to showcase examples of their programs to illustrate how their organizations are supporting and advancing the ambition and implementation of reforms on the ground.