For over a decade of Open Government Partnership (OGP) in the Philippines, we have successfully implemented commitments responding to various social and governance issues at the local and national levels. This year, the PH-OGP will be ushering the 6th action plan cycle. The process will be guided by the PH-OGP Participation and Co-Creation Framework drafted in accordance to the global standards set forth by OGP and through the wealth of experience from successfully co-creating and implementing five (5) Action Plans.
The PH-OGP Participation and Co-Creation Framework encapsulates a hybrid of best practices and international benchmarks with guidance notes on carrying out the process during the pandemic. The framework is designed to ensure that the next National Action Plan (NAP) shall be formulated from the ground-up to directly respond and benefit the public by enabling a more extensive feedback mechanism in consulting its stakeholders across regions and sectors. Its commitments will reflect the priorities of the government and the most pressing concerns on the ground. Apart from this, the framework will enforce strengthened accountability for recurring commitments and utilize a more comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system for the implementation of its commitments.
The PH-OGP will explore new focus areas such as environmental concerns, public health and safety, and intensified efforts on fiscal transparency as the country transitions towards the implementation of the Mandanas-Garcia Case Supreme Court Ruling. It shall also take stock of the results of the dialogues and consultations conducted through the Dagyaw Open Government Town Hall Meetings.
Consultation mechanisms have evolved because of the pandemic where a highly innovative approach is considered in conducting meetings and workshops with stakeholders from across regions. This is to address concerns on the limitation of mobility through the use of online methodologies. The consultations have taken advantage of the use of virtual platforms for an increased and widened coverage through simultaneous consultations.
Apart from its key stakeholders in the government and non-government, inputs from development partners, sector groups, and other think tank groups shall also be considered in refining the commitment selection.
This year, the OGP has released the latest Co-Creation and Participation Standard[1] intended to support collaboration of various stakeholders throughout the stages of the OGP action plan cycle. It reiterates the previous criteria into a more inclusive set of standards which permits greater flexibility designed to be applied in various circumstances across open governance contexts. According to the publication posted in the OGP website, the Standards was issued to: (i) provide space and mechanisms for ongoing dialogue all throughout the action plan cycle, (ii) promote shared responsibility for action plan development and implementation between government and civil society, (iii) encourage ambition and innovation by OGP members in the development of their action plan, (iv) ensure a clear understanding of the minimum requirements expected of all OGP members in terms of participation and co-creation, and (v) facilitate assessment of compliance with the Standards for greater accountability and learning.
The OGP summarized the enhanced standards as follows:
- Standard 1: Establishing a space for ongoing dialogue and collaboration between government, civil society, and non-government stakeholders.
- Standard 2: Providing open, accessible, and timely information about activities and progress within a member’s participation in OGP.
- Standard 3: Providing inclusive and informed opportunities for public participation during co-creation of the action plan.
- Standard 4: Providing a reasoned response and ensuring ongoing dialogue between government and civil society and non-governmental stakeholders as appropriate during co-creation of the action plan.
- Standard 5: Providing inclusive and informed opportunities for on-going dialogue and collaboration during implementation and monitoring of the action plan.
These standards shall be carefully incorporated in finalizing and refining the PH-OGP 6th NAP Co-creation and Participation Framework. The framework and its timelines shall be approved by the PH-OGP Steering Committee and shall be published in the PH-OGP Website (ogp.dbm.gov.ph) as soon as available for public reference.
[1] OGP Participation and Co-Creation Standards (opengovpartnership.org)
