An Intercountry Survey of Participatory Practices Used for Open Government Partnership National Action Plan Development

Abstract

This paper maps the participatory process applied during the development of open government commitments by twenty-nine Open Government Partnership countries. It investigates the role and perceived value of e-participation practices and their relationship to inclusive interaction with stakeholders. The insights of the paper on the perceived value of the tools and methods used and the main impediments to the open government commitment creation process may help governments more effectively design their public participation efforts and increase the level of civic engagement in policy making. Although the results of this analysis derive from activities related to open government reforms, they may also be applicable to introducing participatory public policy formulation approaches in a broader range of policy domains.