FINAL CALL FOR IDEAS FOR GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY PLAN
FINAL CALL FOR IDEAS FOR GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY PLAN
- Civil society, academia, businesses, and the public have until 5pm on 25 May to share ideas.
- Public input shapes the next plan for transparency, accountability and participation in government.
- Leaders urge people to get involved.
Civil society leaders are urging people and organisations to shape the seventh National Action Plan for Open Government, arguing public involvement is essential to rebuilding trust.
It follows a Cabinet Office Call for Evidence inviting 250-word submissions on how the government can improve transparency, accountability and public participation. Responses must be submitted by 5 pm on 25 May.
Ideas taken forward in previous National Action Plans have helped:
- improve value for taxpayers by increasing transparency, competition and scrutiny over how public money is spent;
- make the government’s use of algorithms more transparent, so people can better understand and challenge decisions that affect their lives; and
- make company ownership more transparent, helping crack down on dirty money and hidden ownership, and supporting the wider response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Kevin Keith, Chair of the UK Open Government Network, which coordinates civil society participation in the plan, said: “Open government is the difference between a government doing things to people and a government doing things with people. The case for it has never been clearer.”
“From disinformation that has fuelled riots to foreign interference in elections, from AI reshaping public services without meaningful transparency to corruption costing taxpayers millions – these are not abstract problems. They are visible on our streets and in our politics, and they will not be solved behind closed doors.”
The Call for Evidence is open to anyone – including charities, academia, business, community groups and members of the public – and forms the first stage in developing the plan. Respondents do not need to be policy experts but are being encouraged to think about: what the problem or opportunity is, why it matters, what could be done, and whether it is feasible.
All submissions will be assessed, with similar ideas potentially grouped together.
Respondents will be informed about which ideas move to the next stage. From there, civil society and government work together to turn them into policy commitments for the plan.
The Call for Evidence comes as the UK prepares to lead the 70+ country Open Government Partnership from October. As a founding member of the 15-year-old global initiative, the UK’s leadership heightens the importance of the domestic plan.
Dr Susan Hawley, Co-Chair of the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition and Executive Director of Spotlight on Corruption, said: “We have seen how strong UK leadership drives change overseas. Over 50 governments have adopted open contracting and over 100 countries have committed to beneficial ownership reform, both of which originated here and are now fighting corruption, driving innovation, and improving value for money around the world.”
The National Action Plan process is UK-wide and links with the new Civil Society Covenant, which sets out how government and civil society work together.
A guide to submitting ideas to the Call for Evidence is available at www.opengovernment.org.uk.
ENDS