12th July 2024 – OGN Letters
The Rt Hon. Keir Starmer MP Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party Sent by email 9th July 2024 Dear Prime Minister Re: Open government can rebuild trust, support reforms, and drive efficiency. Our heartfelt congratulations on your appointment as Prime Minister. Your leadership comes at a pivotal time. We, as civil society…
19th October 2022 – OGN Letters
The below letter was co-created by civil society at two workshops in October in light of the UK government failing to meet OGP criteria when developing a National Action Plan (NAP) for a third successive time. Thanks to all of those who contributed. A PDF of the letter emailed is available to download here. To:…
25th August 2022 – OGN Letters
Dear Minister Re: OGP Independent Reporting Mechanism and potential ‘inactive’ status I am writing on behalf of the UK Open Government Network (UK OGN) committee to flag some activity over the coming days and weeks. OGP Independent Reporting Mechanism It was disappointing although maybe not surprising to read that the UK had failed to meet…
24th August 2022 – Govt Letters
Dear Minister Re: OGP Independent Reporting Mechanism and potential ‘inactive’ status I am writing on behalf of the UK Open Government Network (UK OGN) committee to flag some activity over the coming days and weeks. OGP Independent Reporting Mechanism It was disappointing although maybe not surprising to read that the UK had failed to meet…
1st August 2022 – Govt Letters
Dear Kevin, Re: Request for support / Open Government Multistakeholder Forum, 22nd June 2022 It was a pleasure to meet you last month and to co-chair the Open Government Multistakeholder Forum. As you rightly outline in your email, these are important issues and I’m pleased to note the good progress being made around commitments in…
15th July 2022 – OGN Letters
Dear Minister Re: Request for support / Open Government Multistakeholder Forum, 22nd June 2022 I am writing to thank you for co-chairing the Multistakeholder Forum (MSF) relating to the fifth UK National Action Plan (NAP) for Open Government, to update on subsequent progress, and to share concerns about a continuing failure to engage on a…
14th March 2021 – Govt Letters
5 March 2021 Dear UK Open Government Civil Society Network members, Thank you for your letter of March 2nd, calling on the United Kingdom to reclaim its place as a global leader in openness and democracy. I am responding to your letter in my capacity as Parliamentary Secretary of the Cabinet Office, responsible for the…
3rd March 2021 – OGN Letters
Julia Lopez MP Parliamentary Secretary Cabinet Office 70 Whitehall London SW1A 2AS March 2021 Dear Minister, Let’s take back our place as a global leader in open government. The Open Government Network (OGN) is a broad coalition of people and organisations who wish to see the United Kingdom regain our position as a global leader…
17th October 2019 – Other Resources
Written By Antje Otto In Northern Ireland, the Department for Communities sets out the vision and statutory guidance of community planning. The outcome of community planning is “to deliver more effective local democracy”. This is to be achieved through a process which places “the need of all citizens at the core” (2015)., Consequently, only the…
29th May 2019 – OGN Publications
The UK has been one of the leading participant countries in the Open Government Partnership (OGP) since it was launched in 2011. As first co-chair of the OGP, the UK secured the initiative’s foundations and helped broaden its reach far beyond the original eight founding members to over 50 participating countries. The commitments in previous…
28th May 2019 – National Action Plan
Our commitments to being an open and collaborative government are outlined in our contribution to the 5th UK Open Government National Action Plan. Introduction This document sets out the Welsh Government Open Government commitments we will deliver over the next two years so that government is more open and responsive to citizens, accountable and collaborative.…
28th May 2019 – National Action Plan
Contents Introduction Commitment 1: Transparency in Government Contracting Commitment 2: Access to Government Land and Property Data –making available data relating to Government Land and Property assets Commitment 3: Open Data –Increase the number and quality of open datasets released Commitment 4: Improved Transparency and Public Accountability Commitment 5: Citizen Participation and Open Policy Making…
28th May 2019 – National Action Plan
Updated 12 June 2019 Ministerial foreword Introduction Summary of commitments Commitment 1: Grants data Commitment 2: Public participation Commitment 3: Open policy making Commitment 4: Open contracting data Commitment 5: Natural resource transparency Commitment 6: Innovation in democracy programme Commitment 7: Effective knowledge sharing for sustainable OG policies and practices across public services in the…
28th May 2019 – National Action Plan
Scotland’s Second National Action Plan as a member of the Open Government Partnership December 2018 This is a text-only version of the Action Plan. You can access the latest version of the plan, here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-open-government-action-plan-2018-20/ Summary Today we are sharing Scotland’s Second Action Plan on Open Government. This has been produced in partnership by the…
27th May 2019 – Govt Letters
You can download a copy of the letter here (.pdf 191kb) TO2019/05027/DC 27 May 2019 Andreas Pavlou UK Open Government Network Involve 18 Victoria Park Square London E2 9PF Dear Mr Pavlou Thank you for your letter dated May 1 regarding the ongoing delay to the launch of the UK’s fourth National Action Plan for…
1st May 2019 – OGN Letters
C/O Andreas Pavlou UK Open Government Network Involve 18 Victoria Park Square London E2 9PF Margot James MP Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries 100 Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ 1 May 2019 Dear Margot James MP Ongoing delay to finalising the UK Open Government Action Plan We write to you on…
11th March 2019 – Govt Letters
You can download a copy of the letter here (.pdf 190kb) TO2019/02339/DC 11 March 2019 UK Open Government Network Involve 18 Victoria Park Square London E3 9PF Dear Mr Pavlou Delay to finalising the UK Open Government Action Plan Thank you for your letter dated February 11 regarding the delay to the launch of the…
10th March 2019 – OGN Publications
In January 2019, the Information Commissioner’s Office laid a report before Parliament about extending the scope of the Freedom of Information Act. This work is part of their new emerging strategy for access to information rights in the UK that they are currently consulting on. The link to the draft strategy is here: Openness by…
12th February 2019 – OGN Letters
C/O Andreas Pavlou UK Open Government Network Involve 18 Victoria Park Square London E3 9PF Margot James MP Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries 100 Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ 11 February 2019 Dear Margot James MP Delay to finalising the UK Open Government Action Plan We write to you on the behalf…
13th December 2018 – Project reports
After putting out a call for applicants for equalities engagement projects around Open Government, the Well-being Goals and the Global Goals, Interlink RCT, Diverse Cymru and Youth Cymru were successful and ran their projects between Oct 2017 and June 2018. This is a summary of their final reports along with reflections to help better understand…
30th November 2018 – Govt Letters
Download the letter via this link (pdf) 26 November 2018 Dear Open Government Network, Re: COMMITMENT TO OPEN JUSTICE IN THE OPEN GOVERNMENT NATIONAL ACTION PLAN (NAP) (2018-2020) The concept of Open government is more important now than ever. In a time of international upheaval, transparency and accountability helps to build and maintain citizens’ trust…
30th November 2018 – Project reports
On 24th November, the NI Open Government Network invited activists from across Northern Ireland to give their views on whether community planning is working and to discuss how local democracy might be improved. This workshop provided a forum for engaged citizens to give their views on community planning in Northern Ireland, given the original vision…
30th November 2018 – Other Resources
Better Retail Better World is mobilising the retail industry to meet some of the biggest global challenges of the coming decades. Using the widely recognised United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a framework, clear, transparent and measurable Goals developed with businesses and campaigners are at the heart of the initiative. The initiative addresses five of…
10th October 2018 – Other Resources
On 27th September the Open Government Cymru network held a webinar on participatory budgeting. The webinar heard from four amazing speakers from Scotland, Portugal, Northern Ireland and Wales, who have all worked collaboratively with their local communities, local authorities and governments to help develop and deliver participatory budgeting (PB) projects that demonstrate the positive impact…
4th October 2018 – OGN Publications
This is a copy of the UK Open Government Civil Society Network response to the public consultation on the draft Open Government National Action Plan 2018-20. You can download a copy here: .PDF / .ODT October 2018 The document outlines the UK Open Government Civil Society Network (OGN) response to the public consultation on the…
1st August 2018 – Other Resources
The August 2018 issue of the NIOGN e-Bulletin can be viewed here…
9th July 2018 – OGN Letters
The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 100 Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ 9 July 2018 Dear The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Ministerial engagement on open government We write to you on the behalf of the UK Open Government Civil Society Network to express our serious…
1st June 2018 – OGN Publications
Contents 1. Introduction 2. Commitment areas 2a. Follow the money in government 2b. Law, participation and policy 2c. Strengthening accountability and anti-corruption efforts 2d. Building open data infrastructure for action 3. Annex 4. Endnotes 1. Introduction The UK is set to produce its fourth Open Government Action Plan that will run from mid-2018 to mid-2020,…
30th May 2018 – OGN Publications
May 2018 01. Coordinator Summary This report provides the financial and activity report of the Open Government Network Coordinator from January 2017 to February 2018 The past year has financial support from two sources – the Potter Foundation and the Big Lottery Fund (BLF). Both sources of funding end in 2018, meaning there is a…
23rd May 2018 – OGN Publications
(Interim) Terms of Reference Purpose True partnership between Government and Civil Society is vital to achieving collaborative open government reform. The NAP4 Multi-stakeholder forum will ensure civil society and citizens are actively engaged in the creation, implementation and monitoring of the UK’s fourth National Action Plan. Objectives To maximise participation and cooperation between government and…
3rd May 2018 – OGN Publications
45. Regular transparency data for ambassador meetings There are occassionally reports of UK officials lobbying on behalf of UK companies in developing countries, in ways that appear to work against the interests of people in those countries, for example https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/sep/09/british-diplomat-lobbied-big-tobacco-bat-bangladesh-unpaid-vat. These may be the same people that the UK is trying to assist through its…
17th April 2018 – Other Resources
The April 2018 issue of the NIOGN e-Bulletin can be viewed here…
11th April 2018 – Official OGP Documents
Update of progress on 2016-18 Open Government Action Plan commitments prepared by the UK Government. Commitment 1: Beneficial ownership The Government has published a response to last year’s call for evidence, on proposals for a new beneficial ownership register of overseas companies which own or buy UK property or participate in UK government procurement. Officials…
9th April 2018 – OGN Letters
Following last week’s announcement that data policy and governance was transferred to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the UK Open Government Network has written to The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. You can read the text of the letter below, or download a…
26th February 2018 – OGN Letters
A letter was sent to Minister Oliver Dowden on 15th February to congratulate the government’s progress with implementing Commitment 6 of the 2016-18 National Action Plan on collecting and publishing more granular data on grantmaking in line with the 360Giving Standard. The letter on behalf of the Open Government Network was co-signed by 360Giving, NCVO…
16th February 2018 – Other Resources
The February 2018 issue of the NIOGN e-Bulletin can be viewed here…
24th January 2018 – Other Resources
By David McBurney If an Executive cannot be restored, what options exist for restoring accountability and democracy in Northern Ireland? Are any of these models useful now or is a fresh approach required? Consociation – “the cooperation of different, especially antagonistic, social groups on the basis of shared power” – is difficult to achieve for…
24th January 2018 – Other Resources
By David McBurney To view the presentation slides, please click here…
5th December 2017 – Official OGP Documents
Commitment 1: Beneficial ownership The government has met the first milestone under this commitment by consulting, through a call for evidence, on proposals for a new beneficial ownership register of overseas companies which own or buy UK property or participate in UK government procurement. This concluded in May 2017. The responses to the call for…
22nd August 2017 – OGN Letters
Caroline Nokes MP Parliamentary Secretary and Minister for Government Resilience and Efficiency 70 Whitehall London SW1A 2AS 22 August 2017 Dear Caroline Nokes MP, Commitment to open government We write on the behalf of the UK Open Government Civil Society Network to congratulate you on your appointment as Minister for Government Resilience and Efficiency and…
3rd August 2017 – Official OGP Documents
Update of progress on 2016-18 Open Government Action Plan commitments prepared by the UK Government. Commitment 1: Beneficial ownership The government has met the first milestone under this commitment by consulting, through a call for evidence, on proposals for a new beneficial ownership register of overseas companies that own UK property or participate in UK government…
2nd August 2017 – Official OGP Documents
Update of progress on 2016-18 Open Government Action Plan commitments prepared by the UK Government. Commitment 1: Beneficial ownership The government has met the first milestone under this commitment by consulting, through a call for evidence, on proposals for a new beneficial ownership register of overseas companies that own UK property or participate in UK…
17th July 2017 – OGN Publications
The Northern Ireland Open Government Network (the OGN) has been one of the key initiatives of the Building Change Trust Creative Space for Civic Thinking programme. The Network links to wider open government initiatives through the UK and Ireland Open Government Action Plans. The OGN was established in November 2014 to provide a regional focus…
28th June 2017 – Other Resources
The June 2017 issue of the NIOGN e-Bulletin can be viewed here.
21st June 2017 – Other Resources
Graham Long from Newcastle University discusses the UK implementation process for the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the role of citizen participation. See Graham’s co-authored report on the 2030 Agenda here. This webinar is the second in a series from the UK-wide Open Government Pioneers Project. For those who missed it, our first webinar is…
19th June 2017 – Other Resources
19th June 2017 – Other Resources
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are central to the United Nations’ 2030 agenda for sustainable Development. The 17 SDGs and 169 related targets take as their starting point that “eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.” A key aspect…
25th May 2017 – OGN Publications
Ahead of the General Election on 8th June 2017, the Chairperson of the NI Open Government Network, Colm Burns wrote to the main political parties asking them to commit to open government principles of transparency, participation and accountability.
24th May 2017 – Other Resources
11th May 2017 – Other Resources
This webinar is the first in a series from the UK-wide Open Government Pioneers Project. Craig Matasick from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) delivers a comprehensive and insightful webinar on the instrumental value of Open Government principles in implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
9th May 2017 – Other Resources
Open Policy-making: A new era for citizen engagement in NI The Northern Ireland Executive committed in November 2016 to pilot an open-policy making process as part of their participation in the Open Government Partnership. As part of Democracy Day at the MAC, a session hosted by the NI Open Government Network explored what open policy…
9th May 2017 – Other Resources
Open Policy-making: A new era for citizen engagement in NI The Northern Ireland Executive committed in November 2016 to pilot an open-policy making process as part of their participation in the Open Government Partnership. As part of Democracy Day at the MAC, a session hosted by the NI Open Government Network explored what open policy…
9th May 2017 – Other Resources
Open Policy-making: A new era for citizen engagement in NI The Northern Ireland Executive committed in November 2016 to pilot an open-policy making process as part of their participation in the Open Government Partnership. As part of Democracy Day at the MAC, a session hosted by the NI Open Government Network explored what open policy…
4th May 2017 – OGN Publications
Presented here are the application documents sent to the Big Lottery Fund UK by core partners of the Open Government Pioneers UK Project. More up to date and more extensive information is available at the Project Wiki. So the information below is primarily useful if you want to scrutinise the project funding by Big Lottery Fund…
10th April 2017 – Other Resources
The April 2017 issue of the NIOGN e-Bulletin can be viewed here.
6th March 2017 – Other Resources
This is the livestreaming page and video archive for the open government pioneers UK livestreams and webcasts. From February 2018, livestreams and recordings are available from the Opengovpioneers Youtube page Older videos are archived at this link: Open video list in new window
15th February 2017 – OGN Publications
A Common Weal contribution to the Open Government Programme November 2016 Author: Dr Ben Simmons is a writer and campaigner for Open Government and Basic Income in Scotland. This short paper is drawn from Common Weal’s previous policy work, from the citizen participation sessions that we held and from an online consultation process organised via…
13th February 2017 – Official OGP Documents
The table below, produced and updated by the UK Government, keeps track of all statements, policy papers, news stories, events and consultations related to each of the 2016-18 Open Government Action Plan commitments.
13th February 2017 – Official OGP Documents
Update of progress on 2016-18 Open Government Action Plan commitments prepared by the UK Government. Please note, due to the publication of updates in December 2016, we have only changed the language here if significant changes or progress have been made. Commitment 1: Beneficial ownership – The Government remains committed to delivering this policy and…
13th February 2017 – Other Resources
In response to our letter about transparency on political party donations, we received the following response from Michelle O’Neill on behalf of Sinn Féin: “Sinn Féin is committed to ensuring the highest levels of transparency in the funding of political parties whether that is in the form of donations or loans. Our commitment is to…
27th January 2017 – Other Resources
In response to our letter about transparency on political party donations Steven Agnew, leader of the Green Party said: “Openness and transparency are key principles of the Green Party. We have raised this issue numerous times in the past and pledge to continue to do so. Our party is the only party in Northern Ireland who published…
27th January 2017 – Other Resources
In response to our letter on donor transparency, the leader of the Alliance Party Naomi Long sent us the following letter addressed to the Secretary of State, James Brokenshire: “FAO: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Dear James, Thank you for your recent letter seeking the views of the Alliance Party in respect of the…
27th January 2017 – Other Resources
Jim Allister, leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice has responded to our letter on donor transparency, referring to recent correspondence sent to the Secretary of State, James Brokenshire: “I wrote to the Secretary of State on 5th January restating the long standing position of my party that there should be full transparency around donations. TUV…
27th January 2017 – Other Resources
In response to our letter on donor transparency, Mike Nesbitt of the Ulster Unionist Party has sent us a copy of his letter to the Secretary of State, James Brokenshire. He believes the time is now right to introduce transparency:
24th January 2017 – OGN Publications
The NI Open Government has written an open letter to the leaders of the NI Political Parties asking for their commitment to transparency on political party donations. The letter is reproduced below; and the responses we receive will also be published below.
11th January 2017 – Other Resources
Use the Open Government Pioneers Project UK Wiki to engage with the plans to build the capacity of civil society and citizens across the UK to use open government approaches to progress the Sustainable Development Goals. https://opengovpioneers.miraheze.org
20th December 2016 – National Action Plan
1. Introduction Scottish Government and Scottish Civil Society share the values of Open Government which aim to foster openness, transparency and citizen participation. This is Scotland’s first Open Government National Action Plan. It has been developed jointly by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Civil Society Network with the Open Government Partnership (OGP). In April…
20th December 2016 – National Action Plan
Originally published: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commitments-from-the-welsh-government 1. UK Open Government Partnership National Action Plan 2016-18: Commitments from the Welsh Government Commitment 1: Open data plan Commitment 2: Open data service Commitment 3: StatsWales Commitment 4: Administrative Data Research Centre Wales Commitment 5: Government Social Research Publication Protocol Commitment 6: Gov.Wales Commitment 7: Code of Practice for Ethical Employment in Supply…
20th December 2016 – National Action Plan
As part of developing the 2016-18 UK Open Government Action Plan, the UK OGN worked with representatives from the Devolved Administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to bring them into the process. With the support of the OGN, civil society in each of the devolved nations established their own Open Government Networks to engage with…
20th December 2016 – National Action Plan
Originally published: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commitments-from-the-northern-ireland-executive 1. UK Open Government Partnership National Action Plan 2016-18: Commitments from the Northern Ireland Executive Commitment 1: Develop & trial effective open policy-making and public engagement methods Commitment 2: Promote greater levels of public sector innovation Commitment 3: To investigate implementation of the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) in Central Procurement operations Commitment 4:…
19th December 2016 – Official OGP Documents
Update of progress on 2016-18 Open Government Action Plan commitments prepared by the UK Government. Originally published on the Open Government Partnership website. A Word [.docx] version of this update is available here. Commitment 1: Beneficial ownership Commitment We will establish a public register of company beneficial ownership information for foreign companies who already own or…
30th November 2016 – Other Resources
The November 2016 issue of the NIOGN e-Bulletin can be viewed here.
24th October 2016 – Official OGP Documents
The table below, produced and updated by the UK Government, keeps track of all statements, policy papers, news stories, events and consultations related to each of the 2016-18 Open Government Action Plan commitments. Also available: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10e6iEA6DmSfvO1p02UQJZCZf7y93jg2pIeenTA9nHZc/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true
16th October 2016 – Official OGP Documents
The End of Term Self-Assessment, published below, sets out the UK Government’s own assessment of its implementation of the 2013-15 Open Government Action Plan. An independent assessment, developed by the OGP’s Independent Reporting Mechanism, will be published in due course. This table, presented in annex 1 of the report, summarises the government’s assessment of its completion of the 21 commitments.…
4th October 2016 – Other Resources
View John Barry’s presentation on the 29th September 2016 event “Aarhus, TTIP and Environmental Protection post-Brexit” here.
4th October 2016 – Other Resources
View Paddy Woodworth’s presentation on the 29th September 2016 event “Aarhus, TTIP and Environmental Protection post-Brexit” here.
19th September 2016 – OGN Publications
This response was submitted on 16th September 2016 on behalf of the Open Government Network to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s inquiry on the role and effectiveness of ACoBA and Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests. Introduction OGN welcomes the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) inquiry on the role of the Advisory Committee on…
22nd August 2016 – Other Resources
The August 2016 issue of the NIOGN e-Bulletin can be viewed here.
22nd August 2016 – Other Resources
18th August 2016 – OGN Publications
16th August 2016 – OGN Letters
On 10 August 2016, the UK Open Government Network steering group wrote to Ben Gummer, the new Minister for the Cabinet Office, to welcome him to post and set out how the OGN wishes to work with him to progress the open government agenda. Read and download the text of the letter below. UPDATE 21/10/16: The Minister’s response…
26th May 2016 – OGN Publications
This response was submitted on 26th May 2016 by the UK Open Government Network to the government’s consultation on moving Land Registry operations to the private sector The UK Open Government Civil Society Network (OGN) is a coalition of active citizens and civil society organisations committed to making government work better for people through increased transparency,…
12th May 2016 – National Action Plan
UK Open Government National Action Plan 2016-18 Foreword by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General This government is determined to deliver on its manifesto commitment to continue to be the most transparent government in the world. This is an ambitious task – but we are building on a strong base. I am…
14th April 2016 – Other Resources
The April 2016 issue of the NIOGN e-Bulletin can be viewed here.
4th April 2016 – OGN Publications
Submission to the government’s consultation on ‘Enhancing transparency of beneficial ownership information of foreign companies’. All companies that own property or participate in public contracts should disclose as open data who controls and benefits from their business decisions. Corruption thrives under conditions of secrecy. When corrupt individuals and other criminals obtain illicit funds, they seek out ways…
30th March 2016 – OGN Letters
Dear Rt Hon George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer Proposal for HM Treasury commitments to be included in the UK Open Government Partnership National Action Plan We, the undersigned organisations, who are all members of the UK Open Government Civil Society Network, are writing to propose three commitments from HM Treasury for inclusion in…
10th March 2016 – OGN Publications
Extend Freedom of Information to all public contractors: A proposal for the UK’s 2016-18 OGP National Action Plan Introduction The development of the UK’s third Open Government Partnership National Action Plan and the publication of the Commission on Freedom of Information’s findings present a perfect opportunity to consider how the public’s democratic right to information, and…
4th February 2016 – OGN Publications
27th January 2016 – Other Resources
Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2015 is out. The UK improved its score from 2014, moving from 14th place to joint 10th place with Germany and Luxembourg in 2015. Visit the index here: http://www.transparency.org/cpi2015
21st December 2015 – Other Resources
The December 2015 issue of the NIOGN e-Bulletin can be viewed here.
17th December 2015 – Other Resources
17th December 2015 – Other Resources
17th December 2015 – Other Resources
17th December 2015 – Other Resources
17th December 2015 – Other Resources
17th December 2015 – Other Resources
24th November 2015 – OGN Publications
The Northern Ireland Open Government Network made the following submission to the FOI Commission’s Call for Evidence.
20th November 2015 – OGN Publications
This evidence, endorsed by over 100 civil society organisations, was submitted by the UK Open Government Network to the FOI Commission in response to its call for evidence. It argues that: It is not in the interests of the public or good government for policy deliberations to have absolute exemption from FOI. Decisions on whether information…
17th November 2015 – OGN Publications
1st October 2015 – Other Resources
The September 2015 issue of the NIOGN e-Bulletin can be viewed here.
1st October 2015 – OGN Publications
The Open Government Manifesto, based on a ten month project to source the best open government ideas from citizens and civil society across the UK, puts forward key proposals for commitments for the UK’s third OGP National Action Plan. Through a series of workshops around the country and an online platform, 79 ideas were collected between…
24th September 2015 – Official OGP Documents
The Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) produces biannual independent progress reports for each country participating in OGP. The progress reports assess governments on the development and implementation of OGP action plans, progress in fulfilling open government principles, and make technical recommendations for improvements. These reports are intended to stimulate dialogue and promote accountability between member governments…
7th September 2015 – OGN Publications
1. Introduction The UK Open Government Civil Society Network (OGN) is a coalition of individuals and organisations committed to making government work better for people through transparency, participation and accountability. The OGN will actively engage a broad and diverse group of citizens and organisations in advocating more open government in the UK. In accordance with…
14th August 2015 – OGN Letters
Members of the UK Open Government Network have written to Matthew Hancock, Minister for the Cabinet Office, to express concern at recent developments that threaten the Freedom of Information Act. Read and download the letter below. UPDATE 12/10/15: The Minister’s response to this letter can be found here: https://www.opengovernment.org.uk/2015/10/12/matthew-hancock-responds-to-foi-letter/ The Rt Hon Matthew Hancock MP Minister…
18th May 2015 – OGN Publications
The UK Open Government Civil Society Network has produced a briefing for the new Minister for the Cabinet Office in which we set out how we believe this government can lead the open government agenda. As the UK looks to the development of its third Open Government Partnership National Action Plan over the next six months, the leadership of the Minister for…
1st March 2015 – Official OGP Documents
The mid-term self assessment looks at the government’s progress 15 months into the 2013-15 action plan. “Prime Minister David Cameron launched the second UK Open Government Partnership (OGP) National Action Plan (NAP) at the OGP summit in London on 31 October 2013. In doing so he credited the OGP, “a truly exciting institution”, with “helping to drive this transparency…
1st March 2015 – Other Resources
This report by Transparency International UK provides a comprehensive review of the UK’s legal framework for transparency, participation and oversight, as well as an analysis of how the system works in practice. Visit the site >> “Our research finds that the UK’s open governance regime is stronger in practice than in law. The UK government has…
23rd January 2015 – OGN Letters
This week, over seventy members of the UK Open Government Network sent a letter to UK political parties calling on them to commit to open government and the Open Government Partnership. Read the letter below. The letter was sent to: Alliance Party of Northern Ireland Conservative Party Democratic Unionist Party Green Party Labour Labour Liberal…
11th September 2014 – OGN Letters
Members of the UK OGP civil society network sent the following letter to the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, on the subject of charities, politics and civic space. The Rt Hon Francis Maude MP The Cabinet Office 70 Whitehall London SW1A 2AS 10 September 2014 Dear Minister Charities, politics and civic space You have…
3rd February 2014 – OGN Publications
What we did, and what we learnt doing it – reflections by the UK civil society coordinators Download the paper: Story of the UK National Action Plan 2013-15 01. Introduction On 31 October 2013, at the Open Government Partnership Summit, the UK launched its 2013 to 2015 National Action Plan. Over the preceding 12 months, this plan…
13th December 2013 – OGN Letters
With the end of the pause to the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trades Union Administration Bill coming on Monday, members of the UK OGP civil society network have today written an open letter to ministers calling on the Government to redraft Part 1 of the Bill in order to enable proper public scrutiny of…
14th November 2013 – Official OGP Documents
The Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) is a key means by which all stakeholders can track OGP progress in participating countries. The IRM produces biannual independent progress reports for each country participating in OGP. The progress reports assess governments on the development and implementation of OGP action plans, progress in fulfilling open government principles, and make…
31st October 2013 – National Action Plan
1. Foreword by the Minister for Cabinet Office and Paymaster General Transparency and open government are ideas whose time has come. People around the world are demanding much greater openness, democracy and accountability from their governments. Citizens are demanding that the state should be their servant, not their master, and that information that governments hold…
30th October 2013 – Other Resources
The Open Government Guide is a resource for people working to make their governments more transparent, responsive, accountable and effective. It is designed in particular to support the Open Government Partnership (OGP). The guide highlights practical, measurable, specific and actionable steps that governments can, and are taking across a range of cross-cutting and focused areas. The…
8th October 2013 – OGN Letters
Today (8 October 2013), civil society organisations from the UK OGP civil society network sent the following open letter to the Prime Minister calling on him to announce a series of ambitious commitments towards greater openness: Rt Hon David Cameron MP 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA Cc: The Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP…
27th June 2013 – OGN Publications
Today (27 June 2013) sees the publication of the UK’s draft Open Government Action Plan, which has been developed with extensive input from members of this civil society network. The draft plan sets out the case for enhanced transparency, participation and accountability in government, acknowledges the need for the UK to take a lead in pushing…
19th April 2013 – Official OGP Documents
Download: Self assessment: UK National Action Plan 2011-13 [pdf]
15th April 2013 – OGN Publications
The UK OGP civil society network today submitted the following to the Government’s consultation on its self assessment against the UK’s 2011 open government action plan: To whom it concerns, Over the past few months civil society organisations that form part of the UK OGP Civil Society Network have been working with Cabinet Office colleagues…
30th October 2012 – OGN Publications
Introduction On 11 October 2012, the UK Civil Society Network for the Open Government Partnership (OGP) met to discuss civil society priorities for open government. The network is an open and informal collection of organisations working across the breadth of open government at a national and international level. This document summarises our key priorities for…
16th April 2012 – OGN Publications
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations have produced a collaborative analysis of the UK National Action Plan and wider open government policy environment. All countries subscribing to the Open Government Partnership have to submit submit a National Action Plan (NAP) based on the principles of open government that are articulated in the OGP Declaration. Organisations contributing…
14th April 2012 – OGN Letters
Last week UK civil society organisations wrote to the Cabinet Office Minister with responsibility for the UKs Open Government Partnership commitments, Francis Maude, to start building towards more civil society engagement in the UK. A number of these organisations have also been contributing to a more detailed initial analysis of the UKs National Action Plan.…
1st September 2011 – National Action Plan
ENHANCING PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY THROUGH OPEN GOVERNMENT “We want to be the most open and transparent government in the world”, Prime Minister David Cameron (2010) Open Data and Transparency may be the most powerful levers of 21st century public policy. They present multiple opportunities offering benefit to the public sector, individuals, businesses and the UK…