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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

(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…

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…

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…

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…

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.