Open and inclusive policy making: an OECD update

Transcription

1 Open and inclusive policy making: an OECD update Jon BLONDAL Multi-country Study Mission on Public Governance Seoul, Korea, October 2008

2 Agenda Open and inclusive policy making Why? OECD Guiding Principles for Open and Inclusive Policy Making How have OECD countries applied the OECD Guiding Principles Concluding thoughts about implications of open and inclusive policy-making

3 Working definition Open and inclusive policy making is transparent, accessible and responsive to as wide a range of citizens as possible.

4 Why public engagement? Instrumental Better outcomes at less cost Innovative solutions Responding to greater diversity Leveraging resources and knowledge Higher compliance 2005 OECD Ministerial meeting Rotterdam Intrinsic Democracy Greater trust More open and inclusive policy making can strengthen trust in government, thereby contributing to social stability

5 OECD Guiding Principles Commitment Rights Clarity Time Inclusion Resources Co-ordination Accountability Evaluation Active citizenship

6 #1 - Commitment * Leadership and strong commitment to open and inclusive policy making is needed at all levels politicians, senior managers and public officials. #2 - Rights * Citizens rights to information, consultation and public participation in policy making and service delivery must be firmly grounded in law or policy. * Government obligations to respond to citizens must be clearly stated. * Independent oversight arrangements are essential to enforcing these rights.

7 #3 - Clarity * Objectives for, and limits to, information, consultation and public participation should be well defined from the outset. * The roles and responsibilities of all parties must be clear. * Government information should be complete, objective, reliable, relevant, easy to find and understand. # 4 - Time * Public engagement should be undertaken as early in the policy process as possible to allow a greater range of solutions and to raise the chances of successful implementation. * Adequate time must be available for consultation and participation to be effective.

8 #5 - Inclusion * All citizens should have equal opportunities and multiple channels to access information, be consulted and participate. * Every reasonable effort should be made to engage with as wide a variety of people as possible. #6 - Resources * Adequate financial, human and technical resources are needed for effective public information, consultation and participation. * Government officials must have access to appropriate skills, guidance and training as well as an organisational culture that supports both traditional and online tools.

9 #7 Co-ordination * Initiatives to inform, consult and engage civil society should be coordinated within and across levels of government to ensure policy coherence, avoid duplication and reduce the risk of consultation fatigue. * Co-ordination efforts should not stifle initiative and innovation but should leverage the power of knowledge networks and communities of practice within and beyond government. #8 - Accountability * Governments have an obligation to inform participants how they use inputs received through public consultation and participation. * Measures to ensure that the policy-making process is open, transparent and amenable to external scrutiny can help increase accountability of, and trust in, government.

10 #9 Evaluation * Governments need to evaluate their own performance. To do so effectively will require efforts to build the demand, capacity, culture and tools for evaluating public participation. #10 Active Citizenship * Societies benefit from dynamic civil society, and governments can facilitate access to information, encourage participation, raise awareness, strengthen citizens civic education and skills, as well as to support capacity-building among civil society organisations. * Governments need to explore new roles to effectively support autonomous problem-solving by citizens, CSOs and businesses.

11 Applying the Guiding Principles -Experiences of OECD countries

12 Source: OECD Most progress in applying OECD principles

13 Source: OECD Most difficulty in applying OECD principles

14 Risks of open and inclusive policy making Delays in policy implementation or decision making 48 Hijacking by special interest groups 39 Conflicts with or an unclear role of politicians 35 Higher administrative burdens 30 Conflicts between participants 22 Consultation fatigue 17 Conflicts with current laws, regulations or principles 9 Diminished citizens trust in government 4 Lack of sustainability of efforts 0 Breach of citizens privacy 0 Source: OECD

15 Why don t people participate? Source: OECD They may be willing but unable

16 Why don t people participate? Source: OECD or, they may be able but unwilling

17 Our common challenges Understanding people and preferences Avoiding capture by special interest groups Adapting to change Mainstreaming public engagement Ensuring coherence across government Integrating user-generated content Leveraging co-production

18 Our options Support innovation inside/out Build safe space for pilots but avoid paralysis Plan to mainstream/upscale/disseminate Harness leading edge users Build collaborative platforms and culture Use stories, foster networks and mentors Do sound risk assessment Prepare to manage success!

19 Concluding thought Transformed government based on open and inclusive policy making raises fundamental questions about the future: Does the new system threaten the integrity of the existing one? More specifically, what are the implications for parliamentary accountability? Are there other ways of meeting these accountabilities? If so, what are they and how do they work? What is the balance of cost and benefit?

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