This chapter analyses the legal, policy and institutional frameworks that currently enable transparency and citizen and stakeholder participation in support of more effective, inclusive and responsive public decision-making in Egypt. It also assesses how the government could strengthen the role of public communication in promoting these principles and achieving such objectives. This chapter will notably focus on efforts to inform and communicate with citizens in view of achieving the commitments of Egypt Vision 2030 and the Public Administration Reform Plan. The chapter concludes with recommendations on how transparency and citizen and stakeholder participation can be improved through access to information and public communication as part of Egypt’s broader public reform agenda.
OECD Public Governance Reviews: Egypt
Abstract
Egypt adopted a Public Administration Reform Plan (PARP) in 2014 to build a more effective public administration (see Chapter 3). The PARP is also relevant to Egypt Vision 2030 and includes several pillars relating to improving public services, reforming legislation, upgrading data and information management systems, and enhancing the citizen-state relationship (MPED, 2014[1]). As established in its vision statement, the PARP aims to produce an efficient, effective, competent, transparent, fair and responsive public administration that provides high-quality services, maintains accountability, increases citizens’ satisfaction and contributes to the realisation of national development goals. It specifically mentions its intention to address several challenges, including overlapping or incoherent legislation, greater transparency and accountability, and a complex administrative structure that delivers inadequate public services (MPED, 2014[1]).
Egypt Vision 2030 covers a set of national goals aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be met by the same year and emphasises the interdependence of the social, economic and environmental dimensions (see Chapter 2). The Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation (MPEDIC) recently updated the first version given the changing national, regional and international context of the past seven years. The process of updating the vision sought to include and combine the views of public bodies, academia, the private sector, civil society organisations and experts. The four guiding principles of the current vision include “putting the citizen at the centre of development” and “guaranteeing equity and accessibility for all” (Presidency of Egypt, n.d.[2]). The vision also has six strategic objectives that align with the SDGs, one of which is “enhanced governance and partnerships”, which embodies the aims of SDG 16 on “Peace, justice and strong institutions”. This SDG recognises the importance of transparency and citizen participation for more “inclusive institutions at all levels” through the following targets:
“- 16.7. Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making at all levels.
- 16.10. Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements” (UN, n.d.[3]).
The strategic objective of “enhanced governance and partnerships” in Egypt Vision 2030 outlines the country’s intentions to foster “participation of all parties in the decision-making process at both the national and local levels, within a legislative and institutional framework that fosters transparency and accountability” (Presidency of Egypt, n.d.[2]). It reiterates that this endeavour requires “promoting a shift in societal culture and administrative behaviour”, all of which will combat corruption, improve policies and services, maintain security and stability and strengthen partnerships between Egypt and other countries, as well as with relevant international and regional organisations, donors and development partners (Presidency of Egypt, n.d.[2]). Achieving the aims of both agendas thus requires a shift towards greater transparency and citizen1 and stakeholder2 participation, as they are core foundational elements of an efficient and effective public administration that responds to the needs and demands of the people it serves and improves Egypt’s standing in the wider international community.
To support countries in this regard, the OECD has developed a “ladder” of citizen and stakeholder participation to expand upon all of the ways in which all relevant actors can be involved in public decision-making. The 2017 OECD Recommendation of the Council on Open Government (OECD, 2017[4]) defines them as the following:
Information: an initial level of participation characterised by a one-way relationship in which the government produces and delivers information to stakeholders. It covers both on-demand provision of information and “proactive” measures by the government to disseminate information.
Consultation: a more advanced level of participation that entails a two-way relationship in which stakeholders provide feedback to the government and vice-versa. It is based on the prior definition of the issue for which views are being sought and requires the provision of relevant information, in addition to feedback on the outcomes of the process.
Engagement: when stakeholders are given the opportunity and the necessary resources (e.g. information, data and digital tools) to collaborate during all phases of the policy cycle and in service design and delivery.
Information, the initial step, is directly linked to transparency, which the OECD defines as “stakeholder access to, and use of, public information and data concerning the entire public decision-making process, including policies, initiatives, salaries, meeting agendas and minutes, budget allocations and spending” (OECD, 2022[5]). In an increasingly complex information ecosystem, providing timely, reliable and relevant public sector data and information to citizens and stakeholders has become crucial in many ways. In this sense, the right to access to information – understood as the ability of an individual to seek, receive, impart and use information (UNESCO, n.d.[6]) – is a key contributor to the success of any national reform agenda. Access to information is related to and yet distinct from the concept of open data, which promotes the philosophy of making government data available and facilitating the free distribution of datasets without restriction for its reuse (OECD, 2020[7]). Similarly, citizens increasingly demand a say in the decisions that affect their daily lives. In response, public bodies are progressively creating opportunities to “harness citizens’ experiences and knowledge to make better decisions” (OECD, 2022[8]), resulting in a fast-evolving landscape for citizen and stakeholder participation.
The role of public communication is also equivalent in this regard, as at its core, it is a government function to deliver information, listen and respond to citizens in the service of the common good. While access to information and public communication are related, public communication refers more to the government’s information on its policies and services. The function of public communication thus has significant potential to strengthen transparency around decision-making and establish an ongoing dialogue with citizens that encourages their active participation in the decisions that affect their lives (OECD, 2021[9]).
Governments worldwide increasingly recognise the benefits of integrating citizens’ perspectives into policymaking, service design and delivery. While the approach in each country differs, many have introduced initiatives to gather the insights of the public at varying stages of the policy cycle. Many have even institutionalised these processes to safeguard them throughout political cycles, established specific oversight units and allocated significant financial resources to ensure their success. Innovations in citizen participation have also appeared across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, from Tunisia’s public participation portal created in 2014 (Government of Tunisia, n.d.[10]) to Morocco’s 2020 nationwide public consultation through their Commission spéciale sur le modèle de developpement (CSMD, 2021[11]).
Building on ongoing efforts by the Government of Egypt, there is an opportunity to build upon existing practices to mainstream transparency and citizen and stakeholder participation across public administration and ensure their sustainability and longevity beyond 2030. Prolonged co‑operation and collaboration between all key actors involved in the national reform agenda, including the legislative, executive and judiciary branches, independent institutions and subnational governments, is required to achieve a cultural shift towards more open, sustainable and inclusive policymaking and service design and delivery. As is garnering buy-in from citizens and stakeholders on large-scale national reforms and demonstrating that their day-to-day experiences with public services and interactions with public bodies are key to achieving their intended result.
The right to access public information is a fundamental civic freedom that underpins all other freedoms. It enables citizens to fully participate in public life and brings them closer to public administration. In Egypt, as in other countries, the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of government transparency in leading societies through a crisis by informing and communicating with all social demographics at once (OECD, 2020[12]). Importantly, public information does not only refer to statistics and data but also to any public documents – in any format – that may be of interest to citizens and stakeholders, including but not limited to meeting agendas, minutes, salaries, draft legislation, budget allocations, policy documents, annual reports and more.
In practice, this means that governments are responsible for:
Making clear, complete, timely, reliable and relevant public sector data and information available.
Ensuring that information is easy to find, understand, use and reuse.
Updating information regularly and assessing what kind of information is most useful to citizens and stakeholders.
Responding to requests from citizens and stakeholders for information that is not publicly available.
Why should governments dedicate limited human and financial resources to promoting transparency and access to information? Convincing public officials who operate at the technical level as well as high-level‑ political leadership of the value added of such an endeavour is key to its success. Access to information improves policymaking and service design and delivery in several ways. First, it contributes to a more informed and, thus, more active citizenry, who are more inclined to seek ways to share their needs and be involved in public decision-making. Public officials also benefit from gathering a range of insights and expertise from diverse groups of citizens, which enables them to tailor and adapt policies and services to the lived reality of the communities they serve. In turn, this improves citizen satisfaction, increases government legitimacy and fosters greater trust in public administration overall.
Furthermore, access to information can support the government in achieving the objectives of its national priorities, plans and strategies (Figure 6.1). Within the government itself, it provides an incentive to improve internal information management, record keeping and archiving systems. In doing so, it professionalises processes and improves the flow of information and data across the public administration. This also facilitates more cross-learning and collaboration between public bodies, which can more easily identify and act upon synergies in their work. Moreover, access to information helps to raise awareness of the efforts undertaken by the government and can serve to promote reforms with citizens and build buy-in across all demographics. In this regard, it can also help to stifle any mis- or disinformation surrounding reforms and allows the government to fact-check and counter false narratives. In demonstrating transparency, access to information can also support anti-corruption efforts and foster inclusive economic growth. It improves credibility and predictability, attracting more foreign direct investment and encouraging greater international co‑operation.
Egypt enshrines the right to access to information at the highest level
In 70% of OECD member countries and in some MENA countries such as Morocco and Tunisia, access to information is recognised as a constitutional right (OECD, 2022[5]). Doing so acknowledges access to information at the highest level and has the potential to ensure longevity throughout changing political cycles as the right is constitutionally protected. Such a status also grants legitimacy to the development of other legal and institutional frameworks on access to information at all levels and branches of government.
Egypt is building upon a strong foundation as its constitution has already enshrined the right to access public information. Article 68 on access to information and official documents states that:
“Information, data, statistics, and official documents are owned by the people. Disclosure thereof from various sources is a right guaranteed by the state to all citizens. The state shall provide and make them available to citizens with transparency. The law shall organise rules for obtaining such, rules of availability and confidentiality, rules for depositing and preserving such, and lodging complaints against refusals to grant access thereto. The law shall specify penalties for withholding information or deliberately providing false information” (Government of Egypt, n.d.[13]).
Legal, policy and institutional frameworks that operationalise the right to access to information
While constitutional recognition provides a valuable foundation, countries must also operationalise how this right is afforded to citizens in practice. The majority of countries do so through the adoption and successful implementation of an access to information law. The adoption of such laws has greatly increased at the international level over the past 2 decades, with 75% of existing laws adopted in this period (Figure 6.2). Across the MENA region, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and other economies have all adopted access to the information laws, with Jordan being the first in the region.
Where they exist, laws on access to information have broadly similar provisions, with many including or referring to the following (OECD, 2024[14]):
A definition of the term “public information” and what types and formats of information are covered by the law.
The scope of the law and whether it applies to the executive, legislative and judiciary.
The minimum set of information that public bodies should proactively disclose to citizens.
Guidance on who has the right to file a request for information and what information is needed to submit a request.
Deadlines for public officials to respond to access to information requests.
Costs for filing, searching, reproducing and mailing the information.
Exemptions and exceptions which could allow for a denial of a request for information, including class tests, harm tests and public interest overrides.
Mechanisms for internal, external and judicial appeals in the case of denials.
Information on the institutional responsibilities of access to information across public administration and the relevant oversight bodies.
Source: Centre for Law and Democracy (n.d.[15]), Global Right to Information Rating - By Country, https://www.rti-rating.org/country-data/.
Promoting transparency in practice through proactive and reactive disclosure
A common element of laws and guidelines on access to information is a reference to proactive and reactive disclosure. Proactive disclosure is defined as all public information that public bodies regularly share without necessarily being asked to do so by citizens or stakeholders (OECD, 2022[5]). Most often, the information is published on their websites, on a central portal, on social media, in official gazettes or by other means. Ideally, it is timely, relevant, up-to-date, accessible and user-friendly. Its purpose is to keep citizens informed and communicate reforms and related programmes, projects and activities to the public. Reactive disclosure refers to citizens’ right to request information not made publicly available (OECD, 2022[5]). In practice, citizens need to know who they can ask, how, whether there is a standard procedure or template to request information, whether it is free to do so, and more.
Many countries make substantial efforts to disclose information; however, not all information can and should be automatically published. In all countries, there are legitimate exceptions and exemptions to releasing information to the public, for example, if the information would compromise personal data or the right to privacy, public health and safety, international relations or national security (OECD, 2022[16]). Without clear rules and regulations on what information can and cannot be disclosed, public officials may be afraid of accidentally sharing information that is “classified” and facing sanctions for doing so. Some countries, such as Canada and Mexico, take an “open by default” approach, meaning that information is considered publicly available unless there is a justifiable reason for a refusal.
Fostering proactive disclosure across public administration
Proactively disclosing information enables citizens and stakeholders to better understand how the government functions, its current priorities and its progress in different policy areas and on key initiatives such as Egypt Vision 2030. It is important to note that certain conditions are necessary for an enabling environment where all citizens can access information on line and in person. Egypt has made strides in improving access to the Internet and bridging the digital divide over recent decades. While Internet connectivity remains a challenge, the country has made efforts to improve information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and increase the number of Internet users (Freedom House, 2022[17]). That said, the country continues to place an emphasis on enhancing digital inclusion, which contributes to citizens’ ability to access information. Two hundred and fifty million government documents have been digitised to date and 75 600 citizens have been trained in digital literacy through the Digital Decent Life initiative (Egyptian State Information Service, 2022[18]).
In countries with laws or guidelines on access to information, provisions on proactive disclosure often provide a minimum set of information that the government must disclose. Figure 6.3 outlines those that are most common, for example an organigram of public bodies, the functions of the institutions and the services it offers. Respondents to the OECD survey in the region, namely Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia, also proactively disclose the aforementioned common sets of information alongside the minister’s agendas, calls for tenders, audit reports and opportunities for public consultation.
Note: The graph displays the percentage of OECD member and non-members countries that provided data in the OECD Survey on Open Government. “All” refers to 45 respondents (27 OECD member and 18 non-member countries).
Source: OECD (2020[19]), “OECD Survey on Open Government”, Unpublished, OECD, Paris
Introducing laws, guidelines and guidance for access to information can encourage public officials to understand the value of sharing information with citizens and stakeholders, leading to a cultural shift of more transparency across the public administration. It also supports them in understanding their own roles and responsibilities in providing access to information and comprehending what types of information they can or cannot disclose. Many countries have guidelines for proactive disclosure to assist public officials in knowing what information to share, how and where. Box 6.1 provides three examples of guidelines and principles for access to information from Australia, Canada and Kenya.
Australia
The Statement of Principles to Support Proactive Disclosure of Government-held Information was published in 2021 and stipulates that public bodies should regularly review requests for access to information and analyse trends with a view to publishing similar documents in the future. The statement of principles also encourages public officials to consider proactive disclosure from the beginning when developing new policies, plans or programmes (OAIC, 2021[20]).
Canada
The Directive on Proactive Publication under the Access to Information Act was introduced in 2023 and guides public bodies on how to consistently provide citizens with complete, accurate and timely government information (Government of Canada, 2023[21]). The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat also has a webpage to facilitate access to information and assist citizens, stakeholders and public officials in making and processing requests for information (Government of Canada, n.d.[22]). The page offers policy tools, reports and resources, including a manual and best practices for handling requests.
Kenya
The Guide on Proactive Disclosure for Public Entities at the National and County Government Level in Kenya was developed by the Commission on Administrative Justice (Office of the Ombudsman) and launched in 2018 (Government of Kenya, 2018[23]). The guide aims to clarify the concept of proactive disclosure and provides a framework for public officials on how to meet the requirements for access to information under the Kenyan Constitution (2010) and its Access to Information Act (2016).
Sources: OAIC (2021[20]), Statement of Principles to Support Proactive Disclosure of Government-held Information, https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-information/freedom-of-information-guidance-for-government-agencies/more-guidance/statement-of-principles-to-support-proactive-disclosure-of-government-held-information; Government of Canada (2023[21]), Directive on Proactive Publication under the Access to Information Act, https://www.tbs-sct.canada.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=32756; Government of Canada (n.d.[22]), How Access to Information and Personal Information Requests Work, https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/access-information-privacy/access-information/how-access-information-personal-information-requests-work.html; Government of Kenya (2018[23]), Guide on Proactive Disclosure for Public Entities at National and County Government Level in Kenya, https://www.ombudsman.go.ke/sites/default/files/2023-08/Proactive%20Guide.pdf.
While no overarching legal framework or guidelines exist for proactive disclosure in Egypt, public bodies publish significant amounts of information on their own websites or social media such as Facebook. Pockets of good practice also include, for example, the Information and Decision Support Centre, hosted by the Egyptian Cabinet, which provides accurate and up-to-date information at the national level to inform decision-making processes and issues reports and policy papers available to citizens. In addition, to inform citizens in plain and simple language about the progress of Egypt’s SDGs, MPEDIC has introduced the Citizen Plan, which gives an overview of public investments, key projects and the economic and social indicators for each governorate (MPED, n.d.[24]). Inspiration can also be drawn from the progress made by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) on budget transparency in Egypt (Box 6.2).
In Egypt, the MoF publishes several reports and documents to inform and familiarise citizens with public financial management and the state budget. Each year, the MoF – in co‑operation with the World Bank, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and civil society organisations (CSOs) – issues a citizen’s and a child’s budget, simplified versions of the official enacted budget that are user-friendly, written in plain language and adapted to the target audience. The MoF notes that the booklet is designed to “present key public finance information in an easy way to the general public to help non-specialist readers understand budget information of their concern” (MoF, n.d.[25]). The booklet’s aim is to be “understood by as large of the segment of the population as possible” (IODP, n.d.[26]). The citizen’s budget is issued annually after the approval of the general budget by the House of Representatives and the president. Its regular, timely publication is one of the key contributors to the advancement of Egypt’s overall transparency score from 43 to 49 in 2023. The MoF has been improving the presentation of the citizen’s budget year on year, for example, by adding a summary version and a more detailed version, as well as a semi-annual report which provides an assessment of spending six months into the year (UNDP, 2021[27]). The recently released International Budget Partnership (IBP) Open Budget Survey results (IBP, 2023[28]) give this publication a score of 67 out of 100, indicating high comprehensiveness, making it one of the most highly rated budget documents for Egypt by the partnership. The publication of the citizen’s budget, with a mid-year budget review and a pre-budget statement, has improved Egypt’s ranking in the survey (Figure 6.4).
Source: IBP (2023[28]), Open Budget Survey 2023 - Egypt, https://internationalbudget.org/open-budget-survey/country-results/2023/egypt.
The ministry has also launched an interactive online platform (http://www.budget.gov.eg/) through which citizens can engage by “sending questions, posting comments, and receiving relevant, timely answers and replies” (UNICEF, n.d.[29]). Citizens can also share their opinions through social media pages of public bodies and on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter (UNICEF, n.d.[29]). The MoF also has specific indicators to measure the impact of the citizen budget. However, OECD findings revealed that many government and civil society organisations were unaware of the existence of these platforms and tools. In this context, the MoF could carry out further dissemination campaigns to reach more citizens and stakeholders and increase the uptake of the available platforms and tools.
Sources: IODP (n.d.[26]), From "Citizen Budget" to Participatory Budgeting in Egypt, https://oidp.net/en/content.php?id=1631; UNDP (2021[27]), Egypt Human Development Report 2021, https://www.undp.org/egypt/egypt-human-development-report-2021; IBP (2023[28]), Open Budget Survey 2023 – Egypt, https://internationalbudget.org/open-budget-survey/country-results/2023/egypt; UNICEF (n.d.[29]), Budget Transparency Series: A Guide to Egypt’s State Budget, https://www.unicef.org/egypt/media/5861/file/Budget%20Transparency%20Series.
As illustrated below in Figure 6.5, an OECD analysis of government websites finds that while almost all public bodies in Egypt publish the functions of the public body (96%), the services they offer (91%), agendas of government sessions (100%) and ministers’ agenda (100%), very few or none publish information regarding the budget of the public body (the annual budget of the government and public bodies is published centrally on https://budget.gov.eg and https://mof.gov.eg), salaries of public officials, policy proposals or audits reports. Some of the benefits of budget transparency, in particular, include greater accountability, legitimacy, integrity and quality of budgetary decisions, as well as increased trust in public administration as citizens can see how public money is being used (OECD, n.d.[30]) (see Chapter 3).
Note: The data are based on the websites of 23 public bodies3 as well as information scanned from social media where existing. A total of 24 websites and relevant social media sites, including Facebook and LinkedIn, were scanned. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal was inaccessible at the time of assessment. It is important to note that the research was undertaken from a user rather than an expert perspective.
Centrally, on the Central Agency for Organization and Administration (CAOA) portal, there is a section dedicated to forms on all government services in Egypt (CAOA, n.d.[31]) and citizens can also access over 160 government digital services through the Egyptian Government Digital Service portal (developed by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology) (MCIT, n.d.[32]). In addition, numerous central websites publish laws, regulations and bylaws. Some of these websites require payment (e.g. the Egyptian legislative portal developed by the Information and Decision Support Centre, https://elpai.idsc.gov.eg), while a few offer free access. CAOA provides updates on its website on relevant topics related to government employees, in addition to the job portal, the AI Chatbot “KMT” and its official social media outlets. Another example of how data is made available in public institutions is that of the MoIC portal, where information is publicly available on ODA funds and ODA-funded projects, amongst other relevant issues. Lastly, the Cabinet portal offers daily meeting updates, including all discussions and decisions pertaining to various ministers and topics (Egyptian Cabinet, n.d.[33]).
Figure 6.6 provides a detailed breakdown of what types of information are available on each public body’s website.
Note: The data are based on the websites of 23 public bodies as well as information scanned from social media where existing. A total of 24 websites and relevant social media sites, including Facebook and LinkedIn, were scanned. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal was inaccessible at the time of assessment. It is important to note that the research was undertaken from a user rather than an expert perspective. The “no” option refers to a lack of availability and/or to refer that it is not applicable to the entity.
Overall, OECD research shows that some websites provide less data than others, with some, for example, only including a brief description of mandates and functions of that public body. Some list strategic objectives, with a greater number a list of their responsibilities. Information should be provided in a user-friendly and accessible manner, ensuring it is easily located by citizens. In Egypt and the MENA region more broadly, it is common for users to find government updates and information on social media, such as Facebook and LinkedIn. While it is a good practice to disseminate information widely through a multi-channel approach, public bodies should also ensure that government websites are easy to navigate.
Certain information is published centrally rather than by specific public bodies or line ministries. For example, subject-specific progress reports or annual reports are often found as part of broader central reports rather than on each line ministry’s website. However, this is not always intuitive for users looking for this information. Furthermore, there are a high number of affiliate bodies and smaller sub-units across Egyptian public administration and so some of these public bodies may publish information that the ministries do not. However, the average user would not necessarily have the time or the ability to search and locate information across several websites, which would also necessitate an understanding of the structure of public administration and all of its bodies and units. Ultimately, the most up-to-date and in‑depth information is often found in the “news” sections of the websites and on Facebook.
As shown above, many public bodies in Egypt are already demonstrating their commitment to transparency by publishing and disseminating information widely; a systematic approach could serve to streamline and harmonise their efforts. The publication of information already undertaken by some government entities (e.g. the MoF, MPEDIC and CAOA) could serve as inspiration for other public bodies. Some practical improvements could include upgrading website search engines, so users can easily identify and locate information, and prioritising information system management across public administration.
Sharing high-quality information through a multi-channel approach tailored to its audience is one necessary condition, among others, for Egypt to achieve its objectives regarding SDG 16 and those of Egypt Vision 2030 in its entirety. OECD findings revealed that what is available is not always accessible and there is a need to consider the needs of vulnerable groups (e.g. people with disabilities, refugees and people with low socio-economic status). In addition, there is room for more consultation with stakeholders regarding the type of information that should be published on Egypt Vision 2030 and which channels could be used for its publication and dissemination. Egypt could consider conducting consultations or focus groups with stakeholders (e.g. CSOs, media outlets and journalists, the private sector, etc.) to understand which categories of information are most useful for them (e.g. draft legislation, policy proposals, cabinet decisions, budgets, etc.) and foster greater collaboration in this regard. In a similar vein, MPEDIC or CAOA could conduct a national survey to understand what kind of information citizens and stakeholders are interested in and what they would like the government to publish regarding Egypt Vision 2030, the PARP and other relevant reforms. Public bodies could also undertake specific campaigns, training and workshops with citizens and CSOs to raise awareness of their right to information and make the information that is proactively disclosed (especially on Egypt Vision 2030) more relevant and visible to a wider audience. To address digital divides and other barriers for groups in vulnerable situations, public bodies could endeavour to use plain and simple language and ensure that information is accessible and usable for everyone (e.g. by adding assistive options for those who have visual or hearing impairments).
Box 6.3 illustrates how countries use information and data sharing – by and with a wide range of stakeholders – to measure SDG progress and track government strategies, plans and priorities more broadly. While proactive disclosure alone will not create an enabling condition for effective stakeholder participation, it is imperative as a first step.
Colombia
The online system SisCONPES (https://sisconpes.dnp.gov.co/) was established to host public consultations and monitor the implementation of relevant strategies and national development plans. It is managed by the Colombian National Council for Economic and Social Policy (CONPES) and is used by the National Planning Department (DNP) to track the progress of action plans. It issued six follow‑up reports from 2013 to 2016 (OECD, 2023[34]).
In addition, Colombia launched a digital portal in 2018 to share information and monitor the implementation of its own Agenda 2030 at the national, regional and local levels. Terridata (https://terridata.dnp.gov.co/) allows officials, citizens and other stakeholders to jointly measure progress on the SDGs (Platforma, 2018[35]). In the same year, Colombia established an SDG Corporate Tracker, which is “a multi-stakeholder initiative that measures and reports the contribution of the business sector to the SDGs” (Platforma, 2018[35]). Over 400 companies registered for the platform, which collects and publishes information and data on their activities and assesses their impact.
Jordan
The Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit (PMDU) recently completed the intra-Prime Minister’s Office development of an online monitoring system and corresponding dashboard for its Economic Modernisation Vision. The dashboard was launched in August 2023 and serves to track all progress on more than 400 initiatives internally. A version that tracks all government programmes is also publicly accessible (https://pmdu.gov.jo/dashboard.php). The dashboard allows line ministries and agencies to input their data directly into the system and submit the progress reports digitally. The secretary-general or minister of each public body has to approve all information and data before it is shared with the PMDU. Media and international donors are reported to be frequent users of the new publicly available version of the dashboard.
As a result of the creation of the dashboard, the PMDU stopped producing regular monthly reports and instead amended the dashboard with a quarterly report on the overall progress of implementation. While the dashboard currently only tracks progress on the Economic Modernisation Vision, plans are underway to provide the Prime Minister’s Project Management and Implementation Office with a similar dashboard to track the implementation of the Public Sector Modernization Roadmap (OECD, 2024[36]).
Sources: OECD (2023[34]), OECD Review of Gender Equality in Colombia, https://doi.org/10.1787/a559fc5e-en; Platforma (2018[35]), “Digital transparency – Measuring development and progress at the local level in Colombia, https://platforma-dev.eu/digital-transparency-measuring-development-and-progress-at-the-local-level-in-colombia/; UN (n.d.[37]), SDG Corporate Tracker Colombia (SDG CT), https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships/sdg-corporate-tracker-colombia-sdg-ct; OECD (2024[36]), Public Governance Review of Jordan, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Egypt could also consider whether the information published is fit for purpose, comprehensible and reusable for citizens. It is also essential to consider how it is published: whether information is findable, accessible and predictable, meaning it is shared in a systemic rather than ad hoc manner. To achieve this, several countries share information through one centralised portal, such as Mexico and Morocco (Box 6.4).
Mexico
The National Transparency Platform (https://www.plataformadetransparencia.org.mx/) is a tool that helps promote the right of access to public information and transparency in Mexico. The platform portal allows anyone to search and obtain proactively disclosed information or make a request if it is not yet available. It was launched in 2016 by the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Personal Data Protection, which is charged with monitoring, oversight and enforcement of the right of access to information in Mexico (INAI, n.d.[38]). The portal allows users to search by thematic area e.g. gender, budget, public procurement, public services and more. It also has an appeal mechanism, as users can submit a complaint if requests were not handled or if they are dissatisfied with the response (INAI, n.d.[38]).
Morocco
The Transparency and Access to Information portal (www.chafafiya.ma) is a government platform that helps all public bodies manage and respond to requests for information across public administration (Government of Morocco, n.d.[39]). It was launched in 2020, following the adoption of Law 31.13 on Access to Information in 2018 to further ensure this right’s implementation. The portal’s stated aims are the following:
Strengthening transparency and participation across public administration.
Supporting the digitalisation of public services.
Bringing public administration closer to users and improving public services.
Simplifying the processes of filing, tracking and responding to access to information requests electronically (Government of Morocco, n.d.[39]).
Source: INAI (n.d.[38]), National Transparency Platform, https://www.plataformadetransparencia.org.mx/; Government of Morocco (n.d.[39]), Transparency and Access to Information Portal, https://www.mmsp.gov.ma/fr/nos-services/portail-de-transparence-et-acc%C3%A8s-%C3%A0-l%E2%80%99information-chafafiya.
Overall, Egypt could consider reflecting on how the government can continue to disseminate accurate and up-to-date information relating to key strategies, such as Egypt Vision 2030 and the PARP.
Mainstreaming processes and procedures for reactive disclosure
Any citizen or stakeholder should have the ability to request access to information from public administration. In many countries, legal and policy frameworks on access to information often outline processes and procedures for responding to such requests (OECD, 2022[5]). These can include, for example, who can make a request (e.g. a citizen, a legal resident, anyone residing in the country), whether they need to provide personal information to do so, whether there are deadlines for authorities to respond to their request, whether any exceptions or exemptions to the information apply and how they can appeal the decision if their request was denied or rejected. Ensuring effective reactive disclosure often requires training and capacity building across public administration to guarantee that public officials are aware of their responsibilities and feel empowered to fulfil them.
While there are currently no uniform guidelines in Egypt for citizens and stakeholders on how to make a request for access to information or for public officials to respond to such a request, in practice, citizens, CSOs and journalists can contact any public body to ask for information or data. Certain public bodies, including CAOA and MPEDIC for example, offer citizens the possibility of contacting them directly to ask for information through their website, while others – for example, the Ministry of Health – provide this option through social media websites such as Facebook. In fact, CAOA has also launched the KMT Chatbot, where citizens can make direct inquiries with the agency and receive immediate responses, some of which can relate to access to information (see Chapter 4 for further information).
In regard to reactive disclosure more generally, OECD findings note the important role of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), Egypt’s official statistical agency. CAPMAS is the official body that collects data, statistics and reports, and stakeholders can make requests to access this information and data directly from the agency (see Chapter 2 for more information on collecting and storing public information). It is free of cost for citizens to request and receive information from CAPMAS if the data are already final and published. Citizens or CSOs looking for raw data or complete datasets that require processing must pay for this service. OECD findings reveal that disaggregated data or statistics are rarely provided. In addition, the process itself can be burdensome in some instances. Security clearance can sometimes be necessary if individuals or CSOs are requesting data derived from citizens (e.g. surveys or questionnaires). OECD findings show that more than 500 requests have been made and approved and that the body usually responds within 15 days.
It is important to emphasise that public information refers to all information held by a public body that could serve the public interest and could be useful for citizens and stakeholders alike. It is not limited to datasets and statistics but rather broadly encompasses any materials or documentation, ranging from draft laws and calls for tenders to ministers’ agendas and minutes of meetings. While encouraging the use, reuse and free distribution of datasets is important, there is a need to reframe and raise awareness among public officials of the fact that all public bodies hold information – in a wide variety of formats – that could be valuable for citizens and stakeholders. Creating official avenues to request access to information from the public administration in its entirety is key to achieving the goals of Egypt Vision 2030 and the PARP.
Prioritising accessibility and inclusion
Certain demographic groups may not be aware of the right to access information or may face significant challenges in doing so, for example, people with disabilities, youth, the elderly, people with few digital skills and those with limited Internet access. Many countries offer support for citizens or stakeholders with special needs and require additional assistance when searching for or requesting information. For example, the government of New Zealand promotes web accessibility, which includes alternative text for images, offering detailed descriptions for visual elements, providing captions and transcripts for videos, using HyperText Markup Language (HTML) elements, ensuring adequate colour contrast, and enabling keyboard-only navigation (Government of New Zealand, n.d.[40]).
Classification of information and exceptions and exemptions
It is important to guarantee that exceptions to access to information are minimal, clearly defined, in line with international standards and are subject to harm and class tests. In regard to national security in particular, the Johannesburg Principles on National Security, Freedom of Expression and Access to Information outline that a government must demonstrate that “the expression or information at issue poses a serious threat to a legitimate national security interest” and that “the restriction imposed is the least restrictive means possible for protecting that interest” (Article 19, 1995[41]). If information is denied and the requester believes it is based on an illegitimate exception, there must be adequate recourse mechanisms, for example, an internal, external and/or judicial appeals process (OECD, 2022[16]).
Egypt could consider defining guidelines for public officials in the short term to better respond to requests relating to Egypt Vision 2030 and in a uniform manner. This guidance could provide a standard process for all public bodies to share information proactively and reactively, and clearly delineate exceptions and exemptions. It could also, for example, stipulate that requests gathered via social media, the mobile application or ministry websites should be answered within a certain time period. The guidelines could also assign access to the information office or person within each public body responsible for answering access to information requests.
The increasing complexity of policymaking and difficulties in finding solutions to many pressing policy areas have prompted many public officials to reflect on how CSOs, the private sector, academia, journalists, activists and citizens can contribute collectively to public decision-making (OECD, 2020[42]). The OECD has collected significant evidence and data that support the idea that citizen participation in public decision-making can deliver better policies, build trust and foster more responsive and effective governance (OECD, 2020[42]).
The OECD defines citizen and stakeholder participation as “all the ways in which stakeholders (including citizens) can be involved in the policy cycle and service design and delivery” (OECD, 2017[4]). This refers to all efforts made by public institutions to hear views, perspectives and inputs from citizens and stakeholders. While the involvement of formal organisations and of individual citizens require different approaches and formats, the OECD Guidelines for Citizen Participation Processes (2022[8]) outline a number of different ways in which both can be involved in public decision-making (Figure 6.7).
Source: OECD (2022[8]), OECD Guidelines for Citizen Participation Processes, https://doi.org/10.1787/f765caf6-en.
Several OECD member countries consult citizens on a wide range of national strategies in a variety of ways. For example, in Australia, the government has held public consultations on the National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality (Government of Australia, n.d.[43]) and the National Strategy for the Care and Support Economy (Government of Australia, n.d.[44]). To do so, they invited citizens and stakeholders in the early stages to share experiences and send contributions to inform the strategies, which was done via a survey and discussion paper. They then held roundtable discussions with targeted groups, including academics, experts, unions, CSOs and members of the public. Scotland, United Kingdom, has also undertaken several similar nationwide public consultations, for example, on its National Transport Strategy, which will set a vision for the next 20 years. The consultation is available in accessible formats, in more than one language, and contributions can be submitted privately without being published on the website (Government of Scotland, n.d.[45]).
At present, Egypt could further work towards fostering an enabling environment for citizen and stakeholder participation throughout the policy cycle, from agenda setting through implementation and providing information to actively engaging citizens and stakeholders in programmes and initiatives. OECD findings note that many public officials in Egypt understand a “participatory approach” as the involvement of other public bodies and experts (i.e. academia, the private sector) in decision-making processes. However, less emphasis was placed on the involvement of citizens through public surveys and consultation sessions. Ideally, a diverse range of citizens and stakeholders – with specific outreach to underrepresented groups – should have input in the early stages to set priorities and shape any strategy or policy from the start. The OECD Recommendation of the Council on Open Government states that citizen and stakeholder participation should take place at all stages of the policy cycle, which includes: i) identifying policy priorities; ii) drafting the actual policy document; iii) policy implementation; and iv) monitoring implementation and evaluating the impact of the policy (OECD, 2017[4]). Such efforts would ensure that engagement is meaningful and not merely a box-ticking exercise.
Therefore, the OECD has identified the need to provide a clear understanding of the concept, existing good practices that can be built upon and new mechanisms that could be implemented and demonstrates the benefits of involving a wider range of stakeholders, both in achieving the goals of Egypt Vision 2030 and in the decades that follow.
Legal and institutional frameworks for citizen and stakeholder participation
Article 87 of the Egyptian constitution recognises the right to citizen participation in public life and states it is a national duty (Government of Egypt, n.d.[13]). However, participation is narrowly defined and often refers to voting in elections, running for office and participating in referendums and political parties (Government of Egypt, n.d.[13]). In 2019, amendments were made to several constitutional articles, resulting in additional guarantees to “enhance the political participation of those most in need, such as women, young people, persons with disabilities, workers and farmers, by ensuring their representation in the House of Representatives and local councils” (UNDP, 2021[27]).
Egypt regulates the role of civil society through Law No. 149 of 2019 on Regulating the Exercise of Civil Work (ICNL, 2019[46]), adopted in 2019 with its executive regulation issued in 2021. The law governs the process by which domestic and foreign organisations can achieve legal recognition and includes provisions on their activities, funding and oversight. Other legislation relevant to participation includes Prime Minister’s Decree No. 1167/2019 on the Regulation of Program Performance Budgeting. Ministerial Decree No. 574 of 2018 established the Fiscal Transparency and Citizen Engagement Unit in the MoF. However, a unit for this purpose was in operation as early as 2015 and was the first specialised unit tasked with spreading awareness of the importance of disclosing financial and economic information to the public and encouraging more participatory processes. The unit has a range of responsibilities and tasks, including reporting on the budget cycle, managing online and offline communication on citizen engagement, encouraging initiatives for social accountability, promoting participatory budgeting and forging partnerships with public bodies and non-governmental stakeholders at the local level (MoF, 2022[47]).
Building on existing initiatives and opportunities: Creating more impactful councils, conferences and advisory boards
Egypt has also introduced new mechanisms for participation both within and outside of institutionalised governmental structures. Many of them focus on under-represented groups, such as women and young people, who face barriers to influencing public decision-making and less access to public services. At the national level, one of the most significant examples within public administration is the National Council for Women (NCW), which was established by Presidential Decree No. 90 of 2000 (NCW, n.d.[48]) (see Chapter 7 for further details). The NCW is affiliated with the Presidency of the Republic of Egypt and its membership is drawn from government, academia and civil society. It has a technical council and several specialised committees and is regularly asked to provide comments on policymaking and public services. It has also conducted 4 000 outreach activities, including a national conference to promote Egypt Vision 2030, which included the participation of 1 000 women and people from rural areas (APRM, 2020[49]).
Some OECD member countries have established an advisory board on civil society that functions as a generic platform for formal and informal dialogue and exchange between CSOs and the government, without explicit links to specific policy areas or certain strategies or goals. For example, in Finland, an advisory group composed of CSOs that broadly represent the interests of policy sector is called upon to engage in any decision-making relating to civil society (Box 6.5). In Egypt, MPEDIC has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federation of Egyptian Industries and the General Federation of Civil Society Organisations to establish the Egyptian Council for Sustainability to ensure coherence and complementarity among the efforts of all different sectors towards achieving sustainable development.
In the long term, Egypt could consider the creation of a longstanding advisory board that works across the entire public administration, which could forge closer relations between the government and CSOs and increase their willingness to collaborate with one another in the future. Members of an advisory board could include, for example, large umbrella organisations (with dozens of CSOs under its remit) as well as national branches of international CSOs and small and medium-sized national CSOs.
The advisory board, which is attached to the Ministry of Justice, is tasked with fostering interaction, co‑operation and collaboration between civil society and the government and improving civil society’s operating conditions. Its tasks include:
Promoting co-operation and interaction between civil society and the authorities.
Monitoring changes in the operating environment of civil society and, in this connection, the European Union and international developments.
Taking initiative, making proposals and giving opinions on the development of areas important for civil society policy.
Evaluating ministries’ non-governmental organisation (NGO) strategies and consultation practices with citizens.
Monitoring the coherence and predictability of public administration’s decisions concerning NGOs and taking initiatives for their development.
Launching research and development projects, promoting research activities and use of their results, and providing information on project and research results.
Source: OECD (2021[50]), Civic Space Scan of Finland, https://doi.org/10.1787/f9e971bd-en.
The government also focuses on hearing the views of young people (see Chapter 7 for further details). The National Youth Conference in Egypt brings together public officials and thousands of young people from around the country. It gives them an opportunity to debate the most pressing challenges in Egyptian society and exchange ideas for the future (National Youth Conference, n.d.[51]). The first conference was held in 2016 and there have been regular conferences since then, each of which resulted in a set of recommendations for the government. The 2018 edition also featured an “Ask the President” session (National Youth Conference, n.d.[51]). Several OECD members have similar national youth conferences or events, often led by a National Youth Council in partnership with public bodies. For example, the National Youth Council of Luxembourg represents almost 30 national youth organisations and regularly hosts youth conventions with the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies (EC, 2023[52]). The council also co-hosted a European Union Youth Conference in 2015. In Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the Nordic Committee for Children and Young People funds a Nordic Youth Conference for youth aged 15-24, which brings together public officials, experts and representatives from CSOs (Nordic Youth Conference, n.d.[53]). However, the Egyptian example is unique given its impressive scale, with over 1 000 participants in each conference.
One successful outcome of the National Youth Conference is the Haya Karima Decent Life initiative, which aims to improve quality of life and contribute to sustainable development by uplifting the most disadvantaged rural communities, all under the framework of Egypt Vision 2030 (Haya Karima, n.d.[54]). It targets “multi-dimensional poverty and unemployment rates, through improving the economic, social and environmental standard of families in poor villages, enabling them to obtain all basic services and providing job opportunities to support the independence of citizens” (UN, n.d.[55]). Most significantly, it calls upon collaboration between the government, CSOs and the private sector. For the first time, more than 20 ministries and agencies and 23 CSOs, alongside numerous youth volunteers, work together to implement a public project (Haya Karima, n.d.[54]).
The local government serves as the primary interface between public officials and their community and is often the first place citizens go if they need information or support. For this reason, local councils are a foundational element of a functioning public administration. In Egypt, local councils are explicitly mandated by the constitution and should be established in each local government unit, from cities to governorates. However, in practice, they have not been in operation in the country since 2011. That being said, OECD findings revealed that the governorates engage different stakeholders and citizens on an ad hoc basis. Many countries are beginning to realise the value of a strong citizen-centred public administration at the local level and are creating specific youth and elderly councils as vehicles to bring their perspectives to decision-making. One such example is the older people’s councils in Ireland, which exist in every local authority area (Age Friendly Ireland, n.d.[56]). Other countries, such as Romania, are undertaking significant efforts to raise awareness of the importance of public officials, creating channels for engagement between citizens and the local administration and encouraging innovative ways to do so (Box 6.6).
Romania is encouraging innovation in public participation at the national and local levels through a guide for an innovative approach to citizen involvement in decision-making processes. In 2022, the government’s general secretariat held 3 sessions with public officials from 38 central and local public bodies, including ministries and county council. Eight CSOs also took part. The sessions centred around a presentation of the principles of innovation and the need to establish and mainstream new participatory processes.
Source: OECD (2023[57]), Open Government Review of Romania, https://doi.org/10.1787/ff20b2d4-en.
Egypt could encourage more citizen and stakeholder participation at the national and local levels in several ways, namely by considering the creation of an advisory board on civil society based on the model of the NCW in Egypt. Such a body could be composed of several prominent umbrella organisations that represent hundreds of CSOs and ensure that a diverse group of CSOs are represented, whether small or large, urban or rural or concentrated in advocacy and watchdog activities or service provision. The government could also commit to instilling the values and benefits of citizen and stakeholder participation at all levels of government and host information sessions, training and workshops that bring public officials from the national and local levels together on this subject. Lastly, it could reinforce public administration at the local level by establishing local councils and fortifying existing structures, such as community councils.
Identifying innovative ways to encourage digital and in-person participation
Fast-paced technological change, increased connectivity and digital infrastructure mean governments are finding new ways to interact with citizens. From online platforms and portals to social media and phone applications, there is a myriad of ways to strengthen the government-citizen relationship while working towards ensuring these initiatives are accessible and inclusive to every social demographic. As part of the PARP, Egypt is seeking to streamline existing institutional frameworks, including those relevant to citizen and stakeholder participation (MPED, 2014[1]). In doing so, it has made progress with several pockets of good practices. Overall, the government of Egypt could adopt new and innovative participatory processes, entrench them into its reform efforts and institutionalise citizen and stakeholder participation in public decision-making to ensure its sustainability and longevity beyond 2030.
Using digital tools for feedback and engagement
Governments are increasingly adopting digital tools and online platforms to expand their reach to more demographic groups and gather greater input from citizens and stakeholders. While the technological transformation brings many benefits in this regard, it is important to recognise that these tools can complement traditional in-person processes and should not be viewed as easy shortcuts to quality engagement or outcomes.
One of the innovative initiatives introduced in Egypt is the Sharek 2030 (or “Contribute”) mobile application, which was launched in 2019 (MPED, n.d.[58]). The application is an interactive interface that allows public officials to demonstrate transparency and communicate with citizens regarding development programmes and projects. Moreover, it enables citizens to send their own proposals on what is needed in their community (Ahram Online, 2019[59]). Significantly, it also allows for monitoring of progress as it includes performance indicators and allows users to see what is being accomplished “through completion rates compared to targets” (APRM, 2020[49]), which encourages social accountability.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Local Development launched the initiative “Your voice is heard" to engage citizens as active participants in combatting misuse of resources, negligence and corruption at the local level (MoLD, n.d.[60]). It covers, for example, building violations, encroachment on agricultural land, utilities and state property, as well as management of waste of various kinds. The initiative also calls for citizens to make proposals and suggestions to public bodies in these areas. Regarding monitoring and evaluation, the ministry will publish monthly reports on the complaints received, their classifications and what has been done to rectify the issue from the governorate level to the village (MoLD, n.d.[60]). As of December 2022, 13 900 messages were received, of which 1 964 were complaints. There was an 81% response rate to the complaints, which mainly focused on construction violations, waste management and infringements on state properties and agricultural land.
MPEDIC also launched a sustainable development partnership platform, which is “designed to serve as a channel of communication between the government, the private sector and civil society” and lead to “more concerted and co‑ordinated efforts to achieve the SDGs in Egypt in all its governorates” (MPED, n.d.[61]). It also serves to “monitor and document all development efforts at the national and local levels” and involve relevant and interested stakeholders in the public decision-making process (MPED, n.d.[61]).
Other scattered initiatives exist but are implemented in an ad hoc rather than a holistic manner. For example, in collaboration with the Y-LEAD programme, the Ministry of Youth and Sports supports an online platform called Ma’kana, which aims to make civic education accessible to all (CRISP, 2023[62]). The platform seeks to expand the horizons of young people and hone the skills needed to become active citizens and take on leadership roles within their communities. The platform also hosts the Helios simulation game (https://makana.y-lead.net/helios), which asks players to “find solutions to the challenges related to access to public services such as education, health, facilities, by simulating the role of the decision-maker” while learning “about the role and function of the local councils” (Ma'kana, n.d.[63]).
Many OECD member countries, including Belgium, Italy, Mexico and Spain, have government-wide online participation portals, which provide information about opportunities for consultations and other forms of participatory processes. Italy’s portal is particularly advanced as it informs users about their right to participate, showcases past consultations, provides background documents and redirects users to individual, institutional websites where relevant (Government of Italy, n.d.[64]). Egypt could undertake a mapping of existing digital tools and online platforms that facilitate citizen and stakeholder participation and seek to identify ways to integrate and streamline these initiatives in a more user-friendly manner.
Egypt could also consider creating a centralised online portal to facilitate citizen and stakeholder participation on cross-cutting policy issues in the medium to long term, allowing individuals and organisations to quickly locate ways to be involved in decision-making at the national and local levels. Public bodies could feed into this platform and use it as a sole interface to engage citizens and stakeholders on everything from draft legislation to policy proposals. The government could foster interoperability between this platform and the Sharek 2030 mobile application. Lastly, the government could test existing applications and platforms with the most vulnerable groups in society (e.g. women, immigrants, people with disabilities, those with low literacy or digital skills, and those of low socio-economic status) to identify ways to make them more accessible and inclusive.
Raising awareness through workshops, consultations and rewards
According to the African Peer Review Mechanism, MPEDIC holds a series of workshops and training courses for both public bodies and stakeholders to strengthen their institutional capacities and inform them of their role in the policy cycle (APRM, 2020[49]). The ministry has also established an overview of existing CSOs that are involved in different processes, such as the National Dialogue in its efforts to broaden participation (APRM, 2020[49]). Egypt could consider mapping existing good practices across public administration and build on these examples to better engage a wide range of actors in policymaking and form partnerships for service design and delivery (both for Egypt Vision 2030 and beyond).
Egypt could consider prioritising public consultations with a range of citizens and stakeholders at all policy cycle stages, from agenda setting and drafting the strategy or policy to implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The government could also provide consistent and frequent opportunities for digital and in‑person consultations on Egypt Vision 2030 with citizens and stakeholders and raise awareness of existing and upcoming opportunities to be involved in policymaking and service design, and of delivery through targeted campaigns to the public. To increase engagement beyond the “usual suspects”, Egypt could consider launching open calls to participate and inviting a wide range of CSOs with expertise in the policy area at hand. Undertaking additional efforts to inform public officials of the value and benefits of working with CSOs and how to do so could also prove useful.
The United Nations Development Programme notes that Egypt launched the Egypt Government Excellence Award in 2018. Its objective is “to encourage the spirit of competition and excellence” between public bodies and their staff (UNDP, 2021[27]). The aim is to contribute to the goals of Egypt Vision 2030, achieve better levels of citizen satisfaction and promote creativity. As displayed on its website, there are six awards in total: Distinguished Institution, Distinguished Unit, Government Services, Institutional Innovation and Creativity, Distinguished Leaders and Individual Excellence (Egypt Government Excellence Award, n.d.[65]). The government could also introduce recognition or excellence awards for the public bodies that best improve their participatory practices to encourage uptake and innovation.
Exploring citizens’ panels, juries, and assemblies
There is no one-size-fits-all model of citizen and stakeholder participation and the design, implementation and evaluation of participatory processes are highly varied depending on a country’s legal, institutional, cultural, historical, socio-economic and political context (OECD, 2016[66]). The OECD sees the outcomes of participation as being roughly divided into two clusters: instrumental benefits (i.e. better results), meaning that it leads to more effective and sustainable policymaking and intrinsic benefits (i.e. a better process), for policymaking that is more transparent, inclusive and accountable (OECD, 2016[66]).
Over recent decades, public authorities at all levels of government around the world have been using citizens’ assemblies, juries, panels and other processes to better understand the needs and demands of citizens and act upon them. As explained by the 2020 OECD report Innovative Citizen Participation and New Democratic Institutions (OECD, 2020[42]), during these processes, randomly selected citizens spend significant amounts of time learning and collaborating through deliberation to develop informed collective recommendations for public bodies. The benefits of such an exercise are manifold: they can lead to better policy outcomes as they “result in public judgement rather than public opinions”; they can encourage participants to remain informed and active members of their communities in the years following; and they contribute to higher levels of trust in the government.
In this regard, the OECD has published guidelines for public officials on designing a citizen participation process, with ten simple steps for planning and implementation. It begins by emphasising that citizens should only be involved in a decision-making process if there is a problem they can help solve, intention to act on their inputs, genuine high-level commitment, sufficient human and financial resources available and enough time for meaningful engagement (OECD, 2022[8]). The ten steps outlined in the report can be summarised as follows (OECD, 2022[8]):
Identifying the problem to solve and the moment for participation.
Defining the expected results.
Identifying the relevant group of people to involve and recruiting participants.
Choosing the participation method.
Choosing the right tools.
Communicating about the process.
Implementing the participation process.
Using citizen input and providing feedback.
Evaluating the participation process.
Cultivating a culture of participation.
As showcased above, Egypt has a variety of ad hoc initiatives undertaken across public administration that could be classified as citizen participation; however, a more strategic approach of co‑ordinated efforts across public administration, led by overarching guidelines, could serve to mainstream the practice. In the long term, Egypt could endeavour to test citizens’ assemblies, juries and panels, wherein governments gather ordinary citizens from all parts of society to discuss complex policy challenges and develop proposals on the scale that best suits their capabilities and the human and financial resources available at the national and local levels. While such processes are more time and cost-intensive, they can transform the perspective of the citizens who participate in them and their relationship with their government, support decision-makers in finding solutions to complex challenges and give them the legitimacy to push through necessary reforms.
Lastly, the government could consider establishing its own tailored whole-of-government guidelines or strategy on citizen and stakeholder participation to ensure that public administration takes a consistent and uniform approach to hearing and integrating the public’s views into policymaking and service design and delivery. A working group within a relevant public body or line ministry could be established and tasked with identifying ways to integrate citizen and stakeholder participation processes into the policy cycle.
Implementing participatory budgeting processes as part of the policy cycle
Participatory budgeting (PB) is a process by which a segment of a budget is allocated to citizens who will decide how to spend it. Usually, citizens make project proposals, which are then subject to a vote, with the most popular choice being chosen and implemented in collaboration with the national or local government. PB is mutually beneficial as it allows citizens who best understand the needs of their communities to fill public officials’ knowledge gaps and gain first-hand experience in taking part in government decision-making, strengthening the relationship between government and citizens (OECD, n.d.[67]). Engaging in such processes also contributes to enhanced transparency as citizens can follow a project from beginning to end, oversee its implementation and hold the government to account should the original initiative not be reflected in the result. The experience can also empower citizens to remain active and informed about government activities, pay attention to policies that affect them or where they could offer expertise, and seek other opportunities to contribute to their communities more frequently. However, careful consideration should be given to ensuring that there is equal opportunity for all potential participants to contribute to such processes. Implementing policies on the foot of proposals from a limited number of citizens who enjoy greater access than the majority of their fellow citizens could be counter-productive to democratic decision-making. From its beginning in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 1989 (OECD, 2022[68]), PB has expanded across the globe with OECD member and non-member countries undertaking such processes at the local, regional and national levels (Box 6.7).
Poland
PB has expanded significantly at the local level in Poland over recent years. The first municipality to do so was Sopot in 2011, which served as a role model for others. As of 2021, participatory budgets have been established in about 200 municipalities, counties and regions. One such example is Łódź, which allocated PLN 50 million to PB in 2020. All residents can submit a proposal if at least 15 residents support it. Proposals have previously focused on “education and youth (for instance, buying books for libraries, school computer equipment, construction of playgrounds), sports and recreation (renovation of gyms, sports events), road and communication infrastructure, green areas and environmental protection, and cultural events” (OECD, 2021[69]).
Scotland
Scotland views PB as “a tool for community empowerment” that can support the country in delivering on its National Performance Framework, complement the objectives of the Community Empowerment Act, advance equality of opportunity and enable citizens to shape their local communities. Scotland has pledged to mainstream PB by allocating 1% of local government budgets to participatory budgeting. The 2021 Future of Participatory Budgeting in Scotland framework sets out this shared ambition and is led by the National Participatory Budgeting Strategic Group, which oversees progress (Government of Scotland, n.d.[70]).
Tunisia
In Tunisia, participatory budgeting was first introduced in 2014 in the four municipalities of Gabès, La Marsa, Menzel Bourguiba and Tozeur following a proposal by the CSO Action Associative. According to the CSO – which also offered capacity building and training to the municipalities – PB “aims to build a relationship of trust between citizens and municipal institutions […] through citizen participation in the decision-making process […] and through implementation of mechanisms for transparency and accountability within the municipalities” (OECD, 2019[71]). The process often involves the following steps: i) an official decision to create a budget line for this activity; ii) an agreement between civil society and the municipality on their co‑operation; iii) awareness-raising among the community; iv) the organisation of two-day fora with facilitators; v) a vote on all proposed projects in all neighbourhoods; vi) citizens’ monitoring committees to oversee the procurement and implementation phases of the project. Several municipalities have since signed an inter-municipal network to support PB processes and secure their longevity and sustainability.
Sources: OECD (2021[69]), Better Governance, Planning and Services in Local Self-Governments in Poland, https://doi.org/10.1787/550c3ff5-en; Government of Scotland (n.d.[70]), Participatory Budgeting, https://www.gov.scot/policies/community-empowerment/participatory-budgeting/; OECD (2019[71]), Open Government in Tunisia: La Marsa, Sayada and Sfax, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264310995-en.
Egypt has also made significant efforts to entrench citizen participation in budgetary processes through PB. Overall, the Participatory Budgeting World Atlas finds that there has been a total of 10-13 PB processes in Egypt, including 8-10 at the local level and 3 in large cities (Alexandria, Qena and Sohag). The MoF, in particular, works with MPEDIC, the Ministry of Local Development and CSOs to cultivate collaboration with citizens as part of the pillars of Egypt Vision 2030 (MoF, 2020[72]). There is a high-level commitment from the MoF, with the minister highlighting the benefits of PB for transparency and good governance in 2022 (Egyptian State Information Service, 2022[73]). Moreover, MPEDIC recognises that PB improves public spending efficiency and raises citizens’ capacity to read and understand government plans, programmes and budgets. As a result, the MoF has adopted the National Participatory Budgeting Initiative, which is being led by its Fiscal Transparency and Citizen Engagement Unit. The initiative also focuses on including youth in broader government efforts to engage them in driving sustainable development in Egypt (see Chapter 7).
According to the Participatory Budgeting World Atlas (n.d.[74]), discussions on the PB initiative – which took place in Alexandria – concluded with the following recommendations for such processes:
Create a three-year incremental process with ongoing monitoring and evaluation.
Involve different groups of stakeholders both on and offline.
Ensure the process is inclusive through a multi-channel approach that reaches all demographic groups.
Introduce campaigns to train citizens on financial literacy.
Mobilise young people and students to encourage innovation and fresh ideas.
So far, the government has undertaken a range of seminars and workshops on the initiative for university students, training for governmental and non-governmental actors, establishing a network of different actors (e.g. CSOs, ministries and local authorities) and meetings with governors to begin expanding PB in different regions around the country (MoF, 2020[72]). There is an executive committee consisting of two members of the MoF, two from MPEDIC, two from the Ministry of Local Development and two from CSOs that lead the initiative and co‑ordinate all relevant parties, obtain political support and any necessary approvals, as well as raise awareness among citizens and partners. An independent monitoring and evaluation committee also closely oversees the initiative and issues periodic reports on what has been accomplished and where there is room for improvement (MoF, 2020[72]).
In addition, a circular distributed in November informs the public bodies of the ceilings for participatory budgeting processes and asks them to prepare a budget for this purpose. The MoF holds public hearings in the municipalities and publishes all relevant information on line. The projects that are chosen during the hearings are then included in the budget and sent to Parliament for approval. While public officials and CSOs highlighted the efforts already being made by MoF, there is room to further publish more information about the initiative and the budget in general and encourage more citizens to attend the public hearings. In addition, there is no guidance as to the amount of public money that could be set aside for this purpose, nor a minimum amount for a PB process (either in concrete terms or as a percentage of the overall budget allocated) set by the national level.
In this regard, the process could be more ambitious, enabling citizens to meet with one another to discuss and propose projects on line and through in-person workshops in what would be an “ideation phase”. Public officials could also work closely with CSOs working on inclusion and empowerment to ensure that vulnerable groups are aware of the opportunity and feel able to participate. Finally, public officials must close the feedback loop by informing citizens of which ideas were chosen and which were not, sharing the outcomes of the process and the next steps.
Egypt could continue to move towards its goal of all regions and municipalities undertaking some form of PB based on a future PB model for the country by aiming to involve a higher number of participants and allocate a greater share of the budget year on year. This could be achieved through several options, including awareness-raising campaigns and dedicated focus groups.
At present, PB is voluntary for governorates, cities and municipalities in Egypt, whereas certain countries, such as Poland, have made it mandatory for areas with county status (OECD, 2021[69]). In the long term, Egypt could consider formalising the process and making it obligatory for regions and municipalities to undertake some form of PB.
While the above sections focused on how access to information can support transparency and participation in public life, the following look at the contribution of public communication to these objectives. While access to information and public communication are both connected and mutually beneficial, public communication refers more to the information the government makes available on its policies and services. Public communication is understood as the government’s function to deliver information, listen and respond to citizens to serve the common good. It is distinct from political communication linked to elections or political parties. While communication has often been associated with reputation management to promote partisan agendas or one-way dissemination of information and narratives, it has proven to be an outdated understanding of the function. When conducted effectively and with a citizen-centred focus, public communication can indeed play a key role in strengthening transparency and participation, thereby supporting more inclusive and responsive policies. This role has been enshrined in the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Open Government (OECD, 2017[4]), which includes several provisions that reflect its importance (Box 6.8).
When conducted effectively, public communication can amplify the reach of transparency initiatives. Internal communication campaigns (within and across administrations) can, for example, help promote the contents of proactively disclosed information, while external communication can raise awareness of how and what kind of information can be requested through such a process (Box 6.9)
Provision 1: “Take measures, in all branches and at all levels of the government, to develop and implement open government strategies and initiatives in collaboration with stakeholders and to foster commitment from politicians, members of parliaments, senior public managers and public officials, to ensure successful implementation and prevent or overcome obstacles related to resistance to change”.
Provision 6: “Actively communicate on open government strategies and initiatives, as well as on their outputs, outcomes and impacts, in order to ensure that they are well-known within and outside government, to favour their uptake, as well as to stimulate stakeholder buy-in”.
Provision 7: “Proactively make available clear, complete, timely, reliable and relevant public sector data and information that is free of cost, available in an open and non-proprietary machine-readable format, easy to find, understand, use and reuse, and disseminated through a multi-channel approach, to be prioritised in consultation with stakeholders”.
Provision 8: “Grant all stakeholders equal and fair opportunities to be informed and consulted and actively engage them in all phases of the policy-cycle and service design and delivery. This should be done with adequate time and at minimal cost, while avoiding duplication to minimise consultation fatigue. Further, specific efforts should be dedicated to reaching out to the most relevant, vulnerable, underrepresented, or marginalised groups in society while avoiding undue influence and policy capture”.
Provision 10: “While recognising the roles, prerogatives, and overall independence of all concerned parties and according to their existing legal and institutional frameworks, explore the potential of moving from the concept of open government toward that of open state”.
Source: OECD (2017[4]), Recommendation of the Council on Open Government, https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0438.
In 2020, the Danish Health Data Authority launched an information campaign on registering, using and accessing health data. The campaign’s goal was to inform Danes about how their data, specifically health data, are used to optimise and improve the Danish healthcare system. Health data from citizens are registered and stored by the Danish Health Data Authority each time a citizen contacts the healthcare system. From doctor’s visits and hospital stays to pharmacy and dentist trips, data are collected by the authority and used to optimise a patient’s treatment as well as public health services more generally. Most importantly, Danish citizens’ health data were used to inform policy during the COVID‑19 pandemic. To inform citizens on how their data are used, the Danish Health Data Authority published five animation films, each covering a different aspect of how patient data are collected, stored and used.
Beyond informing citizens about the usage of health data, the campaign also sought to inform citizens about their right to access their data. The right to access one’s own personal data was emphasised by the Danish Health Authority to ensure that citizens understand what personal information is registered. The campaign aimed to enhance citizen trust in the Danish healthcare system by understanding how data are collected and used, and the individual citizen’s right to access such data.
Source: Danish Health Data Authority (2020[75]), “Ved du, hvad dine sundhedsdata bruges til?”, https://sundhedsdatastyrelsen.dk/da/nyheder/2020/brug_af_sundhedsdata_020920.
Furthermore, public communication can support different forms of participation, including electoral (Box 6.10). First, it helps raise awareness of existing opportunities to engage and provides the necessary information for individuals to understand how they can participate and at which stage of the process. It can also help frame issues more conveniently for public audiences to strengthen their interest and motivation to participate. Furthermore, effective communication can help broaden the reach of existing participation initiatives, going beyond the usual suspects (OECD, 2021[9]) (Box 6.10). Finally, communication is also useful at the end of a participation process by relaying its outcomes to a wider public, thereby strengthening the legitimacy of the initiative and closing the feedback loop.
In 2013, the Danish Ministry of Economic Affairs launched a nationwide campaign in co‑operation with associations Danish Regions and Local Government Denmark to encourage citizens to participate in upcoming local and regional elections. The campaign was a response to the historically low level of participation recorded at the 2009 local and regional elections, at which only 65.8% of voters decided to cast their ballot, the lowest percentage in 35 years.
To encourage citizens to participate in the elections, the campaign sought to target and mobilise the approximately 20% of Danes who vote in national elections but fail to “rise from the couch” for local and regional elections. To raise awareness of the upcoming elections, a range of local activities were organised as part of the campaign. Such efforts included the deployment of “election buses” and mobile ballot boxes stationed at education institutions, student dormitories and public libraries. To target specific audiences, especially young and first-time voters, the campaign also partnered with well-known Danes and private companies to broaden the reach of existing participation initiatives. Ultimately successful, the campaign contributed to encouraging just under 71% of voters to cast their ballot in the 2013 local and regional elections, as opposed to 65.8% in 2009.
Source: Government of Denmark (2013[76]), “Tænk dig om før du ikke stemmer”; https://www.valg.im.dk/nyhedsarkiv/2013/sep/taenk-dig-om-foer-du-ikke-stemmer.
It is important to note that the role of communication in participation can go well beyond existing structured processes (such as a consultation on a draft law, for example). Indeed, the ongoing monitoring of public opinion and the audience research regularly conducted by public communicators via traditional and digital communication channels in many OECD member countries provide a better understanding of the public’s expectations, needs and fears, which can support the definition of policy priorities. This can be a powerful instrument for listening and responding to people’s voices in an ongoing manner. This type of organisational listening allows for continuous dialogue and participation beyond designated initiatives. Furthermore, public communicators are key in engaging with hard-to-reach groups through their ongoing relationship building with community leaders or social media influencers, for example.
Internal communication
While the above sections focused on external communication (i.e. conducted for the public at large), internal communication can play a key role in creating a more effective and transparent public sector while supporting strategic planning efforts. It is understood as the communication within and across public sector organisations, enabling senior officials to inform and engage employees in a way that motivates staff to maximise their performance and allows them to deliver on strategic outcomes (OECD, 2021[9]). It is also central to the design and implementation of public services as it ensures optimal flows of data and information and supports the exchange of good practices while also contributing to breaking siloes between different parts of the administration, as per the OECD Recommendation on Public Service Leadership and Capability (OECD, 2019[77]).
For example, the government of Colombia develops a yearly internal communication plan. In other countries, informal approaches are adopted, including guidelines on the use of internal communication tools, such as in Belgium and Sweden (Box 6.11).
The Internal Communication Guide for Federal Communicators in Belgium
This guide, or “COMM Collection”, aims to detail the vision and mission of internal communication within the federal administration. It provides federal communicators with recommendations and good practices on how to foster internal communication within their organisation. It is based on the following five principles:
Implementing internal communication within the first stages of the decision-making process.
Facilitating interactions through the use of mixed media, online and informal communication.
Supporting the organisational vision through adequate resources and guidelines.
Partnering and engaging with different support services (i.e. ICT and human resource services).
Communicating internally before doing so externally.
The Swedish Communications Policy for Government Offices
The Swedish communications policy outlines objectives for both external and internal communication. It emphasises the importance of sustaining effective internal communication practices. It states that this can support efficiency, motivation and commitment among employees to ensure the principles of openness, objectivity, comprehensibility, relevance and topicality. It sets out two principles to guide internal communication activities within and between government departments:
Create conditions for the government and government office employees to feel included and motivated and enable them to carry out their tasks in an efficient and competent manner.
Contribute to the organisation’s functioning efficiently and appropriately in normal day-to-day activities and in response to serious incidents and emergencies.
Source: Government of Belgium (n.d.[78]), Travailler dans la fonction publique, https://bosa.belgium.be/fr/themes/travailler-dans-la-fonction-publique; Government of Sweden (n.d.[79]), Regeringskansliets kommunikationspolicy, https://www.regeringen.se/regeringskansliet/regeringskansliets-kommunikationspolicy/.
Communicating around Egypt Vision 2030 and the PARP: Towards increased transparency and participation
This section will cover Egypt’s efforts in communicating Egypt Vision 2030 and the PARP, focusing on how communications contribute to more transparency and participation around these two documents. It covers the work of MPEDIC as the lead ministry for the vision and CAOA, a key actor in the PARP. It describes both institutions’ governance structures and arrangements relating to communication, related activities, and challenges and opportunities.
MPEDIC and CAOA
MPEDIC includes a Strategic Communications and Partnerships Unit as well as a media team. The latter is in charge of media relations, the drafting of press releases and the update of the ministry’s website as well as its social media pages and offline communication activities. The former is in charge of developing partnerships and communicating around events organised by the ministry in collaboration with external actors (such as the private sector, donors, etc.). They work with a wide range of stakeholders, including CSOs and the private sector and their objective is to “enhance the awareness and exposure of the ministry’s strategic projects”, as per their responses to the OECD questionnaires. They plan and execute various strategic communications activities locally, regionally and internationally and represent the work of the ministry.
CAOA’s communication department includes a digital communication team tasked with internal communication with public administration entities and a media office in charge of external communication. CAOA plays a key role in communicating the PARP’s achievements and its goals. It does so using a multi-channel approach, including its website, Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/EgyptianCAOA, which includes more than 510 000 followers to date) and physical activities. CAOA is also making use of advanced technologies and has recently launched an AI chatbot on its website (the KMT Chatbot, see previous sections of this chapter), where staff can ask for feedback and make enquiries about the Civil Service Law.
With regards to MPEDIC’s communication around Egypt Vision 2030 specifically, a number of Facebook pages linked to the vision exist but do not seem to be very active or have many followers. At the time of writing, there does not appear to be a recent mention of the vision on the ministry’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MPEDEGYPT/about), which includes 544 000 followers. MPEDIC has a similarly large following on LinkedIn and the ministry shares daily information about its activities on both these social media pages. CAOA’s Facebook page is an important channel for communication based on OECD findings. The communication department ensures that staff dedicate sufficient time to follow and analyse the comments and feedback they receive on the page and posted suggestions.
For previous iterations of Egypt Vision 2030, there had been a series of communication activities, including by the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development (NIGSD). Within the NIGSD, the Governance and Sustainable Development Communication and Awareness Unit spearheads these communication efforts. It has developed a three-year plan (2020-23) around sustainable development to raise awareness of the concept and of Egypt’s efforts in this regard, strengthening collaboration between relevant actors in this field. In previous years, the unit has organised virtual and physical workshops and conferences (both at the national and regional levels) on the topic of sustainable development, developed booklets and children’s story tales, and conducted awareness sessions for university students, civil servants and CSOs. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many activities were conducted virtually but in‑person activities have resumed recently.
With MPEDIC’s announcement of the updated version of Egypt Vision 2030 in late 2023, it would be beneficial to accompany it with a dedicated written and formalised communication strategy and action plan (Box 6.12), which currently does not exist and was raised as a key challenge by the ministry. Dedicated staff would need to be allocated to develop and monitor the implementation of such a strategy. Such staff could be located within the sustainable development unit and co‑ordinate with colleagues relevant to the Strategic Communications and Partnerships Unit and the media team to ensure wide outreach. Leveraging digital platforms, traditional media, community outreach programmes and partnerships with CSOs can significantly contribute to raising awareness and promoting sustainable development in Egypt.
With regard to CAOA’s efforts, the focus on inclusive and accessible communication is noteworthy and has been applauded by the Arab Administrative Development Organisation. CAOA recognises the need to communicate about administrative reform in easier and more compelling ways and with less jargon, which it strives to do through videos or infographics. It conducts regular awareness-raising and informative videos on different laws, including those for the civil service. Some CAOA activities are also conducted in sign language. The OECD recognises inclusive and accessible communication as key means to strengthen transparency and participation. Accessibility refers to “the assimilation, clarity and readability of information”. As for the inclusion, “it includes digital inclusion but also involves reaching all citizens, whatever their gender, whether they are young or old, isolated by geography, by education, by disability or by social and urban factors” (Cazenave and Bellantoni, 2022[80]).
Finally, CAOA does not currently have a formalised communication strategy for the PARP. In that sense, it has highlighted the need to improve its communication with the public around the PARP. CAOA has highlighted the need for improving communication of its PARP survey answers, pointing to a focus on communication as dissemination, rather than a strategic means to support policies and services. A key challenge raised was the availability of human resources and their qualifications. Staff has noted several training courses that CAOA facilitates, including graphic design and creative content, digital privacy and transparency, with the need for continuous training deemed important. Strengthening skills for social media use is identified as a key challenge that could be further enhanced and delivered to CAOA staff.
“A communication strategy is a written, timebound document that identifies a communication solution to a problem, sets the approach to achieve its objectives, and defines the activities and tactics to be carried out. It is commonly complemented by a communication plan that details the content to be delivered and actions to be taken in sequence. It can be broad in scope, for example encompassing communications for the whole-of-government or entire ministries and sub-national administrations across multiple policies and issues. Often, they can be specific to each policy area or programme, and the same institution may have several simultaneous strategies dedicated to distinct issues” (OECD, 2021[9]).
A communication strategy can help avoid ad hoc dissemination of information to citizens and the media and a “fire-fighting” approach is often adopted by communicators, given the fast-paced information ecosystem and increasing demands for information from citizens.
The United Kingdom’s Government Communication Strategy 2022-25
The United Kingdom’s government communication strategy for 2022-25 aims to ensure that, as a profession, they continue to deliver exceptional communications that change and save lives while operating efficiently so that they provide the best value for taxpayers’ money. The goals of this strategy, launched in 2022, are to:
Improve the ability of government communications to work together to tackle the biggest challenges the country faces.
Harness rapid technological changes in communications for the public good.
Deliver a more efficient and effective Government Communication Service (GCS).
Build public trust in government communications.
Retain, attract and develop the best communications talent.
Source: OECD (2021[9]), OECD Report on Public Communication: The Global Context and the Way Forward, https://doi.org/10.1787/22f8031c-en; UK Government (2022[81]), Government Communication Service: Our Strategy for 2022 to 2025, https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/about-us/government-communication-service-our-strategy-for-2022-to-2025/.
Elaborating such a strategy is a prerequisite for impactful communication. It allows monitoring activities that can lead to measurable impact and helps move beyond ad hoc activities. It supports the identification and agreement on communication priorities in advance and can enhance co-ordination and reinforce coherence within the government. Such a strategy can also help ensure that MPEDIC segments its audience to ensure better targeting. Indeed, the need to strengthen the capacity to tailor its communication to different audiences, particularly traditionally underrepresented groups in policymaking, such as youth, could be underlined. This requires investing in audience insights (which calls for adequate human and financial resources) to identify how to reach different population categories and what messages would resonate most with them.
Raising awareness in society about Egypt Vision 2030 is crucial for its successful implementation. One of the key challenges identified by the OECD is the existence of numerous long-term strategies focusing on various sectors such as climate, desalination and digital development. While these strategies are important, it is essential to prioritise Egypt Vision 2030 and explain its role and linkages with other initiatives so as not to lead to fragmented efforts that can hinder the country’s overall progress towards SDGs. In this regard, a network of communicators with representatives from each ministry to support Egypt Vision 2030 communication could be considered to ensure that sectoral strategies and their impact are linked.
To raise awareness effectively, the added value of Egypt Vision 2030 and the actors involved should be emphasised. It is essential to communicate the benefits and positive impact that sustainable development can bring to the country. This will help garner support and engagement from stakeholders across different sectors and levels of governance. Building on successful efforts such as Dawwie ya Nourra - led by the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) in partnership with NCW - which highlights the contribution of gender policies towards the SDGs and the Sustainable Development Excellence Award launched by the General Authority for Investments, other international practices could prove equally inspiring (Box 6.13).
For the launch of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, the then Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki‑Moon, appointed several worldwide sustainable development ambassadors, including Lionel Messi, Shakira and also Queen Mathilde of the Belgians. This inspired the Belgian Federal Institute for Sustainable Development to appoint a number of national ambassadors named SDG Voices to engage the general public in the SDGs. These SDG Voices educate people about the SDGs and encourage them to roll up their sleeves and get involved through various inspiring initiatives. All selected organisations showcased a credible track record in sustainable development based on their past work and had to prove they have an in-depth understanding of the SDG to ensure they are the perfect ambassadors to translate the SDGs into tangible actions and initiatives. Notable examples include newspaper Metro, the Royal Belgian Football Association, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Belgian and the Port of Antwerp. By linking its awareness efforts to existing organisations with their dedicated audiences, the Federal Institute for Sustainable Development made use of a snowball effect to significantly amplify its SDG awareness efforts.
The SDG Awards are a unique programme in the Czech Republic that rewards participants for promoting the SDGs. Created in 2017, the contest is the brainchild of the Association of Social Responsibility in co‑operation with the European Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Environment and various partners from the private sector. The main mission is to acknowledge innovative ventures that have a positive impact on society and the planet. The SDG Awards provide an excellent opportunity for both large corporations and small and medium-sized regional enterprises, including non-profit organisations, schools and municipalities, to showcase how their operations actively contribute to fulfilling the principles of sustainable development. Every year, the SDG Awards offer hundreds of Czech organisations an opportunity to compete for the internationally recognised SDG Awards.
As is the case with the Belgian SDG Voices, organisations are motivated to become leaders in sustainability efforts, build their brand, improve the credibility of their projects, inspire others and get a chance to obtain financial assistance for their projects.
Source: (Government of Belgium, accessed on July 2023[35]); (Government of Czech Republic, Accessed on August 2023[36]).
In addition to focusing on national-level awareness, it is equally important to disseminate information and raise awareness at the subnational level, specifically in the governorates, as sustainable development efforts should reach all country regions. Local authorities, communities and individuals in governorates should be made aware of the goals and objectives of Egypt Vision 2030 and the role they can play in its realisation. This bottom-up approach will foster a sense of ownership and participation, leading to more effective implementation of sustainable development initiatives. Another key aspect highlighted is the need to ensure adequate human resources in developing and implementing communication activities. While the ministry currently includes four communication staff working on events and operations (including specialists on content, events, operations and partnerships), these could be expanded to include experts on strategic development, audience insights, digital communication, etc. These additions could build on the strengths of the existing team, which was identified as excelling in collaboration and the ability to work in multiple fields. In addition to a dedicated communication staff for Egypt Vision 2030. Furthermore, in a fast-paced information and media ecosystem, it is vital to ensure that existing staff have access to updated training on advanced communication skills and techniques. OECD members are beginning to establish dedicated public communication academies to ensure their officials are keeping pace with the evolutions in this field (Box 6.14).
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the Government Communication Service (GCS) Academy provides government communicators with professional development resources through a broad variety of training, courses and talent programmes. With GCS Advance and GCS On Demand, government communicators can access a wealth of online resources in the form of webinars and tailor-made online courses. In addition, the GCS also offers employees the opportunity to enrol in one of six different talent programmes. Such programmes target entry-level and senior communicators alike and vary in terms of length, ranging from six‑week internships to four‑year Fast Stream leadership programmes.
Canada
Government communicators in Canada are offered a range of learning and career development resources through the Communications Community Office (CCO). Learning opportunities include digital resources, in-person conferences and mentoring schemes. For instance, the Communications 101 Boot Camp was developed in collaboration with Apolitical, an online learning platform for public servants. It gathers articles and courses on line and can be accessed by any government employee interested in learning about communication. Beyond digital resources, the CCO also organises an annual in-person Learning Day and facilitates a Mentoring Series, allowing young public servants to work one-on-one with an experienced communicator.
The Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the Academy for Government Communication supports government communicators with professional development opportunities and provides a network for knowledge sharing. It also conducts policy professional training in collaboration with the Dutch Institute for Public Administration training centre.
Sources: UK GCS (n.d.[82]), Academy, https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/academy/; Government of Canada (n.d.[83]), Communications 101 Boot Camp for Canadian Public Servants, https://www.canada.ca/en/privy-council/services/communications-community-office/communications-101-boot-camp-canadian-public-servants.html; Government of Canada (2024[84]), Learning Opportunities for Communicators: Learning Events, https://www.canada.ca/en/privy-council/services/communications-community-office/learning-opportunities-communicators/learning-events.html; Government of the Netherlands (n.d.[85]), Organisation, https://www.government.nl/ministries/ministry-of-general-affairs/organisation.
The issue of financial resources is another possible area for improvement, as ensuring there is a dedicated budget to communicate around Egypt Vision 2030 will be crucial. OECD findings have revealed that there is no such dedicated budget, but rather, funds are in some cases “implicitly available” on a needs basis. This can be addressed by identifying a dedicated communication activities budget as part of the vision’s communication strategy. Such resources will be necessary to recruit a communication official in charge of the strategy, conduct audience insights internally and externally, and develop communication campaigns for example.
Finally, no comprehensive internal communication campaigns appear to have led recently on Egypt Vision 2030 and no audience insights for internal communication have been conducted. Such communication can play an important role in strengthening co‑ordination for sustainable development within the government. The importance of enhancing information-sharing mechanisms is evident, as consulted interlocutors in Egypt have highlighted the challenges associated with paper-based, lengthy and atomised co‑ordination arrangements for policy development and information exchange across institutions. As a result, MPEDIC and line ministries face challenges in being informed about programmes and policies implemented by other ministries that have an impact on Egypt Vision 2030 and in collecting and monitoring data and indicators. This highlights a need for improved internal communication around the vision (See Chapter 2 for further details).
To address this issue, Egypt could draw upon insights from OECD countries, such as Latvia (Box 6.15), which launched a platform for the design of government policies. This platform acts as an “early warning system” among line ministries, promoting timely information exchange and co‑ordination. By adopting a similar approach, Egypt could establish a single digital platform that combines relevant data and workflow functions to support early information exchange on policy initiatives as these are being designed as well as interinstitutional co‑ordination and stakeholder engagement on these initiatives. This platform could be particularly valuable in addressing cross-cutting policy issues, allowing for efficient communication, collaboration and the integration of perspectives from various stakeholders into the policymaking process. The country can overcome the challenges associated with paper-based, lengthy, and dispersed information-sharing mechanisms by digitising co‑ordination processes and establishing a comprehensive digital platform, especially in light of the move to the new administrative capital.
In December 2011, Latvia established a central government planning unit, the Cross-Sectoral Coordination Centre (Pārresoru koordinācijas centrs, PKC). The PKC’s mandate is to develop a long-term strategic approach to public policymaking while monitoring and co-ordinating decision-making to ensure that public policies are coherent and effective. As of Spring 2023, this function will be transferred to the State Chancellery. The PKC stresses the importance of early and transparent information sharing to facilitate consensus building. To this effect, a new multi-functional platform was elaborated through an inclusive multi-stakeholder process and launched in 2022.
The objective of the creation of the Single Portal for Development and Harmonisation of Draft Legal Acts (TAP portal) is to modernise the process of decision-making within the Cabinet by providing more accessible public participation and a more efficient and rapid process for developing and harmonising draft legal acts, as well as improved session arrangements (development and approval of draft agendas, drafting and signing of the minutes, preparation of resolutions, management of documents adopted at the sitting of the Cabinet), including better functionality of the information system for organising and conducting Cabinet, Cabinet Committee and State Secretary meetings (e-portfolio).
The TAP portal includes the working environment and a public section. The working environment of draft legal acts includes simplified functionalities for developing, harmonising, approving and controlling draft legal acts. Templates for developing draft legal acts and assistance tools can be used to synchronise information input in different information environments (draft legal act, annotation, statement, opinion). The portal also allows the accumulation and analysis of structured data from the initial impact reports (annotations) of legal acts. By upgrading the e-portfolio, the process of organising Cabinet sessions and decision-making is improved. Members of the Cabinet and other meeting participants can familiarise themselves conveniently and on the same site with the history of preparing the matters to be considered at the sitting, to record the individual vote, if any and to add individual opinions on the matter under consideration.
Source: Government of Latvia (2021[86]), Single Portal for Development and Harmonisation of Draft Legal Acts (TAP Portal), https://www.mk.gov.lv/en/tap-portals.
1. Promoting transparency through the existing legal, policy and institutional frameworks
Proactive disclosure
Egypt could consider:
Disclosing information proactively and in a systematic way as a precursor to adopting and implementing an ATI law. The publication of the information already undertaken by some government entities (e.g. the MoF, MPEDIC and CAOA) could serve as inspiration for other public bodies to address gaps.
Ensuring adequate cross-references and links to information where it is published centrally rather than on a specific ministry website.
Making government websites easier to navigate and improving search engines to support users in easily identifying and locating information.
Prioritising information systems management across public administration in the implementation of its PARP.
Conducting consultations with stakeholders to understand which categories of information are deemed to be most useful for citizens and CSOs (e.g. draft legislation, policy proposals, cabinet decisions, budgets) and foster greater collaboration in this regard.
Conducting a national survey via a public body such as MPEDIC or CAOA to understand what kind of information citizens and stakeholders are interested in and what they would like the government to publish regarding Egypt Vision 2030, the PARP and other relevant reforms.
Undertaking specific campaigns, training and workshops with citizens and CSOs to raise awareness of their right to information to make the information that is proactively disclosed (especially on Egypt Vision 2030) more relevant and visible to a wider audience.
Committing to the use of plain and simple language in any promotion of the right to access to information.
Identifying potential digital divides and other barriers for vulnerable groups and ensuring that information is accessible and usable for them (e.g. by adding assistive options for those who have visual or hearing impairments).
Budget transparency
To ensure that the citizen’s budget is as accessible as possible, the government could consult with citizens who have and have not read the document in the past to gather their perspectives on whether the information shared is useful, whether it could be presented in a different format and how likely they would be to use or reuse the information shared in the document for other purposes (e.g. for advocacy or lobbying).
Reactive disclosure
Government entities in Egypt could consider defining guidelines for public officials in the short term to better respond to requests uniformly relating to Egypt Vision 2030. This guidance could provide a standard process for all public bodies to share information proactively and reactively and delineate exceptions and exemptions. It could also, for example, stipulate that requests gathered via social media, mobile applications or ministry websites be answered within a certain period. The guidelines could also assign access to an information office or officer within each public body responsible for answering access to information requests.
In the medium to long terms, the government could consider reviewing how public entities can continue to disseminate accurate and up-to-date information relating to key strategies, such as Egypt Vision 2030 and the PARP, until the adoption of an access to information law as mentioned in Article 68 of the Egyptian constitution.
2. Towards the adoption of a framework on access to information for the implementation of Egypt Vision 2030 and the PARP
Public bodies in Egypt could take a short-to-medium-term view and consider adopting a framework that covers the most common tenets of ATI laws in line with international standards.
Such a framework could provide for the following:
Provisions for anonymous requests could be considered.
Provisions could apply to all information held by public bodies
Public bodies could be encouraged to proactively publish certain categories of information or frequently requested information.
There could be clear procedures for requesting access to information, with timeliness standards in place.
Exemptions and exceptions could be clearly defined so as not to be open to interpretation by public officials, e.g. legitimate refusals for reasons of national security could be well‑defined and subject to clear guidelines.
Significant efforts could be made to include CSOs and other stakeholders through consultations on any legal and institutional frameworks for access to information, which could also be extended to as broad an audience as possible to seek their expertise and perspectives.
3. Prioritising citizen and stakeholder participation for more impactful reforms
Creating more impactful councils, conferences and advisory boards
The Government could encourage more citizen and stakeholder participation at the national and local levels in several ways, namely by:
Considering the creation of an advisory board on civil society based on the model of the NCW in Egypt. Such a body could be composed of several prominent umbrella organisations that represent hundreds of CSOs and ensure that a diverse group of CSOs are represented, whether small or large, urban or rural, or concentrated in advocacy and watchdog activities or service provision.
Committing to instilling the values and benefits of citizen and stakeholder participation at all levels of government and hosting information sessions, training and workshops that bring public officials from the national and local levels together on this subject.
Reinforcing the public administration at the local level by establishing local councils and fortifying existing structures, such as community councils.
Identifying innovative ways to encourage digital and in-person citizen participation
Overall, the government of Egypt could adopt new and innovative participatory processes, entrench them in its reform efforts and institutionalise citizen and stakeholder participation in public decision-making to ensure its sustainability and longevity beyond 2030.
Regarding digital tools for feedback and engagement, Egypt could consider:
Mapping all existing websites, digital tools and mobile applications that focus on citizen and stakeholder participation, considering ways to promote these opportunities effectively.
In the medium to long terms, creating a centralised online portal to facilitate citizen and stakeholder participation on cross-cutting policy issues to allow individuals and organisations to quickly locate ways to be involved in decision-making at the national and local levels.
All public bodies could feed into this platform and use it as a sole interface to engage citizens and stakeholders on everything from draft legislation to policy proposals. The government could foster interoperability between this platform and the Sharek 2030 mobile application.
Testing existing applications and platforms with the most vulnerable groups in society (e.g. women, immigrants, people with disabilities, those with low literacy or digital skills, and those of low socio-economic status) to identify ways to make them more accessible and inclusive.
In relation to workshops, consultations and rewards, Egypt could consider:
Prioritising public consultations with a range of citizens and stakeholders at all policy cycle stages, from agenda setting and drafting strategy or policy to implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
Providing consistent and frequent opportunities for digital and in-person consultations with citizens and stakeholders on Egypt Vision 2030.
Raising awareness of existing and upcoming opportunities to be involved in policymaking and service design and delivery through public campaigns.
To increase engagement with all relevant stakeholders, consider launching open calls to participate and inviting a wide range of CSOs with expertise in the policy area at hand.
Undertaking additional efforts to inform public officials of the value and benefits of working with CSOs and how to do so.
Considering recognition or excellence awards for the public bodies that best improve their participatory practices to encourage uptake and innovation.
Mapping existing good practices across public administration and building on these examples to better engage a wide range of actors in policymaking and form partnerships for service design and delivery (both for Egypt Vision 2030 and beyond).
Regarding citizens’ panels, juries and assemblies, Egypt could endeavour to:
Implement more innovative and deliberative processes such as citizens’ assemblies, juries and panels, wherein governments gather ordinary citizens from all parts of society to discuss complex policy challenges and develop proposals on the scale that best suits their capabilities and the human and financial resources available at the national and local levels.
Take inspiration from the OECD Guidelines for Citizen Participation Processes, establish their own tailored whole-of-government guidelines or strategy on citizen and stakeholder participation to ensure that public administration takes a consistent and uniform approach to hearing and integrating the views of the public into policymaking and service design and delivery.
Establish a working group within a relevant public body or line ministry with the task of identifying ways to integrate citizen and stakeholder participation processes into the existing policy cycle.
Regarding PB, Egypt could continue to move towards its goal of all regions and municipalities undertaking some form of PB based on a future PB model for the country by aiming to involve a higher number of participants and allocate a greater share of the budget year on year. This could be achieved through several options, including awareness-raising campaigns and dedicated focus groups.
In addition, the process could be more ambitious, enabling citizens to meet with one another to discuss and propose projects on line and through in-person workshops in what would be an “ideation phase”.
Public officials could also work closely with CSOs on inclusion and empowerment to ensure that vulnerable groups are aware of the opportunity and feel able to participate.
Public officials must close the feedback loop by informing citizens of which ideas were chosen and which were not, sharing the outcomes of the process and the next steps.
In the long term, Egypt could consider formalising the process and making it obligatory for regions and municipalities to undertake some form of PB.
4. Improving public communication around Egypt Vision 2030 and the PARP in an effort to strengthen transparency and stakeholder participation
To further benefit from the full potential of public communication for increased transparency and participation and to support the outreach for and impact of Egypt Vision 2030 and the PARP, MPEDIC and CAOA could consider:
Moving towards a more strategic understanding and use of communication for increased transparency and participation and breaking legacy misperceptions of communication’s role, namely by adopting dedicated strategies and action plans (in collaboration with relevant partners such as the MCIT, State Information Service, CAPMAS and NIGSD for example) formalising this mandate, ensuring high-level support for such strategies and the required human and financial resources for their implementation.
Explicitly recognising in the strategies the need to go beyond one-way dissemination of information to utilising communication as a means to engage in a dialogue with stakeholders, listen to their needs and expectations, and respond to them.
Operationalising this strategic understanding of the public communication function through communication guidelines adopted by MPEDIC and CAOA can also be supported with practical tips and tricks as well as good practices from around the world.
MPEDIC, with relevant institutional partners (including the MCIT, which has experience in designing and managing information portals) could consider accelerating the design and launch of a digital Egypt Vision 2030 Policy Platform to act as the single source for information sharing and an "early warning system" among line ministries, while promoting timely exchange and co‑ordination.
Building a mutual understanding of the strategic role of communication among policy teams and senior decision-makers in MPEDIC and CAOA to increase collaboration and ensure communication is recognised as more than press relations and reputation management.
It could clarify the roles and responsibilities of the Strategic Communications and Partnerships Unit, the media team and the sustainable development unit within MPEDIC as well as the NIGSD, particularly as they relate to communicating internally and externally about Egypt Vision 2030 and strengthening related co‑ordination mechanisms.
Establishing a communication network with representatives from across the government to support communication efforts around Egypt Vision 2030 and the PARP.
Complement the focus on media relations and press releases with increased outreach and dialogue on social media, strengthening the use of social listening efforts to improve policies and decisions.
Entities could work towards the professionalisation of the public communication function through the development of dedicated standards, guidance and competencies. This includes revamping training efforts to ensure they respond to the needs of operating in a fast-paced media and information ecosystem. Developing public communication guidelines would be essential in this regard.
Strengthen the skills of staff working in public communication, particularly their efforts to communicate with youth, women and the broader public regarding topics such as Egypt Vision 2030, government services, the Civil Service Law and government recruitment processes.
Conducting more regular and advanced audience insights for external and internal audiences, such as those linked to Egypt Vision 2030 objectives, and support the sharing of these insights across the government.
Internally, a study on public officials’ awareness of Egypt Vision 2030 and the PARP could be developed alongside a dedicated internal communication strategy to ensure these documents are made readily available and encourage the government to speak in one voice on this topic, with each ministry knowing their role and responsibilities with regards to the vision and the PARP. This would also help ensure alignment at all levels and foster a shared commitment to implementation. This not only enhances understanding but also encourages accountability, inclusivity and informed decision-making, ultimately advancing Egypt’s progress toward sustainable development.
The government could establish specific monitoring, learning and evaluation mechanisms to follow the outcomes and impact of communication activities included in the strategy (and not just outputs). This includes the identification of indicators tailored to different campaign types, along with guidance on calculating the return on investment for communication activities.
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← 1. For the purpose of this chapter, unless otherwise explicitly stated, the term citizen is meant as any inhabitant of a particular place and not a legally recognised national of a state.
← 2. Stakeholders refers to “any interested and/or affected party, including: individuals, regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, religious and political affiliations; and institutions and organisations, whether governmental or non-governmental, from civil society, academia, the media or the private sector” (OECD, 2017[4]).
← 3. The websites included: Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Housing Utilities and Urban Communities, Ministry of Petroleum, Ministry of trade and Industry, Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Ministry of Social Solidarity, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Education, Ministry of local development, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Ministry of Health and Population, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Public Business sector, Ministry of Transportation, Central Agency for Organisation and Administration, Ministry of International Cooperation.