Latest Documents

Open government is a powerful catalyst for driving democracy, public trust, and inclusive growth. In recognition of this, the OECD Council adopted the Recommendation on Open Government in 2017. To date, it remains the first - and only - internationally recognised legal instrument on open government and has guided many countries in designing and implementing their open government agendas. This report takes stock of countries' implementation of the Recommendation, its dissemination, and its ongoing significance. It is based on an OECD survey carried out in 2020/2021 among all countries that adhered to the Recommendation and other partner countries, as well as on further data collected through a perception survey with delegates to the OECD Working Party on Open Government.

The Open Government Review provides an evidence-based assessment of the country’s open government agenda against the ten provisions of the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Open Government. The review takes stock of past reform efforts and provides guidance for Romania in designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating an integrated policy agenda to improve the relationship between government and citizens and the way they interact. In particular, this review highlights areas of opportunity for Romania regarding transparency, citizen and stakeholder participation, and creating an open state. Moreover, it outlines steps towards the design of the country’s first open government strategy, including an improved system of monitoring and evaluation.

The Civic Space Review of Romania provides an in-depth analysis of national legal frameworks, policies, institutions, and practices relevant to civic space protection. It reviews strengths and areas for improvement, and providing guidance on a wide range of issues. The Review assesses four key dimensions of civic space: civic freedoms, media freedoms and online civic space, the enabling environment for civil society organisations, and citizen participation in policy and decision making. The findings and recommendations offer a blueprint for a more transparent, responsive, participatory, and accountable governance in Romania that informs and engages citizens and empowers stakeholders to achieve shared objectives together.

The Open Government Scan of Canada provides an evidence-based assessment of the governance of Canada’s efforts to foster transparency, accountability and citizen participation against key provisions of the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Open Government. The Scan seeks to support Canada in its ambition to design the country’s first holistic and integrated Open Government Strategy. It includes recommendations for strengthening the governance of Canada's open government agenda in the short, medium and long term. OECD Open Government Scans are short, tailored policy reviews that focus on specific key priorities of the commissioning government.

The past decade has seen increasing international recognition of civic space as a cornerstone of functioning democracies, alongside efforts to promote and protect it. Countries that foster civic space are better placed to reap the many benefits of higher levels of citizen engagement, strengthened transparency and accountability, and empowered citizens and civil society. In the longer term, a vibrant civic space can help to improve government effectiveness and responsiveness, contribute to more citizen-centred policies, and boost social cohesion. This first OECD comparative report on civic space offers a baseline of data from 33 OECD Members and 19 non-Members and a nuanced overview of the different dimensions of civic space, with a focus on civic freedoms, media freedoms, civic space in the digital age, and the enabling environment for civil society. It provides an exhaustive review of legal frameworks, policies, strategies, and institutional arrangements, in addition to implementation gaps, trends and good practices. The analysis is complemented by a review of international standards and guidance, in addition to data and analysis from civil society and other stakeholders.

The OECD Guidelines for Citizen Participation Processes are intended for any public official or public institution interested in carrying out a citizen participation process. The guidelines describe ten steps for designing, planning, implementing and evaluating a citizen participation process, and discuss eight different methods for involving citizens: information and data, open meetings, public consultations, open innovation, citizen science, civic monitoring, participatory budgeting and representative deliberative processes. The guidelines are illustrated with examples as well as practical guidance built on evidence gathered by the OECD. Finally, nine guiding principles are presented to help ensure the quality of these processes.

The Open Government Review of Brazil provides an evidence-based assessment of the country’s open government agenda against the ten provisions of the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Open Government. It is also the first OECD Open Government Review to integrate a civic space perspective. The review takes stock of past reform efforts, analyses the present situation and suggests key actions Brazil could take to strengthen its open government initiatives at the federal level, including in the areas of transparency and open data, citizen and stakeholder participation, social accountability and the protection of the civic space. The review provides a roadmap towards an integrated open government agenda in Brazil, including the design of Brazil's first Federal Open Government Strategy.

Around one-third of the European Union’s budget is dedicated to cohesion policy, which promotes and supports the overall harmonious development of its Member States and regions. The success of this investment relies on effective partnerships among governments, stakeholders, and citizens. Citizens have a key role to play in shaping decisions on public investment, as well as in making public authorities more transparent and accountable. From July 2020-December 2021, the European Commission and the OECD partnered to explore how five authorities across Europe could place citizens at the centre of their investment decisions. This report summarises lessons learned throughout this project and, particularly, the results of applying innovative citizen participation methods to cohesion policy more broadly.