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Guide Outlines Practical Steps to Creating a More Open Government

Citizens around the world are demanding more openness from their governments. They are seeking ways to participate in the decisions that affect them, and for governments to be more transparent, responsive, accountable, and effective. But what steps can governments can take to heed this call to action?

The Open Government Guide highlights practical, measurable, specific and actionable steps that governments can take across a range of cross-cutting topics and focused disciplines. The guide, developed by the Transparency and Accountability Initiative, includes commentary and input from select expert organizations developing on each of the topics. The aim is to support government and civil society organizations in their ongoing dialogue to develop, update and implement “open government action plans,” particularly as part of the Open Government Partnership.

The topics currently covered are listed below, and more will be added in future:

Cross cutting topics

  • Assets disclosure and conflicts of interest
  • Budgets
  • Citizen engagement
  • Open government data
  • Public contracting
  • Public services
  • Records management
  • Right to information
  • Whistleblower protection

Focused topics

  • Aid
  • Construction
  • Elections
  • Environment
  • Extractive industry
  • Fisheries
  • Land
  • Parliaments
  • Police and public security
  • Tax and Illicit flows

To read more detail on each of the above topic areas, visit: http://www.opengovpartnership.org/blog/maya-forstater/2013/11/14/open-government-guide-really-practical-stuff-develop-action-plans