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Monday, October 31, 2016

Input invited on draft OGP National Action Plan

It's been quite a journey since Australia was first invited to join the Open Government Partnership in August 2011, since the Labor Government signed on in May 2013, and since Prime Minister Turnbull revived Australia's commitment in November 2015, but...

A draft Open Government National Action Plan has been released this morning by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet for public consultation.

The Minister for Finance has drawn attention to the plan and invited public comment. (Administrative responsibility remains with PM&C)

The draft Plan can be accessed/downloaded here:
As the minister states, the draft was developed through a consultation process that began in December 2015 and was informed by an interim working group established in August 2016. 

The extent of 'ambition' is in each detailed commitment and views will vary on whether some go far enough but proposals now on the table are to do something about:

1.    Transparency and accountability in business
1.1.  Improve whistle-blower protections in the tax and corporate sectors
1.2.  Beneficial ownership
1.3.  Natural resource transparency

2.    Open data and digital transformation
2.1.  Release high-value datasets and enable data-driven innovation
2.2.  Build and maintain public trust to address concerns about data sharing
2.3.   Digitally transform the delivery of government services

3.    Access to government information
3.1.  Information management and access laws for the 21st century
3.2.  Understand the use of freedom of information
3.3.  Improve the discoverability and accessibility of government data and information
   
4.    Integrity in the public sector
4.1.  Confidence in the electoral system and political parties
4.2.  National Integrity Framework
4.3.  Open contracting

5.    Public participation and engagement
5.1.  Delivery of Australia’s Open Government National Action Plan
5.2.  Enhance public participation in government decision making.

Information sessions
Information sessions organised by Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet will be be held in the next week.

At each a government representative will discuss Australia’s process to join the OGP and lead a discussion on the commitments. A civil society representative who participated in the Interim Working Group will be present as will others from the Australian Open Government Partnership Network Steering Committee (of which I'm the interim Convener).

If you are interested in any of these issues please consider attending and encourage others to do so.

A high level of interest and participation at this stage will help demonstrate the importance we attach to the OGP initiative and to meaningful reforms.

RSVP by emailing ogp@pmc.gov.au.

Brisbane
Thursday 3 November 2016 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Griffith University, QCA Lecture Theatre and Gallery (S05), Room 2.04, South Bank QLD 4101
(in conjunction with a panel discussion on Extracting strategic advantage from public data sources)
This is a free event with this separate registration essential.

Melbourne
Thursday 3 November, 11am-12pm
St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Sydney

Friday 4 November, 11am – 12pm
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Level 3, 175 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Perth
Friday 4 November, TBC

Canberra
Monday 7 November, 11am – 12pm
National Archives of Australia, Menzies Room, Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes ACT 2000

If you aren't a member of the Australian Open Government Partnership Network we would love to have you join us. Finalisation of this first plan is the beginning of a longer journey to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. The network is in this for the long haul.

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