Te whakatinana i te mahere | Undertaking the Plan
Implementation
Following the publication of the Fourth National Action Plan, the key stakeholders involved in the work under each commitment will continue to work on the implementation process. While the commitments may have milestones and specific outputs, the details of the specific activities required of stakeholders to realise the milestones will typically have more detailed plans.
Self-assessment reports are a key OGP accountability mechanism and document the overall progress of the National Action Plan. The self-assessment report is completed at the end of the implementation of the National Action Plan. The draft Self-assessment Reports is open to public comment and published on the country’s OGP website, along with the comments and how the comments were addressed.
The Multi-stakeholder Forum
The Multi-stakeholder Forum (MSF) is an established space for ongoing dialogue and collaboration between government and civil society representatives and leads the open government processes within a country. While early MSFs focused on developing action plans, in many jurisdictions they now oversee implementation and engage with stakeholders to advance the OGP process and proactively communicate progress of open government reforms.
Key responsibilities of the MSF may include:
- strategic and tactical planning, including on the best ways to approach the development, implementation, and monitoring of action plans
- engagement on different open government processes (both within and outside government), including the development, implementation, and monitoring of the action plan
- communication activities to inform open government stakeholders and the broader public about open government processes and how they can participate
- oversight of domestic processes related to OGP. Ensuring the development, implementation, and monitoring of action plans and identifying ways to approach these processes in future iterations.
This work will bring opportunities for public participation in the design of the new MSF. During the first half of 2023, New Zealand’s current MSF, comprising Commission officials and the EAP, will be leading work on the design and establishment of a new Multi-stakeholder Forum
The Independent Reporting Mechanism
The Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM) is OGP’s accountability arm. Over each action plan cycle, the IRM provides three independent, evidence-based, and objective reports to hold OGP members to account to support their open government efforts. The Co-Creation Brief informs the co-creation planning process based on collective and country specific IRM findings. The Action Plan Review reports on the new action plan's characteristics, strengths and challenges and the Results Report assesses the level of completion of action plan commitments and checks compliance with OGP standards and criteria.
Elizabeth Eppel appointed in 2022 as the new IRM for New Zealand will prepare the Action Pan Review. Elizabeth succeeds Keitha Booth, who was New Zealand’s second IRM from 2017 to 2022.