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.