FAQ

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multilateral initiative, formally launched on September 2011, which aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens and fight corruption, using ICT tools as a means to strengthen participatory democracy. The OGP intends that governments become more transparent, accountable and closer to citizens to provide better public services.

Portugal joined the OGP on December 2017, and the Portuguese participation is coordinated by the Administrative Modernization Agency (AMA).

To become a member of the OGP, countries have first to fulfill a set of eligibility criteria predefined by the organization; after this stage, countries must formally request to join the OGP and subscribe the Open Government Declaration; the last step is the presentation of a National Action Plan with specific measures in the field of Open Administration, and the subsequent dissemination of progress reports on the implementation of the Plan.

A National Action Plan is a document that defines specific commitments that each country proposes to carry out in order to achieve the objectives and principles proposed by the OGP.

The Action Plans are biennial and must be specific, measurable, relevant and time-bound, and promote transparency, accountability and public participation.

The OGP stipulates that the participation of member countries should be locally implemented through a Network of both Public Administration and Civil Society representatives that will ensure the development, implementation and oversight of a National Action Plan for Open Administration.

In this sense, the Administrative Modernization Agency sponsored the creation of the National Network for Open Administration to develop and implement the activities inherent to the Portuguese participation on the OGP, including: defining the main axles of the National Action Plan of Open Administration, to be developed biennially; approving the final version of the National Action Plan of Open Administration, ensuring the participation of Civil Society; monitoring the execution of the National Action Plan of Open Administration; and promoting activities associated with the Portuguese participation in the OGP, as well as mobilizing the different stakeholders to the Open Administration thematic.

The National Network for Open Administration integrates governmental and civil society representatives and provides face-to-face and online participation channels. In addition to the Administrative Modernization Agency, que coordena os trabalhos, a Rede é constituída pelas seguintes entidades:

- Ministry of the Presidency and of Administrative Modernisation;

- Tax and Customs Authority;

- Portuguese Ombudsman;

- Committee of Access to Administrative Documents;

- Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities;

- National Association of Young Entrepreneurs;

- National Association of Portuguese Municipalities

- Platform of Civil Society Associations;

- Transparency International Portugal.