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Open Government Partnership Approach

The Open Government Partnership is based on the idea that an open government is more accessible, more responsive, and more accountable to citizens, and that improving the relationship between people and their government has long-term, exponential benefits for everyone.

Open Government Partnership is a broad partnership that includes members at the National and Local level and thousands of Civil Society Organizations. Through the Partnership, these powerful forces work together to co-create two-year or four-year Action Plans with concrete steps – commitments – across a broad range of issues.

This unique model ensures that Civil Society Organizations or direct citizen engagement has a role in shaping and overseeing Governments. Collectively, more than 5,500 commitments have been made globally.

Background
The Open Government Partnership is an international voluntary initiative that seeks to secure the commitment of governments to deepening democratic governance through the promotion of transparency, accountability, active citizen participation, technology and innovation to enhance these key elements of good governance.
In 2011, government leaders and civil society advocates came together to create a unique partnership—one that combines these powerful forces to promote transparent, participatory, inclusive and accountable governance.
Eight founding member countries namely, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States endorsed an Open Government Declaration and announced their country action plans.
From 2011 to date, Open Government Partnership members have grown from eight to seventy-six National level membership, and one hundred and fifty local Open Government Partnership members with seven from Ghana.
Ten out of the seventy-six countries are from Africa, these are:  Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina-Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Tunisia, and Tanzania.
The Open Government Partnership is a multi-stakeholder initiative that requires state-civil society collaboration. The collaborative spirit of the initiative finds expression in its governance arrangements.
At the global level, Open Government Partnership is governed by a Steering Committee comprising representatives of Government and Civil Society Organizations. This same structure is replicated in all Open Government Partnership member countries.

Our  Vision
Our Vision is of Open Governments working in partnership with civil society and people to strengthen democracy and deliver better societal outcomes.

Our Mission
Our mision is to inspire, connect, and enable an ever-growing community of reformers and champions from government and civil society to take action together.

Open Government Partnership Pillars
Transparency
Accountability
Citizens Participation
Technological Innovation

Open Government Partnership Initiative in Ghana
Ghana signed the initiative at its formal launch in Washington, in September 2011. The Open Government Partnership in Ghana is governed by a 20-member Steering Committee with membership drawn from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies and Civil Society Organisations. Parliament is also represented on the Committee with two members, one each from both sides of Parliament. The Steering Committee meets once every quarter.
It is currently chaired by the Senior Presidential Advisor, Hon. Yaw Osafo-Maafo and co-chaired by the Executive Director, Ghana Integrity Initiative, Mrs Mary Awelana Addah. Ghana Integrity Initiative represents Civil Society Organisations on the Committee. The Country Point of Contact for the Open Government Partnership in Ghana is Mrs. Thelma Ohene-Asiamah, a Director at the Public Sector Reform Secretariat.
The multi-stakeholder Steering Committee has the responsibility for the development of National Action Plans which captures the country’s Open Government Partnership commitments. Action Plans are required to be co-created with a shared responsibility for their implementation.
Open Government Partnership Ghana has Working Groups drawn out of the Steering Committee around the various thematic areas of OGP namely, transparency, citizen participation, accountability and technology and innovation. The Working groups follow-up and monitor implementation of commitments in Action Plans.

Terms of Reference of the Ghana Open Government Partnership National Steering Committee
The Government in 2014 spelt out the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Steering Committee’s Terms of Reference as follows:
  • To ensure that the core ideas, policies and rules of the partnership between Government and Civil Society, as established by the OGP are upheld.
  • To set the agenda and direction for OGP in Ghana.
  • To educate and create awareness on OGP by conducting regular outreach programmes with both Government and Civil Society Organisations.
  • To identify the grand challenges that Ghana needs to address with regards to open government, and to identify the responsible institutions.
  • To facilitate the preparation of National Action Plans in collaboration with these agencies by providing technical support and coordination, including specific commitments that Government plans to undertake, and an implementation strategy.
  • Develop a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the implementation of the National Action Plans.
  • Report to the Annual Conference of OGP on planned activities and expected outputs of the Annual Action Plan for each year and achievements to date; and
  • Set and secure the OGP budget.
National Open Government Partnership Action Plans
In fulfilment of the requirements to co-create action plans, Ghana has developed and implemented four two-year National Action Plans in 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2021.
The 5th National Action Plan was co-created, submitted and adopted in December 2023 and its under implementation over a four-year period. The 5th National Action Plan contains fifteen commitments.

Open Government Partnership at the Sub-National Level  
At the Sub-National level, Local Authorities that have joined the Open Government Partnership in Ghana are seven Municipal, Metropolitan and District Assemblies. These are Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Ketu South, Tarkwa-Nsuaem, Wassa Amenfi East, Tamale Municipal Assembly, Shama and Anloga District Assembly.

Awards
  • Ghana won an award for placing third in implementing the most impactful, innovative and sustainable commitment (Ghana Open Data Initiative) in Africa and the Middle East Region in 2021.
  • Ghana received first-place award for implementing a reform (Public Accounts Committee and Audit Reports) that advances Open Government in the national category in Africa and the Middle East Region in September 2023
  • Ghana received first-place award for implementing an initiative in Youth Entrepreneurship and Women Empowerment Programme at the Local level for the Africa and the Middle East Region in September 2023.
Key Achievements of OGP in Ghana
  • Developed and implemented four National Action Plans in 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2021.
  • Implementing 5th Open Government Partnership National Action Plan
  • Organised Conference on Beneficial Ownership Disclosure in Ghana for over two hundred stakeholders under the theme “taking stock of progress made and challenges to government’s efforts at reducing corruption and improving domestic revenue mobilisation”.
Major policy and legislative reforms that have been inspired by the work of Ghana’s OGP:
  • Enactment of the Office of The Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) which established the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the subsequent appointment of a Special Prosecutor.
  • Finalization of the Ghana Open Data Policy in 2018 by Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation which has led to increased access to government data for various data needs.
  • Witness Protection Act, 2018 (Act 975) which was enacted to provide effective protection for persons who are exposed to danger for witnessing in criminal prosecutions and make these measures and mechanisms more accessible to all citizens.
  • The Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2018 (Act 982) which capped annual deficit to no more than 5% of GDP and prescribed related censure of the Minister for Finance in the event of breaches.
  • The Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992) established the legal framework for the Beneficial Ownership regime in fulfilment of the resolution which made Beneficial Ownership disclosure mandatory for all implementing countries of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
  • The Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989) enacted to promote transparency and accountability in the Public Service.
  • State Interests and Governance Authority Act, 2019 (Act 990) to ensure the activities of all State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and Joint Venture Companies (JVCs) are monitored to promote efficient operations of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and adherence to good corporate governance practices.
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