Open Government Awards Calls for Entries from 63 Governments

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Government of Indonesia as lead co-chair of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) has launched the call for entries for the inaugural Open Government Awards on April 16, 2014, which will recognize excellence in citizen engagement. Together with the OGP Steering Committee, Indonesia is calling on all 63 OGP governments to register their interest in the awards by the end of May, and strongly encourages joint submissions with civil society organizations.

The annual Awards will recognize public programs in OGP participating countries for their efforts to become more open, accountable and responsive to citizens.

"The guiding principle for this year's Awards is that every initiative has to demonstrate marked improvements in the design or implementation of public policies and services – and show how it did so through engaging citizens," said Minister Kuntoro, Head of Indonesia’s President Delivery Unit and Co-Chair of OGP.

Kuntoro added that although the award seeks to reward innovation, it also focuses on results, which can be seen through real changes in the lives of people. "By showcasing real examples of progress in open government, we hope to inspire learning, action and delivery in a 'race to the top' across member countries," he added.

Rakesh Rajani, civil society co-chair of OGP, explained that the award recognizes government reformers together with their civil society partners who continue to come up with new creative methods of the government citizens to provide inputs and oversight. "By establishing cultures and practices of public engagement, welcoming criticism and new ideas, governments can spur growth and development and foster greater trust," he said.

OGP is a multilateral initiative aimed at securing concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, increase civic participation, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to make government more open, effective, and accountable. It is fostering news ways of the citizen and the state working together to solve common problems. (*)