This is obviously a personal blog, but my work with the Open Government Partnership has been so influential in my life over the past 18 months that I feel compelled to mention it here. In a sentence: OGP has revived my faith in the ability of governments to fulfill their obligation to provide for their people.
This past Monday, I spoke to a conference organized by the National Democratic Institute, the Sunlight Foundation, the Government of Mexico, and the Latin American Network for Legislative Transparency, on the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and how it can advance transparency in parliaments and legislatures around the world. Wonky as they may be, my remarks reflect some of the ethos that I employed in building OGP over the past year--primarily, the importance of dialogue and perspective in building a new international initiative.
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Having been so close to the Open Government Partnership over the past year, it still shocks me to hear other people--such as the Mexican Ambassador in his great opening remarks--speak of it as a legitimate fixture on the international stage. This tiny thing that was just an idea not eighteen months ago is now a movement representing nearly two billion people around the world. It has been a great honor to be a part of OGP's development and launch, and I want to thank the hosts for their support both today and in the past year.
Adding to our challenge is the fact that, until now, our discourse around OGP has regarded both government and civil society as two monoliths, which of course isn’t the case. Just like there are dozens of CSOs here today who have distinct missions and different strategies to achieve them, so too are there dozens and dozens of government agencies that make up the larger “government”—each with its own battles to fight and challenges to overcome on the path to greater openness. Many are taking up the open government mantra rapidly, while others haven't quite caught on yet.
So we need to be patient, and be prepared to run the long race. We are well on our way, thanks to commitment from governments to improving the way they do business, and a global appetite on all sides for productive dialogue.
This past Monday, I spoke to a conference organized by the National Democratic Institute, the Sunlight Foundation, the Government of Mexico, and the Latin American Network for Legislative Transparency, on the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and how it can advance transparency in parliaments and legislatures around the world. Wonky as they may be, my remarks reflect some of the ethos that I employed in building OGP over the past year--primarily, the importance of dialogue and perspective in building a new international initiative.
***
Having been so close to the Open Government Partnership over the past year, it still shocks me to hear other people--such as the Mexican Ambassador in his great opening remarks--speak of it as a legitimate fixture on the international stage. This tiny thing that was just an idea not eighteen months ago is now a movement representing nearly two billion people around the world. It has been a great honor to be a part of OGP's development and launch, and I want to thank the hosts for their support both today and in the past year.
OGP was born out of President Obama’s commitment—and launched from the White House—but it's origin actually goes back further.
In August 2006, then Senator Obama gave a speech at the University of Nairobi in Kenya—the title of the speech was “An honest government, a hopeful future.” In it, he talked about the need for greater accountability and transparency in government, and the stifling nature of corruption.
He said, “In the end, if the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists - to protect them and to promote their common welfare - all else is lost. And this is why the struggle against corruption is one of the great struggles of our time.” He was speaking as a representative of the people of Illinois, with a fresh reminder of the covenant he held with the citizens who elected him.
Parliaments or legislatures are, in a sense, the most direct line that government has to the governed, when it comes to communication and to representation of the people’s wants and needs. They are guardians of the public’s trust in and respect for government.
Though OGP primarily engages executive branch agencies, nearly all of the plans announced two weeks ago in Brazil will require legislation in order for the plan to be fully implemented. So that requires action on the part of parliaments, which of course means that they first need to be educated and on board with “the power of open.”
It’s important to take a step back and understand the significance of that educational process. As someone who didn’t know what "open government" was 18 months ago, I have a personal appreciation for the speed and extent to which this movement has entered into both domestic and foreign policy discourse. But it is not a term that is immediately evident or understandable to those who are hearing it for the first time. And new terms can be intimidating, if not scary.
The trick with open government is that it’s really just reinvigorating age-old conversations. Every diplomat that works for the State Department knows (if not preaches) that the United States is committed to combating corruption, promoting accountability, increasing transparency, and increased citizen participation. These are, after all, the core tenants of Democracy. But, for awhile at least, no one wanted to talk about Democracy. And you don’t see a lot of doors opening when you begin a conversation by saying “let’s talk about how corrupt your colleagues are.”
So with OGP—and with the open government movement more broadly—we have an opportunity to recast the conversation. This is not just about how we can reduce corruption among the powerful or reduce the mountains of paper that stand in the way of transparency. This is about reviving the relationship between elected officials and the people who put them in their positions. This is about honest dialogue that delivers results where we need them. This is about making elected officials responsible for their actions but also making citizens feel responsible again in a system of self-government.
Speaking personally: As a citizen, I don’t want to feel beholden to an elected class that is supposedly more powerful than me. I want the elected class to feel beholden to me. After all, my vote is the currency of their power. That is why I want more open government--the government works for me, not the other way around. (Even though technically, in my case, I do in fact work for the government!).
Of course personal conviction doesn't always translate to professional traction. But as the person responsible in the US government for getting OGP off the ground, I realized I had to bring my colleagues on board. So, following my own nature and intuition, I began a campaign of dialogue. We had to go out to over 80 embassies around the world and raise their awareness and indeed commitment to open government. It is not always easy, but when it clicks, it’s like you’ve taken them from black and white to Technicolor. People really get it. Some have called it OGP magic. And you don’t get a whole lot of magic in the State Department.
The thing is, open government is not something many people want to argue with—not even along partisan lines. It just makes sense. You want government to be more responsive to the people? Great! You want government to cut red tape, speak in plain language, and reduce transaction costs? Awesome!
As we saw two weeks ago in Brasilia, open government means different things to different people—and I think that’s part of the magic. For some, it means increased innovation and therefore more jobs. For others, it means reducing government’s imprint and maximizing efficiency. And for some, it means better service delivery. The list goes on. So it’s just a matter of finding the angle that works for your target audience.
Now that I’ve preached to the choir on how awesome open government is, let’s get to where the hard work is. In large part because of the success of the Steering Committee, there’s now this enormous expectation that civil society organizations and governments around the world will suddenly begin working together in perfect harmony. I am both an optimist and an idealist, but I know enough to manage expectations! Just because we love open government does not mean it will happen overnight.
In August 2006, then Senator Obama gave a speech at the University of Nairobi in Kenya—the title of the speech was “An honest government, a hopeful future.” In it, he talked about the need for greater accountability and transparency in government, and the stifling nature of corruption.
He said, “In the end, if the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists - to protect them and to promote their common welfare - all else is lost. And this is why the struggle against corruption is one of the great struggles of our time.” He was speaking as a representative of the people of Illinois, with a fresh reminder of the covenant he held with the citizens who elected him.
Parliaments or legislatures are, in a sense, the most direct line that government has to the governed, when it comes to communication and to representation of the people’s wants and needs. They are guardians of the public’s trust in and respect for government.
Though OGP primarily engages executive branch agencies, nearly all of the plans announced two weeks ago in Brazil will require legislation in order for the plan to be fully implemented. So that requires action on the part of parliaments, which of course means that they first need to be educated and on board with “the power of open.”
It’s important to take a step back and understand the significance of that educational process. As someone who didn’t know what "open government" was 18 months ago, I have a personal appreciation for the speed and extent to which this movement has entered into both domestic and foreign policy discourse. But it is not a term that is immediately evident or understandable to those who are hearing it for the first time. And new terms can be intimidating, if not scary.
The trick with open government is that it’s really just reinvigorating age-old conversations. Every diplomat that works for the State Department knows (if not preaches) that the United States is committed to combating corruption, promoting accountability, increasing transparency, and increased citizen participation. These are, after all, the core tenants of Democracy. But, for awhile at least, no one wanted to talk about Democracy. And you don’t see a lot of doors opening when you begin a conversation by saying “let’s talk about how corrupt your colleagues are.”
So with OGP—and with the open government movement more broadly—we have an opportunity to recast the conversation. This is not just about how we can reduce corruption among the powerful or reduce the mountains of paper that stand in the way of transparency. This is about reviving the relationship between elected officials and the people who put them in their positions. This is about honest dialogue that delivers results where we need them. This is about making elected officials responsible for their actions but also making citizens feel responsible again in a system of self-government.
Speaking personally: As a citizen, I don’t want to feel beholden to an elected class that is supposedly more powerful than me. I want the elected class to feel beholden to me. After all, my vote is the currency of their power. That is why I want more open government--the government works for me, not the other way around. (Even though technically, in my case, I do in fact work for the government!).
Of course personal conviction doesn't always translate to professional traction. But as the person responsible in the US government for getting OGP off the ground, I realized I had to bring my colleagues on board. So, following my own nature and intuition, I began a campaign of dialogue. We had to go out to over 80 embassies around the world and raise their awareness and indeed commitment to open government. It is not always easy, but when it clicks, it’s like you’ve taken them from black and white to Technicolor. People really get it. Some have called it OGP magic. And you don’t get a whole lot of magic in the State Department.
The thing is, open government is not something many people want to argue with—not even along partisan lines. It just makes sense. You want government to be more responsive to the people? Great! You want government to cut red tape, speak in plain language, and reduce transaction costs? Awesome!
As we saw two weeks ago in Brasilia, open government means different things to different people—and I think that’s part of the magic. For some, it means increased innovation and therefore more jobs. For others, it means reducing government’s imprint and maximizing efficiency. And for some, it means better service delivery. The list goes on. So it’s just a matter of finding the angle that works for your target audience.
Now that I’ve preached to the choir on how awesome open government is, let’s get to where the hard work is. In large part because of the success of the Steering Committee, there’s now this enormous expectation that civil society organizations and governments around the world will suddenly begin working together in perfect harmony. I am both an optimist and an idealist, but I know enough to manage expectations! Just because we love open government does not mean it will happen overnight.
What we are witnessing through OGP is really a shift in dialogue and relationships—on both the civil society side and on the government side. I’ve seen it on the Steering Committee, which has worked really hard in the past year to lay a foundation and stand up the walls of a sustainable initiative. The tenor of conversation has gone from challenging one another (between governments and civil society organizations) to understanding each other’s interests and standing up for one another. But such shifts--which are really ingrained in organizational culture--take time, especially if they are to be sustainable.
Adding to our challenge is the fact that, until now, our discourse around OGP has regarded both government and civil society as two monoliths, which of course isn’t the case. Just like there are dozens of CSOs here today who have distinct missions and different strategies to achieve them, so too are there dozens and dozens of government agencies that make up the larger “government”—each with its own battles to fight and challenges to overcome on the path to greater openness. Many are taking up the open government mantra rapidly, while others haven't quite caught on yet.
As Secretary Clinton said in Brasilia, "the cure for corruption is openness, and by belonging to the Open Government Partnership, every country here is sending a message to their own people that we will stand for openness." So, thank you for standing with us.
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