Open Government Partnership

Up to 15 “ambitious commitments” to open government will be released today for final consultation, as the final step towards Australia joining the 70-nation Open Government Partnership.

The draft of Australia’s national action plan on open government should be out soon. Public consultation on the draft will have to be brief for the final plan to make its November 1 deadline.

Wanted: six government officials and six civil society types to steer the last leg of Australia’s entry to the Open Government Partnership. PM&C is eager to not lose the momentum on the plan to promote transparency and empower citizens.

The PM’s department has announced a new timeline to join the global open government community. However, concerns remain that bureaucrats still do not understand that they are only one half of a partnership.

Overhaul agency consultations, restore the OAIC and create a federal ICAC are among the ideas for Australia’s national action plan for joining the global Open Government Partnership.

De-identification of government data isn’t yet reliable enough for the promise of open data, but work can continue on developing a public service culture of openness, writes Keiran Hardy.

PM&C has opened a consultation process to inform a national action plan. It wants ambitious ideas on how to improve public services and manage public resources more effectively, while improving transparency and accountability.

With a digiterati in the Lodge, Australia could see previously backburner issues, such as the Open Government Partnership, back on the agenda. Digital government consultant Craig Thomler on what Malcolm Turnbull can aim to achieve in 12 months.