One of the ways we expect OGP to improve governance in member countries is by telling governments (how) to be more participatory. But a close read of the participation norms and policies promoted and adopted in an OGP context suggests that even if government’s did everything they were told, it might not be such a game changer for responsiveness and accountability.
Soft power and voluntary social dynamics are what make MSI’s like OGP unique. Yet these dynamics are almost completely ignored in the burgeoning body of research on public governance MSIs. This is probably because compliance and impact seem easier to measure, but research on how OGP facilitates socialization and learning is as feasible as it is important. This post presents findings from a case...
This is the first a series of posts ahead of the OGP Summit in Ottawa, summarizing aspects of my doctoral research on OGP and civic participation. You can find some background on that research here. We spend a lot of time talking about whether or not global MSIs like the OGP are “working”. These conversations often take place against the backdrop of dissatisfaction with results and...
TAI and the MIT GovLab have come out with a method and tool for better evidence reviews for program design, specifying context and hypothesis. This is an essential step towards better evidence for better programming.
This is the last effort to round up *all the research*, and it’s packed with findings on participatory budgeting design, e-government transformation and the conditions for responsive and accountable government. You’ll also find meaty overviews of community contributions, methodological deep dives, useful research and a pile of case studies.
There's some changes coming to the snark. Research roundups will be topical and episodic rather than comprehensive and regular. This will open bandwidth for more research reviews and summaries by request, and more writing about the role of evidence in civic tech design. Lastly, some news and links to articles from my doctoral work on OGP.