New pathways for citizen agency: Open Government National Action Plans in Uruguay

Abstract

Since the implementation of the first Open Government Partnership National Action Plan (OGP-NAP) in Uruguay in 2012, open government has evolved from a focus on e-government that was non-participatory, towards a multi-stakeholder, transversal approach to public policies, with its own budget allocation. This and subsequent NAPs have incorporated citizen engagement in its objectives to improve government transparency, accountability and responsiveness, and have been developed though a multi-stakeholder consultation process. This case study examined if the ICT-supported citizen engagement processes underpinning OGP-NAPs have transformed democratic governance or whether they remain a superficial exercise to reinforce politically correct visions of open government. The key focus of analysis was the bargaining process among stakeholders - how different actors were able to adapt and collaborate to develop the course of action. This brief is part of a series from IT for Change produced from its Voice or Chatter research project, which examines the relationship between ICT-mediated citizen engagement and democratic governance.