Implementing Open Government: Lessons from Germany

Abstract

Open Government encourages transparent, collaborative, and participatory governmental and administrative actions to promote a public administration that is effective, responsive and innovative. Germany signed up for Open Government Partnership in 2016 and since then it has promulgated two national action plans. Through its grass-roots level initiatives targeted at municipality and regional level German government wishes to enhance relation with its public. This paper aims at examining the German experience of initiating Open Government by reviewing the policy instruments at play and lessons that are involved in the implementation of this broadly government shaping movement. The paper first attempts to analyse the building blocks of German strategy that led to the first and later second National Action Plan for Open Government implementation. It also looks at important initiatives for enhanced citizen participation at the regional level, providing a best practice example. The paper concludes by sharing some important lessons that can not only be learnt for Germany itself but also for aspiring fellow Eurasian states and municipalities pursuing Open Government.