Italian multi-stakeholder Open Government Partnership forum includes civic monitoring among strategic objectives

The Italian Open Government Forum (Forum Governo Aperto) has confirmed civic monitoring as one of the strategic objectives contained in the current version of the National Strategy for open government, within the framework of the Open Government Partnership, the international initiative that promotes transparency, citizen participation, the fight against corruption, and the use of new technologies to strengthen public governance.

The Forum, which replaces the Multi-Stakeholder Forum and is therefore composed of representatives from both public administrations and civil society, including Luigi Reggi from Monithon Europe, met last September 19th and 20th at the Department of Public Administration of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

The objective on civic monitoring is part of the broader priority of “Implementing open government practices in areas of significant impact or for reducing inequalities, promoting social equity, and ensuring integrity.”

Here is the text of the objective:

Increase transparency and accountability: enable civic monitoring and evaluation systems on decision-making processes and the public value generated by policies, in order to improve their integrity and transparency.

The aim is therefore to invest in the publication of open data that enables civic monitoring activities by citizens and stakeholders (for example, data on the progress of public projects). Civic monitoring and evaluation focus both on how public decisions are made and on what has been achieved (results and impacts in terms of public value produced). Civic monitoring and evaluation are therefore considered key tools for improving the integrity and transparency of public policies.