Trust looking for OGP Researcher
As part of its work in Creative Space for Civic Thinking, the Trust is looking for an experienced consultant to undertake research exploring the potential for the implementation of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in Northern Ireland.
The Trust are commissioning this research on behalf of the recently convened NI Open Government Partnership Civil Society Working Group.
This tender forms part of the Trust’s ‘Creative Space for Civic Thinking’ theme, the overall aim of which is to enable the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector to better facilitate meaningful participation of citizens in decision-making processes.
The OGP is an international initiative – working through a partnership of government and civil society - aimed at securing government commitments to greater participation, accountability and transparency.
While the Republic of Ireland signed up in 2013, the United Kingdom was a founding member. Despite this, and the fact the UK is now implementing its 2nd action plan, very few of the commitments apply in Northern Ireland. This is due to the lack of involvement of either devolved government representatives or local civil society in the process to date.
The Trust has been working on raising awareness of OGP here in Northern Ireland over the last few months and, thanks to a high level of interest, a working group of Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector representatives and individuals has been set up.
This group has subsequently asked the Trust to commission research to help identify specific issues to be addressed, as well as gauging the potential for progress at government level.
The Trust envisages the main tasks to be undertaken as part of this research as follows:
- An analysis of the UK action plan to identify the status of each commitment in Northern Ireland
- A mapping of other existing or planned NI Executive commitments that could fit under the open government umbrella
- An assessment (through conversations with key political and civil service stakeholders, ombudsmen, commissioners, etc.) of the potential of an OGP campaign in Northern Ireland
- A (limited) survey of the VCSE sector to identify further issues for a potential OGP campaign and gauge their relative importance
- Make recommendations in relation to the strategy, focus, timing, etc. of an OGP civil society campaign in Northern Ireland.
The research is expected to take around 6 weeks and, ideally, would be started as soon as possible.
Deadlines for submissions is Wednesday 30th July at 4pm.
Please click here for more information and to download the Terms of Reference.