EU For Integrity Programme Learning Report Phase 1

The EU For Integrity Programme (referred to as the “EaP Programme”) is designed to support the implementation of open government reforms in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region—Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. With Phase I of the program (Aug 2020-Aug 2024) concluding after an investment of over €2.5 million, the OGP Support UnitThe OGP Support Unit is a small, permanent group of staff that work closely with the Steering Committee and the Independent Reporting Mechanism to advance the goals of the Open Government Partnership.... reviewed the outcomes achieved and the contribution of key factors and stakeholders in reaching those results.

A few insights from the report:

Greater government ownership of reforms: The EaP Programme enabled OGP staff to repeatedly advocate for better alignment of open government reforms across national and regional instruments (e.g. EU, OECD, GRECO) with high-level political decision makers. Government stakeholders note that the alignment reflects greater government ownership and increases the likelihood of implementing reforms. It has also allowed civil society to amplify their demands across multiple platforms – giving them a higher chance of being heard.

Innovations in engaging civil society organizations (CSOs): OGP engaged CSOs not typically part of the OGP process, and experimented with ways to build the ecosystem of reformers in the region. Through the EaP Programme, 18 out of 19 CSOs were first-time grantees in the EaP countries, not having been directly funded by OGP before. In Armenia, Georgia and Moldova many CSOs engaged the general public in government policies, programs and reforms. In all EaP countries, CSOs were also resourced to support reforms outside of the action planAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen.... However, the long term impact – in terms of integrating successful CSO initiatives into government programs, or building the civic muscle of the general public is yet to be seen, although Armenia is showing promise.

Strengthened dialogue between government and CSOs: All countries except Georgia strengthened government- civil society dialogue in OGP processes over the course of several action plans, including those undertaken during the EaP Programme. The progress is emblematic of the repeated cycles of putting OGP co-creation principles into practice over many years. In Armenia, for example, stakeholders highlighted a ‘culture of collaboration’ that has developed over many years between government and CSOs.

Increased ambitionAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, OGP commitments should “stretch government practice beyond its current baseline with respect to key areas of open government.” Ambition captures the po... in action plans: Both Armenia and Ukraine showed an improvement in ambition of their action plans – from its fourth to fifth action plan, and fifth to sixth action plans respectively. While Armenia’s progress reflects its long trajectory of OGP membership, including incorporating IRM recommendations to improve the ambition of its action plan, Ukraine’s EU integration process heavily influenced its action plan, following the granting of EU candidate status in June 2022.

Better connections between reformers across countries: Although peer exchanges are a consistent feature of the OGP platform, the EaP programme added value in enabling more frequent opportunities across countries to network, exchange experiences and grow expertise in specific subject matters.