Canada in the World: Towards Canadian-Led Open Government

PRINCIPAL AUTHOR: Suthee Sangiambut

CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER): Jean-Noé Landry Michael Lenczner Nicholas Salter

We would like to thank our interview respondents for their input:Ana Brandusescu (Web Foundation), David Eaves (Harvard Kennedy School), André Laperrière (Global Open Data for Nutrition and Agriculture GODAN), Tracey Lauriault (Carleton University), Panthea Lee (Reboot), Don Lenihan (Canada2020), Lindsey Marchessault (Open Contracting Partnership) James McKinney (Open Contracting Partnership), Toby Mendel (Centre for Law & Democracy), Claire Schouten (International Budget Partnership), Richard Stirling (Oxford Insights), Alisha Todd (ParlAmericas), Claire Woodside (Publish What You Pay-Canada).This is a joint project between OpenNorth and Powered by Data.

• EITI: Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
• GAC: Global Affairs Canada
• GODAN: Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition
• IATI: International Aid Transparency Initiative
• IDRC: International Development Research Centre
• IODC: International Open Data Conference
• IT: Information Technology
• OCDS: Open Contracting Data Standard
• OCP: Open Contracting Partnership
• OD4D: Open Data for Development
• ODC: Open Data Charter (also known as the International Open Data Charter)
• OGP: Open Government Partnership
• SSHRC: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Canada)
• TBS: Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
• UK: United Kingdom
• UN: United Nations
• US/USA: United States of America

Canada was recently selected to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Steering Committee, accruing the top number of points during the nomination process. This international recognition of Canada’s open government accomplishments comes as no surprise. Operationalized under the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), open government has flourished in Canada over the past six years. Canada has received substantial recognition for its efforts to scale its open data delivery at all levels of government. Despite these successes, Canada still faces the challenges of spreading adoption of open government principles and formalizing its official implementation approach. Overcoming these challenges and refining the tools of open government would allow Canada to take full advantage of its new leadership position on the OGP Steering Committee, while reinforcing its existing domestic and foreign policy goals. We argue that Canada’s position on the OGP Steering Committee is an opportunity to redefine and enhance Canadian soft power.

This report explores how Canada can best utilize the opportunity presented by its election to the OGP Steering Committee. The report is based on a literature review and semi-structured interviews with leading open government experts from a diverse set of backgrounds, who imparted their perceptions of Canada’s involvement in the open data and open government movements. The research has been synthesized into 6 recommendations for the Government of Canada’s open government policy, and are aimed at complementing the existing Open Government Directive and Third Biennial Plan to the Open Government Partnership.

First, leadership in open government can involve being a frontrunner in adoption of international transparency standards. Canada’s existing support of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) is one such example. There exist other transparency standards that Canada can adopt in full, such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the Open Contracting Data Standards (OCDS). Comprehensive adoption of such initiatives will help Canada leverage its position at the OGP and elsewhere, while improving efficiencies locally. In addition, Canada has the capacity and experience to develop a formal approach to solving national-level problems, using multi-stakeholder fora and collaboration across jurisdictions. Piloting such programmes domestically will encourage and empower other nations to follow suit.

Second, increasing the engagement of civil servants and politicians in open government will spread its implementation beyond TBS. This will mobilize all units into a ‘whole of government’ approach whereby employees at all levels subscribe to and are responsible for implementing discrete components of a comprehensive open government vision. This would be one step towards ‘open-by-default’ culture.

Third, clear and succinct communications will improve coordination of Government of Canada activities abroad. This could include the designation of a liaison to coordinate foreign interactions on open government, and ensuring the goals of domestic civil society stakeholders aligns with government. This is important as Canadian civil society organisations also have a significant presence abroad (including the OGP).

Fourth, leadership also involves going beyond compliance and raising minimum standards on open government. This can be in the realm of transparency, where Canada has the experience necessary to influence global transparency standards. As open government principles, such as transparency, become an integral part of foreign diplomacy, becoming the global standard bearer for open government may benefit Canada’s negotiating position in other areas such as trade and investment.

Fifth, linkages can be made between open government and other, unexplored policy and problem areas. Harmonizing open government policy with related policy, such as education and or international development, will reduce redundancies and create cohesion. One example is Parliamentary Openness, an operationalization of open government in the legislature that also has great potential for alignment with existing open government commitments both domestically and at the OGP.

Finally, the relationship between government and Canadian civil society organizations should not be forgotten. Because Canadian civil society has been an innovator in open government both domestically and abroad, closer collaboration between the two spheres is desirable.

These recommendations cover both domestic and international reforms to bolster Canadian leadership in open government. An interesting theme which cuts across the recommendations is how success in open government reinforces and strengthens Canada’s existing foreign policy goals. Where Canada has recently signalled a change in its foreign policy towards a more outward looking approach, open government provides an innovative vector to reinforce those goals while projecting strength on the world stage. Open government and transparency therefore become additions to Canada’s options in exerting soft power. Based on the research conducted for this report, we conclude that it is highly advantageous for the Government of Canada to explore how successful involvement in the open government movement may require linkages across ministries and agencies, most notably between Global Affairs Canada and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

Over the next years of Canada’s role of lead government co-chair, and supporting government co-chair of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), the global community will be looking to Canada to lead by example and further the OGP. This upcoming leadership role represents an historic and unprecedented opportunity for Canada to deliver ambitious and concrete reforms that demonstrate the transformative potential of open government. Furthermore, this represents a chance to engage and excite both the international community and domestic civil society in the OGP process.

The Government of Canada is making positive moves in open government. Recent developments include the Open by Default Pilot, increased internal capacity at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat to support the achievement of a whole-of-government approach to open government, and the co-creation of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum to establish a permanent dialogue mechanism with civic leaders. We anticipate the next round of consultation for the next National Action Plan on open government will be even more engaging and fruitful.

Nevertheless, there remains a gap between current approaches and future potential. For example, the issue of indigenous data sovereignty is salient to aligning open government with the broader reconciliation process. In collaboration, we decided to investigate Canada’s potential opportunities and requirements for greater leadership in the global open government movement. We realised that the most likely sources of recommendations were our peers; experts in Canadian open data and open government. These individuals come from a variety of backgrounds and domains, ranging from data standards to budget transparency and sustainable development. We believe this exemplifies the breadth of Canadian leadership. Our expertise is not just found in organizations within Canada, but in our distinguished expats who help others in their development goals. It is these individuals who bring Canadian values to their open government work abroad.

Our ensuing report, Canada in the World: Towards Canadian-Led Open Government contains identifies the barriers that need to be overcome and makes a number of recommendations towards them. It focuses on the need for strategic alignment across the Government of Canada, and between domestic and foreign policy goals. We hope this report will inspire discussion and we look forward to engaging further on the matter.

Open government has become increasingly prominent as a governance philosophy and a desired outcome of government reform. With each successive Parliament, Canada strives to improve its governance to become more transparent, more efficient, and more effective at addressing public needs. Strengthening governance through increased transparency and engagement helps build trust with citizens, another goal of government. The concept of open government has matured into the overarching philosophy that coordinates these governance objectives at national, international, and subnational scales. The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a global multilateral initiative for the open government movement, and uses a working definition of open government to describe it as: transparency, accountability, and public engagement. This network, founded in 2011, is the global coordinating body for open government discourse, and one that Canada has been a member of since 2012. Through this network, member nations commit to “promote transparency, fight corruption, empower citizens, and harness new technologies to make government more effective and accountable”. [1] Open government acts as an important high-level framework for many government and development activities. Such is the plethora of applications that the OGP categorises its member’s commitments into 50 cross-cutting themes covering a variety of topic such as: engagement with citizens and non-profits, whistleblower protection, public procurement, open data, and water and sanitation.

The Government of Canada has been a keen promoter of open government since the launch of its Open Government Initiative in 2011 and its first National Action Plan for the 2012-2014 [2] period where it first introduced its synthesis of OGP commitments around three core activity streams: Open Data, Open Info, and Open Dialogue. Since then, Canada has consistently updated its biennial plan (now in its third iteration) and is following through on the three activity streams. Significant progress has been made to transform the Open Data Pilot Project (started in 2011 under the prior Conservative administration) into a full fledged infrastructure, and the Open Government Directive [3] has cemented the philosophy into government-wide policy. The latest action plan, called the Third Biennial Plan to the Open Government Partnership [4] renews the government’s commitment to “restore trust in public institutions” and “to raise the bar for openness and transparency”. Regardless of the change in government resulting from the 2015 federal election, open government has been passed along from one minister to the next and remains a top government priority. As such, open government is a part of Canadian governmental doctrine that can transcend political boundaries and be sustained through successive governments in the future.

What is Open Government?

Open Government is defined in a variety of ways. The Government of Canada defines it this way:“Open Government means a governing culture that fosters greater openness and accountability, enhances citizen participation in policymaking and service design, and creates a more efficient and responsive government.”

Government of Canada (http://open.canada.ca/en/frequently-asked-questions)

More definitions of open government have been collated by the GovLab (http://thegovlab.org/open-government-whats-in-a-name/)

In March 2017, Canada was elected to a three-year term at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Steering Committee, to begin on 1st October 2017. [6] The mandate represented by this election alongside strong international perception of Canada’s openness represents an enormous opportunity for the Government of Canada to both advance its interests in terms of open government policy and to elevate Canada from a position of strength, to one of leadership in the global open government community.

What is the Open Government Partnership?

Founded in 2011, the Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multilateral network of national governments, sub-national governments, and civil society stakeholders. As of 2016, this global network includes 75 member countries, 43 of which have established permanent dialogue mechanisms domestically. Through partnership with civil society stakeholders, OGP member countries sign the Declaration on Open Government and work to fight corruption and improve transparency and citizen engagement, also adopting new technologies that improve governance.

Country membership in the OGP requires meeting eligibility criteria, development of national action plans, and commitment to an independent reporting mechanism. Canada has been a member of the OGP since 2012.

Through the OGP, various stakeholder communities of practice coordinate their efforts. This includes regional and global events to convene stakeholders, workshops to share knowledge, and working groups to tackle specific problems.

This report seeks to outline how the Government of Canada and open government community can take full advantage of this opportunity, by providing an analysis of Canada’s existing implementation and operationalization of open government and guidance on future direction. Specifically, this report will address the following:

• The current state of open government in Canada
• Existing challenges in Canadian open Government
• The variety of domains for implementation
• How Canadian power can be redefined through open government

This report draws upon a literature review and interviews with key experts working in areas such as: fiscal and budget transparency, extractives and aid transparency, legislative transparency, data standards, rights to information, digitising public services, data sharing for agriculture and development. We provide six recommendations for Canadian domestic and foreign policy, which we believe will allow Canada to maximize the value of its mandate on the Open Government Steering Committee. The ideas presented in this paper are a synthesis of responses provided by our key interviewees, and OpenNorth and Powered by Data’s expertise.

Data Sources and Approach

The feedback that informs this report was gathered through interviews of thirteen open government experts. Some are Canadian expatriates and one is non-Canadian, but all have a global reach in their activities and maintain ties to Canada. We selected experts using existing contacts in the open government community and through snowball sampling, whereby we asked respondents to name additional potential interviewees. Our criteria for selection was that respondents work in areas related to the five main open government challenges, [7] and that their work extended abroad (either through presence at international open data and open government conferences, or in the form of international partnerships). A complete list of respondents can be found in Appendix A and survey questions found in Appendix B.

• [1] https://www.opengovpartnership.org/open-government-declaration
• [2] http://open.canada.ca/en/canadas-action-plan-open-government
• [3] https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=28108
• [4] http://open.canada.ca/en/content/third-biennial-plan-open-government-partnership
• [6] https://www.opengovpartnership.org/about/working-groups/ogp-steering-committee/government-elections
• [7] http://open.canada.ca/en/content/third-biennial-plan-open-government-partnership

The wide margin by which Canada accrued points during its election process to the OGP Steering Committee confirms Canada’s affinity for open government and the perceptions the international community has of us – as an open and progressive country that is working towards transparency, social justice, and economic opportunity for all of its citizens. Canadian values of tolerance, multiculturalism, and pluralism are intrinsically linked to open government. Open government ideals have even found their way into Federal Government mandates, as evidenced by the Prime Minister’s Mandate Letters to Ministers upon winning the 2015 general election.

We have also committed to set a higher bar for openness and transparency in government. It is time to shine more light on government to ensure it remains focused on the people it serves. Government and its information should be open by default. If we want Canadians to trust their government, we need a government that trusts Canadians. It is important that we acknowledge mistakes when we make them. Canadians do not expect us to be perfect – they expect us to be honest, open, and sincere in our efforts to serve the public interest.

– extract from Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau Mandate Letters to Ministers

Open Government is currently operationalized through the Treasury Board of Secretariat (TBS) under Minister Scott Brison. Under this current arrangement, the Government of Canada is a funder of research projects on open data evaluation and impacts, participates in working groups such as the Open Data Charter [8] Measurement and Accountability Working Group, and has mandated open data and open government domestically through its three-pronged (Open Data, Open Information, and Open Dialogue) approach. As a result of these efforts, every single Federal ministry has an open government action 8 A successor to the G8 Open Data Charter, sometimes referred to as the International Open Data Charter plan, and open data and open government have spread to sub-national government. Canada ranks second on the Open Data Barometer [9] and is considered a leader in open data. Moreover, Canada’s change of course on some policies over the past few years, such as the reinstatement of the long form census, has restored some government credibility in the eyes of the public and experts. Finally, the Government of Canada is a leader at the International Aid Transparency Initiative [10] (IATI), a major achievement and demonstration of its commitment to open government.

From a broader perspective, open government’s components of transparency and accountability have long been a part of Canadian foreign policy goals. In this respect, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) has been promoting open government principles long before the term was conceived, with considerable investment in developing nations. Historically, GAC has implemented governance projects at national and sub-national levels of government [11], and projects that support anti-corruption and civil society [12] organizations (two goals of open government). Meanwhile, the International Development Research Council (IDRC) has funded development projects and, even more importantly, has furthered knowledge on governance and e-government [13] development with research spending of over $140.3 million in the 2015-2016 year alone. [14] Open data (one of the cornerstones of Canadian open government) is already an explicit priority for IDRC [15], evidenced in its support of organizations such as Open Data for Development [16] (OD4D) and substantial funding of the International Open Data Conference (IODC), the world’s largest annual gathering of the open data community. Through support of OD4D, IDRC has indirectly expanded its reach in the open data movement to support initiatives such as the Global Open Data Index. [17] IDRC has also looked to identify links between the use of information technologies and democratic reform, with the aim to “build more open, better networked societies through the use of digital technologies.” [18] These examples demonstrate that the Government, through existing and historical programmes, already has considerable experience and knowledge in issues touching on the aims stated in the Open Government Declaration.

Canada’s sphere of influence in open government is not restricted to the activities of the Government of Canada. We can count a number of Canadian citizens among the global leaders in open data and open government. These individuals have amassed expertise and experience through their work in international organizations or have become thought leaders that helped initiate and drive the discourse on open government. Such Canadians also care about helping others create open data and open government. For example, André Laperrière, Executive Director of the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) network, recently received the Canadian Open Data Leader of the Year 2017 Award at the 2017 Canada Open Data Summit, for his work in creating a worldwide agricultural knowledge-sharing network that helps developing and developed nations alike. [19] Canadian academia has also made advances in research on open government. Dr. Renee Sieber (McGill University) leads a SSHRC Partnership Grant on open data. She and Dr. Peter Johnson (University of Waterloo) have modelled the potential of open data as an instrument of government efficiency, and as a participatory realization of open government. [20] They posit that open data (particularly Canadian open data) has much more potential as a vector of civic participation. Co-producing data with citizens can increase both efficiency in public services, and trust between citizens and government.

Canadian advances in open government speak to some of the perceptions of our identity and values. Canadian identity is one of a “strong international reputation. We are known as a well governed, progressive, and multicultural society. When people think of Canada, open also comes to mind” (Lindsey Marchessault, Open Contracting Partnership). Canada therefore “has the potential to be a convener” (Claire Woodside, Publish What You Pay – Canada). These sentiments are echoed in the open government community abroad,

Words I associate with Canadian colleagues: reliable, honest, trustworthy, upfront, fairly open, and finally, modest

– Richard Stirling [21], Oxford Insights

Given the accomplishments of the Canadian government and Canadian experts in civil society, Canada appears to have accumulated the social capital and reputational strength needed to exert even further leadership in the open government movement. Along these lines, a December 2016 opinion column from outgoing Information Commissioner of Canada, Suzanne Legault, called for increased Canadian leadership on open government to protect democratic values and lead by example, prompted by her perception of a faltering commitment by international partners.

• [8] A successor to the G8 Open Data Charter, sometimes referred to as the International Open Data Charter
• [9] http://opendatabarometer.org/
• [10] http://www.aidtransparency.net/
• [11] http://w05.international.gc.ca/projectbrowser-banqueprojets/project-projet/details/a033621001
• [12] http://w05.international.gc.ca/projectbrowser-banqueprojets/project-projet/details/a035062001
• [13] Kettani, D., & Moulin, B. (2014). E-Government for Good Governance in Developing Countries: Empirical Evidence from the eFez Project. Anthem Press, IDRC. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10625/52671
• [14] International Development Research Centre. (2016). Investing in Solutions: Annual Report 2015-2016. Retrieved from https://prd-idrc.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/idrc-annual-report-2015-2016_1_0.pdf
• [15] Ibid.
• [16] https://www.od4d.net/
• [17] https://index.okfn.org/about/
• [18] IDRC, Government of Canada, & Government of the United Kingdom. (n.d.). ICT4D: Learning how to harness Information Communication Technologies for Development. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/governmentuploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/448657/ICT4D_SoC.pdf
• [19] https://www.gov.uk/
• [20] Sieber, R. E., & Johnson, P. A. (2015). Civic open data at a crossroads: Dominant models and current challenges. Government Information Quarterly, 32(3), 308–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2015.05.003
• [21] former Innovation Director at the Open Data Institute, UK
• [22] https://www.hilltimes.com/2016/12/06/time-right-will-canada-leader-open-government/90273

Despite Canada’s strong track record of participation in open governmentrelated commitments, challenges remain in both the global open government movement and Canada’s domestic implementation. In this section, we present a number of challenges for Canada, both domestically and internationally. All of these challenges were identified by our interview respondents.

There is a need to be more methodical about [dialogue] in the context of open government

– Don Lenihan, Canada2020

Cohesion in messaging remains a challenge. Interview respondents noted that Canada’s participation at international fora and on international bodies can be inconsistent. While TBS maintains the open government portfolio internally, it is the IDRC that continues to fund much of the open government and open data movement’s events and research projects.

This is reflected in differing participation, whereby multiple representatives from the Government of Canada may be present at any single event. A simple example is Open Data for Development (OD4D), which receives funding from both IDRC and GAC. While the IDRC is a Crown corporation, not a ministry with diplomacy as its primary function, both IDRC and GAC project Canada’s interests and values. This presents a challenge to foreign representatives who may prefer the simplicity of a single point of contact. Multiple representatives can foster uncertainty over the Federal Government’s long-term agenda and goals for participation at the OGP. This creates a perception in outsiders, whether true or not, that there is a lack of internal coordination amongst Federal institutions.

Respondents also perceived domestic reforms to be slow. They noted that there remains a disconnect between the higher level of policy at which political leaders operate, and ground level implementations by the civil service. Consensus on how to create an Open Dialogue process (that incorporates Open Data and Open Information) is yet to be reached. According to Don Lenihan (Canada2020), while Canadians may have a collaborative culture that values engagement in dialogue, this process requires standardization if it is to be replicated, iterated, and improved upon.

Changes to access to information legislation have also been delayed, which lowers public expectations of government’s commitment. Admittedly, these are incredibly difficult expectations to manage, especially given that open government reforms are long-term, structural (and cultural) changes to governance. While the pace at which government operates is a common criticism from outsiders, it is important to remember that government must make decisions that have been deliberated and with consequences well thought out; checks on decision-making are an important aspect of the Government of Canada’s daily operations, and the communication of these aspects of government structure will align expectations closer to the reality of governance.

There is a need for more internal coordination on the open government agenda: what does it mean to do open government, what does it mean to collaborate, how does cooperation work best

– Lindsey Marchessault, Open Contracting Partnership

Finally, the incentives for organizational culture change needed to implement ‘open-by-default’ culture have yet to be communicated to civil servants, as there is a perception that the civil service remains highly risk averse. Even with an Open Government Directive, a culture of open government has yet to be cultivated in the civil service and interviewed respondents observed that civil servants remain hesitant of upsetting the status quo. Positive steps are already being taken in this direction with the recent appointment of a new Chief Information Officer, who is setting a new tone on culture change and preparing the civil service for the next big technological advances the country will face. Canada clearly needs to go beyond national action plans and directives and work towards operationalising its open government targets for all civil servants to understand and implement.

REDEFINING CANADIAN POWER THROUGH OPEN GOVERNMENT

CANADA AS A MIDDLE POWER

The challenges outlined above need to be overcome, not just for domestic impact, but because implementing open government will allow Canada to lead by example on the international stage. Canada has proclaimed a strong aspiration for international leadership with its new, outward looking foreign policy stance, which has come in the face of global uncertainty in the commitments of friendly nations. Minister Freeland’s policy address in June 2017 sent an assertive message to Canadians that the Government of Canada has the desire to break away from its stereotype of middle power and take up a leadership role in global issues such as climate change, trade, and security. [23] The rest of the world may be in agreement – in a June 2017 poll of citizens in 25 countries around the world, Canada was selected as having the most positive influence on world affairs, outranking our neighbouring allies and even global institutions such as the United Nations and the World Bank Group. [24]

Historically, Canada has operated as a middle power by favouring conflict resolution through diplomacy; a soft power approach that Canada is reliant upon to this day. [25] Canada’s unwavering commitment to issues such as climate change, refugees, and human rights, has given it moral leadership amongst allies, some of whom are trending towards isolationist policies. Current foreign policy is built upon a strong tradition of commitments such as Responsibility to Protect or the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (Ottawa Treaty); [26] not to mention involvement in the UN and in peacekeeping operations. These expressions of soft power (and the occasional military action) are designed to promote Canadian values abroad; a key mission of Canada’s diplomatic corps.

Arguably, open government principles are directly correlated with the very same Canadian values. If international agreements on climate change or nonproliferation of nuclear arms are considered a projection of soft power, [27] then Canada’s open government policy is the rhetorical arm of Canadian power that, importantly, can influence discourse on all manner of domains.

This vision of Canadian open government leadership supporting Canada’s foreign policy goals is in line with the Prime Minister’s mandate letter to Minister Freeland which said that Minister Freeland should aim to “restore constructive Canadian leadership in the world and to promote Canada’s interests and values.” We believe that leadership in open government offers Canada a new approach to soft power that will enable it to break away from its traditional middle power role and allow it to be more assertive on the world stage.

APPLYING SOFT POWER VIA OPEN GOVERNMENT

Canada benefits from its membership in a global community of governments working to adopt ambitious [open government] reforms as this can strengthen its relationships with like-minded countries and civil society, and contribute to good governance and effective public policy for more prosperous societies, both in Canada and abroad.

– Alisha Todd, ParlAmericas

A middle nation’s soft power is not restricted to the field of international diplomacy, nor is it exclusive of open government. In this section, we suggest two problems areas to which an open government approach may be applied: climate change and legislative openness.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and its annual Conference Of Parties meeting, is one example. Under this agreement, Canada has committed to transparency for emissions data, and accountability through a common review process as stated by Environment and Climate Change Canada; [28] likely requiring open data. International commitments also link to domestic implementations. The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change sets Canada’s domestic commitment for climate solutions such as carbon pricing, which again will require strong data sharing and reporting mechanisms. [29] Such cross-governmental collaborations require reporting and data-sharing mechanisms to be synergised, as global problems do not remain separate from local problems and solutions. Since climate change is a multi-jurisdictional issue, an open government framework (with Canada’s three prongs of open data, open info, and open dialogue) is an ideal platform within which to move domestic and international commitments forward into implementation. The open data and open government movements are already orienting themselves to support action around climate change. The OGP has already instituted an Open Climate Working Group, [30] which aims to help OGP members achieve their commitments to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the latest commitments from the Paris Agreement. [31] This group has identified a need for data sharing to monitor progress and transparency in decision-making related to carbon emission reduction for countries to uphold their commitments. It has produced guidelines on integrating climate commitments [32] into OGP National Action Plans. [33]

Finally, Canada participates in networks that parallel its open government priorities. As mentioned above, Canada sits on the board of IATI, an apt position given Canada’s extensive international development work. Ongoing support and leadership within ParlAmericas,34 the inter-parliamentary institution that promotes parliamentary diplomacy in the inter-American system, is another commitment. Through the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network, GAC has supported the development of a Road Map towards Legislative Openness and is actively engaged in the sharing of best practices related to Open Parliament across Latin America and the Caribbean.35 Canada has also engaged in technology transfer in this context,

Many countries look to Canada for examples of good practices. As a recent example, the Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago used Canada’s ParlVU36 as the basis for designing their ParlView37 system to livestream parliamentary debates.

– Alisha Todd, ParlAmericas

What are Open Parliaments?

The Open Parliament movement was solidified in the Declaration on Parliamentary Openness [38] from an international conference of parliamentary monitoring organizations in 2012. The Declaration, which a number of countries have adopted, places a number of requirements on parliaments such as: provide parliamentary information the public, ensure that there are legal means that allow citizens to access data, and “an affirmative duty to promote citizen understanding of parliamentary functioning and share good practices with other parliaments to increase openness and transparency.” Open data and open government principles are imbued and operationalized for legislative bodies.

• [23] https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2017/06/address_by_ministerfreelandon
• [24] Ipsos. (2017). Global @dvisor poll: Retrieved from https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/2017-06/ Dangerous_World-2017.p
• [25] Potter, E. (2002). Canada and the New Public Diplomacy. International Journal, 58(1), 43–64. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.2307/40203812
• [26] Axworthy, L. (1997). Canada and Human Security: The Need for Leadership. International Journal, 52(2), 183–196. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.2307/40203196
• [27] Ravenhill, J. (1998). Cycles of Middel Power Activism: Constraint and Choice in Australian and Canadian Foreign Policies.Australian Journal of International Affairs, 52(3), 309–327. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/10357719808445259
• [28] http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/default.asp?Lang=En&xml=EF6CE373-41AA-4EFA-A97B-1EDFB25E6C83
• [29] https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/pan-canadian-framework/
• [30] https://www.opengovpartnership.org/about/working-groups/open-climate
• [31] http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php
• [32] https://www.opengovpartnership.org/stories/open-government-and-climate-action
• [33] World Resources Institute, & Government of France. (2016). Collective Actions on Climate and Sustainable Development through the Open Government Partnership. Retrieved from http://www.opengovpartnership.org/sites/default/files/Climate-Issue-Brief.pdf
• [34] http://www.parlamericas.org/en.aspx
• [35] http://parlamericas.org/uploads/documents/Roadmap-EN-SCREEN.pdf
• [36] http://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/XRender/
• [37] http://parlview.ttparliament.org/xrender/
• [38] https://www.openingparliament.org/declaration/

In this section, we outline six recommendations to align Government of Canada’s domestic and foreign open government policy. These recommendations are the major themes synthesised from interviews conducted with thirteen open government experts in civil society. Respondents were asked about their views of Canada’s strengths and weaknesses in open government, and their recommendations for the Government of Canada.

The above recommendations suggest that a more agile approach is needed to iterate on Canada’s open government agenda. This involves tackling issues and experimenting with national-level projects, in parallel to expanding Canada’s international commitments.

The immediate next step for the Government of Canada may be a meeting of top-level Federal, Provincial, and municipal administrators to communicate the national open government agenda and verify its applicability to all levels of government. Civil society is always willing and continues to engage with government. Mobilizing the whole of government around the national agenda, will re-energize ministers and empower civil servants to engage with others in solving national issues. We are confident in open government’s potential to empower civil servants and expand the capabilities of government, and optimistic the Government of Canada can lead the world towards more open and connected societies.

A. LIST OF INTERVIEW RESPONDENTS

Ana Brandusescu (Web Foundation) David Eaves (Harvard Kennedy School) André Laperrière (Global Open Data for Nutrition and Agriculture GODAN) Tracey Lauriault (Carleton University) Panthea Lee (Reboot) Don Lenihan (Canada2020) Lindsey Marchessault (Open Contracting Partnership) James McKinney (Open Contracting Partnership) Toby Mendel (Centre for Law & Democracy) Claire Schouten (International Budget Partnership) Richard Stirling (Oxford Insights) Alisha Todd (ParlAmericas) Claire Woodside (Publish What You Pay-Canada)

B. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with those listed in Appendix A, using the structure below.

BACKGROUND

1. Who are you, what are your organization objectives, describe your role in that organization, where are you based?

2. In your own words, briefly describe your work on all of the following areas of open government that apply to you: transparency, accountability, anti-corruption, civic participation, tech for governance

3. Do you work or engage with government?

4. Do you work or engage with the OGP? If so, how?

5. Do you work or engage with foreign governments outside of the OGP?

6. Do you work or engage with foreign or international organisations, institutions, or networks?

7. Do you work or engage with other Canadians related to the field of open government?

CANADA AND THE GLOBAL OPEN GOVERNMENT MOVEMENT

8. In your experience, what are the Government of Canada’s open government priorities? Are you aware of Canada’s international policy objectives as they relate to open data or open government?

9. Canada’s has used concepts of open info, open data, open dialogue internally. Have you seen these concepts being used on the international stage?

10. Have you observed any unique approaches to open government by foreign governments?

11. How do you think the Government of Canada can advance the open government movement globally? What is unique qualities does Canada have that would aid this?

12. What are the top challenges you face in your work as an open government practitioner or in your work related to governance?

YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS

13. Do you see Open Government and participation in the OGP as a foreign policy objective or as a matter of internal governance?

14. Implementation plans in Federal Canadian departments suggests that open government is predominantly operationalised as open data. How else could open government be operationalised and promoted?

15. The OGP’s five grand challenges, as cited by Canada’s latest open government plan, are: improving public services, increasing public integrity, managing public resources, safer communities, corporate accountability. The OGP expects members to select one or two of these challenges to focus on.

• Which two challenges do you feel the Govt. of Canada should focus on internally?
• Which challenges are most important to promote abroad? Why?

16. Are you interested in helping Canada accomplish foreign policy goals in relation to open data or open government?

17. If so, how could you be better prepared to support those goals? What do you envision the role of civil society to be, in relation to the Government of Canada?

18. Would you be interested in connecting with other Canadians around open data/open government? (high priority, moderate priority, not a priority, unsure)

19. Final thoughts on Canada’s tenure on the OGP Steering Committee?