[Closed] Public call for expressions of interest to join the Open Government Round Table

Details of the Round Table members are available here.

Open Government in Ireland recognises that the active engagement of citizens and civil society is an essential element to co-create and monitor the Open Government National Action Plan.

The active engagement of citizens and civil society is an essential element of open government to co-create and monitor the national action plan.

• Do you have an interest in Open Government?
• Do you have experience / expertise in open government, transparency, civic participation, public accountability and/or technology as a tool to enable these?
• Would you like to use your experience / expertise to make an impactful positive contribution?

This is your opportunity to make a contribution.

To collaboratively co-create the next Open Government National Action Plan (by end of Q2 2022) and monitor its implementation using expertise and/ or the ability to represent citizen groups in the open government values of:

- Transparency (i.e. access to information)

- Civic Participation

- Public Accountability and

- Technology and Innovation for Transparency and Accountability

The Open Government Terms of Reference contains further details.

This public call for expressions of interest to join the Open Government Round Table to represent Civil Society is at the request of the Open Government Association of Ireland (OGAI), to facilitate an open and transparent process. The OGAI has nominated six interim Round Table Civil Society members to direct the process to assess the expressions of interest to select Civil Society members until the end of 2024.

• Antoin Ó Lachtnáin (Chair - Open Government Association of Ireland / Digital Rights Ireland)
• Anne Colgan (Imagine Dundrum)
• Carey Lening (Privacy Activist with background in data protection and IT security)
• Dermot McNally (OpenStreetmap)
• John Devitt (Transparency International Ireland)
• Ronan Kennedy (Irish Council for Civil Liberties)

The Interim Open Government Round Table Civil Society Members and Bios contains further details.

The key aspects of the Open Government Terms of Reference includes:

• Those expressing an interest will need to demonstrate expertise, or the ability to represent citizen groups, in the open government values of:
• Transparency: Disclosing more information, improving the quality of the information disclosed, improving accessibility of information to the public or enabling the right to information;
• Civic Participation: Creating or improving opportunities, or capabilities for the public to inform or influence decisions or creating or improving the enabling environment for civil society;
• Public Accountability: Creating or improving rules, regulations, and mechanisms to publicly hold government officials answerable for their actions; and
• Technology & Innovation for Transparency and Accountability: Enhancing the use of technology and innovation to enable public involvement in government and will enhance at least one of: access to information, public participation, or public accountability.
• Participation in the Round Table will be restricted to people outside the party political system.
• The interim Civil Society members of the Round Table will publish their determination on which candidates meet the eligibility criteria.

Importantly, public sector officials will have no role in the selection/evaluation process.

• Tuesday 2nd November 2021 is the formal launch for expressions of interest.
• Tuesday 16th November 2021 at 17:00 is the deadline for receipt of expressions of interest.
• Friday 19th November 2021 an online election will be held amongst persons who have submitted expressions of interest to determine civil society membership of Round Table (if more than 6 eligible expressions of interest are received, in accordance with the Terms of Reference).
• Wednesday 24th November 2021 the interim Civil Society members of the Round Table will contact those who submitted expressions of interest informing them of the result of the election and will publish their determination.
• Monday 29th November 2021 at 10:00 (online meeting): The 1st Open Government Round Table working meeting to be opened by Minister Ossian Smyth.

We look forward to receiving your expression of interest by 16th November 2021 at IrelandOpenGovernment@per.gov.ie in less than 850 words under the following headings:

(i) Your motivation to join the Round Table;

(ii) An outline of your area of interest and experience in one or more of the four Open Government values outlined above;

(iii) A narrative outlining your work in this field to date

(iv) How you would intend to communicate and engage with Civil Society organisations and the public as a representative in the role; and

(v) Please provide a short summary highlighting the main points of your application in 250 words.

(vi) Contact details: Your name, email, phone number, address.

To achieve balanced and representative Civil Society representation on the Round Table we would also like to know whether you are representing an organisation, the approximate size of that organisation (if relevant), and your gender (optional).

All applications in relation to this public call for expressions of interest to join the Open Government Round Table will be provided to the Interim Civil Society members of the Round Table. The interim members will review all applications and communicate with applicants on next steps and outcomes.

Your data privacy will be protected according to the principles outlined in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s data privacy statement.

Applicants from minority communities are particularly welcome to apply.

Name: Jackie Fisher

Email: IrelandOpenGovernment@per.gov.ie

Phone: +353 1 6045394