The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance. In the spirit of multi-stakeholder collaboration, OGP is overseen by a Steering Committee including representatives of governments and civil society organizations.

To become a member of OGP, participating countries must endorse a high-level Open Government Declaration, deliver a country action plan developed with public consultation, and commit to independent reporting on their progress going forward.

The Open Government Partnership formally launched on September 20, 2011, when the 8 founding governments (Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States) endorsed the Open Government Declaration, and announced their country action plans. In just two years, OGP has welcomed the commitment of 57 additional governments to join the Partnership. In total, OGP participating countries have made over 1,000 commitments to make their governments more open and accountable.

In 2014, from a budget of $3.37 million, OGP received 33% of its contributions from governments, 21% from bilateral organizations and 46% from foundations.

Additional Elements
Public Consultation
OGP participating countries commit to develop their national action plans through a multi-stakeholder process, with the active engagement of citizens and civil society. Countries are encouraged to identify an appropriate forum for ongoing dialogue with stakeholders through the process of drafting, implementing, and assessing action plans.

Independent Reporting Mechanism
All governments publish an annual self-assessment report after each year of the OGP implementation cycle. Following the first self-assessment of a new National Action Plan, an independent progress report is written by a local governance expert from each participating country. Following a second self-assessment the IRM produces a short close-out report assessing the completion of commitments. The IRM has produced 43 independent progress reports covering over 800 commitments to date.

Peer Learning and Exchange
OGP offers participating countries various platforms to share experiences with a network of governments and non-governmental actors tackling similar open government challenges. Through regional meetings, thematic working groups, webinars, and various other events, the OGP Support Unit connects countries with the resources they need to develop innovative and effective open government initiatives.

OGP Support Unit
The Support Unit serves as the secretariat for OGP, working closely with the Steering Committee to shape OGP policies and strategy. It is also the first point of contact for both governments and civil society in OGP participating countries