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TO WHAT EXTENT ARE THE ACTIVITIES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA IN COMPLIANCE WITH OPEN GOVERNANCE?
April 9 2014 In 2011,
Armenia became a member of the Open Government Partnership (OGP)
initiative. The basic purpose of the OGP, which was founded by eight
countries: the United States, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway,
Philippines, South Africa and the United Kingdom, was the formation
of a transparent and accountable government with a large-scale
public participation in the public life. Currently 63 countries are
participating in this initiative. In the framework of this partnership,
Armenia had 2012-2013 action plan, which provided for numerous events
for ensuring governance transparency and openness.
Today, the civil society, which is the most important part of the
open governance, in the face of the "Asparez" Journalists Club,
Counterpart International, and "Partnership for Open Society"
initiative, had organized a discussion regarding the involvement
of OGP in Armenia, the Implementation of 2012-2013 Action Plan in
the framework of OGP, and 2014-2016 projects. The expert of the
Freedom of Information Center of Armenia Liana Doydoyan presented
the principles of OGP, spoke about the guideline of OGP program,
and Artak Kyurumyan presented the independent assessment of 2012-2013
Action Plan of OGP in Armenia. According to this assessment, the seven
out of 15 commitments in the national action plan was in compliance
with OGP values and the eight of them is substantially or completely
implemented. The budget transparency, according to the 4 score scale,
was rated 0, the freedom of information was rated 2 (the law operates,
however, the information is not always accessible), publication of
declarations was rated 3, because only the properties of selected
officials was declared, and the public participation was rated 3.
After the discussion was over, Aravot.am talked to the Deputy Director
for Programs of the "Open Society Foundations-Armenia" David Amiryan.
Recalling that as an evidence of transparent practice, our government
is constantly bringing the example of e-gov.am site, saying that
there is no such an unprecedented thing in many developed countries,
when all government decisions and budget is fully placed in the website
accessible to everyone, when you can follow the process of your formal
application, etc., we asked whether our government is open. "Literally
translating the Open Government Partnership from English it should be
an open government partnership; the idea of the program is to ensure
the openness of the governance of the country with civil society
partnership. Its philosophy is based on several values, one of which
is freedom and access to information. Our government takes in and
says that I have created an e-gov, but it's not enough. The access
to the information is not that the information is placed somewhere,
in the depths of the Internet, it should be perceptible for any
person. Maybe it's a wonderful thing for narrow specialists, but it
does not mean an open government partnership. The civil society, when
submitting recommendations to the government as a partner, they are
much more radical steps and are aimed at solving some problem quickly
and immediately. For example, in 2012-13 Action Plan, Levon Barseghyan
(Chairman of "Asparez" club) had sent recommendations of 15-17 pages,
none of which was adopted. Or, they say that we have introduced an
e-procurement system. The e-procurement system no way affects the
e-procurement-related big issues that are available. In one report,
it was noted that last year 70 % of procurement were procurements
made from one source in rapid procedure. Well, no matter what you call
it: electronic or not, the problem is not solved. There is a similar
problem with perception of phenomena between the civil society and
the government. In addition, OGP implies the commitment for the
implementation of activities over the government, the government
should demonstrate that it seeks to be open and become transparent,
but what is often done, an NGO is implementing a program, in which the
government is the beneficiary, and the government marks a "plus" next
to it that it had done it. But, the government itself should implement
programs." To our question of how you will score the 2012-13 Action
Plan of the Open Government Partnership based on the conclusion of
estimates by the independent appraiser, David Amirian said, "I would
score 2. The openness off the government must be directed to the
public. Does any citizen feel its openness? Do people feel? I do not
think so. The independent appraiser had taken the value, which was
defined by OGP, he has also taken the activities of the Government
of Armenia under this value and had scored whether the activity
corresponds the value, whether there are results, whether it should
be continued, etc... And when you look at the report point by point,
it appears that there are major problems: the steps performed do not
match the values, they had not achieved result, and so on."
Interestingly, no one from the government attended the discussion of
this issue. To inform also that the same values were defined by other
63 countries joining the OGP, the same format, the government assumes
the same commitments and the independent appraisers are evaluating
the Action Plans of the government of those countries by the same
standards. After all, all of these will be placed on international
platform for general assessment, a rating list will be made. "They do
not have any mechanism for pressure. Perhaps, only the score given
to you, your rating will be some "pressure". But, the openness and
closeness of your government is your problem, the problem of your
government. They have said that we have such an initiative, those
who want may join, we will provide the values and ideas, you implement.
We, our government, has joined in its own, and the civil society as
part of this initiative says the government, if you had gone and have
joined, let's do it correctly, in good and complete form, in compliance
with the values, in consistent to the idea, and not for formality."
Melania BARSEGHYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2014/04/09/164588/
April 9 2014 In 2011,
Armenia became a member of the Open Government Partnership (OGP)
initiative. The basic purpose of the OGP, which was founded by eight
countries: the United States, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway,
Philippines, South Africa and the United Kingdom, was the formation
of a transparent and accountable government with a large-scale
public participation in the public life. Currently 63 countries are
participating in this initiative. In the framework of this partnership,
Armenia had 2012-2013 action plan, which provided for numerous events
for ensuring governance transparency and openness.
Today, the civil society, which is the most important part of the
open governance, in the face of the "Asparez" Journalists Club,
Counterpart International, and "Partnership for Open Society"
initiative, had organized a discussion regarding the involvement
of OGP in Armenia, the Implementation of 2012-2013 Action Plan in
the framework of OGP, and 2014-2016 projects. The expert of the
Freedom of Information Center of Armenia Liana Doydoyan presented
the principles of OGP, spoke about the guideline of OGP program,
and Artak Kyurumyan presented the independent assessment of 2012-2013
Action Plan of OGP in Armenia. According to this assessment, the seven
out of 15 commitments in the national action plan was in compliance
with OGP values and the eight of them is substantially or completely
implemented. The budget transparency, according to the 4 score scale,
was rated 0, the freedom of information was rated 2 (the law operates,
however, the information is not always accessible), publication of
declarations was rated 3, because only the properties of selected
officials was declared, and the public participation was rated 3.
After the discussion was over, Aravot.am talked to the Deputy Director
for Programs of the "Open Society Foundations-Armenia" David Amiryan.
Recalling that as an evidence of transparent practice, our government
is constantly bringing the example of e-gov.am site, saying that
there is no such an unprecedented thing in many developed countries,
when all government decisions and budget is fully placed in the website
accessible to everyone, when you can follow the process of your formal
application, etc., we asked whether our government is open. "Literally
translating the Open Government Partnership from English it should be
an open government partnership; the idea of the program is to ensure
the openness of the governance of the country with civil society
partnership. Its philosophy is based on several values, one of which
is freedom and access to information. Our government takes in and
says that I have created an e-gov, but it's not enough. The access
to the information is not that the information is placed somewhere,
in the depths of the Internet, it should be perceptible for any
person. Maybe it's a wonderful thing for narrow specialists, but it
does not mean an open government partnership. The civil society, when
submitting recommendations to the government as a partner, they are
much more radical steps and are aimed at solving some problem quickly
and immediately. For example, in 2012-13 Action Plan, Levon Barseghyan
(Chairman of "Asparez" club) had sent recommendations of 15-17 pages,
none of which was adopted. Or, they say that we have introduced an
e-procurement system. The e-procurement system no way affects the
e-procurement-related big issues that are available. In one report,
it was noted that last year 70 % of procurement were procurements
made from one source in rapid procedure. Well, no matter what you call
it: electronic or not, the problem is not solved. There is a similar
problem with perception of phenomena between the civil society and
the government. In addition, OGP implies the commitment for the
implementation of activities over the government, the government
should demonstrate that it seeks to be open and become transparent,
but what is often done, an NGO is implementing a program, in which the
government is the beneficiary, and the government marks a "plus" next
to it that it had done it. But, the government itself should implement
programs." To our question of how you will score the 2012-13 Action
Plan of the Open Government Partnership based on the conclusion of
estimates by the independent appraiser, David Amirian said, "I would
score 2. The openness off the government must be directed to the
public. Does any citizen feel its openness? Do people feel? I do not
think so. The independent appraiser had taken the value, which was
defined by OGP, he has also taken the activities of the Government
of Armenia under this value and had scored whether the activity
corresponds the value, whether there are results, whether it should
be continued, etc... And when you look at the report point by point,
it appears that there are major problems: the steps performed do not
match the values, they had not achieved result, and so on."
Interestingly, no one from the government attended the discussion of
this issue. To inform also that the same values were defined by other
63 countries joining the OGP, the same format, the government assumes
the same commitments and the independent appraisers are evaluating
the Action Plans of the government of those countries by the same
standards. After all, all of these will be placed on international
platform for general assessment, a rating list will be made. "They do
not have any mechanism for pressure. Perhaps, only the score given
to you, your rating will be some "pressure". But, the openness and
closeness of your government is your problem, the problem of your
government. They have said that we have such an initiative, those
who want may join, we will provide the values and ideas, you implement.
We, our government, has joined in its own, and the civil society as
part of this initiative says the government, if you had gone and have
joined, let's do it correctly, in good and complete form, in compliance
with the values, in consistent to the idea, and not for formality."
Melania BARSEGHYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2014/04/09/164588/