Open Government Partnership action plans explained

What the plan records

The OGP National Handbook, August 2025 edition, defines an action plan as a co-created document outlining specific, time-bound, verifiable commitments developed by government and civil society and implemented over two or four years ¹. Commitments can come from the executive, and the handbook separately describes action plans developed by a parliament, judiciary or autonomous institution ¹.

OGP was created in 2011 and says it includes more than 70 countries and 136 local governments ². The plan is the public record of what each member has promised to do in that cycle.

In line with Standard 1, every OGP country member must set up a formal space for dialogue between government and civil society ¹. The handbook calls the common model a Multi-Stakeholder Forum ¹. The IRM asks whether such a space existed and whether it met at least every six months ¹. OGP is carrying out its 2023 to 2028 Strategy, developed with input from over 1,000 individuals, groups, networks, members and forums ¹.

Delivery windows and deadlines

The handbook sets two delivery windows ¹.

• A government that does not deliver a new plan within one year after its previous plan ends is officially late and considered to have acted contrary to process ¹
• The country then receives a letter from the OGP Support Unit noting the delay ¹
• A plan submitted in January, February, July or August can fall in either window, so the country must decide which end date applies ¹

Late plans under the 2024 rules

The 2024 edition of the handbook, Version 6, set the same two windows, with plans ending on 30 June or 31 December two or four years later ⁵. It said a government that does not deliver a new plan within one year after its previous plan ends is officially late and considered to have acted contrary to process ⁵. Such a country had to deliver by 31 December of the following year to avoid acting contrary to process again ⁵.

OGP's action plan guidance says all national members must develop and submit an action plan on time in line with OGP requirements ⁴. It says evidence from more than 170 IRM reports shows that a reasoned response to stakeholder input is the best predictor of strong action plans ⁴.

The four-year refresh

A four-year plan requires a mandatory refresh at the two-year mark to review progress and make amendments ¹. The refreshed plan must be submitted to the Support Unit no later than six months after the two-year mark, with all changes and additions described ¹.

A timeline of the refresh steps, with participation opportunities, must be published at least two weeks before the review begins ¹. The IRM gives four-year members a Midterm Review that evaluates the refresh process and any refreshed or new commitments ¹.

How the IRM checks delivery

The IRM prepares four reports for national members: Co-Creation Briefs, Action Plan Reviews, Midterm Reviews for four-year plans, and Results Reports ¹. The Action Plan Review assesses the plan first submitted ¹. The Results Report assesses the most recent version formally submitted ¹. That means amendments made after submission are reflected in the final grading ¹.

OGP describes the IRM as its accountability arm and the main means of tracking progress in participating countries ³. It says the IRM has provided independent reporting since 2011 ³. The IRM assesses each country's compliance with the minimum requirements of the Participation and Co-Creation Standards ¹.

Points of contact in government review two core IRM reports before publication, the Action Plan Review and the Results Report ¹. The handbook describes the point of contact as the person who coordinates with civil society, manages the Multi-Stakeholder Forum and liaises with the OGP Support Unit ¹.

Acting contrary to process

The handbook names two triggers. First, a country must meet all minimum requirements in the OGP Participation and Co-Creation Standards ¹. Second, a country is considered to be acting contrary to process if it fails to make progress on any of the commitments in an action plan ¹. The IRM tells the Support Unit when it finds a country is not acting according to process ¹.

A temporary moratorium applies to the time-bound parts of minimum requirements 1.1, 2.2, 3.1 and 5.1, under a resolution of the Criteria and Standards Subcommittee dated 1 August 2025 ¹. During the moratorium, missing those time-bound parts alone does not trigger a contrary to process finding, and the IRM still assesses every requirement ¹.

Members that fall below minimum core eligibility for two consecutive years are placed under Eligibility Review ¹.