Focus on citizens : public engagement for better policy and se rvices.

Complex policy issues cannot be "solved" by government action alone. Delivering high-quality public services at the least cost to the public purse will require innovative approaches. Tackling these governance challenges will require citizens to play a larger role in achieving shared public policy goals (from climate change to obesity) and delivering high-quality public services. How can governments maintain high levels of openness in decision making and strengthen public trust? How can they ensure inclusion of people who are "willing but unable" and those who are "able but unwilling"? While OECD countries have successfully opened up their public policy processes in the past decade, they are only now beginning to recognise the need to ensure a greater degree of inclusion. This report shows that there has been progress in establishing rights, strengthening commitment and fostering active citizenship. It also identifies the challenges which governments still face - such as the lack of time, resources and evaluation. Improving performance will require concerted efforts to build a supportive political and administrative culture, mainstream public engagement as part of "core business", build skills and capacity among civil servants and develop useful evaluation tools. This book is a valuable source of comparative information on government performance in fostering open and inclusive policy making in 25 countries. It offers rich insights into current practice through a set of 14 in-depth country case studies and a collection of 18 opinion pieces from leading civil society and government practitioners the world over. The report includes a set of ten guiding principles to support open and inclusive policy making and service delivery in practice.  Read more...