Strategic alignment of open government initiatives in Andalusia

Abstract

The emergence of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has put emphasis on the open government approach (OG), provoking a cultural change in both the citizenry (demanding new ways of collaborating with public administration and more openness in government), and in the public administrations (adapting their structures and processes to support civic participation). This article analyzes both the strategies followed by local governments in implementing OG initiatives and the level of alignment of the objectives included in the municipal OG strategies with those settled by the regional government to which they belong. Empirical research on the OG objectives included in the strategic planning of large-size Andalusian municipalities has been performed. Findings reveal that most local governments are implementing a push strategy based only on more openness in government (mainly owing to normative requirements). Additionally, the objectives included in both the economic and governance dimensions are those included in the OG initiatives in municipalities, although each one has a particular way of adopting digital and OG strategies consistent with their municipal priorities and circumstances. Points for practitioners This study brings a novel insight to public managers and politicians concerning OG initiative adoption. It highlights both the limitations of current OG initiatives developed by public administration and the importance of citizens’ involvement in them in order to acquire trust in government. The current economic situation favors and increases mistrust in the citizen, who feels great disappointment in governments and political leaders. This could be minimized with the creation of spaces for municipal collaboration, where public managers and politicians may capture the voice of citizens directly and the strategic alignment in the OG strategies for efficiently reaching economic and social outcomes for the citizenry. Also, OG implementation experiences should be shared, so that more reticent local governments could be made aware of the potential.

Untitled

“…Respecto al gobierno abierto, Alcaide et al (2022) señalan que, a través de la colaboración entre el gobierno y la sociedad civil, se busca una mayor apertura en la elaboración de políticas y programas públicos y que la participación ciudadana no se limita solo al acceso a la información, sino que involucra a los ciudadanos en la definición de agendas y evaluación de resultados, utilizando notablemente a las TIC como medio de comunicación.…”

Digitalization of public administration in EU member states in times of crisis: the contributions of the national recovery and resilience plans

“…When digitalization becomes a representative characteristic of change (Bloomberg, 2018), the society is projected at the intersection of various dimensions: the virtual, physical and social, through networks, structures, people, processes and data (Lynn et al, 2018: 52; Lynn et al, 2022: 1–3). The link between public authorities, business environment and citizens is achieved when there is an interaction and communication related to a common strategic challenge (Alcaide Muñoz et al, 2022; Lindgren and Jansson, 2013; Maziashvili et al, 2023; Wanckel, 2023).…”

Untitled

“…Penelitian tentang Open Government telah dilakukan sebelumnya. Pertama, ada penelitian dengan judul "Strategic Alignment of Open Government Initiatives in Andalusia" oleh Muñoz, Muñoz, & Bolívar (2023). Penelitian ini menjelaskan keterbatasan inisiatif OG yang saat ini dikembangkan oleh administrasi publik serta pentingnya partisipasi warga negara dalam inisiatif ini untuk membangun kepercayaan terhadap pemerintah.…”