Creation of a national Hub to support the participation policies

Networking advanced participatory practices at different levels of government, starting with sharing the experiences of national and regional authorities that have invested in participatory processes.
The objective is to enhance and valorize existing practices, promoting know-how and the most advanced experiences of participation at the regional level, from which to establish a national hub to support participation policies at all levels of government.
The expected results are
1. The creation and operation of a digital platform (unique or widespread) that constitutes the national centre of expertise on participation
2. The activation of a network of qualified actors for the exchange of participatory practices.

The need to cope with: the limited knowledge of citizens of participatory processes activated by public administrations; the lack of dissemination among administrations of the most advanced participatory practices at regional and local levels.

The Hub will bring to the system the most advanced experiences existing on the national territory, thus constituting a point of reference that makes experiences, skills, tools and services available to the public sector and citizens. The Hub will be able to guarantee economies of scale, putting in synergic connection the regional experiences with the platforms in use at national level (ParteciPa, Consultazione.gov, OGP website). Finally, by making use of a community of practices, which promotes mutual learning (peer to peer), it will foster the dissemination of methodologies and lessons learned among public staff involved in the implementation of participatory policies at all levels of government.

The engagement is relevant to civic participation because it will:

• widen opportunities for citizens to inform or influence decisions
• support public administrations in the widespread implementation of inclusive and effective participatory processes, also in line with international guidelines (OGP, OECD...).

Any useful synergy with the Forum for Sustainable Development and other national initiatives will be evaluated (e.g., National Strategy for Inner Areas, Strategic Metropolis Project, Urbact networks), as well as with CSOs already engaged in collecting participatory practices in different areas (IAF, Labsus, Forum dei Beni Comuni, Cittadinanzattiva, ActionAid, Legambiente...).

Kick-off of a working team bringing together referral organizations for the implementation of the commitment.
Start date - End date
1st March 2022 - 15th March 2022

Mapping of other actors to be involved, both PA and OSC side. 
Start date - End date
15th March 2022 - 15th April 2022

Definition of the constitutive characteristics of the Hub, through the consultation of the relevant actors
Start date - End date
15th April 2022 - 15th May 2022

Design of the participation Hub model to be implemented at the national level
Start date - End date
15th May 2022 - 15th September 2022

Approval of the proposed model by OGP Italy
By 30th September 2022

Design and construction of services and tools for the functioning of the Hub and alignment with the optimization processes of the participation platforms in use at national level (ParteciPa, Consultazione.gov, the OGP website). Activities will be carried out in coordination with the 3.01 commitment to promoting awareness of the Public Debate at the national and local level.
Start date - End date
1st October 2022 - 31st December 2022

Creation and launch of the Hub as a digital platform (unique or widespread) that constitutes the center of expertise on participation
By 31st January 2023

Promotion of the possibility of participation in the network of qualified actors for the exchange of participation practices
Start date - End date
1st February 2023 - 28th February 2023

National event for the promotion of the Hub of participation
By 15th March 2023

Ordinary functioning of the hub with quarterly activity reports as accountability to OGP Italy.
Start date - End date
15th March 2023 - 31st December 2023

• Public Administration Department
• Emilia-Romagna Region
• Aip2

Other actors involved in implementation - Public sector

• Ministry of Ecological Transition
• Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Cohesion policies department
• Apulia Region
• Tuscany Region
• Rome Municipality
• Univeristy of Salerno – Lab Diritto di Accesso Civico – Osservatorio OCIPA

Other actors involved in implementation - Civil society organizations (CSOs) and private sector

• ActionAid Italia
• Association of Facilitators Chapter Italia
• Associazione Centro Culturale San Martino
• Cittadini Reattivi ASP
• Fondazione Etica
• Impegno donna Association
• Mappi-na
• The Good Lobby

Public Administration Department, Sabina Bellotti s.bellotti@funzionepubblica.it

Public Administration Department, Iolanda Romano, OG Task Force, ogp@funzionepubblica.it