What is Open Government?

An open government is guided by the principles of transparency, accountability, participation and collaboration. Open governments recognize that true democracy involves working with citizens and stakeholders, not just for them. Open governments acknowledge and benefit from the input, knowledge and expertise that citizens can contribute to the operations and decision-making of government. It is about using innovative activities, approaches and strategies to better connect citizens and stakeholders to their governments. This leads to increased knowledge-sharing, innovation, collaboration and a more engaged and involved public to ultimately support and enable the development of better policies, decisions, programs and services. Open government is about increasing access to information and data and providing meaningful opportunities for dialogue and collaboration between government and the public.

What is the Open Government Initiative?

In March 2014, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced the Open Government Initiative (OGI). The OGI is a government-wide effort aiming to: improve access to government information and data; enhance government's overall engagement of citizens and stakeholders; and strengthen collaboration between and among all sectors including government.