Guidance

Participation in the Seventh UK National Action Plan for Open Government (HTML)

Published 25 March 2026

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Introduction

The UK started to develop the next UK National Action Plan for Open Government (UK NAP) in early 2026. The NAP is developed through a collaborative process of co-creation between civil society and government, and sets out commitments to advance the core values of open government: transparency, accountability and participation in government. 

Since endorsing the Open Government Declaration in 2011 and becoming a founding member of the International Open Government Partnership (OGP), the UK has regularly developed action plans. The UK has also committed to providing global leadership in promoting open government principles by co-chairing OGP in 2026-2027.

NAP7 will build on the previous six UK National Action Plans for Open Government, and be coordinated by the Civil Service Strategy Unit, part of Cabinet Office, alongside the UK Open Government Civil Society Network (UK OGN), through the UK Multi-Stakeholder Forum for Open Government (MSF). 

Government has taken time to review the process of developing previous National Action Plans for Open Government and has worked to improve the process, in collaboration with international government and civil society partners

There are 4 main stages for developing a commitment:

  1. Build capability
  2. Co-create
  3. Implement
  4. What’s next?

Stage 1: Build capability 

Before a commitment can be co-created, both government and civil society must build a foundation for collaboration. This stage is about ensuring participants have the skills, resources, and a common understanding to work in partnership so they can successfully develop a commitment.  There are two phases to this stage: an initial Call for Evidence and preparing to co-create individual commitments.

Initial Call for Evidence

The initial phase is to gather evidence from the public to inform the action plan via a Call for Evidence.  This will run in parallel with internal government engagement, with both being coordinated by the Civil Service Strategy Unit within the Cabinet Office.  Analysis of both public and internal government outreach will be conducted to assess the potential for co-creation.

Preparing to co-create

To participate effectively, potential partners for co-creating an individual commitment must consider:

  • Readiness: do relevant government teams and stakeholders outside government have the ability and capacity to collaborate?
  • Mind the gap: What training or technical support is required to ensure people can meaningfully participate?
  • Lay the groundwork: Identify the people, tools and evidence needed to move from a good idea to a potential commitment.

Stage 2: Co-create 

Action commitments are developed through co-creation: a process where government and external stakeholders work in partnership.  Whilst coordination of the overall action plan is overseen by government and civil society representatives, stakeholders from civil society, academia, and the private sector can contribute to individual commitments.

Successful co-creation goes beyond consultation; it requires genuine collaboration to identify shared problems and design effective, transparent solutions.  The Open Policy Making toolkit provides various tools, methods and techniques for developing policy more openly so that people can have greater influence and impact on decision-making.

Phases of co-creation

This stage typically takes place over several months and follows five key steps:

  • Gather and analyse evidence: What data or lived experience needs to inform for change, and what analyse needs to be undertaken?
  • Define the problem: What specific barriers to openness are you trying to overcome?
  • Develop solutions: What specific actions should the commitment take to solve the problem?
  • Draft the commitment: Formulate the wording of the commitment which will be published on GOV.UK.   Additionally, decide if it qualifies as a commitment with high ambition and impact, as part of the Open Gov Challenge.
  • Secure final government approval: commitments should be developed collaboratively between government and civil society, but as they aim to advance the practice of government they are subject to normal constitutional arrangements for agreeing government policy.

What makes a strong commitment?

Each commitment should be clear and easy to understand.  While the content varies by policy area, every commitment must include:

  • Clear title: a short, descriptive name for the project.
  • Executive summary: a brief “plain English” overview.
  • Commitment partners: A list of the specific government departments and civil society partners leading the work.
  • Analyse and define the problem: Use evidence to understand the problem which you are trying to address.
  • Explain the solutions:  Summarise how the commitment will attempt to solve the problem, and define clear deliverables and milestones.

Stage 3: Implement 

An approved commitment will have a clear start and end date between which it will be implemented. This stage lasts between 1 and 5 years.

During this time, the focus shifts from planning to delivery. Progress is monitored to ensure the government and any other partners remain transparent and accountable.

Oversight and transparency

  • Commitment partners: all the partners involved in a commitment should be kept up-to-date with progress on a regular basis and ensure there is wider transparency on the progress of the commitment.
  • The UK Multi-Stakeholder Forum for Open Government (MSF): This joint government-civil society group oversees the overall co-creation and implementation of the action plan
  • Annual reporting: Each commitment should publish a progress update annually on GOV.UK.

Stage 4: What’s next?

The final stage is to plan for what happens after the commitment has been implemented. Whilst commitments work best when they are time-limited and set out clear expectations and actions, that doesn’t mean the opportunity for improving openness passes after the commitment has ended. The momentum of ambitious open government reform can be carried on through new commitments to build more substantial reforms.

Sustaining momentum 

In this final stage partners should determine what happens next:

  • Do they want to develop a new commitment right-away?
  • Do they want to develop a new commitment at some future date?
  • Do they not want to consider a new commitment for the time being?

Further reading 

There are a range of resources you may wish to draw upon whilst participating in NAP7, such as:

UK government:

Open Government Partnership:

OECD:

Public participation:

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