This is a yet another edition of the “Local Government Management Leader” Competition. We have been awarding prizes to and recognising urban local governments since 2007, choosing those courageous and consistent in developing new solutions for their residents, and willing to share their experience with others.

In a letter addressing mayors and presidents of Polish cities and towns (enclosed hereto), President of the Association of Polish Cities Zygmunt Frankiewicz wrote that the Competition is open to all cities and towns influencing the life of their local communities in the field of public services and local quality of life pursuant to the open governance concept, through effective dialogue with all stakeholders and effectually encouraging all residents to join the community.

“The Competition is organised in times of growing challenges faced by local governments and their communities. In order to resolve all issues effectively, all interested parties (on all administrative authority, private sector and civic society levels) have to join the process of seeking optimum options of tapping the local development potential. Conditions for success include trust built upon active public communication,” the invitation reads.

Open governance is based on the idea of conscious and possibly broad public data dissemination with intent to secure transparency and openness of decision-making processes. It assumes that all residents will be made part of the process of planning, delivering and monitoring local development, in terms of planning and delivery alike. Open governance allows the following, among others:

• Making assorted stakeholder groups part of decision-making processes,

• Supporting public life involvement,

• Reducing social weaknesses and inequalities,

• Communicating efficiently with stakeholders/residents,

• Developing a more active and sustainable society.

We welcome applications comprising detailed solutions and activities undertaken in cities and towns interested in implementing the open governance notion in practice, with intent to support improved civic interaction and the process of including residents and stakeholders in public issue management processes. These may include individual activities and implements or their combinations, provided that they allow effectual delivery of open governance principles as described in OECD recommendations.

Examples of individual solutions can include the following:

• Selections of assorted channels and forms of communication, and ways of implementing them,

• Innovative, broad forms of civic participation and organising public consultations as a component of making local communities part of the joint governance process,

• Using commonly understandable language when communicating with local residents, and caring for the quality and visual aspect of all communication with intent to facilitate stakeholder participation,

• Meeting accessibility standards across the board,

• Monitoring information outreach efficiency in terms of reaching target groups, analysing needs and improving approach methods,

• Promoting attitudes of openness and accountability for the quality of information disseminated at individual workstations and/or on individual positions,

• Proactively disseminating public information of significance to local residents or businesses (i.a. open data, secondary public sector data proliferation for use by the business sector etc).

Please submit applications no later than by 12 December 2022.

Competition prizes include the “Local Government Management Leader” title, and participation in a study visit to Norway.

The Competition is organised as part of the “Local Development” Programme funded from the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and Norwegian Financial Mechanism for the years 2014-2021. The Project is headed by the Association of Polish Cities, Project Partners including the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS), Institute of Urban and Regional Development and OECD. The Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy is the Programme Operator.