This document outlines 5 steps for developing an open government project: 1) Define the problem statement by making it specific, important, concrete, and evidence-based. 2) Analyze how citizens can help by engaging specific citizens with relevant skills, knowledge, or experience. 3) Engage citizens by telling them the project details, acting on their input, and letting citizens provide feedback. 4) Do something with the input by making any technology intuitive and reusing existing solutions. 5) Evaluate the project by assessing participation levels and quality of ideas and determining if ideas were used in policies.

1. 5
STEPS TO
DEVELOPING
AN OPEN
GOVERNMENT
PROJECT
START
You have an
idea for a civic
start-up in your
community?
Activist
BUT HOW
TO DO
THE PROBLEM STATEMENT SHOULD BE
Specific
Important for citizens
Concrete
Evidence-based
Official
Define 1
IT?
2 Analyse
HOW CAN CITIZENS HELP?
Specific
Geographic
thematic coverage
IT skills
knowledge
User
experience
Engage 3
Tell them
what you did
Act on their
input
Let people
tell what
matters
4.
Do
something
with it
1.
Make IT
work
Reuse existing
solutions
Make it
intuitive
What government data can help them?
4 Evaluate
Number of participants:
Audience reached, active users,
comments, inputs, voices?
Set clear
rules
TIPS
Balance
anonymity
and identity
Moderate
ex post
Type of participants:
“Usual suspects” or “new players”?
2.
Involvement of decision makers:
Direct, indirect or non‐existing?
Stimulate
participation
Use
reputation
Quality of ideas received:
Qualitative judgment or policy expert
opinions?
Reach
out
3.
Ensure
quality
input
made at #citylabodessa
http://europeandcis.undp.org/blog/2013/10/17/
a-template-for-developing-a-gov20-opengov-project/
http://www.open-evidence.com/
http://www.undp.org.ua/
Many eyes
& many Networks
hands
and contacts
Usage of ideas and approaches in
actual policy/product:
Direct, indirect or non‐existing?
Make
it fun
Improvement of service/policy
quality
Stimulate
vanity
Mid-term impact?
5 Redesign
Back to Step 1