With the completion of the National Action Plan for Open Government Indonesia (OGI) VIII 2026–2027, the implementation phase has now become the key determinant of the success of Indonesia’s open government agenda. In this context, consolidation among civil society organisations (CSOs) is a crucial step to ensure readiness, strategic alignment, and the effectiveness of their role in carrying out the jointly developed action plan (Renaksi).
In response to this need, Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia, in collaboration with Indonesia Judicial Research Society (IJRS), organised the CSO Consolidation for the Implementation of OGI VIII Renaksi on 9 March 2026 in Jakarta. The meeting was attended by around 16 civil society organisations that have long been involved in advancing the open government agenda in Indonesia. This consolidation served as a strategic space to align understanding, map roles, and identify each CSO’s readiness to support Renaksi implementation, particularly during the initial period from March to August 2026.
The consolidation also discussed the support provided by the OGP–EU programme currently being implemented by PWYP Indonesia. This programme is designed to strengthen the OGI ecosystem in Indonesia through three main areas of focus. First, the development of a policy foundation in the form of an urgency paper to reinforce OGI’s institutional framework, including opening options and pathways for establishing a Presidential Regulation. Second, promoting greater activity of Working Groups (WG) and the Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) through more targeted and regular meetings. Third, strengthening accountability and sustainability by developing a joint monitoring system and clearer working guidelines for each WG.
Explaining this support framework, Meliana Lumbantoruan from PWYP Indonesia emphasised that the consolidation is not only about coordination but also about identifying CSOs’ concrete short-term needs. “Through the OGP–EU project framework, we want to identify spaces that can support CSO work, particularly those that contribute directly to Renaksi implementation over the next six months,” she stated. She further stressed that support under the OGP–EU framework is not merely conceptual but also provides directly accessible assistance for CSOs. “This programme also opens up funding support that CSOs can utilise to carry out activities that directly contribute to action plan targets. This presents an opportunity to drive relevant initiatives while strengthening cross-CSO collaboration in Indonesia’s open government agenda,” she added.
The meeting also discussed various efforts already undertaken by CSOs, including advocacy for a legal framework for OGI. Although intensive initiatives were carried out in 2024–2025 by IJRS together with Bappenas, the process continues to face challenges, both in terms of government acceptance and ongoing debates regarding the urgency of creating new regulations. The academic draft has been prepared up to the clarification stage, which examines Bappenas’s authority within the proposed legal framework. Therefore, the discussion agreed on the importance of preparing a more comprehensive urgency paper and developing engagement strategies that target key actors at the ministerial level. The discussion also highlighted the need to expand public participation in the OGI ecosystem, particularly by involving youth and persons with disabilities. This effort forms part of the strategy to ensure that open government practices in Indonesia become increasingly inclusive and representative.
As a follow-up, the consolidation produced a shared commitment to develop priority activity proposals that can be implemented immediately and supported through various funding sources, including OGP–EU. In addition, collaboration among CSOs will continue to be strengthened to ensure that action plan implementation proceeds effectively, accountably, and sustainably.
This consolidation marks an important initial step in ensuring that the implementation of the OGI-VIII action plan is not merely administrative but also drives more open, participatory, and responsive government practices that address public needs.
Author: Wicitra D. & Meliana Lumbantoruan