Terms of Reference for a consultant
Curating and promoting the Open Government Guide in 2015
Transparency & Accountability Initiative (T/AI)
Background
T/AI has developed the Open Government Guide for anyone who wants to improve the openness
and accountability of governments. It summarises the practical and specific steps that governments
can take, currently across a range of ten core areas (like citizen engagement, open government
data, privacy and security, asset declaration and whistle blowing) and eleven focussed topics (like
aid, elections, land and illicit flows). For each, it provides links to accepted standards, to experts in
area and to a wealth of case studies to show what others have tried and learnt. It’s available
digitally, which also allows users to select, put together and print the parts they are most
interested in.
The Open Government Guide (OGG) can be used by countries involved in the Open Government
Partnership to help develop their Action Plans. But it can it can be used by anyone looking for
guidance what good open government performance looks like.
The OGG is a community effort. New chapters are continually added. Each chapter is authored by
one or more expert organisations, and then ‘crowd-vetted’ by others in the field. It is currently
available in full in English and Spanish, but volunteers have begun other translations, such as
French.
The role: OGG curator and promoter
T/AI seeks a part time consultant to take over the curation and promotion of the Open
Government Guide, and to track its use. We estimate this to require 64 days spread throughout
the year, with a little more concentration in the first 3-4 months to complete chapters and
translations already in process. The consultant must be available to attend key OGP events to
promote the Guide and be flexible enough to add or subtract days if this is needed.
The main roles and days allocated are listed in the table over the page.
Profile of candidate
 Experience and passion for the field of open government – especially if this stretches
across a broad array of areas and topics, and you are able to spot strategic gaps the
guide can help meet
 Strong project manager – able to coordinate volunteer teams from multiple organisations
to complete work and meet deadlines
 Strong editing and writing skills
 Strategic and practical communications expertise – in writing (electronic and traditional
media, through in-person presentations)
 Experience in website management – able to liaise with website designers where
necessary, and personally update the website on a day-to-day basis
 Able to travel to promote the guide at approx. 2-5 key international meetings.
 Good team player – flexible, communicative, supportive good sense of humour!
 Location in the UK/London is preferred but remote working is possible if communications
are good
 Able to start immediately from early January 2015 & continue until the end of the year
Role
Details
A. Manage production of
1. Liaise with lead authors on drafting
chapters – these are co2. Edit and make suggestions
authored with other
3. Add text on country examples &
organisations, then crowdstandards and guidance
validated – 3 in the year
4. Manage review process with lead
(media, lobbying and political
authors
finance, plus one other if
5. Upload text to website
appropriate)
B. Co-organise webinars (with
1. Liaise with OGP support unit
the OGP Support Unit) – 4 in the 2. Liaise with lead authors/speakers –
year (on privacy chapter, on
brief them on webinar
media chapter, on country
3. Develop 1-2 slides on the Guide
analysis, on lobbying and
chapter for them. Identify country
political finance)/
case speakers with lead authors
4. Brief country case speakers
5. Ensure that test run takes place (WB
runs technical side)
6. Publicise webinar on Open Gov
Guide site, twitter etc…
7. Take notes from webinar and write
up as a blog post
C. Manage contracted
- Russian - Assuming it is short version
translations
(i.e. just introduction and headings for
- Russian – new translation
each level as per French
http://republiquecitoyenne.fr/telecha
rgement/OGG-FR-V1.0c.pdf)
- Spanish – new chapters
- Spanish – new chapters
NB: will also need to manage
formatting/layout cover etc…
D. Vet and support other
1. Determine appropriateness of
organisations to do self-service
volunteers to undertake translation
translation
2. Provide guidance on how to manage
this and upload to the website
3. Manage the front page of the
website to flag available versions
E. Manage electronic
1. Update the website, including regular
communication
additions of new case studies and
responses to any queries.
2. Explore greater integration with the
OGP main website
3. Ensure T/AI’s website is up-to-date in
relation to OGG and links
4. Promote the OGG through electronic
media
- Regular:1 blog a month, 4 twitter
message a month
- Around events – more intense twitter
F. Ensure the Support Unit is
- Follow up in regular calls every 2 weeks
actively promoting the OGG to with OGG project Team in Support Unit
countries developing Action
Plans – e.g. the pilot whereby
Support Unit sends letters to
govt and civil soc, analysing
which chapters may be of
Days
5 days per
chapter x 3
= 15 days
2 days per
webinar
= 8 days
= 4 days
1.5 days per
chapter x 3
= 4.5 days
( TBD
depending on
interest
= 3 days)
1 day per
month & 1 day
training on the
website
=13 days
2 hours per
month
= 3 days
interest and providing indepth
analysis against commitments
where invited.
G. Promotion of the OGG at
key events – OGP and others
H. Track the use of the Guide,
and suggest new/amended
activities accordingly
I. Liaison with T/AI
TOTAL
a.
b.
c.
d.
Africa regional meeting, ?TBD
IACC - ?Sept, Malaysia
OGP summit, October, Mexico
Other non OGP events
Clarify and implement the approach to
tracking use and impact:
- Likely to include surveys x2 a year
- And collecting anecdotes/responses
from bi-weekly meetings with OGP
support staff
Calls with Vanessa for 1 hour a month
=8 days
=4 days
=1.5 days
64 days
Management and positioning of the role
The consultant will be contracted by T/AI and managed by the Director. However, they will liaise
very closely with the Open Government Partnership Support Unit to ensure all staff are fully
aware of and promoting the guide, and that windows of opportunities are identified and used
(e.g. when particular countries are developing or updating their Action Plans). The consultant may
also liaise closely with other initiatives if they identify opportunities for OGG application.
Submission of interest in the consultancy
Please send a letter outlining your suitability for the post, your CV, and proposed fee to Ana
Paula Santos ([email protected]). Please ensure that the fee includes
VAT if relevant, and state your daily rate. Please include other relevant expenses except travel.
For queries about the post, please email Vanessa Herringshaw (Director of T/AI) on
[email protected]
The deadline for submission is Tuesday 6th January, 2015.