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Title: Citizens as partners: information, consultation and public participation in policy-making-[Text]

Notes: This report examines government efforts to engage citizens in decision-making and respond to new demands for greater government transparency, accountability and openness by exapanding citizens` access to information as well as opportunities for consultation and active participation in policy-making. The report provides a wide range of country experiences, identifies examples of good practice, and hightlights innovative approaches in OECD contries, including the use of new information and communication technologies (ICTs). The report offers numerous insights and policy lessons. Government must ensure that the information they provide is objective, complete, relevant, easy to find and easy to understand. And they must ensure that all citizens are treated equally when it comes to accessing information and being able to participate in policy-making. Citizens must have clearly defined rights - grounded in law or policy - to access information, be consulted and take part in policy-making. At the same time, governments have an obligation to co-ordinate across departments to ensure policy coherence and reduce the risk of ""consultation fatigue"" among citizens bewildered by a shower of information and requests for feedback from different public offices about the same issue. A wise range of traditional tools for informing, consulting and engaging citizens in policy-making already exist (brochures, public hearing, consensus conferences). They are increasingly being complemented by new ICTs offering powerful tools for informaiton delivery and the potential for on-line consultation.`

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