New report: Exploring trust, accountability, and participation around open government
/This article was featured in the SCDC Weekly - 19th August 2026
New report: Exploring trust, accountability, and participation around open government
In a new report, SCDC has set out people’s experiences and priorities around trust and transparency, accountability, and participation across government and beyond.
SCDC worked with Scottish Government and civil society partners to co-create the next Open Government Action Plan for 2026-2031. Open government is a global movement centred around increasing participation and inclusion in decision-making.
We brought together people from community groups, third sector organisations, and public bodies across online and in person events to understand what was important to them.
This process included an open survey, SCDC-hosted events, local group discussions, self-facilitated sessions by equalities groups, a series of events across each of action plan's themes, and an in-person discussion.
Our findings suggest that the next National Action Plan should focus on six key areas:
Transparent decision-making: making decision-making processes, evidence and outcomes more visible and understandable.
Meaningful participation and inclusion: creating stronger, more inclusive and better-resourced participation systems.
Accountability and integrity: improving oversight, scrutiny and public understanding of how accountability operates.
Open data and information: increasing access to usable, accessible and transparent information and data.
Ethical digital government: promoting responsible, transparent and accountable use of data, AI and emerging technologies.
Trust, capacity and public understanding: building democratic literacy, data literacy and confidence in public participation.
Participants also shared their thoughts on continuing co-creation process, with a focus on using co-productive approaches, involving a range of groups in planning, and role of peer learning and capacity building.
Together, we believe these priorities identified through this co-creation process will provide a strong foundation for the development of National Action Plan, due to be published later this year.