An Ethnographic Account on Transparency and Participation in Civil-Public Cooperation: Enablers and Constraints in Iaşi, the First Romanian City Admitted to Open Government Partnership - Local Program

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to pioneer ethnographic research on enablers and constraints in transparency and participation building at the local level. The case study is focused on Iași’s experience as the first Romanian city admitted to Open Government Partnership - Local Program and highlights how the relative trust of local authorities in civil actors translated into maximal inclusion and freedom for drafting the city action plan on transparency and open governance. However, trust was also fueled by local authorities’ disengagement with OGP mechanisms, which translated into watercolor local democracy. Particular emphasis is placed on the dynamics of friendliness as a soft pressure mechanism securing collaboration between civil actors and public servants, to counterbalance the lack of political will in designing participatory structures. The authors come to the conclusion that toe-holds bridging civil society pioneers and friendly technical staff of the City Hall have cornerstone value for enabling democracy innovation at the local level when political will is weak. However, it is not enough to ensure continuity and there is a need for both civil society capacity building and political reframing to build sustainable transparency that converts into genuine public participation.