"Fostering Public Value through the Open Government Partnership: Challenges and Opportunities for the Digitalization of Tunisian Administration"

This research examines the co-constructive process of public policy in the context of a democratic transition, with a particular focus on access to information. It analyzes the conditions for citizen participation, considering factors such as leadership competition and conflicts of interest between public sector representatives and civil society actors. Additionally, the study explores the influence of institutional mimicry and the role of financial partners in shaping the trajectory of the co-construction process. The research also addresses the challenge of sovereignty in the formulation and implementation of public policy. Our approach draws upon collaborative action research and discourse analysis, which collectively inform our understanding of public "innovation" as part of the "co-creation" of public policies. Research Findings and Contributions: This study identifies two primary paradoxes and tensions within the Open Government Partnership (OGP) program. The first paradox underscores that the co-construction of a national plan often results in the adoption of externally derived solutions, which may be disconnected from the unique institutional contexts of the country. The second paradox reveals that the supposed collaboration among various stakeholders can lead to competitive power dynamics, where civil society gains influence at the expense of the administrative role. Additionally, the research explores the tension between local (municipal) and national levels in the processes of defining and implementing public policy.