View source for Background and opportunity

== Opportunity ==
* The Project, running through to December 2018, focuses not only on the Open Government engagement in Scotland but also building engagement around the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
* These are two significant global agendas in their own right, but the project looks to take advantage of the developing OG infrastructure in Scotland to help achieve progress towards these goals in Scotland.
* From the other side, it also looks to take advantage of the Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for having those discussions about a more open government with different audiences.
* At present, there is very little domestic leadership of the SDG agenda in Scotland. As well as working with key partners to develop the OG Network in Scotland, this project is currently working with a different audience to build similar energy and momentum behind SDGs.
* Real opportunity exists with both agendas as we're not starting from scratch. Whilst the term open government is one not widely used across civil society, many elements of it – participation, budget processes, participatory budgeting – are. An initial network is in place and we will support the development of this.
* Likewise, SDGs are mentioned by only a small cohort of civil society, but the significant links this agenda provides with the learning of citizenship within the curriculum and the initial support from Government is positive – domestic leadership is now vital to ensure SDGs receive the attention they deserve. 
* Key to engaging with the wider civil society network about Open Government will be how we communicate the importance of the network, future actions plans etc. to the daily work, objectives and values of different organisations. We don’t begin with open government – we start with what matters to them (homelessness, environment, health, education, poverty etc.)
* SDGs give us the framework to create a communications plan on OG for civil society – one size won't fit all. We cannot take a uniform approach to explaining why the OG agenda matters to Scotland’s civil society – but we must take a consistent one.