At the Open Government Partnership Summit in October 2025 Participation AI and Connected by Data will launch a set of principles for public engagement in AI procurement.

In this brown-bag lunch at the OpenGovHub in Washington DC we’ll be sharing the draft principles for discussion, and gathering shared insights and inputs on how they can be put into practice.

How can different publics and civil society play a greater role in the procurement of AI-driven systems in the public sector? How can AI procurement decisions include the voices of the most affected communities?

At the Open Government Partnership Summit in October 2025 Participation AI and Connected by Data will launch a set of principles for public engagement in AI procurement that provide:

• A clear vision for how public participation and stakeholder engagement should shape public sector AI
• Practical steps and guidance for public authorities and their partners to take to embed participatory procurement practices
• Guidance, signposting and standards to support implementation

The first draft of these principles draws upon the research for ‘Stakeholder Engagement in Public Procurement for Artificial Intelligence: a Mission-Oriented Playbook’ and on an open online collaborative drafting process.

Over September, we are testing the principles with governments, procurement experts and participation practitioners.

Join us for this brown-bag lunch and discussion to:

• Learn about the draft principles;
• Share your vision for public engagement in procurement of AI;
• Share experiences and promising practice related to AI, procurement and participation;
• Provide input to help finalise the principles and supporting guidance;
• Explore opportunities to put the principles into practice.

You don’t need to be an expert in AI, procurement or public participation, but mild curiosity in any one of these would help!

Register

This will be an in-person session, with limited remote participation slots also available.

To register please complete this quick form.

Session Hosts

The session will be facilitated by Tim Davies from Connected by Data.

ParticipationAI explores the intersection of public participation and Artificial Intelligence (AI), focusing on integrating diverse civil society perspectives into the public procurement process. The ParticipationAI team, based across Spain, work rooted in feminist approaches, critical theory, and a politics of care.

Connected by Data is the campaign for communities to have a powerful voice in the governance of data and AI. Based in the UK, Connected by Data work to shift policies, practice and narratives to centre participatory, deliberative, collective and powerful governance of emerging technology.

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is an organization of reformers inside and outside of government working to transform how government serves its citizens. OGP includes 74 countries and 150 local governments – representing more than two billion people – and thousands of civil society organizations.

The Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) working to transform procurement from an overlooked, underfunded paper-based chore to a digital, data-driven government service that can be an engine for innovation, sustainability and economic inclusion.