The Civic Space Review of Portugal provides an in-depth analysis of the national legal frameworks, policies, institutions, and practices relevant to civic space protection, with an emphasis on harnessing user input to facilitate people-centred public service reforms.

The Civic Space Review of Portugal provides an in-depth analysis of the national legal frameworks, policies, institutions, and practices relevant to civic space protection, with an emphasis on harnessing user input to facilitate people-centred public service reforms. The Review assesses three key areas: 1) protecting the civic freedoms and information environment that create the conditions for public service reforms; 2) strengthening stakeholder and citizen participation in the process; and 3) moving towards more inclusive, accessible and people-centred public service design and delivery. The two case studies and concrete recommendations in the review offer a tangible path towards more inclusive, participatory public services that place citizens at their core

The Civic Space Review of Romania provides an in-depth analysis of national legal frameworks, policies, institutions, and practices relevant to civic space protection. It reviews strengths and areas for improvement, and providing guidance on a wide range of issues. The Review assesses four key dimensions of civic space: civic freedoms, media freedoms and online civic space, the enabling environment for civil society organisations, and citizen participation in policy and decision making.

The Open Government Review of Brazil provides an evidence-based assessment of the country’s open government agenda against the ten provisions of the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Open Government.

The OECD Public Governance Review of the Czech Republic identifies priority governance areas for reform in the Czech Republic and offers recommendations to strengthen the effectiveness, agility and responsiveness of the country’s public sector. The review first provides a snapshot on the effectiveness of the public administration and its capacity to address contemporary governance challenges, such as digitalisation and climate change.

The past decade has seen increasing international recognition of civic space as a cornerstone of functioning democracies, alongside efforts to promote and protect it. Countries that foster civic space are better placed to reap the many benefits of higher levels of citizen engagement, strengthened transparency and accountability, and empowered citizens and civil society. In the longer term, a vibrant civic space can help to improve government effectiveness and responsiveness, contribute to more citizen-centred policies, and boost social cohesion.

This special issue of the Portuguese Studies Review focuses on understanding the Portuguese−Canadian immigrant experience in Canada and Portugal, in terms of identity formation and civic engagement within a broader framework of current debates on multiculturalism, and transnationalism. This special volume resulted from the contributions presented at the Symposium Identity, Civic Engagement and Multiculturalism: Portuguese−Canadian Immigrant Descendants in Canada, which was held at York University, Toronto, on 11 and 12 October 2011. The issue presents studies by Robert A. Kenedy, Fernando Nunes, Ana Paula Beja Horta, Gilberta Pavão Nunes Rocha, Derrick Mendes, Christina Kwiczała, Benjamin Kutsyuruba, Filomena Silvano, Marta Rosales, and Sónia Ferreira.