1.
OPEN GOVERNMENT DATA:
WHAT IS IT, WHERE IT IS GOING, AND
THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAIS
Ryan Androsoff
OECD GOV
Quito, Ecuador
25 June 2015

2.
• What is Open Government Data and why
should we care?
• Measuring the Status of Open Government
Data
– Indexes
– Trends in OECD countries
– Open Government Data in LAC
– Furthering the OECD’s work on Open Data
• SAIs and Open Data: Opportunities for
Action
Today’s Presentation

3.
• Data = highest level of granularity from which information, content and
knowledge are derived.
• Public Sector Information = “information, including information
products and services, generated, created, collected, processed, preserved,
maintained, disseminated, or funded by or for a government or public
institution”
• Open Data = data that can be freely used, re-used and distributed by
anyone, only subject to (at the most) the requirement that users attribute
the data and that they make their work available to be shared as well.
• Big Data = A data-driven socio-economic model; as a phenomenon
emerged as available datasets produced by various sources have grown
larger and data users more aware of the value obtainable through linked
and combined data sets produced by different actors, both private and
public.
• Data analytics = the use of data to spot significant facts and trends to
improve policy making and service delivery (public sector intelligence).
Some Definitions

4.
Public Sector Information
Visual Definition
Big Data
Open
Government
Data
Proprietary /
Internal Analytics
Apps Public / Open
Analytics

5.
• Economic Value
• Growth and competitiveness in the wider economy
• Fostering innovation, efficiency and effectiveness in
government services (internal and external)
• Social Value
• Promoting citizens’ self-empowerment, social participation
and engagement
• Public Governance Value
• Improving accountability, transparency,
responsiveness and democratic control
What Value are Governments Expecting?

6.
Economic Value: Examples

7.
Social Value: Examples

8.
Public Governance Value: Examples

9.
Measuring the Status of
Open Government Data

10.
• Produced by the World Wide Web Foundation
• Measures on three dimensions, first launched in 2013
Open Data Barometer

11.
• Produced by the Open Knowledge Foundation since 2013
• Index is based on 10 key datasets assessed against 9 criteria
Global Open Data Index

12.
The OECD OURdata Index
The Open-Useful-Reusable Government data index
(OURdata) launched in 2015
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
Total score OECD
NonationalOGDportal
Source: 2014 OECD Survey on Open Government Data

13.
Measuring three components of
open government data activity
The Open-Useful-Reusable Government data index
(OURdata)
Source: 2014 OECD Survey on Open Government Data
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
Data availability Data accessibility Government support to re-use
NonationalOGDportal
All three dimensions were equally weighted (33.3% each)
Note: Cronbach alpha = 0.81

14.
• The “pioneers” (e.g. UK, USA, Spain)
• Devising a sustainable financial mechanism (e.g.
Denmark, the Netherlands)
• Establishing the governance framework first
(e.g. Germany, Switzerland)
• Quick followers (e.g. France and Mexico)
Emerging approaches

15.
Top 5 main objectives of open data
strategies or policies
0%
29%
33%
46%
54%
63%
67%
71%
71%
71%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Create economic value for the public sector
Facilitate citizens' participation in public debate
Enable citizens' engagement in decision-making processes
Improve public sector performance by strengthening
accountability for outputs/outcomes
Deliver public services more effectively and efficiently by
enabling delivery from private sector through data re-use
Deliver public services more effectively and efficiently by
improving internal operations and collaboration
Facilitate creation of new businesses
Increase transparency
Increase openness
Create economic value for the private sector
Multiple answers allowed
Percentage of respondent countries
Source: OECD Open Data in Governments Survey 2013
Transparency
vs.
Innovation
PS
Efficiency
Public
Participation

16.
• Which ecosystem?
– Inside the public sector: gather, integrate, validate, release, up-date and
promote re-use of data (statistical offices, archives, sector data producers, etc.)
– Outside the public sector: sustain data re-use (media, private sector, civil
society, librarians, developers, community of practitioners, etc.)
• What activity?
• Data mining, data analytics (for policy making and service delivery), crowd-
sourcing to innovate services, social innovation, evidence-based performance,
improved financial decisions, data mash-up and data sharing, licensing,
standards, hackathon events, metadata.
• Which capacities within the organisation?
• To ensure sustainability and autonomy: data scientist, visualisation expert,
statistics and data analytics expert, computing and systems programming
skills, policy analysis expertise.
Value creation : with whom and how?

17.
Creating the right ecosystem:
consulting the stakeholders
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Percentageofrespondentcountries
Was the central/federal OGD strategy/policy developed in consultation with stakeholders?
Source: Government at a Glance 2013

18.
Involving users and knowing demand
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
a. Yes citizens'
information needs
b. Yes, businesses'
information needs
c. Yes, other
stakeholders' needs
(e.g. non-profit
organisations)
d. None of the above
applies
Percentageofrespondentcountries
Source: Government at a Glance 2013
Does your government regularly consult users on their needs and preferences of the type of data released?

19.
• Policy challenges
• Technical challenges
• Economic and financial challenges
• Organisational challenges
• Cultural challenges
• Legal challenges
Key challenges to implementation

20.
Principal challenges for further
development of OGD initiatives
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Organisational
challenges
Institutional
challenges
Funding
challenges
Policy
challenges
Technical
challenges
Context
challenges
Percentageofrespondingcountries
Source: Government at a Glance 2013 (forthcoming)

21.
Open Government Data in
Latin America

22.
Yes
Central national
strategy co-exists
with line ministries'
own strategies
No, but individual line ministries /
agencies have a separate
strategies / policies in place
No OGD policies /
strategies in place
COLOMBIA  - - -
COSTA RICA - - - 
GUATEMALA - -  -
REPUBLICA DOMINICANA - - - 
MEXICO  - - -
PERU - - - 
CHILE -  - -
URUGUAY  - - -
BRAZIL -  - -
EL SALVADOR - - - 
PARAGUAY - -  -
OGD strategies in LAC countries

23.
Responsible agency

24.
Centralized data portal

25.
Targeting the ecosystem to create value

26.
Financial challenges

27.
Furthering the OECD’s Work on
Open Government Data

28.
Phase 1
• Working Paper “Open Government Data: Towards Empirical
Analysis of Open Government Data Initiatives” with full assessment
methodology [Dec 2012-May 2013]
Phase 2
• OGD survey : strategy, implementation, value generation,
challenges [Apr – Sept 2013]
Phase 3
• Pilot testing in 8 OECD countries : validate methodology, map
initiatives, collect practices, impact assessment + MENA and LAC
regions [2013 – 2014]
Now
• OGD Country Reviews: Poland, Mexico
• OURdata Index 2015
• OECD Open Government Data Expert Group
OECD OGD PROJECT 2012-15
2015 OGD Report :
Data analysis and outcome of pilot testing

29.
• Improve understanding and measuring of OGD
impact on social innovation, open innovation, service
delivery innovation and public value creation
• Tackling pending issues:
• Balancing the strive for openness with privacy and security
• Resolving legal conflicts
• Harmonising definitions
• Acquiring adequate skills and capabilities in the public sector
• Avoiding new divides and focus on OD for participatory
governance
• Improving understanding of context and data demand
• Ecosystem creation
Focus of further OGD analytical work

30.
• Strategy
– secure political leadership support
– institutionalise processes
– incentivize buy in across the public sector
– develop action plan
• Implementation
– build and/or strengthen capacities at all levels of governments and in society
– ensure resources to secure sustainability
– from a supply driven to a demand driven approach
– communication and awareness
• Impact
– economic, social and political value
– focus on re-use
– know demand and ecosystem
– engage the ecosystem (incld. research/academia, media, archives, statistical offices)
– monitor and evaluate
– link with access to information and transparency agendas
Key OECD Policy Messages on OGD

31.
SAIs and Open Data:
Opportunities for Action

32.
• OECD (GOV-PSI) is conducting an ongoing internationally
comparative study with 12 SAIs
• Looking at the role of SAIs in supporting better formulation,
implementation and monitoring and evaluation of policies
and programmes, including:
– the openness of government-wide strategic planning processes
– the openness of budgetary planning processes including: the
existence and/or adequacy of participative and realistic debates on
budgetary choices
– the openness and consultation of the regulatory policy process
– the accessibility and reliability of data systems for collecting, storing
and using performance information
– the compliance with access to/freedom of information laws
• OECD publication on role of SAIs in better policy making
and governance to be launched November in Brazil
The role of SAIs in Good Governance

33.
• Citizen portals for accountability and
complaints
– The GEO-CGR portal: Articulation, storage,
consultation and publication of information on
investment in public works.
• Co-ordinated audits
– Country level: The Amazon Biome, Protected areas,
Co-ordinated Audit between Brazil’s TCU and 9
State Courts of Audit in the Brazilian Amazon
– International level: Co-ordinated international
audit on climate change between 14 SAIs
Examples of Using OGD Principles in
the work of SAIs

34.
Effective Institutions Platform
• Multi-stakeholder alliance
of over 60 countries and
organisations established
in 2012 engaged in public
sector reforms
(government
representatives as well as
CSOs, legislators, think
tanks, etc.)
• 3 Major Pillars of work
Website:
www.effectiveinstitutions.org

35.
EIP: Engaging Citizens in
Accountability Institutions
• Global commitments and regional standards recognise:
– Importance of external stakeholder engagement
– Need to go beyond traditional engagement mechanisms
– Role that development cooperation can play
• Project under the EIP initiated in 2013 to review Supreme Audit
Institutions (SAI) engagement practices and to develop practical
guidance
– Phase I: SAI and citizens engagement (32 SAIs); 2013-2014
– Phase II: checklist on engagement with other stakeholders (citizens,
parliaments and the media) with global survey and 4 case studies; 2015-
2016. Presented at XXVth OLACEFS (October 2015, Mexico)
• Steering group: Brazil, South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, IDI, New Zealand,
Philippines, OECD
• P2P Learning Alliance in October 2014 (Paris) to discuss benefits
and risks of SAIs engagement (7 SAIs: Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, France,
Philippines, South Africa, Zambia with CSOs and development reps.)

36.
• Transparency practices
(widespread, yet uneven;
well distributed, but more
developed in stronger SAIs)
• Participatory practices
(Incipient, but promising;
more common in non-
OECD countries and
regionally concentrated in
Latin America & Asia
Pacific)
36
EIP: Mechanisms of Engagement

37.
EIP: Benefits and Risks of Engaging
Citizens
Benefits
 Better informed audit
activities
 Strengthened audit
independence
 Audits more relevant to
citizen needs
 Stronger citizen demand for
enforcing audit
recommendations
 Enhanced trust in SAIs
 Educated citizens on the audit
process and results of
government actions
Risks
✓Undermining perceived
independence
✓Delays and increased costs
✓Work overload
✓Transparency and
participatory fatigue
✓Difficulty in measuring
progress
✓Resistance to change
➡Risk Mitigation Strategies needed

38.
1. Adding open government data programs
as an audit topic
2. Using Open Government Data as an input
into audit activities
3. Become a contributor to the Open Data
ecosystem (audit results, info about SAIs)
– Need to set common data format standards to
enable inter-jurisdictional comparison
Three areas for future exploration by
SAIs regarding OGD

39.
Thank You!
For more information:
www.oecd.org/gov/public-innovation/
ryan.androsoff@oecd.org
Twitter:
@RyanAndrosoff
LinkedIn:
ca.linkedin.com/in/ryanandrosoff