2. Being Open About Data
A survey of English local councils (n=112)
Qualitative interviews
Lessons:
• The decision to focus initially on expenditure data was
probably wrong (£500/£25000 initiative)
• The quality of user engagement is crucial
• Social impacts are difficult to prove
• Don’t go for certain objectives – we don’t know what data
citizens want and how they will use it (need for FOI
remains)
3. Politics of “Open”
• Open data not apolitical initiative
• Long tradition of “increasing transparency” in the UK
• Different meanings of “open”
• Transparency in public diplomacy
• What will be the level of commitment in case there are no
economic benefits?
4. For the future discussion
• Politics of open data
• Open data vs. FOI? / eGovernment vs open government?
• How will open data stand as a political reform?
• 21st century infrastructure: “Our lives are data” – access
and skills are crucial
• It is a highly political question how these skills are to be
spread across the society
5. Thank you very much!
• http://finnish-
institute.org.uk/images/stories/pdf2012/being%20open%2
0about%20data.pdf
• Soon available for Amazon Kindle
• antti.halonen@finnish-institute.org.uk
• @ajhalo
• http://www.okfestival.org
• http://www.finnish-institute.org.uk
