This document discusses research into structurally adopting open data practices within governmental organizations in the Netherlands. It describes two research programs conducted with the Province of South Holland and Municipality of The Hague. The research explored international and national open data developments and lessons learned from key expert interviews. Some challenges to adopting open data included standardizing publication processes, changing collaborations, addressing legal issues, and ensuring accessibility and reliability of data. The conclusions call for centralized open data systems, stimulation of an open data culture through corporate policy, thinking in terms of technical infrastructures and automated data, and coordination through a central open data representative position.

1. ‘structural adoption of open data
in governmental organisations’
Province of South-Holland
Bart Spée | senior GEO-IT specialist
Municipality of The Hague
Ed Visser | senior consultant GEO information
Antoine Gribnau | information manager GEO systems
The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Bert Mulder | associate professor
Martijn Hartog | researcher | m.w.hartog@hhs.nl

2. ‘government of the future’
two research programmes
Province of South Holland
Municipality of The Hague
open and transparent government
‘Open Data’
‘Transparency’

3. structural and practical adoption of open data
several explorations in 2012 and 2013
key expert interviews
two large governmental organizations
Municipality of The Hague, 500.000 inhabitants
Province of South Holland, 3.5 million people, 2.900 km2

4. landscape of ‘some’ developments
International
Open Government Partnership
Open Government Data
Public Sector Information
INSPIRE
Linked Data
Open Spending
National
Data Protection Act
Freedom of Information Act
Information society
Networked society
Hackatons
Challenges
Publication process Open data portals and stores
Changing collaborations Trust and transparency
(e.g. private/public)
Legal issues Guidelines, policy
Mobile phone or web Participation
applications
Sustainable solutions Accessibility and reliability

5. examples of conflict of interest
accountable economical and societal effects (e.g. Meijer, 2013; Pollock, 2009; Halonen, 2012)
Vs.
‘Why should I open up or publish my data’?
perceiving openness or transparency by governmental bodies (e.g. Henninger, 2013; Halonen, 2012)
Vs.
‘Is this even part of my job?’
effects on citizen empowerment and government processes (e.g. Meijer, 2013; O’Hara, 2012; Paled,
2013)
Vs.
‘How should data be published and how much does it costs?’

6. Lessons learned 1/2
situation:
internal procedures are inefficiently cluttered
immediate ‘data hunt’ is an effective supplier of data sets and applications
opening up data is not a natural process
solution:
standardized formats for up-to-date, automatically reachable data sets are a necessity
attitude and dissemination of open data policy by management is a must
invest in the quality, quantity and sustainability of data sets
create awareness and necessity of opening data by source owners and holders

7. Lessons learned 2/2
situation
despite ‘Open Data, unless’ policy still a lot of cold feet
explaining and convincing source holders is very time consuming
an effective central open data system can reduce costs
solution
harmonize definitions and uniform terms of usage
adapt open data policy into information architecture, conditions of information for
ICT’s
stimulate a creative and pro-active approach
activate an open data store with up-to-date data and a platform

8. conclusions
Policy
central systems of open data accessibility generates success and can
even reduce costs
corporate policy is necessary for stimulation and active marketing
Policy
central systems of open data accessibility generates success and can
even reduce costs
corporate policy is necessary for stimulation and active marketing
Culture
rudimentary questions prevail the common practice
organizational culture is elementary as a structural base for open data
Culture
rudimentary questions prevail the common practice
organizational culture is elementary as a structural base for open data
Process
thinking in technical infrastructures and automated data helps
thematic approach of data generates clarity connecting data and users
bring open data to the front of the internal processes
Process
thinking in technical infrastructures and automated data helps
thematic approach of data generates clarity connecting data and users
bring open data to the front of the internal processes
Coordination
create a central
position for legal
and technical
open data
representatives
Coordination
create a central
position for legal
and technical
open data
representatives

9. next necessary steps
developing more knowledge and experiences with best practices
pragmatic model to adapt open data into governmental bodies

10. ‘structural adoption of open data
in governmental organisations’
Province of South-Holland
Bart Spée | senior GEO-IT specialist
Municipality of The Hague
Ed Visser | senior consultant GEO information
Antoine Gribnau | information manager GEO systems
The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Bert Mulder | associate professor
Martijn Hartog | researcher | m.w.hartog@hhs.nl