This document discusses open data initiatives and provides guidance on starting an open data program. It defines open data as government data that is freely available in a machine-readable format for public use and reuse. Making data open means it is technically accessible in standard formats and legally open with an open license allowing commercial and non-commercial use. Open data programs aim for transparency, citizen engagement and business support. The document lists examples of open data from different cities and recommends choosing a initial data set, applying an open license, formatting it for audiences, and creating a central portal for discovery. It also discusses using hackathons to support open data and the need for open data policies, resources, and sustainability plans.

1. Open Data Initiatives
JANUARY 22, 2015

2. What is Open Data?
Making (government) data available to be freely
used, reused and distributed by anyone

3. What Does Making Data Available Mean?
Technically open: data available in a machine-readable standard
format, which means it can be retrieved and meaningfully
processed by a computer application; easily accessible to its
intended audience
Legally open: data explicitly licensed in a way that permits
commercial and non-commercial use and re-use without
restrictions.

4. Reasons for Open Data
• Transparency
• Citizen engagement
• Business support
Whatever the reason for pursuing open data, it is important to define
the goals of the open data initiative, including alignment with strategic
goals and objectives.

5. Who Has Open Data Initiatives
• San Francisco – crime map
• Charlotte, NC – demographic
data
• Chicago – flu shot locations
• Louisville – restaurant inspection
scores
•Weatherford, TX – street
condition survey
• Houston – after school programs
• Denton – location of gas wells
within the city
• Palo Alto – list of uncashed
checks
• Austin – fire station locations
• Boston – city employee salaries
and….

6. College Station Open Data
• Check register
• Maps and spatial information
• Budget and Capital Improvements Program
• Fire station locations
•PD daily activity report

7. Getting Started
1. Choose a Data Set – often the hardest step to take
2. Attach an Open License - dispel ambiguity and encourage use
3. Format the Data to Your Audience - data is packaged in formats
that can be digested by all users; The file type and the system for
download all depends on the audience
4. Make it Discoverable - centralized hub that acts as a one-stop
shop for all open data downloads. In many jurisdictions, these
Web pages and websites have been called “portals;”

8. Hackathon
A hackathon (also known as a hack day, hackfest or codefest) is an
event in which computer programmers and others involved in
software development, including graphic designers, interface
designers and project managers, collaborate intensively on software
projects.
An event where people come together and use technology to
transform ideas into reality or solve problems, often conducted to
support open data initiatives.

9. Planning for Success
• Develop a policy
• Allocate resources
o Staff
o Funding (platform, integration)
• Sustainability

10. Questions and Direction?