The document details the implementation of an open data portal by Roscommon County Council, led by GIS Manager Barry Doyle. It aims to provide public datasets aligned with open data principles to enhance transparency, citizen engagement, and economic development. The portal utilizes an ArcGIS server platform and was created with minimal resources, focusing on data management while offering discoverable, explorable, and accessible data functionalities.

1. Implementing a Local Government
Open Data Portal
A Roscommon County Council
Case Study
Barry Doyle: GIS Manager
Data Open Doors Summit – 7th May 2015

2. County Roscommon
• 9th largest County
• Population: 64,065 (2011)
– 9% increase from 2006
– 3rd lowest Pop. Density
– 1.4% of National Population
– High levels of out-migration
• 2,201 active enterprises
(excluding farming)
– Low entrepreneurship rate
– Unemployment higher then
average (13.5%)
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3. My Role
• GIS Manager
– Responsible for the development and implementation
of the Councils corporate GIS and GI Management
strategies
• Spatial Data becoming more integrated into mainstream
systems and processes
– Implementation a Council SDI
• Treat data as a corporate asset
• Data Standards
• Data Sharing
– Deal with external and internal data requests
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4. The Aim
To create and implement a Open Data Portal for
Roscommon to make available, in accordance with
open data principles and standards, datasets of
public interest created and managed by
Roscommon County Council
Short term objectives
• Minimum 3* Open Data
• Put something out there that would get noticed
and could be built on
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5. The Why
• Just one more element of Data Management
Strategy
– Build on work done in establishing an internal SDI
– Is just an extension of good information management
• Build on knowledge gained through involvement
in various projects and initiatives:
– INSPIRE
– MyPlan
– LG SDI
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6. The Why
• Developed an appreciation of the principles of
Open Data
– Openness & Transparency
– Citizen Participation
– Economic Development
• Growing Irish knowledge and support base
– Fingal Open Data
– Dublinked
– Civil Society
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7. The Why
• Is now Government Policy
– Supporting strategies and infrastructure
• Provides benefits to Roscommon County
Council
– Reduction in effort dealing with data requests
– Single source of data
– Confidence in data being supplied
– Reputation
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8. The How
• ArcGIS Server Platform implemented including
ArcGIS Online (AGOL) Account
• AGOL Open Data application template became
available in 2014. No additional cost.
• Works with published AGOL feature services,
ArcGIS Server map and feature services, CSV files
• Single data source
– Much data already published to AGOL
– Builds on existing workflows
– No need to export and republish
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9. The How
• Was able to configure the portal within a short
time frame with minimal resource and no
developer requirements
– Focus remained on the data management
elements
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10. The How
• Lots of functionality out of the box
– Provides 3 key capabilities:
1. Discoverable - text and map based searching
2. Explorable –linked map and tabular views, charts
and graphs, ability to filter
3. Accessible –download as common data formats
(CSV, KML, SHAPE) and developer API’s
(GeoJSON, GeoServices)
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11. The How
Step by Step
1. Reviewed best practice
– Open Data Publication Guidebook
2. Reviewed existing portals
– Content / Design
3. Selected Datasets
– Those Already published to AGOL
– Those of value (FOI requests, etc)
4. Built and modified publishing workflows
5. Selected a Licence
– PSI
6. Created the Portal
7. Created the Metadata (ongoing)
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12. Demo
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http://roscommon.roscoco.opendata.arcgis.com/

13. Next Steps
• Work for compliance with Open Data Technical
Framework
– Open Data Licence
– Metadata
• DCAT-AP (Geospatial elements)
• More Data
– More Non-Spatial data
– More complex data
– More dynamic data
• Site re-design
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14. Thank You
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