In July 2013, the Government of Canada outlined its commitment to open government through three main streams: open data, open information, and open dialogue, aiming to enhance transparency and engagement with citizens. Key initiatives included launching a next-generation open data portal, issuing an open government license, and collaborating with various governmental levels to support data availability. The action plan emphasizes the importance of proactive information release and developing policies to create a culture of openness within the government.

1. Open Government / Open Data
in Canada
July 2013

2. 2
• Advancing the government’s accountability and democratic
reform agendas
• Generating economic value for Canadians and supporting the
Digital Economy Strategy
• Aligning Canada with other countries (UK, Australia, USA)
• Responding to exploding volume of requests for access to
information, order paper questions, e-mail campaigns, media
• Giving Canadians their say in decisions that affect them and the
resulting potential for innovation and value (builds trust and
credibility)
• Setting the stage for future reforms
Background
Drivers of Open Government / Open Data

3. 3
• In March 2011, the Government of Canada announced its
commitment to expand Open Government along 3 activity streams:
Open Data: making raw data available in machine-readable
formats to citizens, governments, not-for-profit and private sector
organizations to leverage it in innovative and value-added ways.
Open Information: proactively releasing information on
government activities on an ongoing basis, making it more
accessible to Canadians and easier to find.
Open Dialogue: giving Canadians an opportunity for two-way
dialogue with the Government of Canada on federal policies and
priorities.
Background
A Commitment to Open Government

4. 4
• In April 2012, Canada released its Action Plan on Open Government; 12
concrete commitments to advance open government principles along the 3
activity streams.
• Commitments focus on enterprise solutions (e.g., policies, processes,
IM/IT) to provide foundational support for government-wide transformation.
Canada’s Action Plan on Open Government
Modern engagement tools
(e.g., social media, Web 2.0)
Common platforms (e.g.,
Open Data, Virtual Library)
ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS
Sharable Open
Source solutions
Foundation policies (e.g., IM/IT, communications, security)

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Open Data in the Government of Canada
Government of Canada’s Open Data Plan:
1. Launch Next-generation data.gc.ca: enhance public access to
Government of Canada data and supports its reuse.
2. Issue Policy Direction on Open Government: shift departments
and agencies towards a culture of ‘open by default’.
3. Issue Open Government Licence: provide simple and
unrestricted rights to reuse government data for commercial and
non-commercial purposes.
4. Maximize Multi-Jurisdictional Data Availability: work with
provinces and municipalities on common approaches to open data.
5. Drive Open Data International Standards: work with G8
countries to establish common open data approaches and
standards.

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1. Next-generation data.gc.ca
• Objective: develop a next-generation platform to support
the delivery of federal open data.
• The Government of Canada’s next-generation data.gc.ca
was launched on June 18, 2013.
• Built using the Open Government Platform (OGPL), this new
portal features significant enhancements to search capacity
and social media features designed to respond to what we
heard from Canadians.
• Establishes a foundation on which to build future open data
services (e.g., communities, developer tools, etc.).
Open Data in the Government of Canada

7. 7
2. Directive on Open Government
• Objective: maximize the release of government data and
information to the public in order to support transparency,
accountability, and socio-economic benefits through reuse.
• The Directive on Open Government will provide specific
direction to departmental data owners on:
• What data and information is to be published; and
• How data and information is to be published.
• The Directive will be issued in the fall of 2013, and federal
departments will be required to develop and maintain a plan
for the phased implementation of the Directive’s requirements.
Open Data in the Government of Canada

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3. Open Government Licence (OGL)
 Objective: regularize and simplify the licensing of published
Government of Canada information (data, info, websites,
publications) as allowed by policy and legislation
 The Open Government Licence was issued on June 18, 2013.
 Key features of the new Open Government Licence:
 Focuses on broader reuse of government “information”, not just
“data”;
 Uses simplified, plain language to clearly state conditions for use;
 Aligns with existing and developing international best practices.
 Licence has been designed as a “template” for open licensing
that could be adopted by other government open data providers
in Canadian provinces, territories, and municipalities.
Open Data in the Government of Canada

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4. Multi-jurisdictional Data Availability
 Objective: collaborate with other levels of government to
advance common open government priorities and initiatives.
 An intergovernmental working group supports the prioritization
and implementation of key open data / information initiatives
(e.g., licencing, common standards, pan-Canadian open data).
5. International Open Data Standards
• Objective: share expertise and be transparent about data
collection, standards, and publishing processes.
• Plans underway to support implementation of the G8 Open Data
Charter by working with G8 countries to establish common open
data approaches and standards.
Open Data in the Government of Canada

10. 10
• Measuring success of open data / open government
• Driving Pan-Canadian collaboration across multiple
levels of government
• Shifting government culture to be “open by default”
• Managing the distributed ownership of data
Moving Forward
Four Major Challenges