Identifying patterns and recommendations of and for sustainable open data initiatives: A benchmarking-driven analysis of open government data initiatives among European countries

An understanding of the similar and divergent metrics and methodologies underlying open government data benchmarks can reduce the risks of the potential misinterpretation and misuse of benchmarking outcomes by policymakers, politicians, and researchers. Hence, this study aims to compare the metrics and methodologies used to measure, benchmark, and rank governments' progress in open government data initiatives. Using a critical meta-analysis approach, we compare nine benchmarks with reference to meta-data, meta-methods, and meta-theories. This study finds that both existing open government data benchmarks and academic open data progress models use a great variety of metrics and methodologies, although open data impact is not usually measured. While several benchmarks’ methods have changed over time, and variables measured have been adjusted, we did not identify a similar pattern for academic open data progress models. This study contributes to open data research in three ways: 1) it reveals the strengths and weaknesses of existing open government data benchmarks and academic open data progress models; 2) it reveals that the selected open data benchmarks employ relatively similar measures as the theoretical open data progress models; and 3) it provides an updated overview of the different approaches used to measure open government data initiatives’ progress. Finally, this study offers two practical contributions: 1) it provides the basis for combining the strengths of benchmarks to create more comprehensive approaches for measuring governments’ progress in open data initiatives; and 2) it explains why particular countries are ranked in a certain way. This information is essential for governments and researchers to identify and propose effective measures to improve their open data initiatives.

Nowadays, governments launch open government data (OGD) portals that provide data that can be accessed and used by everyone for their own needs. Although the potential economic value of open (government) data is assessed in millions and billions, not all open data are reused. Moreover, the open (government) data initiative as well as users’ intent for open (government) data are changing continuously and today, in line with IoT and smart city trends, real-time data and sensor-generated data have higher interest for users. These “smarter” open (government) data are also considered to be one of the crucial drivers for the sustainable economy, and might have an impact on information and communication technology (ICT) innovation and become a creativity bridge in developing a new ecosystem in Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0. The paper inspects OGD portals of 60 countries in order to understand the correspondence of their content to the Society 5.0 expectations. The paper provides a report on how much countries provide these data, focusing on some open (government) data success facilitating factors for both the portal in general and data sets of interest in particular. The presence of “smarter” data, their level of accessibility, availability, currency and timeliness, as well as support for users, are analyzed. The list of most competitive countries by data category are provided. This makes it possible to understand which OGD portals react to users’ needs, Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0 request the opening and updating of data for their further potential reuse, which is essential in the digital data-driven world.

Noting the need to extend the corpus of knowledge on open government data initiatives, especially on the strategies to facilitate and attract businesses and citizens to participate, collaborate and re-use open government data, this paper presents a research-in-progress case study on an open data initiative by the Singapore Government. Preliminary findings indicate that open innovation can be gainfully employed to realize the underlying motivation of open data initiatives. This research also builds upon existing study in open innovation strategies. It posits a set of considerations to develop the open government data portal into an open innovation platform. It also establishes a set of considerations for enticing businesses and citizens to create e-services that leverage on the datasets available from the portal. Implications to both research and practice of open government data initiatives are presented. The paper concludes with a discussion on the future research direction of this study.

The development of ecosystems around open government data in order to generate social and economic value from them requires on one hand the existence of a critical mass of them and on the other hand some level of homogeneity and interoperability among the numerous portals and websites providing them which enables their combined exploitation. This paper presents the Technical, Semantic, Legal, and Organizational (TSLO) Interoperability Framework, a conceptual tool designed to provide a structured evaluation of the interoperability capabilities of open government data infrastructures. It incorporates the technical, semantic, legal, and organizational aspects of open government data provision, which are crucial for developing interoperability between open data portals and websites, which enables the generation of high levels of social and economic value from them, so it can pave the way for creating open data ecosystems for this purpose. We are then applying this TSLO framework to examine from this perspective the open data infrastructures of the Greek local government administration institutions of all three layers of it (decentralized, regional, and municipal). In particular, we examine the open government data portals and websites of the local Greek governments and provide a detailed analysis of them concerning the fore aspects of the framework. This first application of TSLO reveals not only the low participation of Greek local government institutions in the open data movement, and especially of the municipalities, where only 8 out of 332 municipalities provide open data on their portals or websites but also the inconsistent implementation of this, especially with respect to the use of semantic technologies as well as the legal frameworks under which the open data provided. Finally, we propose the automation of the TSLO framework to facilitate the evaluation and standardization of open local government data infrastructure and expand the study to identify and address barriers to open data provision.

While the number of open government data initiatives has increased considerably over the past decade, the impact of these initiatives remains uncertain. Recent studies have been critical of the “bias toward the supply side” and lack of “sufficient attention to the user perspective” in the way that open government data initiatives are implemented. This article asks: (1) who is using municipal open government data resources and for what purposes? and (2) what impact are municipal open government data having in cities where they have been implemented? We performed a qualitative analysis of 26 semi-structured telephone interviews conducted with government staff, civic technologists, and private sector stakeholders in nine cities around the United States. Each of these 30 to 45-minute telephone interviews were transcribed and analyzed to distill insights regarding the use and impact of municipal open government data in the nine cities considered. We find that the array of actors within open government data ecosystems at the local level is expanding as distinctions between the public and private sectors becomes increasingly blurred and that the demands of managing and sustaining these initiatives has led to changes in the services offered by local government, as well as in the duties of government staff. The impact of these data resources has been primarily felt within local government itself, although the lack of monitoring mechanisms makes it difficult to systematically evaluate their broader effects. We conclude that open government data initiatives should be coordinated and better integrated with digital equity and digital inclusion efforts in order to advance their political and social goals.

PurposeThis paper aims to advance a total quality management (TQM) model for the open government data (OGD) initiatives undertaken by the governments. As an example, the paper investigates the national OGD portal of India (www.data.gov.in) and provides implications of the proposed TQM model for the Indian case.Design/methodology/approachThe TQM model for the OGD initiatives (16 dimensions in terms of drivers, enablers and results) is derived from the extant literature on the principles of TQM and OGD. The proposed model is used for drawing implications for the Indian OGD initiative.FindingsThe application of TQM model for the OGD initiative in India would help in quality maintenance and sustainability. The quality of the OGD portal should be improved by taking the TQM model as a point of reference.Practical implicationsEnsuring quality of the datasets is important for any OGD initiative. The proposed TQM model leaves insights for the practitioners (policymakers and administrators) to implement the TQM model in the OGD policy initiatives. This would lead to increased trust, transparency and accountability.Social implicationsThrough the integration of the TQM model in the OGD initiative of the country, a wider section of the stakeholders may tap the qualitatively advanced datasets for value creation. Citizen participation and engagement would increase with the integration of the TQM model in the OGD initiative.Originality/valueWhile management of quality in the OGD initiatives has been underlined in the extant OGD-focused literature, the utility of applying TQM principles in OGD initiatives has not been conceived so far. The present study seeks to contribute towards the extant literature on TQM and OGD with the identification of the TQM model for the OGD initiatives.

ملخص توفر مبادرات البيانات الحكومية المفتوحة عددًا من الفرص التي تسعى إلى تحقيق فوائد سياسية واجتماعية واقتصادية وتشغيلية وتقنية من خلال إتاحتها للاستخدام العام. ولتحقيق ذلك، تستثمر المملكة العربية السعودية قدرًا كبيرًا من الجهد والمال في دعم هذه المبادرات التي تتمثل في إنشاء بوابات البيانات المفتوحة لاستخدامها في توفير مجموعات بيانات يتم تجميعها إداريًا ويمكن قراءتها آليًا. تهدف الدراسة بشكل أساسي إلى دراسة الفوائد المتوقعة من مبادرات البيانات الحكومية المفتوحة في المملكة العربية السعودية، من أجل الحصول على فهم عميق للفائدة المتوقعة من البيانات الحكومية المفتوحة في المملكة العربية السعودية، تم إجراء (10) مقابلات شبه منظمة (semi-structured interviews) مع المسؤولين الذين ينفذون مبادرات البيانات الحكومية المفتوحة. تشير النتائج إلى عدد كبير من الفوائد المتوقعة للبيانات الحكومية المفتوحة التي تتمحور حول: (1) الفوائد السياسية والاجتماعية، (2) الفوائد الاقتصادية، (3) الفوائد التشغيلية والتقنية. وفي الختام أشار الباحث إلى الحاجة لمزيد من الدراسات التي قد تبحث في التحديات التي تحد من تحقيق الفوائد المتوقعة من مبادرات البيانات الحكومية المفتوحة ومدى إمكانية تحسين هذه الفوائد. يمكن إجراء مثل هذه التحسينات على المستويين المحلي والإقليمي من خلال الاستفادة من مبادرات البيانات المفتوحة في البلدان الأخرى، مع مراعاة السياق والقيم المجتمعية لكل بلد.

PurposeWhile “transparency-by-design” serves as the antecedent of any Open Government Data (OGD) initiative (Janssen et al., 2017), its logical objective would be the extent to which data “usage” is facilitated. This paper aims to underscore the significance, drivers and barriers to ensure “usage” of data sets conceding that re-use of data sets is one of the key objectives of any OGD initiative.Design/methodology/approachWith a documentary analysis approach, the OGD initiative of Sri Lanka is investigated for the present purpose. Furthermore, the theoretical model of citizen engagement in OGD suggested by Sieber and Johnson (2015) is being referred to appreciate the extent to which the usage of data sets is facilitated via the OGD platform.FindingsThere are drivers as well as barriers as far as facilitating the usage of the data sets in the Sri Lankan OGD initiative is concerned. For instance, some of the drivers are the provision of suggesting data sets or the possibility of referring to data sets which are historical in nature. However, there are countless barriers to usage than the drivers. For instance, there is absence of metadata in the data sets; the data sets are not updated regularly; there are historical data; the formats of the data sets are limited in nature and are not user-friendly; there is no facility of conducting data visualization or analytics, and there is no collaborative approach towards building further the OGD initiative.Research limitations/implicationsAs only one case study is probed in the paper, further research is warranted to undertake a comparative approach by taking two or more case studies into consideration.Practical implicationsThis study holds relevance for Sri Lankan Government and other stakeholders (policy makers, citizens, developers and the like) so far as furthering of user engagement in OGD initiative is concerned.Social implicationsFacilitating more usage by citizens would increase their engagement, and they might derive value out of the data sets. At the same time, the government’s objective of ensuring increased usage of the data sets would be better realized.Originality/value“Transparency-by-design” approach had its focus on the publishing phase of OGD, and this paper seeks to provide its logical conclusion by emphasizing upon “usage by stakeholders” because by opening data sets, the government has the target to ensure that these open data sets are being used and re-used. Therefore, it is the outcome which is being discussed with the support of a case study set in the background of Sri Lanka’s Open Data initiative. Besides, this is the first study which probes the OGD initiatives of Sri Lanka – therein lies the major contribution of the study.

Previous studies have infrequently addressed the dynamic interactions among social, technical, and organizational variables in open government data initiatives. In addition, organization level models have neglected to explain the role of management in decision-making processes about technology and data. This article contributes to addressing this gap in the literature by analyzing the complex relationships between open government data characteristics and the organizations and institutions in which they are embedded. We systematically compare the open data inception and implementation processes, as well as their main results, in three Spanish local governments (Gava and Rubi in Catalonia and Gijon in Asturias) by using a model that combines the technology enactment framework with some specific constructs and relationships from the process model of computing change. Our resulting model is able to identify and explain the significant role of management in shaping and mediating different interactions, but also acknowledges the importance of organizational level variables and the context in which the open data initiative is taking place.

Open data and its effects on society are always woven into infrastructural legacies, social relations, and the political economy. This raises questions about how our understanding and engagement with open data shifts when we focus on its situated use. To shed a light on these questions, Situating Open Data provides several empirical accounts of open data practices, the local implementation of global initiatives, and the development of new open data ecosystems. Drawing on case studies in different countries and contexts, the chapters demonstrate the practices and actors involved in open government data initiatives unfolding within different socio-political settings. The book proposes three recommendations for researchers, policy-makers and practitioners. First, beyond upskilling through data literacy programmes, open data initiatives should be specified through the kinds of data practices and effects they generate. Second, global visions of open data implementation require more studies of the resonances and tensions created in localised initiatives. And third, research into open data ecosystems requires more attention to the histories and legacies of information infrastructures and how these shape who benefits from open data flows. As such, this volume departs from the framing of data as a resource to be deployed. Instead, it proposes a prism of different data practices in different contexts through which to study the social relations, capacities, infrastructural histories and power structures affecting open data initiatives. It is hoped that the contributions collected in Situating Open Data will spark critical reflection about the way open data is locally practiced and implemented. The contributions should be of interest to open data researchers, advocates, and those in or advising government administrations designing and rolling out effective open data initiatives.

Open data and its effects on society are always woven into infrastructural legacies, social relations, and the political economy. This raises questions about how our understanding and engagement with open data shifts when we focus on its situated use. To shed a light on these questions, Situating Open Data provides several empirical accounts of open data practices, the local implementation of global initiatives, and the development of new open data ecosystems. Drawing on case studies in different countries and contexts, the chapters demonstrate the practices and actors involved in open government data initiatives unfolding within different socio-political settings. The book proposes three recommendations for researchers, policy-makers and practitioners. First, beyond upskilling through data literacy programmes, open data initiatives should be specified through the kinds of data practices and effects they generate. Second, global visions of open data implementation require more studies of the resonances and tensions created in localised initiatives. And third, research into open data ecosystems requires more attention to the histories and legacies of information infrastructures and how these shape who benefits from open data flows. As such, this volume departs from the framing of data as a resource to be deployed. Instead, it proposes a prism of different data practices in different contexts through which to study the social relations, capacities, infrastructural histories and power structures affecting open data initiatives. It is hoped that the contributions collected in Situating Open Data will spark critical reflection about the way open data is locally practiced and implemented. The contributions should be of interest to open data researchers, advocates, and those in or advising government administrations designing and rolling out effective open data initiatives.

Citizen Factors of the open government data are being explored in this study in the selected Asian countries. As per the open data availability countries have been selected on global open data index and well-structured open government data portals of Asian countries. To identify and analyze the differences of selected Asian countries through the principals of open government data which are eight in number, analysis the portal activities and observed the Open government data benefits. In analysis, the datasets of selected countries have been analyzed for the purpose of defining the portal activities. These activities include the Visitants, Suppliers, Applications, Developments, generation of Knowledge and overall resources utilization. Open government data of these countries are examined through web contented analysis, in order to understand the open government data’s status. This study also describes different challenges on how adoption, promotion and acceptance of the open government data and portals have been carried out by Asian countries. Moreover, there are some recommendations according to the key problems and status in the open government data initiatives. Also, the study has limitations regarding the number of countries and future directions emphasize the need for Open Government Data analysis in less developed countries also.

The paper is a follow-up to a previous paper where the authors described how users in a small transitional country perceive open government data. It gives an overview of the characteristics of the open data and the current state of a recently started implementation of an open data initiative in Croatia. Since the process involves a series of actions, the following questions need to be answered: what are the effects of an open data initiative and how could these effects be valued? As a starting point in answering these questions we provide an overview of current research initiatives on how to value effects of open government data. Approaches to open data research are usually classified into three broad groups: open data readiness assessments; open data implementation studies; and impact studies. We also bring an overview of the evaluation frameworks already in place in countries where open data initiatives are on the top of the political and social agenda. As a result, in this paper we propose actions in the areas of law and policy, as well as in the areas of organization and technology, which could benefit Croatia's economic growth and democratic empowerment, as suggested by open data advocates.

Governments and researchers traditionally focus on the publication of Open Government Data (OGD), whereas the actual use of the data is often neglected. Open data initiatives are often criticized for not realising the promoted benefits, yet only the use of OGD can result in these benefits. OGD use requires several actors, activities and tools; however, these are fragmented and depending on each other. The OGD infrastructure presented in this dissertation aims to enhance the coordination of OGD use. Core components are an advanced and interoperable three-tier metadata model to find, analyse, visualise, interact about and assess OGD, interaction mechanisms to stimulate interaction between OGD users, OGD providers and governmental policy makers, and data quality indicators to assess the data’s fitness for use. This study is among the first to describe the design of an OGD infrastructure. This dissertation contributes to science by providing a comprehensive overview of barriers and functional requirements for OGD use from the perspective of the OGD user, by defining functional building blocks for the design of the OGD infrastructure, and by developing and evaluating a prototype of the OGD infrastructure. Furthermore, this study is the first to apply coordination theory in the field of OGD and shows that coordination of OGD use does not merely require a focus on processes, but additionally requires a technical perspective including the integration of tools, a social perspective including interaction between involved actors, and the interaction between the social and technical perspective. Moreover, while OGD infrastructures traditionally mainly provide discovery metadata, this study confirms several recent studies that different types of metadata (discovery, contextual and detailed metadata) need to be combined to improve OGD use. Finally, whereas kernel theories concerning coordination, metadata, interaction and data quality are often studied separately, this study reveals that it is essential for the development of OGD infrastructures to combine these four kernel theories.

Governments worldwide are releasing data into the public domain via open government data initiatives. Many such data sets are directly relevant to environmental science and complement data collected by academic researchers to address complex and challenging environmental problems. The Government of Canada is a leader in open data among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, generating and releasing troves of valuable research data. However, achieving comprehensive and FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) open government data is not without its challenges. For example, identifying and understanding Canada’s international commitments, policies, and guidelines on open data can be daunting. Similarly, open data sets within the Government of Canada are spread across a diversity of repositories and portals, which may hinder their discoverability. We describe Canada’s federal initiatives promoting open government data, and outline where data sets of relevance to environmental science can be found. We summarize research data management challenges identified by the Government of Canada, plans to modernize the approach to open data for environmental science and best practices for data discoverability, access, and reuse.