Open government data initiatives in the Maghreb countries: An empirical analysis

Abstract

This article explores the practices followed in preserving and sharing data in open data portals in the Maghreb countries, and assesses whether their structure and organization are consistent with the objectives of these portals. A set of characteristics that must be available in open data portals was developed and then used as a framework for analysing the structure and organization of open data portals in the Maghreb countries. The study adopted a content analysis approach to analyse the content of five open data portals (in Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania). The findings indicate that open data portals in the Maghreb countries provide data from different ministries, local communities and organizations. The findings also indicate that the open government data portals in Algeria and Morocco lack translation of content into English, which affects non-Arabic-language speakers. Moreover, the adoption of open data policies is still in its early stages. The study’s originality lies in the fact that it is the first study that focuses on the countries of the Arab Maghreb and the extent of their progress in adopting and making open data available.