Open Government Research Articles

Open Data Supporting GIS-based Walkability Assessment: Case Study for City of Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract. The study presented in this paper aims to contribute to the broader discourse on urban planning challenges by presenting a preliminary walkability assessment for the city of Zagreb, Croatia. Using the open-source OS-WALK-EU walkability assessment tool and open government and data from OSM, we demonstrated how data-based walkability assessment can provide information to support relevant policy making. The assessment considered two walkability user perspectives, one focused on enjoying free time and other on daily obligations (e.g. commuting to work). Preliminary findings indicate that walkability index scores are higher in the city centre and decrease towards the periphery for both user perspectives. Additionally, the results indicate that despite different user perspectives give different walkability scores, these are almost uniform across Zagreb, making all the assessed districts equally attractive for both, enjoying free time and do daily obligations.

Can Open Government Data Improve City Green Land-Use Efficiency? Evidence from China

This study adopted the double difference method to study the effect of open government data (OGD) on city green land-use efficiency (CGLUE). It was found that opening government data had a significant promotional effect on CGLUE, and a number of robustness tests were the foundation for this finding. A mechanism analysis demonstrated that two key avenues via which government data openness can promote CGLUE are raising public awareness of environmental issues and strengthening urban green innovation potential. A heterogeneity analysis found that the effect of government data openness on CGLUE was more obvious in eastern cities, cities with higher levels of digital finance, and non-resource-based cities. In addition, open government data also reduced urban carbon emissions while improving CGLUE, contributing to China’s “double carbon” goal.

Empowering Youth through Open Data: Map-Based Storytelling of Croatian vs. European Youth

Abstract. In the digital age, open data has become a critical asset for fostering transparency, accountability, and civic engagement. However, the widespread availability of data has outpaced citizens' ability to effectively utilize it, underscoring the need for data literacy skills, especially among youth. This paper addresses the gap in data literacy by proposing an innovative teaching approach that leverages map-based storytelling to engage young people and enhance their data literacy. By integrating real-world open datasets into interactive visual narratives, this approach aims to captivate young audiences, develop critical thinking skills, and foster a deeper understanding of socio-economic issues. Through a case study of a Datathon project titled “Croatian Youth vs. EU: Who has it better?”, this research demonstrates the efficacy of combining data visualization and storytelling to promote data literacy and civic engagement. The findings highlight the potential of open data initiatives and open-source technologies in empowering youth and enhancing their participation in open government initiatives and policy-making processes.

A INTELIGÊNCIA ARTIFICAL COMO FERRAMENTA DE EFICIÊNCIA NA ADMINISTRAÇÃO PÚBLICA

The article “Artificial Intelligence as a Tool for Efficiency in Public Administration” explores the growing role of AI in optimizing government operations and improving the delivery of public services. Focusing on AI’s capabilities to process and analyze large volumes of data, the article discusses how this technology can be used to enhance efficiency, transparency, and responsiveness in government services. The text highlights several key applications of AI in public administration, including large-scale data analysis and processing, automation of bureaucratic processes, and customization of services to citizens. These technologies, equipped with machine learning and natural language processing, enable better resource management, faster citizen service, and more efficient operations less susceptible to human errors. Beyond the benefits, the article also addresses the challenges associated with implementing AI in the public sector, such as technical, ethical, and privacy issues. Concerns about algorithmic bias, data quality, and integration with legacy systems are discussed in detail. The article emphasizes the need for robust policies and adequate training for public employees as essential for successful AI integration. Finally, the discussion concludes with the view that while AI has the potential to significantly transform public administration for the better, a careful and regulated approach is vital. The success of this integration depends not only on technological advancements but also on a commitment to ethical practices and the development of public policies that guide its responsible use.

Strong or thin digital democracy? The democratic implications of Taiwan's open government data policy in the 2010s

What kind of “democracy” do new government-led digital initiatives facilitate? This paper discusses the issue by investigating the open government data policy in Taiwan in the 2010s, asking whether the policy encouraged “strong democracy.” Using interviews, written records, and an analysis of platform design, I argue that the implementation of Taiwan's open data policy has not institutionalized the engagement of civil society groups or ordinary citizens in government decision-making processes, which is at odds with the claims that open government data encourages “strong democracy.” Instead, open government data in Taiwan has facilitated monitorial democracy, which presupposes watchful but not active citizens, and neoliberal democracy, which presupposes profit-pursuing citizens. Both are more in line with “thin democracy,” which focuses more on individual rights and private interests than on participation and political community. The finding sheds light on why conservative governments around the world often embrace open government initiatives.

Modernization of the State: The Role of Open Government in the Effectiveness of Municipal Management in San Martín, Peru

The study aimed to establish the relationship between open government and the effectiveness of municipal management in the San Martín region, employing a basic quantitative research approach, a non-experimental design, and a descriptive correlational and cross-sectional scope. The population comprised 926,000 citizens, from which a sample of 1,537 was selected. The survey technique was used with two questionnaires, one for each variable. Regarding the dimensions of open government, the results showed a transparency level categorized as regular at 60%, deficient at 30%, and good at 10%; public sector integrity was rated as regular at 62%, deficient at 27%, and good at 12%; accountability was evaluated as regular at 46%, deficient at 38%, and good at 16%; and citizen and stakeholder participation achieved a regular level of 55%, deficient at 35%, and good at 10%. Concerning the effectiveness of municipal management, the evaluated dimensions showed that equipment and information and communication technologies were classified as regular at 60%, good at 20%, and deficient at 14%; human resources were assessed as regular at 64%, deficient at 21%, and good at 15%; municipal competencies and functions were rated as regular at 67%, good at 17%, and deficient at 16%; and local public services were reported as regular at 63%, deficient at 19%, and good at 18%. Finally, it was concluded that there is a high and significant positive relationship between open government and the effectiveness of municipal management, with a Spearman's Rho coefficient of 0.824 (high positive correlation) and a p-value of 0.000 (p ≤ 0.01), estimating an incidence of 74% between both variables.

Violent peace: effigies and the marking of the Armistice in Britain

ABSTRACT This article examines how effigies were used in Britain after the signing of the Armistice in November 1918. Effigies of Kaiser Wilhelm, the Crown Prince and members of the German High Command were paraded through the streets of villages, towns and cities as part of celebrations for the cessation of hostilities. These figures were physically and verbally abused, hanged on gibbets, displayed from shop windows, placed on trial and ‘executed’ by hanging and public burning. The violence that these effigies were subjected to is significant as it indicates the way the brutality of the war became part of civic life but it also demonstrates how civilians returned public spaces to public life. The war brought greater control of civic society by the operation of government to mobilise individuals and communities for the war effort. The carnivalesque celebrations that marked the end of the war was a means of acknowledging victory but also formed a means of dissent against the operation of power. Whilst these moments were fleeting and some harked back to traditional forms of celebration, the use of effigies transformed wartime spaces back into public ownership.

Trends in the incidence of young-adult-onset diabetes by diabetes type: a multi-national population-based study from an international diabetes consortium

Population-based incidence data on young-adult-onset type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are limited. We aimed to examine secular trends in the incidence of diagnosed type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes with an age of onset between 15 and 39 years. In this multicountry aggregate data analysis, we assembled eight administrative datasets from high-income jurisdictions and countries (Australia, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Japan, Scotland, South Korea, and Spain [Catalonia]) that had appropriate data available from an international diabetes consortium (GLOBODIAB) describing incidence by diabetes type among people aged 15-39 years from 2000 to 2020. We modelled type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes incidence rates using Poisson regression including age and calendar time by sex. During the years 2000-20, there were 349 591 incident diabetes (both types) cases from 346 million person-years of follow-up among people aged 15-39 years. Over time, there was no statistically significant change in the incidence of type 1 diabetes in Hungary and Japan. The incidence of type 1 diabetes significantly increased in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Scotland, South Korea, and Spain, with annual changes ranging from 0·5% to 6·0%. The incidence of type 2 diabetes significantly increased in four of eight jurisdictions (Denmark, Finland, Japan, and South Korea), with annual increases from 2·0% to 8·5%. The magnitude of increase in incidence of type 2 diabetes was greater in Asian than non-Asian jurisdictions. There was no statistically significant change in type 2 diabetes incidence in Australia and Hungary. The incidence of type 2 diabetes significantly decreased in Scotland and Spain, with annual changes of -0·7% and -1·5%, respectively. There is variability in the trajectory of the incidence of young-adult-onset type 2 diabetes among high-income countries or jurisdictions, with a greater evidence of increase in Asian than non-Asian countries. Evolving trends in the incidence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in young adults call for the ongoing surveillance of diabetes incidence and a greater research focus on this population. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Diabetes Australia Research Programme, and Victoria State Government Operational Infrastructure Support Programme.

Evaluating FAIR Principles Compliance in the Capes Open Data Portal

The article examines the Open Government Data (OGD) movement, emphasizing applying the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles to government data, using Brazil's Capes open data portal as a case study. The study underscores the significance of Open Government Data (OGD) in promoting transparency and democratizing access to information within the public sector. It addresses issues such as typographical errors, the absence of standardization, duplicated data, and emphasizes the necessity for a process model that integrates quality control mechanisms The paper also explores the economic and political potential of OGD, analyzing the challenge of managing open government data with high quality and interoperability. The study's results on the Capes portal show mixed compliance with the FAIR principles, with recommendations for future improvements.

Product Oversight and Governance’s Actual Trends and Value for Money Provisions Within the IDD Framework

Abstract The article focuses on the renewed discipline of product oversight and governance in insurance law. Specifically, the contribution examines the significance of the value for money principle, which, through acts by the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), has had a considerable impact on the organization of insurance companies as well as on the policies ultimately distributed. Regarding the structure of the article, the first part addresses the contractual characterization provided by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) of so-called IBIPs (investment-based insurance products), for which the value for money principle is particularly impactful. The second part of the article focuses on the operation of product oversight and governance and the influence of the value for money principle on it. Finally, the last part of the analysis centers on the relationship between the CJEU’s precedents and their integration into the harmonizing policy conducted by European institutions, which inevitably also affects the field of financial and insurance law.

An Impact-Based Flood Forecasting System for Citizen Empowerment

This work addresses the critical issue of flooding, a significant natural hazard, consistently ranked highest in the 2023 World Risk Index. The annual onslaught of tropical cyclones and the associated abnormal rainfall threaten lives, and destroy crops and property, thereby causing great economic damage, demanding urgent and science-based decision-making. We introduce an impact-based flood forecasting system as a proactive anticipatory action (i.e., AA) measure, linking climate services and disaster risk management to mitigate extreme weather impacts. Developed by the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute, the National Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) Center, and Gerry Bagtasa of the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology, this system advances disaster resilience efforts, leveraging science-based forecasts to prioritize vulnerable barangays (villages). Unlike traditional early warning systems, the proposed automated system predicts flooding one day in advance and assesses exposure levels based on population distribution. By utilizing global weather forecast models locally calibrated for Philippine conditions and 100-year rain return flood hazard maps for the Philippines, the system forecasts river inundated areas, enabling local government units (LGUs) and humanitarian organizations to prioritize preparations for communities and allocate resources during flooding events effectively. This system enhances the efficiency of disaster response planning, fostering a proactive and impactful strategy to address the recurring threat of flooding in the country. The system also underscores the role of open data in disaster resilience, exemplified by NOAH’s system to disseminating big data, which aligns with open governance principles. By encouraging transparency and stakeholder collaboration, data exchange is promoted, providing actionable information that fosters collaboration between the LGUs, humanitarian organizations, and other stakeholders. Cognizant of the importance of community engagement in disaster resilience, the newly developed impact-based flood forecasting system encourages community involvement by providing easily accessible information, which can be used to validate the forecasts based on local knowledge and experience. This research contributes to the urgent call for anticipatory action in the face of escalating extreme weather events globally.

E-participation in Local Self-Government in Croatia

Today, cities play a crucial role as drivers of global change, as well as leaders in implementation of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. They must capture and satisfy diverse needs of their citizens. On the other hand, e-participation adoption is crucial in open government movement as it allows the government to involve the public in their work, making it more transparent. This can be achieved through e-information, e-consultation and e-decision making as levels of e-participation adoption. This research puts focus on e-participation adoption in Croatian local governments and explores supply side of e-participation adoption with local governments’ officials. After consulting relevant literature, public sector and ICT experts, a questionnaire (i.e. measurement items) has been developed to assess e-participation levels in cities/municipalities with over 8,000 inhabitants. More than 240 responses have been collected from local governments’ heads of departments and departmental managers. The results show that the adoption of e-participation at the local level is modest with a score of 59%. E-participation sub-levels show very good adoption of e-information (e-information services widely available), mediocre results for e-consultation (mostly only compliance with respective law), and a low level of adoption of e-decision-making. The differences in adoption levels of e-participation are statistically significant between smaller and larger cities/municipalities. Therefore, the population size of the city/municipality has proven to be significant, with larger cities having higher adoption rates, especially of e-consultation practices. The author suggests a greater variety of tools and formalization of e-participation at strategic and operational levels to achieve higher levels of adoption. In addition, local governments should adopt more advanced engagement tools to enhance citizens’ (and other stakeholders’) e-participation (with voting and rating options), as current utilization is still low.

Diálogo Inicial

This study investigates the application of the Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics (CARE) principles to the indigenous health data collected by the Secretariat of Indigenous Health (SESAI) in Brazil. Initially, the context of indigenous health policies in the country is discussed, highlighting the importance of integrating the Unified Health System (SUS) with indigenous policy to promote access to health for all. The research focuses on the need to align SESAI's data with the CARE principles, aiming to promote transparency and data availability for scientific research. Using a quantitative approach with exploratory aspects, the methodology included a bibliographic and documentary analysis to understand the CARE principles and propose strategies for aligning SESAI's data. The results indicate a growing interest in the topic, although there are gaps in data availability and in recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples over their data. The study initiated data processing, prioritizing the CARE principles, with the data made available in a geolocated tool. It concludes that the CARE Principles should guide future data collection and processing, supporting transparency and access to indigenous health data within the context of open government.

Impact of E-Governance on Public Service Efficiency

This study examines the complex relationship between e-governance implementation and public service efficiency across diverse socio-economic contexts. Through a comprehensive review of recent literature, the research investigates how digital technologies reshape government operations and citizen interactions. The analysis reveals that while e-governance generally leads to improvements in service delivery, cost reduction, and increased transparency, these benefits vary significantly based on factors such as technological infrastructure, digital literacy, and specific service domains. The study challenges assumptions about immediate efficiency gains, particularly in developing countries where initial costs may increase due to the need for parallel traditional systems. The research emphasizes the importance of context-specific approaches, continuous evaluation, and addressing digital divide issues for successful e-governance implementation. These findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of e-governance's impact on public service efficiency, offering valuable insights for policymakers and public administrators navigating the digital transformation of government services.

Enhancing Access Across Europe for Documents Published According to Freedom of Information Act: Applying Woogle Design and Technique to Estonian Public Information Act Document

In the Netherlands, the Open Government Act (Wet openbare overheid or Woo/Wob in Dutch) is in effect, with the primary objective of ensuring a more transparent government. In line with the legislation, a search engine named Woogle has been designed and developed to centralize documents published under the Open Government Act. The Estonian Public Information Act serves a similar purpose and requires all public institutions to publish information generated during official duties, fostering transparency and public oversight. Currently, Estonia’s document repositories are decentralized, and content search is not supported, which hinders people’s ability to efficiently locate information. This study aims to assess public information accessibility in Estonia and to apply Woogle’s design and techniques to Estonia’s document repositories, thereby evaluating its potential for broader European implementation. The methodology involved web scraping data and documents from 57 Estonian public institutions’ document repositories. The results indicate that Woogle’s design and techniques can be implemented in Estonia. From a technical perspective, the alignment of the fields was successful, while it was found that content-wise, the Estonian data present challenges due to inconsistencies and lack of comprehensive categorization. The findings suggest potential scalability across European countries, pointing to a broader applicability of the Woogle model for creating a corpus of Freedom of Information Act documents in Europe. The collected data are available as a dataset.

Advancements in Spatial Domain Image Steganography: Techniques, Applications, and Future Outlook

Abstract. Image steganography, a technique for transmitting secret information hidden within images over public networks undetected, serves as a discreet alternative to cryptography in the field of information security. This article explores new steganography techniques based on the Least Significant Bit (LSB) method, widely recognized for its simplicity in embedding secret data by altering the least significant bit of pixels in the spatial domain. The performance of these LSB-based methods is critically assessed using criteria such as Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), embedding capacity, and histogram analysis. A comprehensive review of recent literature provides a foundation for this evaluation, highlighting advancements and identifying areas for future improvement. Additionally, the article discusses practical applications of LSB-based steganography in healthcare, government operations, and cloud storage, suggesting directions for further research and development in this subtly powerful area of data security.

Politico-Administrative Culture and Public Service Reform in Post-Independence Kazakhstan

Classical organizational management literature draws clear parallels between organizational culture and climate and effective use of power and influence as key to successful policy implementation of reforms in public sector organizations. On the other hand, the public policy literature, in particular, policy transfer as a strand within policy studies, emphasizes the role of the national context, more specifically, ‘facilitators’ and ‘constraints’ of ‘‘politico-administrative culture” within the national context, as crucial to understanding processes of transfer, convergence, and diffusion of public policy. There is a plethora of studies by Western scholars of public management who have successfully utilized these theoretical underpinnings to study the effectiveness of public service reforms in mature policy environments such as the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand, and others. However, the public policy and comparative public management literature only offers a limited number of case studies from developing, middle-/upper-middle countries, which rely on concepts of organizational management in addition to narratives on the impact of policy learning from global doctrines, such as Weberianism, New Public Management (NPM), and New Public Governance (NPG), and national politics, on the implementation of administrative reforms in those contexts. Kazakhstan, as a resource-affluent post-Soviet country and a bastion of modernization and ‘open government’ in Central Asia or the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in the post-Soviet era is a case in point. Based on ethnographic research consisting of interviews with elite academics, civil servants, and think-tank activists, as well as reviews of OECD and government strategy reports in Astana, the findings point to a potential abatement of the impact of context constraints such as large power distance and collectivist behavior by context facilitators such as those surrounding the use of ‘trilingualism’ and public diplomacy towards reforms in Kazakhstan particularly in recent years.

Construction and Application of Place Name and Address Management System Based on Elasticsearch

Abstract. Place names and addresses serve as essential references for locating information about people's living, production, and various activity sites. They are a crucial component of public geographic framework data and act as tools and bridges for social communication in daily production and life. This paper presents a comprehensive system for managing place names and addresses by integrating a multi-level address model, data synchronization between PostgreSQL and Elasticsearch, and advanced query capabilities to ensure efficient and accurate data management. The system implements full lifecycle management of place names and addresses, fully leveraging the advantages of relational databases and distributed search engines. It provides essential functions such as address standardization, real-time updates, maintenance management, conditional queries, and statistical analysis. It has been successfully implemented in the National platform for common geospatial information service, laying the foundation for the next steps in refining social governance based on place names and addresses, and further advancing the digital transformation of government operations.

Efficient detection of data entry errors in large-scale public health surveys: an unsupervised machine learning approach

Data entry errors in large-scale public health surveys can undermine the effectiveness of data-driven interventions. Therefore, identifying these data entry errors is crucial for public health experts. In large-scale public health surveys, manually verifying the accuracy of every data point by domain experts is nearly impossible. This study evaluates unsupervised machine learning algorithms for detecting these errors, focusing on the 'weight' parameter in the Annual Health Survey (AHS) dataset. The AHS, conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in collaboration with the Registrar General of India, is a large-scale, stratified, household-level survey targeting maternal and child health across nine states in India. The dataset is freely available on the Open Government Data (OGD) Platform of India for public health research. In this study, five algorithms—DBSCAN, K-Means, Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM), Isolation Forest (IF), and One-Class SVM (1C-SVM) were applied to detect erroneous data entries. The evaluation process involved comprehensive preprocessing and feature engineering to optimize detection capabilities. Performance metrics such as precision, recall, accuracy, false anomaly, and missed anomaly rates were used to assess each algorithm. Among these, DBSCAN demonstrated superior performance, achieving a recall of 94.7% and a precision of 81.9%, making it highly effective for this task. The findings underscore the potential of unsupervised machine learning in automating the detection of data entry errors, thereby improving the integrity of public health data. This research contributes to the advancement of precision public health, supporting more accurate and reliable evidence-based decision-making and policy formulation.

Smart Supervision of Public Expenditure: A Review on Data Capture, Storage, Processing, and Interoperability with a Case Study from Colombia

Effective fiscal control and monitoring of public management are critical for preventing and mitigating corruption, which in turn, enhances government performance and benefits citizens. Given the vast amounts of data involved in government operations, applying advanced data analysis methods is essential for strengthening fiscal oversight. This paper explores data management strategies aimed at enhancing fiscal control, beginning with a bibliometric study to underscore the relevance of this research. The study reviews existing data capture techniques that facilitate fiscal oversight, addresses the challenges of data storage in terms of its nature and the potential for contributing to this goal, and discusses data processing methods that yield actionable insights for analysis and decision-making. Additionally, the paper deals with data interoperability, emphasizing the importance of these practices in ensuring accurate and reliable analysis, especially given the diversity and volume of data within government operations. Data visualization is highlighted as a crucial component, enabling the detection of anomalies and promoting informed decision-making through clear and effective visual representations. The research concludes with a case study on the modernization of fiscal control in Colombia, focusing on the identification of user requirements for various data-related processes. This study provides valuable insights for modern audit and fiscal control entities, emphasizing that data capture, storage, processing, interoperability, and visualization are integral to the effective supervision of public expenditure. By ensuring that public funds are managed with transparency, accountability, and efficiency, the research advances the literature by addressing both the technological aspects of data management and the essential process improvements and human factors required for successful implementation.