Benchmark On Readiness For Open Agency Data
Benchmark On Readiness For Open Agency Data
Step Up Consulting as
part of the Project
BENCHMARK ON READINESS
FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA
(The BROAD Tool)
Partners
CONTENTS
Background .
1. Introduction
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List of Tables
Table 1: Readiness Elements
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List of Figures
Figure 1: Readiness Dimensions and Elements
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Canares, M. 2015. Benchmark on Readiness for Open Agency Data. Step Up Consulting: Tagbilaran City
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
BACKGROUND
The Philippines is one of the 8 pioneering countries
in the world that founded the Open Government
Partnership in September 2011. The partnership calls
for greater availability of government information to the
public, implementation of standards of transparency
and accountability in governments, as well as use of
technology for openness and accountability. President
Benigno S. Aquino Jr., current President of the Republic,
pushed for Congress to ratify the Freedom of Information
(FOI) bill which the legislative failed to pass in May 2010
in the term of the previous president. As of this year,
The full title of the project is From Motivation to Use: Stakeholder Interests
and Initial Results of the Philippine Open Data Portal.
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See for example https://docs.google.com/a/webfoundation.org/document/
d/1DLQrC-UnvK_3-aVGMB0AS1zqNHbZ6NxUcAfqY8ksETc/edit
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. WHAT IS OPEN DATA4 ?
Open data as defined by the Open Definition is data
that can be freely used, reused, and redistributed by
anyone subject only, at most, to the requirement to
attribute and sharealike. The following are the most
important points in this definition;
This and the succeeding subsection is largely based on three sources:
a. Davies, et al (2013) report entitled Researching the Emerging Impacts of
Open Data. Available at http://www.opendataresearch.org/sites/default/files/
posts/Researching%20the%20emerging%20impacts%20of%20open%20
data.pdf; and
b. Open Knowledge Foundations Open Data Handbook available at http://
opendatahandbook.org/en/index.html
c. Davies, T. (2014) report entitled Open Data in Developing Countries:
Emerging Insights from Phase 1. Available at http://opendataresearch.org/
sites/default/files/publications/Phase%201%20-%20Synthesis%20-%20
Full%20Report-print.pdf
2. THE BENCHMARK ON
READINESS FOR OPEN
AGENCY DATA TOOL
ATTITUDE
ELEMENTS
DIMENSIONS
Leadership
CONDITIONS
Strategic or Policy
Framework
Data Management
Systems
Organizational Structure
User Engagement
Practices
RESOURCES
The eight elements included in the benchmarking tool are briefly explained in Table 1 below:
TABLE 1: READINESS ELEMENTS
READINESS ELEMENTS
EXPLANATION
Leadership
This refers to the commitment of key stakeholders in the organization to provide resources,
guidance, timely decisions, and effective motivation to the agency to make open agency
data possible.
This refers to the presence of clear, understandable policies and procedures that the
agency complies with or mandates to ensure that open data is proactively disclosed.
Open data is a key element in organizational strategy.
This refers to the functionality of systems regarding data standards, data release processes,
data sharing, data usage, data storage, and documentation.
Organizational Structure
This refers to the presence of a unit, team, or function within the agency that undertakes,
implements, or coordinates open data initiatives within the agency.
This refers to the presence of agency practices in identifying stakeholders and users of its
data and engaging with them to use or reuse its data. This can be evidenced by actual use
of data and the agencys responsiveness to user demands.
Key stakeholders within the organization have a good understanding of open data and
the unit or structure responsible in managing open data initiatives have the required
knowledge and skills.
The agency has allocated sufficient financial resources to implement initiatives on open
data. Systems and structures to make open data within the agency work are adequately
funded.
Technological Infrastructure
This refers to the required hardware, software, and network infrastructure necessary for
open data sharing within the agency and between the agency and its clients.
WEIGHT
Element 1: Leadership
Indicator 1: Level of commitment of
agency leaders to institutionalize open
data within the agency
Element 2: Strategic/Policy Framework
Indicator 2: Presence of whole-ofagency strategy/policy regarding open
data
Element 3: Data Management Systems
Indicator
3:
Comprehensiveness
of information on data assets and
requirements
Indicator 4: Availability of a clearlydefined technical standards for data
publication
Indicator 5: Adequacy of data release
practices
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The agency has allocated sufficient funds from its annual budget
to implement open data initiatives within the agency.
Criteria
Means of Verification
Agency leaders (top and middle managers) provide guidance, Minutes of meetings, inter-office
resources, timely decisions, and motivation to agency personnel communication,
pronouncements,
so that open data will be institutionalized.
policies
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Criteria
Means of Verification
The agency has a documented whole-of-agency strategy or policy Copy of department order
regarding open data that clearly articulates
a. what open agency data would like to achieve
Copy of project planning documents that
b. what tasks and processes are necessary to achieve it
implement the policy/DO.
c. who are responsible in ensuring completion of these tasks
or processes
d. how this strategy or policy will be funded or resourced
The agency does not have any policy or strategy regarding open
data.
Criteria
Means of Verification
The agency has all of its data held digitally. It maintains Data inventory, including metadata and
a comprehensive inventory of data assets or holdings, a documentation for each item in the
comprehensive metadata for each data asset, and a supporting inventory
documentation.
The agency has at least 80% of its data held digitally. It maintains
a comprehensive inventory of data assets or holdings, a
comprehensive metadata for each data asset, and a supporting
documentation.
The agency does not maintain any inventory of its data sets.
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Criteria
Means of Verification
The agency has a defined set of key technical standards, A copy of technical standards
including codes and identifiers, for the publication of open data.
This includes at least standards on access, machine-readability, Actual testing
and reuse.
The agency has a defined set of key technical standards but does
not include codes and identifies, for the publication of open data.
The agency does not have any defined set of key technical
standards for the publication of open data.
Criteria
Means of Verification
The agency has published substantially all (81% and above) A copy of technical standards
its data sets as open data according to its defined technical
standards that include machine-readability and re-use.
Actual testing
The agency publishes some data (less than 50%) as open data
according to its defined technical standards but majority are
released not in open formats.
The agency has released data but these are not in machinereadable formats or reusable.
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Criteria
Means of Verification
The agency has a unit, team, or working group that has the Document creating the team or unit
mandate and experience to manage the agencys open data
initiative or activities. This group is implementing the agencys Project reports on open data initiatives
open data initiative.
The agency has a loose structure or working group with PDS files of employees within the unit,
management experience to manage the agencys open data team, or working group
initiative or activities. This group is implementing the agencys
open data initiative.
The agency does not have a unit, team, or working group for
open data.
Criteria
Means of Verification
The agency engages only internal users. It does not have any
strategy to engage external users to benefit from its data.
The agency does not engage any user. It does not also attend to
user requests.
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Indicator 8: Responsiveness of agency to user requests or demand for open agency data.
Score
Criteria
Means of Verification
The agency responds to substantially all (80-100%) of user Documentation, communications with
requests within 2 weeks from the date the request is made.
time stamps
Criteria
Means of Verification
open
data
Less than 80% of agency employees are aware about open data.
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Indicator 10: Level of technical knowledge and skills of open data unit or team in the agency regarding open data
Score
Criteria
Means of Verification
Open data unit or team in the agency has proficiency in the PDS of regular employees and CVs for
following skills related to open data:
consultants
(a) database management;
(b) probability and statistics;
Actual observation
(c) programming;
(d) extraction, cleaning, publication;
(e) data mining; and
(f) data refining and presentation.
Open data unit or team in the agency does not have the requisite
skills on open data.
Note: If the agency does not have a unit or team on open data, score is zero.
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Criteria
Means of Verification
The agency has allocated funds for open data initiatives. The Agency annual budget
allocation is sufficient to fund 100% of planned activities for the
year.
Costing of planned open data initiatives
The agency has allocated funds for open data initiatives. The
allocation is sufficient to fund 80% of planned activities for the
year.
The agency has allocated funds for open data initiatives. The
allocation is sufficient to fund 50% of planned activities for the
year.
The agency has allocated funds for open data initiatives. The
allocation is sufficient to fund only less than 50% of planned
activities for the year.
The agency budget has not allocated funds for open data
initiatives.
Note: If the agency does not have planned open data initiatives, score is zero (0).
Criteria
Means of Verification
The agency has adequate hardware, software, network Hardware and software inventory
infrastructure, and connectivity to realize open agency data.
The agency has adequate hardware, software, network Documentation of network infrastructure
infrastructure and connectivity to realize open agency data.
The agency, however, experiences network problems or weak Proof of net connectivity
connectivity.
Actual testing
The agency has limited hardware, software, network infrastructure,
and connectivity to realize open agency data.
The agency does not have any of the required resources to realize
open agency data.
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Benchmarking Call:
(1 week)
The Lead Agency for Open Data in the Philippines will issue a memorandum to all
agencies that will discuss the objectives of the benchmarking process, the process
that will be followed, the organization of Open Data Benchmarking Teams (ODBT) in
each agency, and the request for preparation of supporting documents.
Results Validation
(1 week)
The Lead Agency for Open Data (ODTF, for this matter) will conduct validation meetings
with the ODBTs. In these meetings, the ratings will be finalized and the plan of action
to address deficiencies will be agreed between ODTF and ODBT.
ODBT will present the results of this meeting to agency key leaders for agreement.
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www.steupconsultants.com
www.seatti.org
www.data.gov.ph
labs.webfoundation.org
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