This tool is developed by

Step Up Consulting as
part of the Project

BENCHMARK ON READINESS
FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA
(The BROAD Tool)

With support from

Partners

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

CONTENTS
Background .

1. Introduction

1.2. Why is Open Data Valuable in Governance? .

1.3. Why This Tool? .

2. The Benchmark on Readiness for Open Agency Data Tool

2.1. The Eight Elements

1.1. What is Open Data?

3. The BROAD Indicators .

10

3.1. The 12 Indicators

10

3.2. Scoring Description for Each Indicator

11

4. The Benchmarking Process

18

4.1. General Overview of the Benchmarking Process

18

4.2. Scoring Process

19

4.3. Presentation of Agency Scores

19

List of Tables
Table 1: Readiness Elements

Table 2: List of BROAD Indicators and Descriptions of Ideal Performance

10

List of Figures
Figure 1: Readiness Dimensions and Elements

Figure 2. Presentation of BROAD Score

19

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.

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

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 legislative measure is reintroduced again in 2013 both in the House of

Representatives (Congress) and the Senate.

the FOI has been awaiting enactment for 16 years now.

The bill as it was deliberated then, and as proposed in the
2012 version1, requires government agencies, including
local government units, a mandatory proactive disclosure
of information to the public, more particularly in websites,
all public interest documents, including budget, itemized
collection and disbursements, procurement documents
including invitations to bid, contracts, and public funding
awarded to private entities, among others. Further, it
acknowledges that every Filipino has the right to access
government records, exempting only those that are in
the nature of national security, or that which relate to
foreign policy, trade secrets, privileged communication,
or are subject to constitutional limitations.

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

As the bill sits pending deliberation and enactment in

Congress, the Philippine government made initial strides
in opening up data to the public. In January 2014, it
launched the Philippine open data portal (data.gov.
ph) which aims to make national government data
searchable, accessible, and useful, with the help of
the different agencies of government, and with the
participation of the public.
Currently, out of the 15 data categories which range
from economics, to politics, and to culture, two data
categories remain unpopulated at the national data portal;
politics and elections and law and justice. The majority
of data sets currently point to public administration,
more particularly revenues, budget and spending and a
significant amount of datasets on education. To date,
the Philippines still has 13 key government datasets
that are not available to the public. The Open Data
Barometer, which provides a country ranking based on
scores examining open data readiness, implementation,
and impact in 86 countries, mentioned that one of the
challenges of the Philippines is mainstreaming open
data across government and institutionalizing it as a
sustainable practice. They likewise mentioned that the
decrease in the countrys ranking - from 47th in 2013
to 53rd in 2014 - was due to the unavailability of core
datasets and the lack of impact.
The Philippine government recognizes that the key to
improvement in data availability is the participation
of agencies that produce, generate, or own the data
sets. Thus, this Benchmark on Readiness for Open
Agency Data (BROAD) Tool intends to determine the
capacity and performance of national government
agencies in the provision of open data to the public.
The results of the benchmarking tool can be used by
the Open Data Task Force and also by relevant national
agencies of the Philippine Government to formulate a
capacity development strategy to improve capacity and
performance of the NGA in open data.

This manual is the first version of the BROAD Tool. This

was developed by the Step Up Consulting and the Open
Data Task Force as part of StIR ODP Project 2, a research
project by Step Up Consulting which seeks to study the
initial results of the Philippine governments open data
portal, with a particular focus on the motivations for
disclosure and evidence of use. The project is funded
by the Southeast Asia Technology and Transparency
Initiative.
The manual is based on a review of five key assessment
tools or models in Open Data, namely, the Web
Foundations Open Data Barometer, the United Nations
Open Government Readiness Assessment, the Open
Data Institutes Open Data Maturity Model, the Center
for Technology in Governments Information Sharing
Dissemination Worksheets, and World Banks Open Data
Readiness Assessment. This document also considered
the Common Assessment Framework developed through
a workshop hosted by Web Foundation and GovLab NYU
in May 2014 3.
This manual was developed by Michael P. Canares of
Step Up Consulting with inputs from World Wide Web
Foundation, Open Data Lab Jakarta, and the Open
Data Task Force-Philippines. Funding support for this
work was provided by the Southeast Asia Technology
and Transparency Initiative of Hivos through the StirODP Project (From Motivation to Results: Stakeholder
Interests and Initial Results of the Philippine Open Data
Portal).

The full title of the project is From Motivation to Use: Stakeholder Interests
and Initial Results of the Philippine Open Data Portal.
3
See for example https://docs.google.com/a/webfoundation.org/document/
d/1DLQrC-UnvK_3-aVGMB0AS1zqNHbZ6NxUcAfqY8ksETc/edit
2

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

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

Availability and Access: the data must be

available as a whole and at no more than a reasonable
reproduction cost, preferably by downloading over the
internet. The data must also be available in a convenient
and modifiable form.

Reuse and Redistribution: the data must be

provided under terms that permit reuse and redistribution
including the intermixing with other datasets.

Universal Participation: everyone must be

able to use, reuse and redistribute - there should be
no discrimination against fields of endeavor or against
persons or groups. For example, non-commercial

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

re-typing in data; and

Practically / legally re-useable which may

involve the availability of an open license that grants
explicit permissions, or may involve the existence of
wider legal or cultural frameworks that enables the
practical re-use of the data.
1.2. WHY IS OPEN DATA VALUABLE IN GOVERNANCE?
Open Government Data has an intrinsic
appeal. The idea of making data open by
default challenges entrenched cultures of
state secrecy and calls for data to be treated
as a public resource: available to support citizen
participation, to improve the delivery of public
services and as an input into innovation and
enterprise. Although openness is an important
modern value, that contributes to freedom
and autonomy, open data itself is ultimately
only a means to an end: or more precisely, a
means to many different ends. One such end
is development, understood as the sustainable
and equitable flourishing of human capacity,
against a backdrop of guaranteed human rights.
(Davies, T. 2014:5)

restrictions that would prevent commercial use, or

restrictions of use for certain purposes (e.g. only in
education), are not allowed.
Recognizing that the definition above originated from
the perspective of developed countries, the Open Data
in Developing Countries network used a slightly broader
definition. Open data is data that is

Generally accessible online as evidenced by,

for example, its inclusion in a national data portal, or the
fact that it is being widely accessed by a range of actors
operating independently of one another;

Machine readable as evidenced by the use

of non-proprietary digital formats, and the data being
structured in ways that allow it to be filtered, sorted,
reshaped and manipulated without copying/pasting or

The Open Data Handbook reports that open data

creates value in transparency and democratic control,
participation, self-empowerment, improved or new private
products and services, innovation, improved efficiency
and effectiveness of government services, and new
knowledge from combined data sources and patterns in
large data volumes. This is supported by several country
examples in the areas of health, education, elections,
legislation, revenues and taxation, air quality, sanitation,
and energy, showing how open data results to political,
economic, and social change. However, most of these
examples come from the developed economies.
The Open Data Research Network report on the Emerging
Impacts of Open Data in Developing Countries confirms
some of these results from the perspective of developing
economies. Based on 17 case studies from across the
developing world, there is evidence to show that opening

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

data improved government reporting systems, changed

the nature of claims that civil society can demand from
governments, opened the discussions for quality data
provision, and provided avenues for more transparency
in government budgeting and spending practices.
1.3. WHY THIS TOOL?
This tool is called the Benchmark on Readiness for
Open Agency Data (BROAD). This is called a benchmark
because this is the standard or the point of reference
for assessing open data practices of agencies. This
is also a benchmark for readiness, because the tool
essentially measures how ready or capable are agencies
in proactive disclosure. Finally, this is a tool about open
agency data because what it seeks to measure is the
capacity for agencies to proactively disclose the data
that they collect, store, generate, produce, and curate.
This tool serves two purposes diagnostic and planning.
As a diagnostic tool, it will help agencies gauge the extent
of their openness in data disclosure. As a planning tool,
it will help agencies identify areas where they need
capacity building on, and will help the Open Data Task
Force to offer and provide the appropriate support.

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

2. THE BENCHMARK ON
READINESS FOR OPEN
AGENCY DATA TOOL

2.1. THE EIGHT ELEMENTS

The BROAD, as a readiness study, assesses whether
the conditions of the agency are appropriate for open
data initiatives to be effective. It assesses whether the
agency possesses the critical elements that will enable it
to perform proactive disclosure of open agency data. For
BROAD, three dimensions of readiness assessment are
used, normally used for change readiness assessments
Attitudes, Conditions and Resources (see Pearson
2011).
Attitudes generally refer to both the organizational and
individual motivation for engaging in, and implementing

open data initiatives. This may include the commitment

of agency leadership towards open data and the buyin of key agency personnel involved in the initiative.
Conditions refer to the laws, structures, and systems
necessary for open data to be implemented and
sustainably undertaken. Finally, resources refer to the
human, financial, and technical resources to ensure the
open data is embedded in organizational processes,
outputs, and outcomes. These three components
underpin the eight seven benchmark elements that will
be assessed through this tool. This is illustrated in Figure
1 below:

FIGURE 1: READINESS DIMENSIONS AND ELEMENTS

ATTITUDE

ELEMENTS

DIMENSIONS

Leadership

CONDITIONS

Strategic or Policy
Framework
Data Management
Systems
Organizational Structure
User Engagement
Practices

RESOURCES

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

Knowledge and Skills

Financing and Budget
Technological
Infrastructure

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.

Strategic or Policy Framework

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.

Data Management Systems

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.

User Engagement Practices

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.

Knowledge and Skills

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.

Financing and Budget

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.

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

3. THE BROAD INDICATORS

3.1. THE 12 INDICATORS
The 8 BROAD elements are further broken down into specific and measurable indicators. Each of the elements has
at least one indicator but those relating to data management, user engagement practices, and knowledge and skills
have more than one indicator each. In sum, a total of 12 indicators are identified to measure the agencys readiness
for open data. This is shown in the table below.
TABLE 2: LIST OF BROAD INDICATORS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF IDEAL PERFORMANCE
INDICATORS

WEIGHT

DESCRIPTION OF IDEAL PERFORMANCE

Agency top and middle managers provide guidance, resources,

timely decisions, and motivation to agency personnel so that
open agency data will be institutionalized

The agency has a documented whole-of-agency strategy or

policy regarding open data that clearly articulates the intended
outcomes, processes, responsibilities, and resources that are
necessary to institutionalize open data within the agency

The agency has all of its data held digitally, maintains a

comprehensive inventory of data assets (data holdings,
information asset register), and a comprehensive metadata
(including frequency of updating) and supporting documentation

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

The agency has a defined set of key technical standards,

including codes and identifiers, for the publication of open data.
The agency has a repeatable, organization-wide release process
for publishing data sets, with relevant policy on open license to
allow use and reuse

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

10

Element 4: Organizational Structure

Indicator 6: Functionality of a team,
unit, or working group on open data

The agency has a functional team, unit, or group in charge of

open data initiatives.

Element 5: User Engagement Practices

Indicator 7: Extent of agency efforts
in engaging both internal and external
users of open agency data

The agency shows proactive efforts in engaging both internal and

external users of open agency data.

Indicator 8: Responsiveness of agency

to user request or demand for open
agency data

The agency responds to user requests for open agency data

within reasonable time frame as set by agency policy.

All key stakeholders in the organization, at all levels, have

knowledge and understanding of open data

Element 6: Knowledge and Skills

Indicator 9: Level of knowledge and
understanding of open data at all levels
in the organization
Indicator 10: Level of technical
knowledge and skills of open data unit
or team in the agency regarding open
data and data management

The agencys open data team, unit, or working group has

the requisite technical skills in data collection, curation,
management, and publication.

Element 7: Financing and Budget

Indicator 11: Amount of financial
allocation for open data activities and
initiatives

The agency has allocated sufficient funds from its annual budget
to implement open data initiatives within the agency.

Element 8: Technological Infrastructure

Indicator 12: Adequacy of technology
to implement open data initiatives

The agency has the adequate hardware, software, network

infrastructure, and connectivity to realize open agency data.

3.2. SCORING DESCRIPTION FOR EACH INDICATOR

Element 1: Leadership
Indicator 1: Level of commitment of agency leaders to institutionalize open data within the agency.
Score

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

Agency leaders (top and middle managers) provide guidance

and motivation to agency personnel so that open data will be Minutes of meetings between/among
relevant departments
institutionalized

Agency leaders (top and middle managers) set up compliance

mechanisms for open data to be implemented in the agency.

Agency leaders have started talking/introducing open data but

have not made any concrete step for it to be implemented within
the agency.

Agency leaders have not mentioned anything about open data

and have not articulated it as part of the agencys functions or
strategy.

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11

Element 2: Policy and Strategic Framework

Indicator 2: Presence of whole-of-agency policy/strategy regarding open data
Score

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 has a documented whole-of-agency strategy or policy

regarding open data that clearly articulates
a. what tasks and processes are necessary to achieve it
b. who are responsible in ensuring completion of these tasks
or processes
c. how this strategy or policy will be funded or resourced

The agency has a documented whole-of-agency strategy or policy

regarding open data that clearly articulates
a. what tasks and processes are necessary to achieve it
b. who are responsible in ensuring completion of these tasks
or processes

The agency currently implements processes and tasks for open

data but this is not documented as a policy or strategy, clearly
identifying tasks, processes, and responsibilities.

The agency does not have any policy or strategy regarding open
data.

Element 3: Data Management System

Indicator 3: Comprehensiveness of information on data assets and requirements
Score

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 maintains a comprehensive inventory of data assets

or holdings with metadata and a supporting documentation. Only
at least 50% of data is held digitally.

The agency maintains a comprehensive inventory of data assets

or holdings and has metadata and supporting documentation but
less than 50% of these are digital.

The agency does not maintain any inventory of its data sets.

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

12

Indicator 4: Availability of clearly identified technical standards for data publication

Score

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 applies a set of key technical standards for some of

its published data. This is not true to all data sets.

The agency applies a set of technical standards depending on

requirements of other organizations outside the agency (e.g.
ODTF, funding agencies, etc.)

The agency does not have any defined set of key technical
standards for the publication of open data.

Indicator 5: Adequacy of data release practices.

Score

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 has published only a significant portion (50-80%)

of its data sets as open data according to its defined technical
standards that include machine-readability and re-use.

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.

The agency has not proactively released any data.

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

13

Element 4: Organizational Structure

Indicator 6: Functionality of a unit, team, or working group on open data.
Score
4

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 has persons with management experience assigned

to manage the agencys open data initiative or activities. These
persons are implementing the agencys open data initiative.

The agency has persons assigned to manage the agencys

open data initiative or activities. These people do not have the
management experience required to perform the function and
therefore are unable to implement the agencys open data
initiatives.

The agency does not have a unit, team, or working group for
open data.

Element 5: User Engagement Practices

Indicator 7: Extent of agency efforts in engaging both internal and external users of the open agency data
Score

Criteria

Means of Verification

The agency regularly implements activities (e.g. orientations, Documentation of activities

trainings, skills build up) to engage both internal and external
users of its data even before the open data initiative. These Evidence of user engagement processes
activities are continued when the agency started to publish its
data as open data sets.

The agency does not regularly implement activities to engage

both internal and external users of its data.

The agency engages only internal users. It does not have any
strategy to engage external users to benefit from its data.

The agency only responds to requests from users, both internal

and external. It does not have any program for user engagement
with the agencys data. In some, user request comes with a fee.

The agency does not engage any user. It does not also attend to
user requests.

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

14

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

The agency responds to substantially all (80-100%) of user

requests more than 2 weeks up to 4 weeks from the date the
request is made.

The agency responds to substantially all (80-100%) user requests

within 5-6 weeks from the request is made.

The agency responds to substantially all (80-100%) user requests

within 6-8 weeks from the time the request is made.

The agency responds to less than 80% of user requests or

demand for open agency data, or responds to substantially all
only after more than 8 weeks from the time the request is made.

Element 6: Knowledge and Skills

Indicator 9: Level of knowledge and understanding of open data at all levels in the agency.
Score
4

Criteria

Means of Verification

Substantially all (80-100%) of employees in the agency know Attendance sheets in

and understand open data and how it guides agency mandate socialization activities
and functions
A significant number (51-79%) of employees in the agency Online survey

open

data

knows and understands open data and how it guides agency

mandate and functions

Less than 50% of employees in the agency knows and

understands open data and how it guides agency mandate and
functions.

Substantially all (80-100%) of agency employees are aware

about open data but there is no shared understanding about
how it affects agency performance.

Less than 80% of agency employees are aware about open data.

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

15

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 has proficiency in at least

four of the following skills related to open data:
(a) database management;
(b) probability and statistics;
(c) programming;
(d) extraction, cleaning, publication;
(e) data mining; and
(f) data refining and presentation.

Open data unit or team in the agency has proficiency in at least

two of the following skills related to open data:
(a) database management;
(b) probability and statistics;
(c) programming;
(d) extraction, cleaning, publication;
(e) data mining; and
(f) data refining and presentation.

Open data unit or team in the agency has proficiency in at least

one of the following skills related to open data:
a) database management;
(b) probability and statistics;
(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.

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

16

Element 7: Financing and Budget

Indicator 11: Amount of financial allocation for open data activities and initiatives
Score

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).

Element 8: Technical Infrastructure

Indicator 12: Adequacy of technology to implement open data initiatives
Score
4

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 has limited hardware and software. There is no

network infrastructure and limited connectivity.

The agency does not have any of the required resources to realize
open agency data.

BENCHMARK ON READINESS FOR OPEN AGENCY DATA The BROAD Tool

17

4. THE BENCHMARKING PROCESS

4.1 General Overview of the Benchmarking Process
The diagram below shows the steps in the benchmarking process.

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.

OD Benchmarking Team Formation:

(1 week)
After receipt of the memo, the agency concerned will organize the ODBT. This will
constitute the BROAD rating team for the agency.

Evidence Gathering, Team Rating and Validation

(2 weeks)
The ODBT will gather the evidences required for the assessment (based on Means
of Verification) and conduct a team rating for each of the indicators and elements of
BROAD.
The ODBT will conduct a validation presentation with key agency representatives and
leaders.

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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4.2. SCORING PROCESS

BROAD has 8 elements with 12 indicators. Each indicator represents one point in terms of weight. In which case,
if the element only has one indicator, then the score for that indicator becomes the score of the element. If the
element has two or more indicators, then the score of the element will be equal to the simple average of the scores
of the indicators of such element.
4.3. PRESENTATION OF AGENCY SCORES
Agency scores will be presented in a web. A sample is produced below:

2014 BROAD Score

FIGURE 2. PRESENTATION OF BROAD SCORE

The above example will show which of the elements a particular agency is strong in and in which elements the agency
is perceived to be weak. This serves the purpose of identifying reasons why weak areas exist and how stakeholders
may be able to assist.

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www.steupconsultants.com

www.seatti.org

www.data.gov.ph

labs.webfoundation.org

From Motivation to Use: Stakeholder Interests and Initial Results

of the Philippine Open Data Portal is a research project implemented
by Step Up Consulting Services (Step Up) and supported by the
Southeast Asia Technology and Transparency Initiative. Step Up also
benefitted from the support of its research partners, the Open Data Task
Force of the Philippine Government and World Wide Web Foundations
Open Data Lab Jakarta.

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