4 Ways Governments Can Publish Open Data on Infrastructure Projects
Governments are under pressure to be more open and transparent with their citizens. They can do this by publishing open data about their infrastructure projects. This allows citizens to see what projects are being undertaken in their area, the budget for each project, and how the money is being spent. This blog post will discuss four ways governments can publish open data on infrastructure projects.
Make a commitment
The first way is by committing to publishing open data. This means that the government has decided to make all information about infrastructure projects open and available to the public. This can be done on the national or local level, depending on where the project occurs. Unfortunately, bureaucratic and political barriers are often the biggest obstacle to open data initiatives, so this commitment is a necessary first step.
Do field-level mapping
The second way is by doing a field-level mapping of all infrastructure projects. Field level mapping includes identifying gaps within the current infrastructure data published and cross-referencing this against the open contracting data standard. The OC4IDS standard is a global open contracting standard created to make it easier for governments to publish their infrastructure projects. This mapping can be done by government officials or by external organizations.
The OC4IDS is an ever-evolving standard that adapts to the needs of stakeholders. Field mapping helps identify any gaps in the standard to be improved upon.
Build systems and processes
The third way is by building systems and processes that will make open data publication possible. This includes creating templates for data entry that output OC4IDS JSON files, setting up workflows, and training staff on using the new system. It can be a daunting task, but open data must be published effectively.
An OC4IDS data validation tool helps check the system’s structural and syntactical integrity of published data. The tool can be found here:
Publish Open Data
The fourth and final way is by actually publishing the open data. This can be done on a website, through an API, or downloadable. Again, it is essential to ensure that the data is easily accessible and understandable.
Once data is published, it is important to keep the data up-to-date.
Government officials often cite a lack of staff time and resources as the main obstacle to open data initiatives. However, governments can make it easier to publish open data on infrastructure projects by following these four steps. And with more and more citizens demanding transparency from their governments, open data is becoming an essential part of the democratic process.
