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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFCS-13-163 - Open Government Initiative - Discussion Paper & Open Data Framework & PresentationStaff Report l t r finance and Corporate Services Department wvwuu kitchener ra REPORT TO: Council DATE OF MEETING: October 28, 2013 SUBMITTED BY: Dan Chapman, Deputy CAO, Finance & Corporate Services PREPARED BY: Dan Chapman (519- 741 -2200 ext. 7347) WARD(S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: October 18, 2013 REPORT NO.: FCS -13 -163 SUBJECT: OPEN GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE — DISCUSSION PAPER AND OPEN DATA FRAMEWORK RECOMMENDATION: For discussion BACKGROUND: Governments at all levels are increasingly being held to higher standards of openness by their regulators and their constituents. This is reflected in legislation such as the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, voluntary efforts by governments to provide disclosure and data, and also in grassroots citizen efforts which are quite often enabled by technology, the internet and social media. The City has already put in place a number of policies, practices and programs to become a more open government. In 2007, the City demonstrated its commitment to Open Government when it passed its first Corporate Accountability & Transparency Policy as required by the Municipal Act. This policy was the result of a year of effort by a committee comprised of members of City Council, staff, the public at large and local media representatives. The policy included steps to becoming more accountable and transparent and the expectation that a review of these steps would happen within each term of Council. A review is timely given the evolution of thought and practice surrounding Open Government principles over the past five years. The scheduled review of the Corporate Accountability & Transparency Policy provides a platform to incorporate broader Open Government principles and actions. For these reasons, the 2013 Finance and Corporate Services Business Plan included the following corporate project priority which was approved by Council: "Update Transparency Policy and review workplan to include Open Government framework and begin to implement tools in support of the framework." REPORT: Staff will provide a presentation on October 28 and seek to engage Council in a discussion surrounding key principles, components and future directions associated with Open Government and one subset of activity — Open Data. Two background papers are provided in support of this staff report and will be the focus of the presentation and discussion: 1. Open Government Discussion Paper — prepared by staff to outline a broad survey of Open Government, related trends, challenges and benefits, what Kitchener already has in place to support openness, and a proposed overarching framework, vision and principles for Open Government in Kitchener 2. Open Data Framework prepared by the expert advisor retained to support this initiative, outlining how Open Data is a key element of Open Government, the value proposition for Open Data, and the key components and supporting infrastructure required to move an open data initiative from concept to reality At the October 28 session, Council will receive the highlights of these documents and will be requested to provide comment, input and direction as follows: Open Government Discussion Paper: Question 1: Do you agree that the organization should build upon existing efforts to increase openness to the extent outlined in the discussion paper? What concerns, if any, do you have about this approach? Question 2: What is your reaction to the Open Government framework including proposed principles, supporting conditions and vision as outlined in the discussion paper (refer to section H)? Do you support the use of this framework and set of principles to guide consultation and the development of action plans as part of this initiative? Question 3: What are your thoughts on using examples of possible future supporting activities for Kitchener (refer to section G) as a basis to explore possibilities with the community, City staff and other stakeholders? Are there other "top -of- mind" supporting priority actions that have been potentially missed? Open Data Framework: Question 4: How do the Open Data benefits articulated in the Open Data Framework reflect what you know about the needs and opportunities within the community? Question 5: What comments, questions or concerns do you have regarding the proposed approach, key components and supporting infrastructure? Next Steps Throughout November - December, staff will undertake focused internal and external stakeholder engagement, including discussion at the joint advisory committee meeting, targeted staff consultation, and several means for broader community engagement. This engagement will be undertaken to: validate and obtain input on policies, practices and programs already in place; obtain feedback on potential new initiatives to incorporate into a plan of priority actions; and, identify Open Data opportunities and needs in the broader community. 1.a. - 2 In January- February, a revised Accountability and Transparency Policy will be brought forward to Council for approval, along with an Open Government Action Plan including the Open Data implementation slated for the first half of 2014, as well as other near -term priorities under each of the three Open Government Principles - being Accountability, Transparency and Participation. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The Open Government initiative and future action plan, and related Open Data implementation align to the following areas of the City's Strategic Plan: Community Priorities: Leadership and Community Engagement. Effective and Efficient Government Priorities: Financial Management, Information Technology, Communications, Marketing & Customer Service, and Organizational Governance. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None at this time. Future initiatives pursued in support of Open Government may have resource or financial implications and these will be brought forward to Council for decision - making on resources and budget as required. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Within the definitions of the Community Engagement framework, the October 28 Special Council Session is a means to `Consult' with Council. Following discussion and direction from Council, staff will commence focused internal and external stakeholder engagement, including an Open Government discussion at the joint advisory committee meeting in November. Several approaches to broader community engagement will be undertaken including the upcoming Environics citizen survey, and online via the City website - to `Consult' to obtain input to assist staff in identifying priorities for the 4 -year action plan. With respect to Open Data, engagement efforts will be to `Collaborate': staff and the consultant will work with the local technology and open data communities for advice, innovation and solutions for an open data launch and longer - term workplan; they will also work with several specific municipalities to explore potential partnerships related to a collaborative pilot project underway. APPENDICES: 1. Open Government Discussion Paper 2. Open Data Framework ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Dan Chapman, Deputy CAO - Finance and Corporate Services CITY OF KITCHENER OPEN GOVERNMENT DISCUSSION PAPER October 18, 2013 1.a. - 4 SUMMARY The purpose of this discussion paper is to summarize the results of research into the open government landscape and provide background information on how the City of Kitchener might proceed to develop its own framework for open government. The paper provides: • background information on the history of open government; • the rationale for, and challenges of, open government; • a comparative analysis of some existing open government frameworks; • a draft conceptual framework for the City of Kitchener, for discussion purposes; and • existing initiatives and programs in Kitchener. A. WHAT IS OPEN GOVERNMENT? Stated simply, open government is the belief that governments have a responsibility to their citizens to be accountable , transparent and participatory. Open government provides citizens with opportunities to learn about, and participate in, the processes of government through better access to public information and deliberations. Governments at various levels around the world are starting to establish formalized open government frameworks in an effort to demonstrate commitments to becoming more accountable and transparent governments for the citizens they serve. B. BACKGROUND —A BRIEF HISTORY OF OPEN GOVERNMENT Though open government is a broad international movement among governments, it has several Canadian roots that connect with its purpose. Canadian governments have made significant steps towards becoming more open governments through the development of freedom of information and privacy legislation and proactive disclosure directives. Below are a few examples of steps federal and provincial governments have made in pursuit of transparent and accountable governments: • 1983 Access to Information Act, Federal: The federal government of Canada provides citizens the right to access information that government institutions have control of along with the necessary limitations to ensure privacy • 1990 Freedom of Information Act, Provincial: The government of Ontario allows its citizens the right to information in relation to government activities and functions • 1990 Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Provincial: The government of Ontario requires municipal governments to protect individuals' personal information existing in government records and allows citizens to request access to municipal government information • 1996 Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, Provincial: The government of Ontario requires organizations who receive public funding to release the names, positions, salaries and benefits annually of personnel who earn more than $100,000 in a calendar year 1 1.a. - 5 • 2004 Fiscal Transparency and Accountability Act, Provincial: The government of Ontario requires the provincial Minister of Finance to release updated information about Ontario's expenses and revenues for the current year • 2006 Federal Accountability Act, Federal: The Canadian Federal Government passes legislation and measures that increase the amount of transparency and accountability in government operations • 2006 Municipal Act Amendments, Provincial: Amendments to the Ontario Municipal Act created a new Accountability and Transparency section which required municipalities to establish policies to ensure accountability and transparency of the municipality Provincial and Federal Governments have also recognized the importance of creating new roles to ensure accountability and transparency, which include appointed positions such as Integrity Commissioner and, more recently, the creation of senior public service roles such as the Deputy Minister of Open Government in the Province of Ontario. Ontario municipalities have also made significant steps towards more open and accountable governments, including the launch of "Open Data Portals" - data catalogues that citizens can access 24/7/365. A "community of practice" is also forming and dozens of municipalities have expressed interest in formalizing their association with this community, including Kitchener. Canadian governments however are just a small percentage of governments moving toward an Open Government framework. On September 20, 2011, eight countries: Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States of America established the "Open Government Partnership" (OGP) and committed themselves to an open government framework. As a part of the OGP, these countries commit to making their governments more accountable and transparent by: • Allowing greater access to government information, data and activities; • Encouraging and supporting public participation and engagement; and • Increasing the standards of professional integrity and ethics in all government departments Since April 17, 2012, 46 countries, including Canada, have signed onto the Open Government Partnership with some sort of action plan in place. This has resulted in over 60 countries committing to becoming more open governments. Five more countries are expected to sign on 1I►413eI C. WHY DOES OPEN GOVERNMENT MATTER? In recent years there have been monumental societal shifts towards extensive reliance on social media and online collaboration /networking tools. With advances in technologies like smartphones and tablets, individuals now have faster access to public information via social 2 networking and news outlets. Websites such as Twitter, Facebook and Wikipedia have made gathering substantial information easy, instant and accessible to the worldwide population 24/7. These opportunities have resulted in citizen expectations, and all levels of government are being held to greater standards of openness and accountability by those they govern and regulate. This is necessitating a shift from government online presence being limited to the provision of a small number of "transactional' services only. There are a number of benefits and opportunities for governments that are willing to be increasingly open including: • New and innovative solutions: By allowing citizens and businesses the power to easily obtain government information, they are better positioned to develop informed and creative solutions to problems or opportunities facing their community • Building trust: Public trust and confidence should increase over the longer -term when citizens are provided more opportunities to access open information and deliberations • Economic development: Increased access to government information can enable the business community to identify emerging business opportunities, forecast changes in the community and anticipate the implications of new strategies and infrastructure • Rigorous accountability: Commitment to the transparency of public budgets and government expenditures holds a City to a high level of accountability for its spending actions and decisions • Enhanced public participation: Greater public participation in Council meetings, hearings and deliberations will increase the validity of public input to be used in decisions D. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF OPEN GOVERNMENT? Along with the benefits and opportunities, it is important to recognize the challenges or risks associated with being open and transparent. These challenges or risks can be categorized as those inside and outside the government: "Inside" challenges: • Changing corporate culture: Pursuing open government and its related changes to practices and programs will require a focus on effective change management because it can sometimes represent a fundamental shift in how government employees view their duties • Data, technology and infrastructure: It is important that an organization has the technology and capability to produce and distribute government data for public consumption; it is also important to manage public expectations in regards to the limitations of government technology and release of data that is possible • Resources: The personnel, infrastructure and financial resource requirements to support and maintain open government programs may be too expensive or unfeasible; costs may 3 1.a. - 7 include retraining staff, hiring new staff, paying for the use of patented technology, outside consultation and maintenance costs • Measuring effectiveness: Baselines and measurement tools to effectively track the progress of open government activities are not sufficient in their present form "Outside" challenges: • Personal privacy imperative /Legal Constraints: There may be legislation or contractual agreements that limit the ability to share information; this, especially when some information is readily made available, can create the perception that government is hiding something or that there is something suspicious going on; this can additional cause confusion among staff as to what information is restricted or available and further put the government at risk if information protected by legislation or contractual terms is made available • Apathy: It may be challenging to overcome the inertia of voter apathy and relative low levels of public engagement in civic issues • Complexity: Issues facing municipalities can be multi- faceted, complex and technical in nature; as a result being open and transparent can often expose what appears to be "red - tape"; the related processes for review and decision - making perceived as cumbersome by the public and taken out of context, can sacrifice staff and council credibility by those who feel they have a simpler solution; in short, greater openness about municipal affairs may not equate to improved understanding and could in fact increase frustration with government functions E. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF KEY OPEN GOVERNMENT RESOURCES Listed below are five organizations that are recognized as leaders and innovators in the field of open government. These organizations vary somewhat in their approach and visions, but have all made progress in relation to making government more open. The organizations' name and vision statements have been provided below for comparison: Open Government Partnership: "The Open Government Partnership is a global effort to make governments better. We all want more transparent, effective and accountable governments __ with institutions that empower citizens and are responsive to their aspirations. But this work is never easy." Open Knowledge Foundation: "We believe that a vibrant open knowledge commons will empower citizens and enable fair and sustainable societies" Sunlight Foundation: "Our vision is to use technology to enable more complete, equitable and effective democratic participation" 4 United States: "My (Barack Obama) Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government." United Kingdom: "Access to information allows people to work together more effectively, collaborating with each other, with policy- makers and with service providers to improve governance, public life and public services to make more informed decisions. Releasing key information on public services also contributes to growth of new businesses and ensures accountability of government. This transparency and accountability helps to ensure that resources are used effectively and that government, business and civil society operate in the public interest ". Below is a comparison table of the key principles inherent in the vision statements outlined above. This table provides a comparison of the common and distinct principles of each framework: As seen in the table, these organizations vary in their open government guiding principles. These principles have all played important roles in establishing the different programs, legislative changes and supporting actions these organizations have taken to cultivate an open government. Five themes, whose definitions are based heavily upon the wording of the 5 Organization Open Government Open Sunlight United States United Partnership Knowledge Foundation Kingdom (International) Foundation (U.S./ (International) International) Year Created 2011 2004 2006 2009 2011 Key Focus A new way of Open Using technology/ Becoming a Increasing governance Knowledge innovation to more corporate enhance transparent accountability democracy government Accountability ✓ ✓ Citizen ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Engagement Collaboration ✓ Continuous ✓ ✓ Q 'U Improvement Government- s Citizen ✓ ✓ wo Partnership =a Government ✓ ✓ Responsibility Participation ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Innovation/ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Technology Open Data ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ As seen in the table, these organizations vary in their open government guiding principles. These principles have all played important roles in establishing the different programs, legislative changes and supporting actions these organizations have taken to cultivate an open government. Five themes, whose definitions are based heavily upon the wording of the 5 principles outlined by the Open Government Partnership, are common to all of the frameworks, and can inform the development of an Open Government framework for the City of Kitchener. Where other principles noted in the table above relate, they are shown in brackets beside the overarching principle. 1. Transparent (includes Open Data): government information and decisions are open and freely available for public review and discussion 2. Participatory (includes Citizen Engagement): the government seeks to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input and make contributions that lead to more responsive, innovative and effective governance 3. Accountable (includes Government Responsibility): the government has established rules and guidelines that ensure the government is able to explain their actions to the public To ensure successful delivery on these core principles, some supporting conditions must be in place. These include: • Innovation (includes Continuous Improvement, Technology): the government embraces the importance of improving service delivery through policy and process changes, providing citizens with open access to digital services, and the role of new technologies in driving innovation The use of new technology and the constant drive for innovation in government agencies plays an essential role in delivering on the principles listed above. When governments provide technological access to citizens, they offer greater opportunities for them to be involved and participate in government activities and functions. Advancements in technology also allow governments to invest their time and efforts into new programs, such as Open Data and e- governance programs. With these programs, citizens are afforded a new level of transparency on those that govern and represent them, as well as the opportunity to research, re -use and re- distribute government information. This access to information allows citizens to hold their government accountable for their actions, or inactions, that they take on a daily basis. • Collaboration (includes Government - Citizen Partnership): improving the effectiveness of government by encouraging partnerships and cooperation in and across different levels of government In an open government environment, the ability to work with others towards a common goal is what differentiates between short and long -term success. As stated above, collaboration includes different branches of government working with each other, utilizing their expertise and backgrounds to develop innovative solutions. However, collaboration also includes working with citizens, businesses, non - profits, other 0 1.a. - 10 governments and consultants to create solutions to everyday local problems. Effective collaboration ensures that Open Data programs are functioning correctly (transparency), while at the same time using citizen feedback (participatory) and consultation to uphold the accountability of the government. F. WHAT HAS KITCHENER DONE? The City has already put in place a number of policies, practices and programs to become a more transparent and accountable government. Some of the actions the City has taken are documented by the following examples, aligned with the three proposed principles: Transparent • Corporate expectations have been established with respect to use of "plain language" in public communications • All agendas, minutes, reports and attachments delivered to Council are also posted publicly in advance of public deliberations • Public in- camera agendas provide as much information as possible without revealing confidential information • Budget information is posted to the City's website • Open procurement processes provide a high degree of disclosure surrounding purchasing activities • Council and Standing Committee meetings are now webcast via the City's website • The City has expanded its web and social media presence (founded in a comprehensive online strategy), and e- services, earning recognition as a leader within the Province of Ontario Participatory • A Community Engagement Framework was approved by Council to guide engagement planning * ** • The City provides considerable opportunities for citizen involvement through a range of advisory committees • The City's Strategic Plan has been developed in collaboration with a citizen led committee and consultation with residents • Innovative engagement techniques have been employed for budget • The City has expanded public access to technology through initiatives such as WREPNET, Public Access Terminals, Wi -Fi in City Facilities, etc. Accountable • Financial indicators and variance reports are posted to the City's website • A Corporate Accountability and Transparency Policy was established * ** • The City established the role of an Integrity Commissioner 7 • The Internal Auditor has a broad mandate to review the efficiency and effectiveness of City operations under Council's direction • A Code of Conduct for Council has been established * ** two key initiatives critical to the City's openness are explored in more detail below. Corporate Accountability and Transparency Policy In 2007, the City passed a Corporate Accountability and Transparency Policy, outlining how the City will become more transparent and accountable. The vision of this policy is outlined as "The City of Kitchener will conduct its business openly, honestly, ethically and with integrity'. Along with providing a clear and measurable vision statement, the policy also outlines the roles City council and senior staff will have, as well as how external stakeholders (members of the community) will be granted the opportunity to freely participate in government decisions and functions. Another important aspect of Kitchener's Policy is the action plan the City developed to support the Policy goals. The eighteen action plans range over five areas: Roles and Responsibilities, Council Business, Financial Matters, Strategic Matters, and Reporting and Review. All of the actions play a significant role in how the City operates, including the following: • Information shall be posted that explains the roles and responsibilities of the City, Region and Province • All reports going to Council and /or Committees of Council along with attachments shall be posted • All major current capital projects will be posted, showing the budgeted amount, the contract award, the contractor(s), expected completion and final outcome The action items listed in the Policy have been influenced how Kitchener operates today. As part of the development of a refreshed policy and updated action plan for the City, the status of each action will be reviewed in more detail. Though the Policy was a major milestone for Kitchener in pursuit of transparency and accountability, the City has also taken steps to improve participation by the community in government decisions. Community Engagement Framework The City of Kitchener recognizes that meaningful citizen engagement in government decisions is a way to improve relations, build trust and create more insightful local decisions. That is why the Community Engagement Framework was created - to enhance the public's role in government functions and decisions on a regular basis. The framework consists of four approaches to community engagement: Informing, Consulting, Collaborating and Entrusting. Informing: Informing the community about new projects and programs allows them to gain insight on what the government is doing and how it is operating. It also allows the government 0 1.a. - 12 to receive initial feedback and reaction from the community on their decisions. Example: the City announces the funding plans for a new park. Consulting: When government consults with citizens, they are able to provide valuable feedback and opinion on new projects and programs that will affect them. This allows the government to make changes based on the opinions of their citizens to current programs. Example: the City distributes surveys and questionnaires to receive feedback on the development plans for the park. Collaborating: By collaborating, the government is able to work with citizens and businesses directly to create the most favorable outcome. This also allows citizens to become more active in their community, as well as work with government officials on local projects. Citizens may also bring new ideas or expertise of their own when they are granted the opportunity to work with the government on local projects. Example: The City works with different neighbourhood associations, groups and businesses to develop the park in the most efficient manner. Entrusting: This is where the city works with the public to reach a final decision and implement what they decide is best. This helps build citizen trust in government actions and decisions, while at the same time providing a greater sense of community involvement and importance. Example: A neighbourhood association programs community events in the park directly. G. POSSIBLE FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR KITCHENER As already documented, Kitchener has taken several steps in pursuit of becoming more transparent and accountable. However, it is important that the City continues to take steps towards policies and programs that promote open government for its citizens in the long -term. Below are some potential initiatives the City of Kitchener could consider to place within an Open Government framework, organized to complement the three core principles. These proposed initiatives have been developed from external research and will form the basis for future consultation on both how the City has already taken action, and how the existing efforts could be built upon or expanded toward a greater degree of openness. Being Transparent ... • Open by Default: An operational principle that states that City data and information, past, current and future, should be made available to the public, subject to legislative restrictions and limitations • Open Data: "A piece of data or content is open if anyone is free to use, reuse, and redistribute it — subject only, at most, to the requirement to attribute and /or share - alike." httL. opendefinition.orL E 1.a. - 13 • Open Knowledge: The extension of raw open data to include information, analytics and visualization and context to provide knowledge to the community proactive provision of information, through various channels on an ongoing basis to ensure accessibility by all. Being Accountable ... • Open Government Dashboard /Report Card: An online reporting tool that graphically illustrates the progress and current status of Open Government in the City. • Accessible Reporting: A multi - channel approach to providing City reports in a format that is both readily accessible and understandable by citizens and businesses including e.g., hard copy and social media. • Open Decisions: Communicating the processes of government decision making and the opportunities for community participation. Being Participatory ... • Citizen Voice. Support of forums, both physical and virtual that can facilitate additional and timely input to City Council. • eParticipation. Development of a portfolio of online participation tools and channels to facilitate the extensive contribution of the public to the City's processes and projects. • Open Innovation. Collaboration with the community in developing innovative solutions for government and community needs. H. HIGH -LEVEL FRAMEWORK FOR OPEN GOVERNMENT AT THE CITY OF KITCHENER Agreement on key open government principles for the City will provide the starting point to develop a framework to guide the balance of the City's open government initiative. This will provide the steering committee and project team guidance for the development of action plans and, in the future, specific programs, initiatives and supporting policies. This framework will need to address the vision, key principles, supporting actions, etc. The following figure presents the proposed core principles for open government at the City of Kitchener. Activities and related programs will be defined and prioritized to present the diversity of opportunities for enhanced transparency, citizen participation and accountability by the City of Kitchener. 10 1.a. - 14 j/. / : y 6. .� .� Vision for Open Government in Kitchener 2� \ ,! /\ �ƒ � ƒ A Vision sate m entfor open gov rn m ent at the City will provide the ov rar6 ng direction and end goal, supported by the framework. The fo How¥arepresents one possible vision statement, which captures the th ree key princi¢ es of the framework, and also the supporting conditions being innovation and co Haboq §o2 o provide o City government that is transparent and accountable to its /{�»e \ with opportunities for meaningful, accessible pu £r� participation, made possible mr ugh innovation, technology andcollaboration." 11 I.a.- 15 NEXT STEPS This discussion paper, and the City's draft open government framework, will be used as the basis for stakeholder consultation over the next three months, leading up to the development of a final framework and proposed action plan in early 2014. The consultations will focus on identifying and assessing gaps, and obtaining feedback on potential future directions. Moving toward the articulated Vision and into new or different levels of open governance will take significant time and effort. Areas that have the most potential for gain or improvement will be incorporated into a 4 -year action plan and first year priority activities to be undertaken to support the overall open government vision and key principles. 12 1.a. - 16 • •- Hvaoit-T, Introduction Prepared by Jury Konga, eGovFutures Group October 23, 2013. Open Data Kitchener 1.a. - 17 Open Data Kitchener Background "Open government" in Canadian municipalities has been in place, to varying degrees, for some time and now there is a new model for expanded and enhanced Open Government that can provide leadership in local government. The City of Kitchener has undertaken the development of a new Open Government Framework and as illustrated below, Open Data is a foundational component related to transparency and it also facilitates addressing the principles of accountability and participation. The City of Kitchener has recognized the importance of Open Data and is moving forward with the implementation of an Open Data portal. The following is provided as an open data framework that defines the requirements for moving forward with a corporate open data initiative, initially led by the Corporate Information Technology Division. Open Data Framework — October 2013 1 1.a. - 18 Open Data Kitchener The What and Why of Open Data What - Defining Open Data To provide further context for open data, the following definition is often used in the open data community: "A piece of data or content is open if anyone is free to use, reuse, and redistribute it — subject only, at most, to the requirement to attribute and /or share - alike." Source: _http: / /opendefinition.or / In addition, Open data is also associated with being "machine" (computer) readable and having an acceptable Terms of Use agreement that isn't restrictive. There is also a short video from Grande Prairie County, AB that does a good job of relating open data in the local government setting. http : / /www.youtube.com /watch ?v= PzWpcVzuwVO The Principles of Open Data The original eight open data principles came from a December, 2007 meeting of advocates in California. Based on subsequent operating experience, it was logical to update the principles and this was completed in August 2010 by the U.S. Sunlight Foundation, a non - profit organization that focuses on "transparency in Government ". The updated "Ten Principles for Opening Up Government Information ", via the Sunlight Foundation, are as follows (abbreviated –full details at http : / /sunlightfoundation.com /policy /documents /ten -open- data- principles) : 1. Completeness. Datasets released by the government should be as complete as possible, reflecting the entirety of what is recorded about a particular subject. 2. Primacy. Datasets released by the government should be primary source data. 3. Timeliness. Datasets released by the government should be available to the public in a timely fashion. 4. Ease of Physical and Electronic Access. Datasets released by the government should as accessible as possible, with accessibility defined as the ease with which information can be obtained, whether through physical or electronic means. 5. Machine readability. Information should be stored in widely -used file formats that easily lend themselves to machine processing. 6. Non - discrimination. "Non- discrimination" refers to who can access data and how they must do so. 7. Use of Commonly Owned Standards. Commonly owned (or "open ") standards refers to who owns the format in which data is stored. Open Data Framework – October 2013 1.a. - 19 Open Data Kitchener 8. Licensing. The imposition of "Terms of Service," attribution requirements, restrictions on dissemination and so on acts as barriers to public use of data. 9. Permanence. This principle addresses the need for access to the open data "in perpetuity'. This speaks to the need for access at all times during the data lifecycle (online and archived). 10. Usage Costs. This principle services to remove inappropriate fees for access to data. One of the greatest barriers to access to ostensibly publicly - available information is the cost imposed on the public for access - -even when the cost is de minimus. Most government information is collected for governmental purposes, and the existence of user fees has little to no effect on whether the government gathers the data in the first place. Imposing fees for access skews the pool of who is willing (or able) to access information. It also may preclude transformative uses of the data that in turn generates business growth and tax revenues." These ten principles need to be considered in undertaking the implementation of the open data portal. It should also be clearly understood that adherence to all the principles is difficult, if not impossible, for the initial data release but it is understood that achieving these principles is the desired end state. The complete text of the principles may be found at the previously provided URL link. Why — the Value Proposition of Open Data The following provides a summary of some benefits associated with defining the value proposition for open data: Open Data Benefits - a Citizen and Community perspective • Ease of access to government information • Economic development opportunities leading to job creation • Reduced costs for government operations • Enhanced eService delivery • Apps, Apps, Apps —for citizen, business and community • Increased opportunities for community engagement and collaboration in addressing societal needs Open Data Benefits - a Business perspective • Economic development opportunities • Reduced costs to find & use government data • Start -ups that leverage the data • Value Added Resellers • Innovation through new products & services Open Data Benefits - a Government perspective • Enhanced services to citizens and businesses • Reduced costs via internal access and less external Freedom of Information (FOI) and data requests • Economic development Open Data Framework — October 2013 1.a. - 20 Open Data Kitchener • Improved government transparency & trust • Increased citizen engagement, collaboration with business and community groups • Enhanced transparency and increased TRUST Source: AMCTO Open Data Forum: Open Data Matters October 30, 2012. www.slideshare.net/Juryl<onga /open - data -new- reality- community - benefits Open Data Framework Overview There are a number of components required to move an open data initiative from concept to reality. The following provides an illustration of the key open data framework components that need to be addressed by the City. �a• • Open Data/IM:: Policy 0 Data +� Technology Infrastructure Human & Financial Resources & tools Key Framework Components Governance. Governance is required for both the initial portal launch and the ongoing program operations. For purposes of the portal launch, the open data governance will be overseen by the Open Government Steering Committee while the technical and logistical considerations will be undertaken by the Open Government Project Team. The Open Data portal implementation will be led by Information Technology. The longer term governance can be defined following experience with the open data portal launch and related open government initiative. Open Data Portal. An open data portal is the public facing website that will allow access to the open data either directly or via a separate open data catalogue. There are a variety of portal content components that can be considered as well as the possible integration with the website's open government elements. Examples of portal designs and content will be provided as part of the implementation portal planning. Community Engagement. Open data initiatives require an ongoing program of community engagement to assist in optimizing the use of the data and assisting with determination of data release priorities. The community should not only be the local community but also participation in Open Data Framework — October 2013 4 1.a. - 21 Open Data Kitchener the overarching local — global open data community including other governments. Standards. It is important to understand that the open data portal launch should adhere to industry /community standards where practical. In particular, the provision of open data in generally accepted data standards by the community is important. Similarly, the standards related to information management and the underlying technology must consider current and future trends. • Operations. Open Data will require a series of operational processes (e.g. Extract - Transform -Load or ETL and guidelines (e.g. open data prioritization) which may or may not currently exist within the City. Further suggestions will be provided as part of the implementation planning. Supporting Infrastructure Components Open Data /Information Management Policy. An Open Data is important to provide the context for open data operations within the City. It may be a part of a larger Information Management policy which could include open data, records management, etc. It is not essential that the open data policy be prepared and passed by Council prior to the portal launch. In fact, it may be preferred to have a draft policy in place before going live and allow the experience of the portal launch project to refine the original draft. It is important to note that data /information cannot be made open based on fundamental requirements such as ownership of the data and on restrictions defined by MFIPPA such as personal privacy and proprietary information. Technology infrastructure & Tools. There are a number of supporting technology requirements including: portal CMS, open data catalogue, data /information management (including versioning /archiving), internal /cloud storage, and metadata management. Further considerations will be developed as part of the implementation planning. • Data. Open data requires raw data to be made available for the portal launch. Initial considerations will look to currently stable, structured data that can be considered "low hanging fruit ", e.g., geographic information systems (GIS) data. A process will be provided to assess the suitability (e.g. ownership) of data for open data release consideration. Human & Financial Resources. Experience has shown that both human and financial resources are important to ensure the sustainability of the open data initiative. Further consideration of these requirements will be developed as part of implementation planning. Open Data Framework — October 2013 1.a. - 22 10/25/2013 10/25/2013 CODE yak 10/25/2013 N 10/25/2013 I 10/25/2013 All 10/25/2013 10/25/2013 10 10/25/2013 11 10/25/2013 12 10/25/2013 13 10/25/2013 14 10/25/2013 15 10/25/2013 I 10/25/2013 17 10/25/2013 i�il 10/25/2013 11