The 5 most common strategic problems to plan an open data initiative

Recently we have reviewed the five most common technical problems when open data are published through the results of the third edition of the Open Data Barometer. Now, let’s check the most significant strategic problems according to the Barometer methodology to carry out a complete open data initiative with all the elements necessary for success, beyond the simply data sharing.

1.  Inefficient data management. An average score of 2,53 out of 10 in the assessment of the 92 countries included in the Barometer reflects the government inadequacy to manage the data in their custody. It is almost impossible to find a complete inventory of the existing data or any minimum system that facilitates the control of the data quality and their correction, together with the accurate documentation; besides there appears to be a lack of descriptive metadata as the US government sets out through the Project Open Data Metadata Schema or the reference guidelines for sharing created by Open Data Ireland.

2. Limited scope at subnational level and lack of coordination with the national initiative: with an average score of 2,64 out of 10, there is already a limited open data presence at regional and local level. Open data are usually concentrated in large populations, despite the great potential impact and the possibilities of synergies with other initiatives such as Smart Cities. Moreover, there is a low coordination level with the national initiatives, which hinders the complete access of the citizens to data, as in many occasions they are distributed among the different levels according to their competences.

3. Lack of a clear commitment to innovation: with a very low average score of 2,88 out of 10, there is no sound commitment to the use of open data with a clear vocation of innovation. This commitment should be articulated through the effective and continued collaboration among governments, companies and citizens in order to create together new services and products which respond effectively to significant and real problems in the current society, as in the case of the Open Data Challenge Series carried out in the UK.

4. Lack of an official open data strategy or policy: following the identification of the most relevant problems, with an average score of 3,03 out of 10, the open data initiatives are still being planned as purely experimental projects neither being part of a strategy with a clear aim nor with the necessary support policies to guarantee its viability in the medium to long term, regardless of the political changes in future. An example of the strategic definition can be found in the roadmap to release and share public data, created by the French government.

5. Low availability of an accurate training: lastly, with an average score of 4,15 out of 10, there is already a limited availability of an accurate and high quality training, not only in specific questions such as technical, legal, economic and open data aspects, but in other related areas more specialized such as, for example, data science and data journalism.

All these problems will affect the sustainability of open data initiatives prepared and, it will be necessary to undertake a responsible planning if we want to build a robust base for a successful openness of information.