The Generalitat de Catalunya is committed to open data: these are its results

Fecha de la noticia: 26-04-2024

Screenshot of the Generalitat de Catalunya's website

 Law 37/2007 on the re-use of public sector information makesto have their own data catalogue compulsory for public administrations which, in turn, would contribute to the national catalogue(datos.gob.es). Some regional portals, in addition to hosting datasets, offer content, organise events and sign partnerships to spread the data culture. We analyse the case of Catalonia with its open data portal and its commitment over the last few years.

Open data in Catalonia: history of the last few years

Since the creation of its first open data portal in 2010, the Generalitat de Catalunya has published almost 1,200 open datasets.

It aims to promote the openness and accessibility of the data it holds, collaborating with various sectors of society, including academia, the private sector and civil society, to maximise the value of open data and encourage its use in decision-making and the development of solutions to current societal challenges.

Along these lines, the Generalitat de Catalunya reached a government agreement on open data strategy. This milestone places the openness and reuse of public information at the heart of the relationship between citizens and the Catalan public administration. Among the objectives of this approach, the document highlights the use of collective intelligence and the creation of public policies taking into account the needs of citizens. Since then, the Government of Catalonia has been committed to promoting its open data portal and encouraging its use, always respecting the principles of data governance.

In this sense, in 2022 the Open Data area became part of the Directorate General for Digital Administration, which conceives data as a strategic asset and lever of change for digital administration, with the ultimate aim of improving the public services offered by this administration. It is at this point that the Open Data area is reinforced by the strategic role of data in the framework of this public administration: open data becomes part of the data lifecycle, as an integral and essential element. Data Governance in the Generalitat de Catalunya is carried out through the Data Governance Model, which establishes the guidelines throughout the organisation, promotes the impulse of the data culture and involves all the key agents that must participate in this transformation process.

The document also includes the commitment of the Generalitat de Catalunya to adhere to the principles of the International Open Data Charter promoted by the Open Data Charter (ODC) network, in which more than 170 governments around the world currently participate, and which aims to integrate the culture and practice of open data in governments. Taking into account what ODC states in its International Charter, the data should be:

  • Open by default
  • Updated
  • Accessible and reusable
  • Comparable and interoperable
  • To improve governance and citizen participation
  • For inclusive development and innovation

The Government of Catalonia's commitment to opening up public sector data and promoting reuse was also evident in 2020 when it joined the Open Government Partnership. This organisation, which is committed to transparent, participatory, inclusive and accountable governance, is a global benchmark in terms of highlighting the use of open data for the betterment of society.

The same year in which Open Data Catalunya joins ODC, they also launched the first session of Cafè amb Dades: a series of informative talks in person and online in which a topic related to open data in the Generalitat de Catalunya is addressed.

Cafè amb Dades: a space to spread information about open data

These events organised by the Catalan open data portal are a space designed to share experiences and knowledge about open data and related topics. The lectures last two hours, are held in person and virtually, and the topics addressed depend on the topicality and/or interest of the audience, who can propose their ideas through a contact mailbox. The Àrea de Dades Obertes de la Direcció General d'Administració Digital organises these events based on the following values:

  • Pedagogy: to raise awareness of the Catalan Government's open data strategy and its impact in different areas.
  • Dynamism: offer short presentations with content that can be understood by everyone.
  • Online work: organise participatory, open sessions that invite dialogue to create community.
  • Application: to encourage attendees to incorporate the use of open data in their daily lives.

All sessions are recorded and available to the public. The last ones that have been held dealt with such relevant issues as water management using open data or data with a gender perspective.

Facilitating understanding of the data

The Generalitat de Catalunya recognises the importance of publishing data and facilitating searches, as well as promoting understanding of the data. With the aim of facilitating the search for data by Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Government of Catalonia has classified the datasets on the portal by each of the SDGs , which can be accessed from a data viewer.

This classification also provides information on how departmental activity is being aligned around the SDGs and facilitates the search and re-use of SDG-related datasets.

Commitment to the dissemination of data culture

The portal of the autonomous community of Catalonia, in addition to hosting more than a thousand open datasets and disseminating face-to-face and virtual events on the application of its datasets in different areas, offers:

The Generalitat de Catalunya's inventory of datasets

On the other hand, the Generalitat de Catalunya, in the process of opening up public data, has carried out an inventory of data, the first phase of which ended in 2022. This inventory, conceived as a single, ordered and descriptive register of datasets, aim to coordinate the data opening processes of this administration.

In this first phase, the inventory provided a tool for easy consultation of all available datasets and their descriptive information, as well as a cross-sectional view of the available information and a single language throughout the organisation.

Work is currently underway on a second phase of the project, which involves updating and maintaining the information collected in the inventory, as well as extending it to public sector entities.

If you don't want to miss anything, you can follow the Catalan open data portal on Twitter.

In summary, the Generalitat de Catalunya has a government agreement on open data strategy, a data governance model in place and a presence in international organisations such as the Open Data Charter or the Open Government Partnership. Its commitment to access and reuse of open data makes it one of the leading public administrations in Spain.

At datos.gob.es we echo the good practices in open data and related technologies that exist throughout Spain. If you would like us to discuss your initiative, please write to us at dinamizacion@datos.gob.es.

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