Planning and designing open government data programs: An ecosystem approach - Digital Leaders Digital Leaders

"Open access to government data has become a hallmark of the global open government movement. A legal framework for public information access is the second of four membership criteria for the global Open Government Partnership which has grown from eight member countries at its founding in 2011 to 65 members in 2015 (Open Government Partnership, n.d.). In 2011, the UN issued guidelines for open data programs for member states particularly for purposes of transparency and citizen engagement (United Nations Division for Public Administration and Development Management, 2013). By 2013, 95 nations had adopted access to information laws and procedures, and international organizations from the Organization of American States to the African Union had adopted resolutions, treaties and model legislation endorsing and promoting open access(Open Society Justice Initiative, n.d.). Open government data (OGD) programs have been launched in many different countries, cultures, and political systems while also rapidly expanding to sub-national and municipal levels. OGD programs typically comprise a set of formal directives, rules, and practices that apply to all or most administrative organizations within a government. Under these programs, government organizations are required to make their machine-readable data discoverable, available, and downloadable through dedicated internet portals without cost to potential data users ..."