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Best Open Data initiative

2018

This Award is presented to government entities offering useful open data free of charge in a way that enables individuals and organisations to use government data in smart applications, research, news reports, and other creative methods for utilising government data.

Open Government data is a new approach that can help government entities improve the quality of their decision making processes and of public e Services. Open Government Data refers to information disclosed and made available online for everyone’s access , reuse and redistribution without restrictions.

Entry Criteria
Purpose and Context of the Open Data Initiative

Describe the data offered and its value to users. (Max 300 words)

Service Organization and Implementation

List the organisation/s or departments/s involved in providing the data and describe their roles and relationships (Max 200 words)

Compliance with Open Data Standards

In order for the initiative to comply with open data standards, the data offered must be ‘technically’ and ‘legally’ open. Describe how each of the following elements is satisfied:

  • Is the data machine readable? If yes, please mention the format of the data. (Max 100 words)
    Machine readable formats are those that can be read, processed, and manipulated by a computer easily. For example, if the data is mainly made up of numbers, the data should be released in a format such as Excel or CSV, and not as PDF or image files. Similarly, if the data is mainly made up of text, the data should be released in a format such as Word or HTML. Preference is given to data formats that can be accessed using open source software.
  • Is the whole dataset available for download in a single file (i.e. available for bulk download)? If yes, please provide a sample link that allows bulk download. (Max 100 words)
    In order for developers and other users to take advantage of the data, they must be able to download the whole scope of the dataset easily. For example, the website should give the user to option to download the whole dataset in a single compressed file.
  • Is the data ‘legally’ open? If yes, please mention the licence used to make this data legally open (example: open government licence). (Max 100 words)
    For open data to be legally opened, the data must be available for use, modification, and redistribution for any purpose (commercial or non-commercial) without the need to acquire permission and without the need to pay any fee. For example, this can be achieved by adopting the Open Government Licence or a Creative Commons licence.
Public Engagement and Communication
  • Describe the efforts made to encourage members of the public to use, modify, and redistribute the data. (Max 300 words)
    • For example, did you publish a press release to announce the open data initiative, did you organise a competition to encourage members of the public to use the data, etc
  • Describe the efforts made to explain to members of the public the nature of the data and the way it was collected. (Max 300 words)
    • For example, is the data clearly labelled (in regard to content and date) and is there a section on the website that explains how this data was collected?
  • Describe the support services available to the users of the data. (Max 200 words)
    • For example, is there a person that users can contact if some parts of the data are missing or if they have any other queries relating to the data.
Return on Investment
  • Describe the benefits/added value to your organisation and users achieved by releasing this data. (Max 300 words)
  • Possible uses include smart applications that used the data, examples of non-governmental websites have copied the data and used it on their websites, and examples of newspapers that used the data to create special reports or infographics.
Service Sustainability

Explain how sustainable the initiative is into the future, especially in regard to ensuring that the data remains up to date (for example are financial, organizational, human resource and political factors in place?). (Max 300 words)

Future Developments / Lessons Learnt

Explain any future plans for widening the scope of the initiative or increasing its use by members of the public. (Max 200 words)