Drivers and Barriers

Publishing Open Data in Local Government – Drivers and Barriers

Giving citizens and businesses access to public sector data and the tools necessary to use it can reduce the demand on municipalities to answer queries.

Where data is openly published, people can develop applications that make use of it and build businesses around such applications. Citizens and other organisations can use these applications to access the data in innovative ways so that information is easily accessible to them.

However, the lack of any common practice and standards for publishing and accessing public data can constitute a barrier for both businesses and citizens. Many businesses and entrepreneurs do not know that specific data exists, while many authorities are not aware of the potential benefits from permitting private re-use of their data.

Among public sector organisations, there are differing views on giving private sector companies access to public data. People are also debating how easy this access should be, what it may cost, and under what conditions it can and can’t be used. These legal and privacy barriers to open data need to be broken down.

Take a look at our infographic summarizing the drivers and barriers to invest in open data!