How to embed Open Data when facing political change
In light of political change, supporting Open Data development faces specific challenges that have to be addressed
Europeans have barely had time to draw breath after a big year of elections in 2017. But it will not be long before much of the continent heads for the polls in 2018. Czech, Italy, Russia, Hungary, Sweden, Poland, Luxembourg, Ireland to name a few countries. The Open Data Charter compiled brief guidelines on how to support Open Data development in a changing political environment:
- De-politicise and institutionalise the policy area, so that it has a strong administrative foundation and can avoid becoming closely associated with one leader or party brand.
- Broaden ownership of the initiative, so that a greater number of people are responsible or involved in the policy in some way.
- Deliver results that resonate with key audiences inside and outside government, so the value is understood, and those who benefit can push for it to be maintained following any transition.
Other important areas are community engagement and the sustainability of Open Data portals. In the report Recommendations for Open Data Portals: from setup to sustainability further guidelines are listed how to facilitate Open Data development and overcome barriers.