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Government can work, for the people, by the people, in the 21st century.

Here's how you can help. @@ -114,7 +114,7 @@
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Are you a designer, developer, product manager, or technologist?

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Are you a government staff member?

Are you part of a civic tech company?

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Just want to learn more about the civic tec
  • Sign up to get Code for America's monthly newsletter.

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    diff --git a/forms/peernetwork/join/submitted.html b/forms/peernetwork/join/submitted.html index 23d8151f5..690c2b035 100644 --- a/forms/peernetwork/join/submitted.html +++ b/forms/peernetwork/join/submitted.html @@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
    Understand how residents use your website
    Open up key data sets in your community

    21st century cities are powered by open data. Kickstart the creation of civic technologies in your community by learning best practices of opening data sets.

    - Learn More + Learn More
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    Resources

    Search the Library
  • We align all of our resources with the capabilities we envision every 21st century government employing.
    • - Capabilities + Practices
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    Other Resources

  • Technical Aspects of Opening Data (unraveling ETL)
  • Videos from the 2014 Summit More resources
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  • Featured Resource: Open Data Playbook Other Initiatives
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  • Featured Resource: Open Data Playbook Other Initiatives
    • diff --git a/governments/practices/capabilities-form.html b/governments/practices/capabilities-form.html deleted file mode 100644 index 9b08dbd7b..000000000 --- a/governments/practices/capabilities-form.html +++ /dev/null @@ -1,22 +0,0 @@ ---- -layout: default -title: Capabilities -masthead-image: "../../media/images/cities_fellowship_faq/citiesfaqheader.jpg" -nav_tier1_active: "governments" -nav-breadcrumbs: - - Governments: "/cities" - - Key Capabilities: "/cities/capabilities" ---- - -
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    diff --git a/governments/practices/open/index.html b/governments/practices/open/index.html index 93c05ab84..65dfc2d70 100644 --- a/governments/practices/open/index.html +++ b/governments/practices/open/index.html @@ -75,25 +75,25 @@

    Guides

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    OpenDataCatalog

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    OpenDataCatalog (ODC) is open source software originally created by Azavea for the city of Philadelphia. The software is available for download on GitHub and a community of developers and implementers continue to work on improving the software. ODC includes options for data owners to submit data for consideration and for registered public users to nominate a type of data they would like to see openly available to the public. ODC is written using Django, Python and PostgreSQL.

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    ODC has also been used in Cincinnati and San Diego for community-launched data catalogs..

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    Pros:
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    Pros:
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    Cons:
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    Cons:
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    Socrata

    Socrata is the most popular commercial data platform provider in the United States. Socrata offers a turnkey SaaS cloud-hosted data catalog, paid for on a subscription basis. The Socrata platform includes API abilities and sitewide analytics that track consumption and engagement metrics.

    Socrata is used by dozens of municipal governments, including Baltimore, Austin, Chicago, Seattle, and New York City.

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    Pros:
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    Pros:
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    Junar

    Junar is another cloud-based SaaS option that includes RESTful API abilities and analytics. Pricing plans for organizations range start at $750 per month.

    Junar is used by the City of Palo Alto.

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    Pros:
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    Pros:
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    Cons:
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    Cons:
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    Esri ArcGIS Open Data

    ArcGIS Open Data is a hosted web application provided by ESRI that allows any organization using ArcGIS Online to easily open up data stored in that system. Data providers can easily enable open data, specify open data groups, and create and publicize their open data without hosting their own site.

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    Pros:
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    Pros:
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    Further reading: 2014 Code for America Fellows compiled this summary which further compares features and costs for some of the most common open data platform providers.

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    Cons:

    Publish your data

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    After choosing what data you are going to publish and choosing where you're going to put it, there are a few steps to make it open. In order to be considered truly open, government data should be:

    • Open by default
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      Publish your data

      Further reading: The 8 Principles of Open Data lays out an in-depth definition of open data.

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      While that might seem like a long, complicated list of requirements, there’s just a few steps to get most of the way there. If you don’t check every one of those boxes, it’s okay! You are still making meaningful progress towards open data. The reality is that there’s always going to be room for improvement. Here’s how to get started once you’ve chosen a dataset to open.

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      First of all, do some due diligence to make sure you’ve covered your bases. Do a review of the data to account for its completeness, currency, and accuracy. If it is not perfect, again, that’s okay! It’s better to release some data than nothing at all, as long as it isn’t misleading or factually inaccurate; just make sure to clearly note any omissions or limitations in the metadata (see below) so data consumers understand what they’re looking at.

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      If you haven’t already, make sure that any key stakeholders or data owners are aware that the data is going to be released (not only will this keep you out of hot water, but they also might have valuable suggestions about how to structure or position the data). Double-check to make sure there are no restrictions or privacy concerns surrounding the release of the data.

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      Adding metadata, or descriptive information about the dataset, is another important step to ensure that users know what the information is, when it was last updated, and what it includes. The Philadelphia Open Data Guidebook has suggestions about basic metadata to include with any published dataset.

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      Next, choose and apply an “open license” that makes the data legally open and freely available for anyone to use and share. The Open Knowledge Foundation Open Data Handbook has some good guidelines on how to choose a license.

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      Now, you need to make the data technically open and publish it on your open data platform. The exact steps for this will depend on what format your data currently exists in, and what format you want it to be. Often it will involve an ETL, or “Extract, Transfer, Load” — a bit of code that gets data out of one system, converts it to the desired format, and puts it into another system. Here’s some useful information and resources about ETLs from former Code for America fellow Dave Guarino (note: this is targeted at technical folks).

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    Publish your data

    Planning for Sustainability

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    Create an open data policy

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    Eventually, you'll want to make open data publication standard operating procedure via a city ordinance or executive order. This is a key step in becoming truly “open by default.”

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    As of June 2014, thirty cities and three counties in the United States have passed open data policies, and the number is growing rapidly. There are many existing examples that you can build off of as you begin drafting an open data policy.

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    Further reading: the Sunlight Foundation has created a living set of open data policy guidelines to address what data should be public, how to make data public, and how to implement policy, including sample policy language for each principle.

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    When is the right time for a policy?

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    In some cities, an open data policy is the first step towards open data. Passing the policy creates an executive mandate that drives momentum around implementing open data. In Los Angeles, for example, Mayor Garcetti issued an Executive Order shortly after entering office in 2013, directing all departments to collect data that they generate and prepare it for release in early 2014. This led to the launch of the city’s open data portal in early 2014. This can be a useful strategy if you have supportive executive leadership, but need leverage to generate buy-in from departments.

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    In other cities, the policy actually follows implementation of open data. Louisville Metro Government, for example, had a long-standing open data program and nationally acclaimed data-driven performance management initiative before finally making open data official policy in 2013. This can be a useful strategy if you have strong grassroots and departmental-level support and can “bootstrap” an open data initiative; after you have demonstrated value to leadership, passing a policy can be a finishing touch to establish formal, ongoing commitment.

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    Example Policies

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    Here are some examples of different kinds of open data policies that you could adapt for your city:

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    Further reading: For more examples, the Sunlight Foundation maintains a comprehensive list.

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    Appoint staff to be responsible for data management

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    For open data to “stick,” there needs to be staff responsible and accountable for implementation. This doesn’t necessarily mean hiring additional staff; responsibility can be delegated to existing employees. In some cities, the internal open data “champion” continues to drive and organize open data throughout the city, even if that’s not necessarily one of their official core job functions, often leading a cross-departmental open data working group. Other cities create a dedicated position to oversee open data implementation, often called a Chief Data Officer. Others require that each department designate a staff member to be their point-person for open data.

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    Chief Data Officer

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    The primary responsibility of a Chief Data Officer is to operationalize open data across the government. The White House defines the role as “part data strategist and adviser, part steward for improving data quality, part evangelist for data sharing, part technologist, and part developer of new data products.”

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    Not all governments establish a formal Chief Data Officer position, and there are many successful open data initiatives operating without one. However, if it’s possible, appointing a senior-level official to oversee the implementation and execution can go a long way towards making open data useful, sustainable, and actionable.

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    Here are a few job descriptions for government Chief Data Officers:

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    Department coordinators

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    An Open Data Coordinator (ODC) is a government employee designated by a department or agency to coordinate open data efforts for that department. Many open data policies mandate that an ODC be designated in each department and participate in an ongoing, city-wide open data working group chaired by the open data “champion” (whether that is a Chief Data Officer or somebody else).

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    Responsibilities might include identifying and publishing of data sets to open data portal, addressing feedback from the public on the department’s public data, and reporting on progress to the broader working group. Some departments have had success in giving this responsibility to the person who is already managing public records requests for the department, as these roles are closely related.

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    Several governments have included a requirement to appoint departmental ODCs in their policy, including Pittsburgh, New York City (see section 3.1.2), and Cambridge, MA.

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    Department coordinators

    Making open data useful

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    Use common open data formats

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    We've seen large cities with large budgets do amazing things with in-house technology and predictive analytics teams but making your data useful can be as easy as opening data in common formats.

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    Code for America's recommended formats make open data easier to access, use, and move to the applications people already use to make decisions. Aligning with these common standards can be as simple as reformatting data before publishing it.

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    When cities across the country format their data in the same way, technologists can build tools that scale across cities at a fraction of the effort and cost. Open data formats streamline the process of finding and using data across city agencies. That means that civic apps can come from technologists with talent and drive, not just big companies with cash on hand.

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    A number of high profile tech companies with broad reach want to help government do more with open data:

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    Further reading: Learn more about open data standards that Code for America supports.

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    Hold a hackathon

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    Civic hackathons serve as a great community engagement tool, bringing together technologists and civic leaders to brainstorm and develop applications using open data. These coding marathons allow people in the civic space and citizens to work with developers to creatively use civic data to address community issues. The success of hackathons, like National Day of Civic Hacking, is contingent on several factors, one being the availability of open data. The applications developed at hackathons are often great outcomes, but hackathons are best approached as a means to increase resident participation and provide a platform for community collaboration.

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    Successful hackathons tap into both the civic and local developer communities. So, marketing them is of the utmost importance. Socrata offers a comprehensive guide to running, marketing, and managing a hackathon, which suggests contacting local developers, posting in high-traffic forums, and posting fliers at local universities in computer science departments to generate interest. Reaching out to groups like Code for America and Socrata can be key as well, since each group is tied to a large network of technologists in the civic space.

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    Support from the local government is key in citizen engagement. Announcing the hackathon at council meetings and getting members within the city government to encourage participation among their constituents is a good way to create a buzz outside of the developer community. Excitement about a hackathon within the local government can serve as a hub of interest for the rest of the community.

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    Further reading: Socrata has a step-by-step guide to how to plan a hackathon using open data.

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    Deploy apps that use open data

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    Citizen-facing apps are a great way to make open data useful for non-technologists. By providing a user-friendly interface to the data through a simple web or mobile app, you get city information directly into the hands of residents. Other cities and civic hackers have built many free, open source civic apps that are available for governments to redeploy for their own communities. (“Open source” means that the software code is freely available for others to use without restrictions, much like open data.)

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    Further reading: Open source expert Ben Balter has put together a guide for government employees who want to learn more about open source and participate in the open source community.

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    It’s important to note that just because the code is free doesn’t mean there won’t be costs associated with redeployment. Technical resources are needed to customize, launch, and maintain the app. Still, open source civic apps can be useful quick wins to demonstrate the value and use cases of open data. Here are a few recommended open source apps that use open data which you can customize and redeploy for your community.

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    Recommended apps

    Further Resources

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