All in Open Data

Do People Really Understand What “Open Data” Means?

Do People Really Understand What “Open Data” Means?

Dennis D. McDonald
Big Data, Definitions, Market Research, Metrics, Open Data, Pew, Statistics, Surveys, Transparency
Ultimately the most important issue has to come down to deciding what level of data literacy citizens need. As the production and consumption of goods and services become more data-dependent in both developed and developing countries, it is reasonable to ask how much understanding of data and data related decisions people really need. I’ve referred to this elsewhere as data management literacy. Maybe we also need to consider data consumption literacy. After all, if people don’t understand or appreciate the services we’re providing, no amount of standardization, interoperability, or transparency is going to make any difference.
NOAA’s Big Data Project Comes Into Focus

NOAA’s Big Data Project Comes Into Focus

Dennis D. McDonald
Acquisitions, Agency Data, Amazon, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Google, IBM, Innovation, Interoperability, Microsoft, NOAA, Open Cloud Consortium, Open Data, Product Development, Socrata, Standards, Transparency
What’s different about this newly announced NOAA program is not just the potential “big data” scope of the program but the way in which private sector cloud vendors are involved as intermediaries not only to the public but also to potential data vendors and resellers.

OMB Releases Federal Data Inventories – So What?

Dennis D. McDonald
Agency Data, Best Practices, Big Data, Management, Management Tools, Metrics, Open Data, Performance, Project Management
Still, knowing that data exist – which is what the inventories will tell us — is not the same as accessing and interpreting the data. Even assuming the public eventually gains access to the inventoried data, we’ll still need contextual information about the programs described by the data and measurement of the impacts these programs have.
Open Data Management at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Open Data Management at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Dennis D. McDonald
Agency Data, EPA, Open Data, Project Management, Standards
Much of what the EPA staff talked about involved processes and activities that are necessarily associated not only with “open data” but with any data intensive business process. Data must be managed. Systems that share data need to be coordinated. Resources need to be allocated and shared. Such requirements are not unique to “open data” but are universally relevant.
Using Internet Related Economic Development Goals to Drive Open Data Strategy

Using Internet Related Economic Development Goals to Drive Open Data Strategy

Dennis D. McDonald
Big Data, China, Developing Countries, Industry Analysis, Internet, Internet of Things, Open Data, Strategic Planning, Strategy, Transparency, USAID
While there may be significant capacity issues related to Internet and data access in developing countries, it’s impossible to ignore the disruptive and competitive landscape changes the growing Internet use offers wherever existing industries are adopting — or are being threatened by — web based developments. It make sense for at least some of open data program planning to reflect those realities.
How Are Open Data Programs Related to Investment Flows in Developing Countries?

How Are Open Data Programs Related to Investment Flows in Developing Countries?

Dennis D. McDonald
Developing Countries, International Trade, Metrics, Open Data, Surveys, World Bank
Once data resources are digitized and made available for access and use, restricting or limiting their use can become difficult, complex, and expensive. Traditional and private sector institutions that rely too heavily on such distinctions for controlling social and business activities may find it difficult to adjust to and take advantage of such trends.

The Continuing Evolution of Data.gov

Dennis D. McDonald
Agency Data, Data, Data Access, Open Data, Open Source, Search, Transparency, eGovernment
While it is true that a platform such as GitHub is not really designed to be as user friendly as, say, Facebook, the fact is that the sharing of technical expertise among mid-level IT staff and data administrators in different governmental agencies has probably been at least as important to open data progress as the Administration’s top down support.
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