Book by Maxat Kassen: “… offers a cross-national comparison of open data policies in Estonia and Kazakhstan. By analyzing a broad range of open data-driven projects and startups in both countries, it reveals the potential that open data phenomena hold with regard to promoting public sector innovations. The book addresses various political and socioeconomic contexts in these two transitional
The Think-Tank Dilemma
Blog by Yoichi Funabashi: “Without the high-quality research that independent think tanks provide, there can be no effective policymaking, nor even a credible basis for debating major issues. Insofar as funding challenges, foreign influence-peddling, and populist attacks on truth pose a threat to such institutions tanks, they threaten democracy itself
The Brookings Institution in Washington, DC – perhaps the world’s top think tank – is under scrutiny for receiving six-figure donations from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, which many consider to be a security threat. And since the barbaric murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi last October, many other Washington-based think tanks have come under pressure to stop accepting donations from Saudi Arabia.
These recent controversies have given rise to a narrative that Washington-based think tanks are facing a funding crisis. In fact, traditional think tanks are confronting three major challenges that have put them in a uniquely difficult situation. Not only are they facing increased competition from for-profit think tanks such as the McKinsey Global Institute and the Eurasia Group; they also must negotiate rising geopolitical tensions, especially between the United States and China.And complicating matters further, many citizens, goaded by populist harangues, have become dismissive of “experts” and the fact-based analyses that think tanks produce (or at least should produce).
With respect to the first challenge, Daniel Drezner of Tufts University argues in The Ideas Industry: How Pessimists, Partisans, and Plutocrats are Transforming the Marketplace of Ideas that for-profit think tanks have engaged in thought leadership by operating as platforms for provocative thinkers who push big ideas. Whereas many non-profit think tanks – as well as universities and non-governmental organizations – remain “old-fashioned” in their approach to data, their for-profit counterparts thrive by finding the one statistic that captures public attention in the digital age. Given their access to both public and proprietary information, for-profit think tanks are also able to maximize the potential of big data in ways that traditional think tanks cannot.
Moreover, with the space for balanced foreign-policy arguments narrowing, think tanks are at risk of becoming tools of geopolitical statecraft. This is especially true now that US-China relations are deteriorating and becoming more ideologically tinged.
Over time, foreign governments of all stripes have cleverly sought to influence policymaking not only in Washington, but also in London, Brussels, Berlin, and elsewhere, by becoming significant donors to think tanks. Governments realize that the well-connected think tanks that act as “power brokers” vis-à-vis the political establishment have been facing fundraising challenges since the 2008 financial crisis. In some cases, locally based think tanks have even been accused of becoming fronts for foreign authoritarian governments….(More)”.
The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer
Press Release: “The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that trust has changed profoundly in the past year—people have shifted their trust to the relationships within their control, most notably their employers. Globally, 75 percent of people trust “my employer” to do what is right, significantly more than NGOs (57 percent), business (56 percent) and media (47 percent).
Divided by Trust
There is a 16-point gap between the more trusting informed public and the far-more-skeptical mass population, marking a return to record highs of trust inequality. The phenomenon fueling this divide was a pronounced rise in trust among the informed public. Markets such as the U.S., UK, Canada, South Korea and Hong Kong saw trust gains of 12 points or more among the informed public. In 18 markets, there is now a double-digit trust gap between the informed public and the mass population.

An Urgent Desire for Change
Despite the divergence in trust between the informed public and mass population the world is united on one front—all share an urgent desire for change. Only one in five feels that the system is working for them, with nearly half of the mass population believing that the system is failing them.
In conjunction with pessimism and worry, there is a growing move toward engagement and action. In 2019, engagement with the news surged by 22 points; 40 percent not only consume news once a week or more, but they also routinely amplify it. But people are encountering roadblocks in their quest for facts, with 73 percent worried about fake news being used as a weapon.

The New Employer-Employee Contract
Despite a high lack of faith in the system, there is one relationship that remains strong: “my employer.” Fifty-eight percent of general population employees say they look to their employer to be a trustworthy source of information about contentious societal issues.
Employees are ready and willing to trust their employers, but the trust must be earned through more than “business as usual.” Employees’ expectation that prospective employers will join them in taking action on societal issues (67 percent) is nearly as high as their expectations of personal empowerment (74 percent) and job opportunity (80 percent)….(More)”.
China will now officially try to extend its Great Firewall to blockchains
Mike Orcutt at Technology Review: “China’s crackdown on blockchain technology has taken another step: the country’s internet censorship agency has just approved new regulations aimed at blockchain companies.
Hand over the data: The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) will require any “entities or nodes” that provide “blockchain information services” to collect users’ real names and national ID or telephone numbers, and allow government officials to access that data.
It will ban companies from using blockchain technology to “produce, duplicate, publish, or disseminate” any content that Chinese law prohibits. Last year, internet users evaded censors by recording the content of two banned articles on the Ethereum blockchain. The rules, first proposed in October, will go into effect next month.
Defeating the purpose? For more than a year, China has been cracking down on cryptocurrency trading and its surrounding industry while also singing the praises of
Gradually, Then Suddenly
Technological change happens in much the same way. Small changes accumulate, and suddenly the world is a different place. Throughout my career at O’Reilly Media, we’ve tracked and fostered a lot of “gradually, then suddenly” movements: the World Wide Web, open source software, big data, cloud computing, sensors and ubiquitous computing, and now the pervasive effects of AI and algorithmic systems on society and the economy.
What are some of the things that are in the middle of their “gradually, then suddenly” transition right now? The list is long; here are a few of the areas that are on my mind.
1) AI and algorithms are everywhere
The most important trend for readers of this newsletter to focus on is the development of new kinds of partnership between human and machine. We take for granted that algorithmic systems do much of the work at online sites like Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Twitter, but we haven’t fully grasped the implications. These systems are hybrids of human and machine. Uber, Lyft, and Amazon Robotics brought this pattern to the physical world, reframing the corporation as a vast, buzzing network of humans both guiding and guided by machines. In these systems, the algorithms decide who gets what and why; they’re changing the fundamentals of market coordination in ways that gradually, then suddenly, will become apparent.
2) The rest of the world is leapfrogging the US
The volume of mobile payments in China is $13 trillion versus the US’s $50 billion, while credit cards never took hold. Already Zipline’s on-demand drones are delivering 20% of all blood supplies in Rwanda and will be coming soon to other countries (including the US). In each case, the lack of existing infrastructure turned out to be an advantage in adopting a radically new model. Expect to see this pattern recur, as incumbents and old thinking hold back the adoption of new models
9) The crisis of faith in government
Ever since Jennifer Pahlka and I began working on the Gov 2.0 Summit back in 2008, we’ve been concerned that if we can’t get
Democracy From Above? The Unfulfilled Promise of Nationally Mandated Participatory Reforms
Book by Stephanie L. McNulty: “People are increasingly unhappy with their governments in democracies around the world. In countries as diverse as India, Ecuador, and Uganda, governments are responding to frustrations by mandating greater citizen participation at the local and state level. Officials embrace participatory reforms, believing that
Stephanie L. McNulty addresses the global context of participatory reforms in developing nations. She observes and interprets what happens after greater citizen involvement is mandated in seventeen countries, with close case studies of Guatemala, Bolivia, and Peru. The first cross-national comparison on this issue,Democracy from Above? explores whether the reforms effectively redress the persistent problems of discrimination, elite capture, clientelism, and corruption in the countries that adopt them. As officials and reformers around the world and at every level of government look to strengthen citizen involvement and confidence in the political process, McNulty provides a clear understanding of the possibilities and limitations of nationally mandated participatory reforms…(More)”.
Crowdsourced mapping in crisis zones: collaboration, organisation and impact
Amelia Hunt and Doug Specht in the Journal of International Humanitarian Action: “Crowdsourced mapping has become an integral part of humanitarian response, with high profile deployments of platforms following the Haiti and Nepal earthquakes, and the multiple projects initiated during the Ebola outbreak in North West Africa in 2014, being prominent examples. There have also been hundreds of deployments of crowdsourced mapping projects across the globe that did not have a high profile.
This paper, through an analysis of 51 mapping deployments between 2010 and 2016, complimented with expert interviews, seeks to explore the organisational structures that create the conditions for effective mapping actions, and the relationship between the commissioning body, often a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and the volunteers who regularly make up the team charged with producing the map.
The research suggests that there are three distinct areas that need to be improved in order to provide appropriate assistance through mapping in humanitarian crisis: regionalise, prepare and research. The paper concludes, based on the case studies, how each of these areas can be handled more effectively, concluding that failure to implement one area sufficiently can lead to overall project failure….(More)”
Smart cities could be lousy to live in if you have a disability
Elizabeth Woyke in MIT Technology Review: “People with disabilities affecting mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive function often move to cities to take advantage of their comprehensive transit systems and social services. But US law doesn’t specify how municipalities should design and implement digital services for disabled people. As a result, cities sometimes adopt new technologies that can end up causing, rather than resolving, problems of accessibility.
Nowhere was this more evident than with New York City’s LinkNYC kiosks, which were installed on sidewalks in 2016 without including instructions in Braille or audible form. Shortly after they went in, the American Federation for the Blind sued the city. The suit was settled in 2017 and the kiosks have been updated, but Pineda says touch screens in general are still not fully accessible to people with disabilities.
Also problematic: the social-media-based apps that some municipal governments have started using to solicit feedback from residents. Blind and low-vision people typically can’t use the apps, and people over 65 are less likely to, says James Thurston, a vice president at the nonprofit G3ict, which promotes accessible information and communication technologies. “Cities may think they’re getting data from all their residents, but if those apps aren’t accessible, they’re leaving out the voices of large chunks of their population,” he says….
Even for city officials who have these issues on their minds, knowing where to begin can be difficult. Smart Cities for All, an initiative led by Thurston and Pineda, aims to help by providing free, downloadable tools that cities can use to analyze their technology and find more accessible options. One is a database of hundreds of pre-vetted products and services. Among the entries are Cyclomedia, which uses lidar data to determine when city sidewalks need maintenance, and ZenCity, a data analytics platform that uses AI to gauge what people are saying about a city’s level of accessibility.
This month, the group will kick off a project working with officials in Chicago to grade the city on how well it supports people with disabilities. One key part of the project will be ensuring the accessibility of a new 311 phone system being introduced as a general portal to city services. The group has plans to expand to several other US cities this year, but its ultimate aim is to turn the work into a global movement. It’s met with governments in India and Brazil as well as Sidewalk Labs, the Alphabet subsidiary that is developing a smart neighborhood in Toronto….(More)”.
IBM aims to use crowdsourced sensor data to improve local weather forecasting globally
Larry Dignan at ZDN: “IBM is hoping that mobile barometric sensors from individuals opting in,
Big Blue, which owns The Weather Company, will outline the IBM Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting System (GRAF). GRAF incorporates IoT data in its weather models via crowdsourcing.
While
Mary Glackin, senior vice president of The Weather Company, said the company is “trying to fill in the blanks.” She added, “In a place like India, weather stations are kilometers away. We think this can be as significant as bringing satellite data into models.”
For instance, the developing world gets forecasts based on global data that are updated every 6 hours and resolutions at 10km to 15km. By using GRAF, IBM said it can offer forecasts for the day ahead that are updated hourly on average and have a 3km resolution….(More)”.
Index: Open Data
By Alexandra Shaw, Michelle Winowatan, Andrew Young, and Stefaan Verhulst
The Living Library Index – inspired by the Harper’s Index – provides important statistics and highlights global trends in governance innovation. This installment focuses on open data and was originally published in 2018.
Value and Impact
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Direct market value of open data in EU from 2016 to 2020: estimated EUR 325 billion
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Predicted number of Open Data jobs in Europe by 2020: 100,000 (35% increase)
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The projected year at which all 28+ EU member countries will have a fully operating open data portal: 2020
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Between 2016 and 2020, the market size of open data in Europe is expected to increase by 36.9%, and reach this value by 2020: EUR 75.7 billion
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Estimated cost savings for public administration in the EU by 2020: EUR 1.7 billion
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2013 estimates of potential value of global open data, as estimated by McKinsey: $3 trillion annually
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Potential yearly value for the United States: $1.1 trillion
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Europe: $900 billion
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Rest of the world: $1.7 trillion
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Potential yearly value of open data in Australia: AUD 25 billion
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Value of Transport for London open data projects: £115 million per year
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Value that open data can help unlock in economic value annually across seven sectors in the United States: $3-5 trillion
Public Views on and Use of Open Government Data
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Number of Americans who do not trust the federal government or social media sites to protect their data: Approximately 50%
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Key findings from The Economist Intelligence Unit report on Open Government Data Demand:
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Percentage of respondents who say the key reason why governments open up their data is to create greater trust between the government and citizens: 70%
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Percentage of respondents who say OGD plays an important role in improving lives of citizens: 78%
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Percentage of respondents who say OGD helps with daily decision making especially for transportation, education, environment: 53%
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Percentage of respondents who cite lack of awareness about OGD and its potential use and benefits as the greatest barrier to usage: 50%
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Percentage of respondents who say they lack access to usable and relevant data: 31%
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Percentage of respondents who think they don’t have sufficient technical skills to use open government data: 25%
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Percentage of respondents who feel the number of OGD apps available is insufficient, indicating an opportunity for app developers: 20%
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Percentage of respondents who say OGD has the potential to generate economic value and new business opportunity: 61%
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Percentage of respondents who say they don’t trust governments to keep data safe, protected, and anonymized: 19%
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Efforts and Involvement
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Time that’s passed since open government advocates convened to create a set of principles for open government data – the instance that started the open data government movement: 10 years
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Countries participating in the Open Government Partnership today: 79 OGP participating countries and 20 subnational governments
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Percentage of “open data readiness” in Europe according to European Data Portal: 72%
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Open data readiness consists of four indicators which are presence of policy, national coordination, licensing norms, and use of data.
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Number of U.S. cities with Open Data portals: 27
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Number of governments who have adopted the International Open Data Charter: 62
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Number of non-state organizations endorsing the International Open Data Charter: 57
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Number of countries analyzed by the Open Data Index: 94
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Number of Latin American countries that do not have open data portals as of 2017: 4 total – Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua
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Number of cities participating in the Open Data Census: 39
Demand for Open Data
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Open data demand measured by frequency of open government data use according to The Economist Intelligence Unit report:
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Australia
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Monthly: 15% of respondents
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Quarterly: 22% of respondents
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Annually: 10% of respondents
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Finland
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Monthly: 28% of respondents
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Quarterly: 18% of respondents
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Annually: 20% of respondents
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France
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Monthly: 27% of respondents
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Quarterly: 17% of respondents
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Annually: 19% of respondents
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India
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Monthly: 29% of respondents
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Quarterly: 20% of respondents
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Annually: 10% of respondents
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Singapore
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Monthly: 28% of respondents
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Quarterly: 15% of respondents
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Annually: 17% of respondents
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UK
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Monthly: 23% of respondents
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Quarterly: 21% of respondents
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Annually: 15% of respondents
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US
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Monthly: 16% of respondents
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Quarterly: 15% of respondents
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Annually: 20% of respondents
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Number of FOIA requests received in the US for fiscal year 2017: 818,271
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Number of FOIA request processed in the US for fiscal year 2017: 823,222
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Distribution of FOIA requests in 2017 among top 5 agencies with highest number of request:
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DHS: 45%
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DOJ: 10%
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NARA: 7%
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DOD: 7%
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HHS: 4%
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Examining Datasets
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Country with highest index score according to ODB Leaders Edition: Canada (76 out of 100)
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Country with lowest index score according to ODB Leaders Edition: Sierra Leone (22 out of 100)
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Number of datasets open in the top 30 governments according to ODB Leaders Edition: Fewer than 1 in 5
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Average percentage of datasets that are open in the top 30 open data governments according to ODB Leaders Edition: 19%
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Average percentage of datasets that are open in the top 30 open data governments according to ODB Leaders Edition by sector/subject:
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Budget: 30%
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Companies: 13%
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Contracts: 27%
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Crime: 17%
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Education: 13%
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Elections: 17%
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Environment: 20%
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Health: 17%
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Land: 7%
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Legislation: 13%
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Maps: 20%
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Spending: 13%
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Statistics: 27%
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Trade: 23%
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Transport: 30%
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Percentage of countries that release data on government spending according to ODB Leaders Edition: 13%
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Percentage of government data that is updated at regular intervals according to ODB Leaders Edition: 74%
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Number of datasets available through:
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Number of datasets classed as “open” in 94 places worldwide analyzed by the Open Data Index: 11%
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Percentage of open datasets in the Caribbean, according to Open Data Census: 7%
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Number of companies whose data is available through OpenCorporates: 158,589,950
City Open Data
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New York City
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Number of datasets available through NYC Open Data: 2170
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New datasets published in New York City for fiscal year 2018: 629 (2,000+ in total)
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Number of automated datasets in New York City for fiscal year 2018: 246 (38 new datasets added)
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Open data demand in New York City in fiscal year 2018 measured by:
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Unique users: 1,000,000+
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Requests by application: 550+ million
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Singapore
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Barcelona
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London
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Bandung
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Number of datasets published in Bandung: 1,417
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Buenos Aires
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Number of datasets published in Buenos Aires: 216
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Dubai
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Number of datasets published in Dubai: 267
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Melbourne
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Number of datasets published in Melbourne: 199
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Sources
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About OGP, Open Government Partnership. 2018.
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Analytical Report no. 9: The Economic Benefits of Open Data, European Data Portal, 2017.
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Creating Value through Open Data: Study on the Impact of Re-use of Public Data Resources, European Data Portal. 2015.
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European Data Portal Datasets, European Data Portal.
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Find Open Data, UK Government Data.
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Global Open Data Index: Dataset Overview, Open Knowledge International.
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Global Open Data Index: Place Overview, Open Knowledge International.
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Local Data Catalog, DATA.GOV.
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Many Americans do not trust modern institutions to protect their personal data – even as they frequently neglect cybersecurity best practices in their own personal lives, Pew Research Center – Internet and Technology. 2017.
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NYC Open Data, City of New York, 2018.
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Open Data Barometer, World Wide Web Foundation. 2017.
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Open Data Barometer 4th Edition, World Wide Web Foundation, 2017.
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Open Data Barometer Leaders Edition: From Promise to Progress, World Wide Web Foundation. 2018.
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Open Data for All Report, NYC DoITT, 2018.
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Open data service of the Barcelona City Council, City of Barcelona.
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Open Data in Europe, European Data Portal. 2018.
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Open Government Data: Assessing demand around the world, The Economist Intelligence Unit. 2017.
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“Policy in the Data Age: Data Enablement for the Common Good.” Karim Tadjeddine and Martin Lundqvist. McKinsey and Company. August 2016.
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Search Data, Australian Government.
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Singapore Open Data Portal, Singaporean Government.
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Starting an Open Data Initiative, The World Bank.
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Summary of Annual FOIA Reports for Fiscal Year 2017, US Department of Justice. 2017.
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The home of the U.S. Government’s Open Data, DATA.GOV, 2018.
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The Open Database of the Corporate World, Opencorporates. 2018.
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The State of Open Data Portals in Latin America. Center for Data Innovation, 2017.
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Tracking the State of Open Government Data, Open Knowledge International.
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U.S. ranks 4th in open data, with leadership by cities and states helping support the numbers, Statescoop. 2017.
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What is the Open Data Survey? Open Data Census.