Skip to main content
Open Government Partnership
Join our mailing list Arrow Icon Join the Conversation Arrow Icon Check us out on Twitter Arrow Icon

Commitment 4 progress report: Mar – Jun 2018

Open Government Partnership New Zealand National Action Plan 2016-2018

Date: March to June 2018

Commitment 4 year end report: March to June 2018

 

Year End: Commitment 4 - Tracking progress and outcomes of open government data release

Lead agency: Stats NZ

We will help government agencies improve public access to, and outcomes of, non-personal, government-held data by openly tracking progress on efforts to open up data stores.

 

Milestones

Milestones 1

Develop an open government data action plan, based on feedback gathered from the open data community and government officials

Progress: completed

Milestones 2

Publish the action plan

Progress: completed

Milestones 3

Develop a public dashboard for reporting against the action plan goals

Progress: completed

Milestones 4

Seek public feedback on the proposed public dashboard

Progress: completed

Milestones 5

Regularly update the public dashboard on government progress toward the goals

End date: June 2018

Progress: completed

 

What have we been doing?

  • A vendor has been procured to develop an interactive visualisation of the progress made by government agencies to release government agencies (ie the dashboard).
  • An online survey of state sector agencies has been rerun to measure changes against the baseline results gathered in 2017. The results have been published in a static (non-interactive) dashboard, and will be re-published in the interactive dashboard once it is implemented. This survey will be conducted annually.
  • The Open Data Action plan was updated to include initiatives for implementing the Open Data Charter principles. The action plan is accompanied by an implementation plan that includes time- bound activities and milestones, and describes how the action plan will be delivered. Both plans were published on 2 March 2018. The plans will be regularly updated to reflect what has been learnt as we progress, changes in the needs of data users and government agencies, feedback from the data community, and changes in the data landscape.
  • To uphold the values of openness and transparency Stats NZ has committed to publishing quarterly progress reports that provide an overview of activities completed, key feedback themes and environmental changes, and updates to the plans. The first quarterly progress report was published in June 2018.

How did this commitment contribute to open government?

  • This commitment contributes to the OGP values of access to information and public accountability.
  • Open data is a fundamental enabler of an open and transparent government. However, release of open government data isn’t an end in itself. The release of open data needs to be systematic and sustainable, responsive to the data needs of users, and supported by building capability inside and outside government. The Open Data Action Plan aims to make an impact by:
    • Increasing access to government held data through understanding what data government agencies hold, and enabling agencies to release data
    • Increasing use of data by improving the discoverability and usability of data, and improving skills and knowledge
    • Building an open by design culture that sustains the value of increased access to data through expanding and deepening open data practice in government agencies, and continued engagement with data users.
  • The survey of state sector agencies evaluates aspects of the above points. The survey is based on the Open Data Institute maturity model and assesses agencies’ operational and strategic activities around open data, (namely how data is released, how it is governed, and how datasets are valued). It also provides guidance on potential areas for improvement. Data maturity assessment provides a useful indicator of the culture change needed to accelerate and sustain the release of open government data.
  • The survey also helps public service and non-public service departments meet their obligation to report annually on their open data maturity (as outlined in the Cabinet paper), and enables them to determine where best to focus resourcing over the coming year to improve the quantity and quality of open government data release.

Links

New Zealand's Plan