assessing the benefits of open government data: the case of meu congresso nacional in brazilian...

Assessing the Benefits of Open Government Assessing the Benefits of Open Government

Data: The Case of Data: The Case of MeuMeu CongressoCongresso NacionalNacional

in Brazilian Elections 2014in Brazilian Elections 2014

16th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research

Kellyton Brito

Ph.D. Candidate - Pernambuco Federal University (UFPE), Brazil

Assistant Professor - Pernambuco Rural Federal University (UFRPE), Brazil

Leader - Open Data Lab Brazil - opendatabrazil.com

[email protected]

May/ 2015

• Introduction

• Research Approach

AgendaAgenda

• Results and Discussion

• Conclusions

2

IntroductionIntroduction

• OGD well known benefits:

– To increase accountability, public accountability, public participation and collaborationparticipation and collaboration;;

– To offer better public services;

– To increase efficiency and effectiveness in – To increase efficiency and effectiveness in Government;

– To support scientific researchscientific research

– To generate of commercial valuecommercial value

– To decrease corruptioncorruption;

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• Big Investments

– By governments

– By wider society


• Big Expectations

Little has been done Little has been done to analyze and prove the to analyze and prove the

impact and accrued value impact and accrued value of these initiativesof these initiatives

4

An unrealistic picture may be painted An unrealistic picture may be painted of the

potential of open data, which could result in could result in

unrealistic expectationsunrealistic expectations by citizens, civil

servants and other stakeholders


servants and other stakeholders

How to Assess the Benefits of Open How to Assess the Benefits of Open

Government Data?Government Data?

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TheThe StudyStudyTheThe StudyStudy

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To analyze the benefits To analyze the benefits perceived by the general population by the use of applications based

on OGD

in the context of federal elections, in the context of federal elections,

MainMain ObjectiveObjective


especially the case of Meu Congresso Nacional(MCN – My National Congress) application

and the Brazilian elections of 2014.Brazilian elections of 2014.

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• Web (mobile friendly) application focused on

showing parliamentarian data

• First version: Winner of I Brazilian Parliament

Meu Congresso Nacional.comMeu Congresso Nacional.com

• First version: Winner of I Brazilian Parliament

Hackathon - 2013

• The winner of II Brazilian Parliament

Hackathon (2014) used our (experimental) API

rather than official OGD

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• Main Requirements: Federal Parliamentarians

– 513 Federal Deputies and 81 Senators

– Parliamentarian identification data

– Frequency

– Proposed laws


– Proposed laws

– Commissions in which they participate

– “Cota parlamentar” analysis

• On average US$ 15,000 monthly they can spend working

• Constantly suspected of embezzlement

• Link with…9

• Main Requirements: 2014 Elections Candidates

– 27 thousand candidates

• President, State Governors, Senators of the Republic, Federal Deputies and State Deputies

– Candidates identificationidentification datadata

– All cadidates propertiesproperties


– All cadidates propertiesproperties

–– AllAll campaigncampaign donationsdonations

• To the candidate and to his/her party

• Scandal: companies donations // corruption payment

– Received votes

– Link with parliamentarians session

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• Succeful Application

– More than 130k accesses in the elections week

– More than 50k montly accesses Jan-April 2015

• Last update february/2015

– Accesses spread from all Brazilian states


– Accesses spread from all Brazilian states

• Distribution close to country population distribution

– Articles on mass media, like BBC Brazil, UOL

Eleições, and Exame

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Research ApproachResearch ApproachResearch ApproachResearch Approach

12

To analyze the benefits To analyze the benefits perceived by the general population by the use of applications based

on OGD


MainMain ObjectiveObjective


especially the case of Meu Congresso Nacional(MCN – My National Congress) application

and the Brazilian elections of 2014.Brazilian elections of 2014.

13

• Research Questions:

RQ1: Where do people usually search for

information about politicians and

ObjectiveObjective

information about politicians and

election candidates?

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RQ2: How do people compare

independent websites based on OGD

ObjectiveObjective

independent websites based on OGD

and the official government

transparency portals?

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RQ3: Are independent websites based

on OGD capable of influencing citizens’

ObjectiveObjective

on OGD capable of influencing citizens’

decisions?

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RQ4: Do people consider that websites

based on OGD in the domain of politics

ObjectiveObjective

based on OGD in the domain of politics

are capable of helping to reduce

corruption?

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• Survey deployed on the website during 2014 Elections period

• Developed by:– Ph.D and M.Sc researchers on Computer Science and

OGD

Research ApproachResearch Approach

OGD

– Market specialist

– Brazilian Federal Service of Prosecution member

• Pilot survey with 7 respondents– Minor adjustments

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• The Survey

– Four questions groups

• Demographic data (age, gender and home state)

• Wether and how the respondent searches for politicians

information


• Comparisons between the website and government portals

• Impressions about vote influence and corruption reduction

– Not included in this analysis

• Usability analysis

• Comparisons with similar non-government portals

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• Question types:

– Multiple choices, checkboxes, scale options (from1 to 5).

• Conditional paths


Where do you...yes

• Some subjective analysis is needed

– Optional open text fields encourages therespondent to explain some responses

Do you search

for information about previous

parliamentarian activities…

Where do you...

no

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• Online questionnaire

– Google forms

• Publicized by:

– Facebook page (~2000 followers)

Data Data CollectionCollection

Facebook page (~2000 followers)

– Horizontal bar on the top of all MCN pages

• September 17 until October 26 – elections

period

• 897 clicks and 280 full responses

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SurveySurvey ResultsResultsSurveySurvey ResultsResults

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• Respondents age distribution very close to

brazilian distribution

Overall Overall ResultsResults

23

• Respondents regional distribution according

to brazilian distribution

Overall Overall ResultsResults

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RQ1: Where do people usually search RQ1: Where do people usually search

for information about politicians and for information about politicians and

ResultsResults: RQ1: RQ1

for information about politicians and for information about politicians and

election candidates?election candidates?

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• Usually only on the elections period

• 47% rarely or never search for politicians information outside elections


Elections Period No Elections Period

Search Engines – 60% Indepentent Blogs and General

Websites – 57%

– Specific websites like MCN are not popular:

Elections Period: 45%, No Elections 26%

Government Websites – 57% Search Engines – 50%

Traditional news channels – 55% Government Websites – 46%

Social Networks – 52% Internet portals of traditional news

channels – 48%

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RQ2: How do people compare RQ2: How do people compare

independent websites based on OGD independent websites based on OGD

andand

ResultsResults RQ2RQ2

andand

the official government transparency the official government transparency

portals?portals?

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• 65% already used official government websites

• Strength Question:

– According to following criteria, comparing MCN with


– According to following criteria, comparing MCN with

government websites containing politicians

information, MCN is...

Much worse – Worse – Similar – Better – Much Better

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• MCN is Better or Much Better than GOV

Websites

– Easy of Use: 70%

– Quantity of Information: 68%

Perceived Usefulness: 70%


– Perceived Usefulness: 70%

– General Experience: 75%

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• MCN is Better or Much Better than GOV

Websites

– Easy of Use: 70%

–– QuantityQuantity ofof InformationInformation: 68%: 68%

Perceived Usefulness: 70%


– Perceived Usefulness: 70%

– General Experience: 75%

*It is *It is difficultdifficult to to findfind informationinformation onon thethe

governmentgovernment websiteswebsites

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RQ3: RQ3: Are independent websites based Are independent websites based

on OGD capable of on OGD capable of


influencing citizens’ decisions?influencing citizens’ decisions?

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Did your visit to MCN have or will it have any

influence on your voting decision in this

election?


Strength question:

Strongly Disagree (1) – … – Strongly Agree (5)

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58% 58% agree (or strongly agree) that agree (or strongly agree) that


58% 58% agree (or strongly agree) that agree (or strongly agree) that

their vote decision was their vote decision was

influencedinfluenced..

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58% agree (or strongly agree) that their vote

decision was influenced.34

• Qualitative analyses

• Four main groups:– Who completely changed their voting decision after

knowing a bit more about their candidates;

– Who were in doubt between two candidates and whose visit to MCN helped them to choose their


whose visit to MCN helped them to choose their candidates;

– Who reinforced their previous voting decisions after visiting MCN

– Who argued that their candidate selection was based on other factors, mainly ideology, and that MCN data are not sufficient to influence their voting decisions.

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RQ4: Do people consider websites RQ4: Do people consider websites

based on OGD in the domain of based on OGD in the domain of

politics politics


capable of helping to reduce capable of helping to reduce

corruptioncorruption??

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75% 75% AgreeAgree oror StronglyStrongly AgreeAgree


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• Qualitative Analysis

• Four groups, who believes that:

– To know their activities are public can make

politicians change their attitudes

– To know politicians attitudes will make people change


– To know politicians attitudes will make people change

their vote decisions

– It will be no influence, due to they think that Brazilian justice is inefficient and also corrupt

– It will have no influence, due to the fact that the population does not look for information about

politicians before deciding their votes.

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SummarySummary ofof ResultsResultsSummarySummary ofof ResultsResults

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1. People do not use to gather politicians' information on websites based on OGD

2. The perceived ease of use, quantity of information, utility and general experience using MCN were much higher than those of official websites

3. This kind of initiative is capable of influencing citizens’ voting decisions, acting directly on citizen

SummarySummary

3. This kind of initiative is capable of influencing citizens’ voting decisions, acting directly on citizen participation and engagement.

4. Despite people not considering that transparency can reduce corruption by legal means, they consider that it will occur by the change of behavior both by the observer, the citizens, as well as by the observed, the politician.

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• Broader study:

– More respondents

– Including similar websites

– More data crossing and statistical analysis

Future WorksFuture Works

• The application

– Automatic daily updating and tracking

• User notifications by E-mail, facebook and mobile app

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Assessing the Benefits of Open Government Assessing the Benefits of Open Government

Data: The Case of Data: The Case of MeuMeu CongressoCongresso NacionalNacional

in Brazilian Elections 2014in Brazilian Elections 2014

16th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research

Kellyton Brito

Ph.D. Candidate - Pernambuco Federal University (UFPE), Brazil

Assistant Professor - Pernambuco Rural Federal Universit (UFRPE), Brazil

Leader - Open Data Lab Brazil - opendatabrazil.com

[email protected]

May/ 2015

assessing the benefits of open government data: the case of meu congresso nacional in brazilian...

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