Open Data and Policy: Today and Tomorrow

Rebecca WilliamsMunicipal Policy Analyst @internetrebecca#OpenDataNJ 2014

Policy Technology

Reporting

Making & using open government data since 2006

Past: Reactive open government data

… (eventually) leads to Impact

http://openstates.org

●Data sourced from all 50 state legislatures; DC, Puerto Rico

●Search state bills, legislators, votes

●Access and reuse the data with an open API

●5 yrs total to make

Opening government data: an example

http://openstates.org

Made with the API:

http://openstates.org/reportcard

NJ got a “B” in the Open States report card

http://scout.sunlightfoundation.com

Iterative tools reusing open data:

http://scout.sunlightfoundation.com

Tracking new open data laws w/ open data

http://sunlightfoundation.com/policy/opendatamap

2006-2014;30+

general open data policies, 7 this year

Open Data Policiesa taxonomy

Varying Legal Authority

Varying Scopes & Goals

Legislation Beefed up Right-to-know laws; #OpenFOIL

Executive Orders General

Administrative Memos Specific: tax, law, GIS, budget data; webcasting

IT ad hoc internal policies

Open gov plans

Terms of Use Open source plans

http://sunlightfoundation.com/opendataguidelines

A plug for: strong, thoughtful open data policies

Future: Proactive open government data

… leads to (more) Impact (faster)

Impacts of proactive open data

• Engagement • Civic Legibility• Public Safety • Cost Savings

Open data can change policy.

Open data can really change policy.

PolicyTechnology

Reporting

Making & using open government data since 2006

www.sunlightfoundation.com/policy/local

rwilliams@sunlightfoundation.com