Open Data (CV0003)
Overview
At-a-Glance
Action Plan: Cabo Verde Action Plan 2018-2020
Action Plan Cycle: 2018
Status:
Institutions
Lead Institution: Operational Nucleus for Information Society (NOSI) National Directorate for Telecommunication and Digital Economy (DGTED)
Support Institution(s): Djamilson Pinto Executive Director National Commission for Data Protection djamicv@hotmail.com Paltum iSONE SISP BAI Makeba
Policy Areas
Access to Information, Open DataIRM Review
IRM Report: Cabo Verde Transitional Results Report 2018-2021, Cabo Verde Design Report 2018-2020
Early Results: No IRM Data
Design i
Verifiable: Yes
Relevant to OGP Values: Yes
Ambition (see definition): High
Implementation i
Description
Develop & Launch Open Data Platform
July 2018 — May 2019
NEW
Lead implementing
agency or actor
What is the public problem
that the commitment
will address?
What is the commitment?
Operational Nucleus for Information Society (NOSI)
National Directorate for Telecommunication and
Digital Economy (DGTED)
Both government and private institutions possess a great deal of data
that is not readily available to the public. Even with new
commitments to promote greater transparency, an enduring lack of
easy-to-use, data-retrieval technologies creates significant barriers to
accessibility. Moreover, the absence of a common data platform both
eliminates the opportunity for self-service and requires that each
request be treated as an ad hoc occurrence that can only be met with
a labor-intensive and inherently inefficient response.
The commitment develops and deploys an open data platform
comprised of: a data-cataloguing application (CKAN); a self-service
information portal utilizing Joomla as a content management system;
and a management application backend developed on IGRP. The
data-cataloguing application allows for labelling, data visualization,
research, and sharing. The self-service information portal contains
an initial page and a variety of electronic forms to guide user
interaction. The backend application provides a wealth of reporting,
system, and statistical panels.
How will the commitment
contribute to solve
the public problem?
The platform will expand access to data, bringing considerable
benefits to private citizens, businesses, and public administrators.
Doing so will increase transparency and efficiency while creating the
opportunity for self-service data retrieval. Greater access to open
data also enhances decision making, expands public knowledge, and
drives innovation. Why is the commitment
relevant to OGP values?
This commitment eases data-sharing expectations felt by many
public institutions while simultaneously encouraging citizen interest
and participation. Moreover, an open data platform will enable more
skilled observers (e.g. journalists, academics, etc.) to study relevant
data patterns, inform citizens, and shape public policies and actions.
The end result is a more transparent society in which all constituents
are more aware and feel empowered to participate.
Milestone activity with
a verifiable deliverable
July 2018 — October 2018
Develop
Information Portal
February 2019 — March 2019
Deploy & Introduce
Platform to Public
December 2018 — January 2019
Implement
Backend Application
October 2018 — November 2018
Develop
Data Dictionary
March 2019 — May 2019
Launch
Platform and Troubleshoot Contact information
for lead actor
Other actors involved
(Government)
Other actors involved
(Non-Government)
Aruna Pereira Handem
Senior Administrator
Operational Nucleus for Information Society (NOSI)
aruna.handem@nosi.cv
+238 260 7978
Djamilson Pinto
Executive Director
National Commission for Data Protection
djamicv@hotmail.com
Paltum
iSONE
SISP
BAI
Makeba
IRM Midterm Status Summary
3. Develop and Launch Open Data Platform
Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan:
“The commitment develops and deploys an open data platform comprised of: a data- cataloguing application (CKAN); a self-service information portal utilizing Joomla as a content management system; and a management application backend developed on IGRP. The data-cataloguing application allows for labelling, data visualization, research, and sharing. The self-service information portal contains an initial page and a variety of electronic forms to guide user interaction. The backend application provides a wealth of reporting, system, and statistical panels.”
Milestones:
- Develop Information Portal
- Develop Data Dictionary
- Implement Backend Application
- Deploy & Introduce Platform to Public
- Launch Platform and Troubleshoot
Start Date: July 2018
End Date: May 2019
Editorial Note: the commitment description provided above is an abridged version of the commitment text; please see the full action plan here.
Commitment Overview | Verifiability | OGP Value Relevance (as written) | Potential Impact | Completion | Did It Open Government? | ||||||||||||||
Not specific enough to be verifiable | Specific enough to be verifiable | Access to Information | Civic Participation | Public Accountability | Technology & Innovation for Transparency & Accountability | None | Minor | Moderate | Transformative | Not Started | Limited | Substantial | Completed | Worsened | Did Not Change | Marginal | Major | Outstanding | |
1. Overall | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Assessed at the end of action plan cycle. | Assessed at the end of action plan cycle. | |||||||||||||
Context and Objectives
As stated in the action plan, this commitment aims to expand access to data and increase transparency and efficiency while creating the opportunity for self-service data retrieval to enhance decision-making, expand public knowledge, and drive innovation.
The problem this commitment seeks to address is the need for an accessible, online, and common data platform to make public administration responses more efficient. Cabo Verde is one of Africa’s top 10 countries in terms of e-government, but it still ranks 112 out of 193 in the United Nations’ E-Government Survey 2018. [19] The country scores particularly low in the Telecommunication Infrastructure Index and in the Online Service Index. The latter refers to open government data, e-participation, multi-channel services and innovative partnerships through the use of ICTs. [20]
The Operational Nucleus for Information Society (NOSi) is the governing agency tasked with leading this commitment. NOSi has been involved in several projects to improve the efficiency of public administration in the sectors of finance, health, business, and education. Recent initiatives include the National Health Observatory, [21] launched in March 2018, which makes accessible geo-referenced health data. The data include information on mortality, the network of public health infrastructures, sanitation, services scope, and accessibility. The GOBAB-Open Government and SIMPLIMAC-Public Administration also aim to increase technological innovation in public administration, enhance information availability and transparency, and improve citizens’ engagement. GOBAB and SIMPLIMAC were financed by the European Commission under the cooperation program INTERREG MAC 2014–2020. [22]
The Information Portal is intended to house a wide range of government data, including public procurement and policy documents, reports, and administrative and fiscal forms in various formats, such as Excel files and PDFs. This could provide a significant boost to citizens’ access to information. According to Global Integrity’s 2020 Index, Cabo Verdeans do not have free or comprehensive access to public procurement information. Many budget and policy documents are not proactively published online. Citizen requests for information are not always honored, and responsiveness varies across institutions. [23] Aruna Pereira Handem, senior administrator at the Operational Nucleus for Information Society, states that the government intends to upload recent data in compliance with data protection rules in a user-friendly and sophisticated portal. The portal will be freely accessible to the public, which can also request data in specific formats. [24]
NOSi is responsible for developing the portal (milestone 1), implementing the backend (milestone 3), and administering the portal before and after the public launch (milestone 4 and 5). Public institutions are expected to gather, clean, and upload the data to the back office of the portal (milestone 3) and develop a data dictionary (milestone 2). Each institution is expected to designate a point person to load the data. Both milestones imply a joint effort of public institutions and their technical staff. The government is responsible for deploying and introducing the platform to the public (milestone 4) and for authorizing the portal’s launch (milestone 5). [25] Aruna Pereira Handem reports that the government needs to take leadership of this commitment to raise awareness in the public institutions of the need to collect data and upload data, to authorize the launch of the portal, and to set a clear timetable for all these stages. [26]
This commitment is relevant to the OGP value of access to information, as it seeks to allow citizens to access data that were not previously accessible due to their technical format. This commitment is also relevant to the OGP value of technology and innovation for openness and accountability, as it envisions developing technical tools for data sharing across government agencies at the disposal of citizens. The milestones are verifiable, as they call for developing and launching a platform, developing a data dictionary, and implementing a backend application. Though the commitment mentions that data from both government and private institutions will be made available, it does not specify the policy areas, the nature of data, or the period covered. Furthermore, there are no clear communication strategies to increase citizens’ access to information or to collect citizens’ input and feedback. Finally, the lack of leadership and decision-making in this commitment may compromise its potential impact.
This commitment is expected to have a potentially moderate impact on government practices around open data. Currently, Cabo Verdeans have limited access to information, there is no law allowing citizens to request public information from state bodies, and most public entities either don’t have a website or their websites are outdated. [27] Therefore, the development and deployment of a portal including data the government and private institutions generate could help mitigate the barriers to accessibility and increase transparency and accountability. If fully implemented as written, this commitment could result in notable achievements toward open data for the public and information sharing across government agencies.
Two factors limit this commitment’s likelihood to facilitate transformative change. First, implementation of the platform without a supporting legal framework, through an access to information law, inhibits the government’s ability to enforce ongoing data disclosure. Second, previous experience in the Africa region demonstrates that the creation of an open data platform alone is not sufficient to address an organizational culture not accustomed to transparency. It is important to complement open data tools with activities that address government culture around information sharing, such as training public servants on the importance of access to information. Undertaking a sensitization campaign on the right to information within and outside government is just one of many entry points for civil society to assist in the implementation of this commitment.
Next steps
The IRM researcher recommends the following measures to increase the potential of the commitment:
- Convene a multistakeholder group with both government and civil society representatives to oversee implementation.
- Consult with the public and civil society to determine the content, scope, and format of data to make public and give priority to.
- Partner with civil society to test the usability of the portal and conduct public outreach to increase citizens’ knowledge and use of the portal.
- Define a clear timetable for the launch of the portal, and design a communication strategy.
- Work with civil society to consider how this commitment can be adapted to the COVID-19 context. See the Open Gov Guide to Open Data for suggestions and examples. [28]
IRM End of Term Status Summary
Compromiso 1. Transparencia y rendición de cuentas en los proyectos que desarrollan las Juntas de Educación
● Verificable: Sí
● ¿Tiene una visión de gobierno abierto? Si, relevante para acceso a la información, participación ciudadana
● Potencial para obtener resultados: Menor
● Cumplimiento: Limitado
● ¿Abrió el Gobierno? Marginal
Las acciones de implementación de este compromiso se vieron afectadas por varios de los riesgos señalados en el Informe de Diseño 2019-2021, según el cual el compromiso se centró en el desarrollo de la plataforma electrónica y no contempló aspectos como la gobernanza de los datos, la sostenibilidad del sistema, la falta de capacitación de quienes integran las Juntas y su disposición y posibilidad de publicar información detallada sobre su operación.
El Ministerio de Educación, institución implementadora, creó la página electrónica del SigMep [1] para publicar información georreferenciada de todas las Juntas de Educación del país. Estas se indican mediante su ubicación en un mapa de Costa Rica que al ampliarse muestra el presidente de cada Junta y el total de transferencias acumulado al cerrar el período anterior (junio de 2020 [2]), entre otros datos [3]. Esta información no incluía la totalidad del dinero administrado por las Juntas, datos sobre el uso dado a esos recursos, su nivel de ejecución, los proyectos implementados o iniciados ni su avance, necesario para llamar a rendir cuentas a las Juntas. La página no permite descargar los datos para ser analizados y la información no está en formatos abiertos, características que pretendía el compromiso.
El Índice de Gestión de Juntas no llego a desarrollarse ni fue posible implementar los talleres “diálogos estudiantiles”, debido a que se perdió la presencialidad por la pandemia por la COVID-19 y se priorizó la capacitación y divulgación en temas de salud y prevención [4].
Sí se cumplió con la publicación en el portal de transparencia institucional [5] del listado de socios estratégicos cooperantes públicos, privados y de sociedad civil que están realizando proyectos en el sector de educación. También se aplicó una encuesta [6] a las Juntas mediante correo electrónico para identificar las principales necesidades de conocimiento y los riesgos generados por la falta de capacitación, para priorizarlos entre los temas a abordar en el Plan Anual de Capacitación.
Los hitos implementados contribuyeron a aumentar la disponibilidad de información pública sobre las Juntas de Educación y parte de los fondos que manejan, pero no ayudaron a cambiar su forma de gestionar los recursos, no ha contribuido a mejorar su operación ni el acceso a datos para llamarlas a rendir cuentas. Tampoco hizo más participativos sus procesos de toma de decisiones, que ya cuentan con participación de los ciudadanos que de forma ad honorem integran las Juntas.