Create and Enable an Open Data Category for Publishing and Updating Institutional Information (CRCDT0005)

Commitment ID

CRCDT0005

Commitment Title

Create and enable an Open Data category on the municipal website to ensure the publication, updating, and public access to institutional information in accordance with current regulations.

Problem

The Municipality of Curridabat faces limitations in the availability, accessibility, and standardization of municipal public information, which hinders the effective exercise of the right of access to information, accountability, and informed citizen participation. Currently, relevant data on administrative, budgetary, environmental, and municipal services management is not centralized or published in open formats, creating barriers to its consultation, reuse, and oversight by the community, academic sectors, and private actors. This situation reduces institutional transparency, limits citizen control over municipal processes, and affects the population's ability to actively participate in public decision-making. Implementing a specific category of Open Data will make it possible to correct these gaps and strengthen trust and collaboration between the Municipality and citizens.

Status quo

1. Diagnosis and Previous Limitations
Previously, the municipality's transparency section faced serious structural limitations. The previous web platform (based on pre-designed WordPress templates) had a rigid design that did not allow for significant modifications.
This lack of flexibility meant that information had to be published in a very summarized or "concise" form, since the system wasn't designed to handle large volumes of documents or present complex data in a user-friendly way. The tool limited the content.

2. Solution Strategy: Custom Development
To solve this problem at its root, a change in technological strategy was chosen. The use of generic templates was abandoned, and the website was developed from scratch (custom programming).
This approach allowed the page structure to be designed based on the data that needed to be displayed, rather than the other way around. Having complete control over the design and functionality made it possible to create specific spaces for each type of public document, ensuring that the platform adapted to the institution's transparency needs.

3. Current Situation: Information Ecosystem
Thanks to this re-engineering, the new section has been transformed into a comprehensive repository of public information. The current platform allows for the organized viewing and access of 12 strategic modules that were previously difficult to integrate:
Legal Framework: Sections dedicated to consulting municipal laws and regulations .
Purchasing Management: Direct access to the SICOP system for the oversight of contracts.
Institutional Planning: Detailed breakdown of the municipal roadmap through the Government Plan , the long-term Strategic Plan , and the annual Operational Plan .
Financial Transparency: Specific modules for consulting the Budget and accounting Financial Reports .
Accountability: Clear visualization of the Organizational Structure and access to annual Work Reports .
Territorial Planning: Access to the regulations of the Regulatory Plan .
Innovation: A new section for Research and Development ( R&D ) projects.

4. Conclusion
The transition from a rigid template to in-house development has been fundamental. It has enabled a shift from limited data publication to robust information management. The current 12-module structure demonstrates that technology now effectively serves the institution's purpose: to offer citizens complete, organized, and transparent access to municipal management.

Action

The commitment consists of implementing a specific Open Data category on the Curridabat Municipality website for the publication, continuous updating, and free access to municipal information, in accordance with current standards and regulations on transparency and open government. This action involves the identification, systematization, and opening of relevant data on administrative, budgetary, territorial, environmental, and municipal services management, using reusable and easy-to-understand formats.

The expected results include:
The creation of an official, accessible, and updated repository of municipal data.
Improved institutional transparency and accountability.
Strengthening citizen participation through reliable and timely information.
Promoting innovation and analysis by citizens, academia, and the private sector.

The overall objective is to consolidate a permanent mechanism for public access to municipal information that facilitates social control and encourages collaboration between the Municipality and the community.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?

The implementation of a specific category of Open Data on the municipal website directly contributes to overcoming current barriers to access, fragmentation, and lack of standardization of public information. By consolidating an official, accessible, and updated repository, more favorable conditions for exercising the right of access to information are guaranteed, active transparency is strengthened, and accountability to citizens is facilitated.

This commitment generates tangible results by organizing, publishing, and maintaining municipal data in open and reusable formats, allowing the population, social organizations, academia, and the private sector to consult, analyze, and use the information in an agile and reliable manner. In addition, it promotes informed citizen participation and enables the creation of tools, research, or projects based on verified municipal information.

Expected results and outputs:
Creation and enablement of the Open Data category on the municipal website.
Initial publication of a prioritized set of institutional data.
Regular and sustained updating of the repository.
Improved transparency, institutional trust, and citizen control.

Greater availability of data for research, innovation, and decision-making.

What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?

This commitment is directly linked to the long-term objective set out in the Strategic Vision for Open Government, which aims to consolidate transparent, accessible, and citizen-centered municipal public management. The creation of a specific Open Data category on the municipal website helps to strengthen active transparency as a fundamental pillar of Open Government, ensuring that public information is disseminated proactively, in a standardized manner, and in reusable formats.

This commitment also responds to the strategic goal of promoting an institutional culture based on accountability and informed participation, making it easier for citizens to exercise social control over municipal management and participate in decision-making with clear, verifiable, and up-to-date information. This represents a step toward a more inclusive, collaborative, and efficient model of governance that fosters trust between the municipality and the community and lays the foundation for public innovation and continuous improvement in the medium and long term.

Primary Policy Area

Digital Governance, Open Data, Other/NA

Primary Sector

Media and Telecommunications, Public Services (general)

What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?