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Denmark

“Open Data Innovation Strategy” (ODIS) (DK0045)

Overview

At-a-Glance

Action Plan: Denmark Action Plan 2013-2014

Action Plan Cycle: 2014

Status: Inactive

Institutions

Lead Institution: NA

Support Institution(s): NA

Policy Areas

Capacity Building, Open Data

IRM Review

IRM Report: Denmark End-of-Term Report 2014-2016, Denmark IRM Progress Report 2014-2015

Starred: No

Early Results: Marginal

Design i

Verifiable: No

Relevant to OGP Values: Access to Information

Potential Impact:

Implementation i

Completion:

Description

In order to support the comprehensive effort to make public sector information accessible, the initiative known as “Open Data Innovation Strategy” is to contribute to drawing attention to the potential of public data and to making public data accessible. This is to be achieved, among other things, by assisting public authorities and institutions with guidance in the effort to make data available and by providing guidance on the legislation governing the area.
The initiative is, furthermore, to operate the public data catalogue, facilitate exchange of lessons learned, promote networking and collaboration between the public and private sectors that will re-use data, as well as document good examples of open data and the application of open data.

IRM End of Term Status Summary

Commitments 12 and 13: Open Data

Commitment 12. “Open Data Innovation Strategy” (ODIS)

Commitment Text:

In order to support the comprehensive effort to make public sector information accessible, the initiative known as “Open Data Innovation Strategy” is to contribute to drawing attention to the potential of public data and to making public data accessible. This is to be achieved, among other things, by assisting public authorities and institutions with guidance in the effort to make data available and by providing guidance on the legislation governing the area.

The initiative is, furthermore, to operate the public data catalogue, facilitate exchange of lessons learned, promote networking and collaboration between the public and private sectors that will re-use data, as well as document good examples of open data and the application of open data.

Commitment 13. Data Distributor for the distribution of basic data 

Commitment Text:

Up to 2016, the basic data registers will be consolidated in a common system a so called “Data Distributor”, which both public and private users of basic data will have the opportunity to benefit from. All common public sector basic data are to be distributed through the Data Distributor, which in the long term will be able to hold other public data than basic data.

Various dialogue and network activities regarding basic data are, furthermore, to contribute to encouraging authorities and companies to make use of the improved and free basic data, and to developing partnerships between public and private actors on the application of basic data.

Responsible institution: None specified

Supporting institution(s): None specified

Start date: Not specified              End date: Not specified

Commitment Aim:

Both commitments were a part of the first action plan and of Denmark’s national eGovernment Strategy for 2011-2015.[Note 45: Open Data Innovation Strategy (ODIS), AFD, http://www.digst.dk/Servicemenu/English/Policy-and-Strategy/Open-Data-Innovation-Strategy-ODIS]

Commitment 12 aims to draw attention to the potential of public data and to make public data accessible.

Commitment 13 aims to consolidate the dissemination of public data basic through an online data portal system called “Data Distributor.” The government expected to launch a trial period of the data distributor to test its technical capabilities by the end of 2015, and planned to facilitate dialogue between various public and private users of the public data. All information regarding the schedule and advancement of the project can be found in Danish on the website http://www.datafordeler.dk.

Status

Commitment 12:

Mid-term: Complete

The government executed a series of actions to revise the Danish legal framework on open data and to promote it, fulfilling the commitment completely. The mid-term self-assessment report states that the government was able to carry out the transposition of a revised Public Sector Information (PSI) Directive through an amendment to the PSI Act approved by Parliament on 27 May 2014. Government officials as well as representatives from civil society organizations, associations, academia and media provided input during an online consultation - responses can be found online.[Note 46: Hearing material on the PSI Act revision, https://hoeringsportalen.dk/Hearing/Details/17367] The amendment came into force on 1 July 2014 and the government led awareness-raising campaigns on the new legislation.[Note 47: Better possibilities for reuse of public data, AFD, http://www.digst.dk/Servicemenu/Nyheder/ Nyhedsarkiv/Digitaliseringsstyrelsen/2014/Bedre-mulighed-for-genbrug-af-offentlig-data.aspx] For further information, please see the mid-term IRM progress report.[Note 48: Denmark IRM mid-term report 2014-15, http://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/01/Denmark_IRM%20Progress%20Report%202014-15_Final_eng.pdf]

Commitment 13:

Mid-term: Substantial

At mid-term, the data distributor was in a phase preparing for public beta access to the data. The IRM progress report found that all relevant milestones had been met, but also found that full-scale implementation of the data distributor had been postponed until 2017. For further information, please see the mid-term IRM progress report.[Note 49: Denmark IRM mid-term report 2014-15, http://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/01/Denmark_IRM%20Progress%20Report%202014-15_Final_eng.pdf]

End of term: Substantial

At the time of writing, no notable progress had been made in implementing Commitment #13. The data distributor was still in a public beta phase, but meetings about it were scheduled for September and October 2016.[Note 50: The Data Distributor invites to dialogue meetings, The Data Distributor, http://datafordeler.dk/nyheder/datafordeleren-inviterer-til-dialogarrangementer/] A development timeline for the data distributor, updated in September 2016, showed delays for registries pertaining to taxation and addresses in Denmark, but gave no explanation for the delay or revised timeline.

Did it open government?

Commitment 12:

Access to information: Marginal

The Open Data Innovation Strategy (ODIS) is an initiative that predates the second Danish action plan. Responses to the revision of the PSI Act, approved by parliament in May 2014, were predominantly positive – they applauded the government’s positive attitude towards open data.

The PSI Act itself lays the foundation for public offices to use or facilitate the use and reuse of public data. This alone, however, does not ensure openness or transparency in public offices. Therefore, the “did it open government?” question is coded as a marginal improvement, when looking at the PSI Act as part of a larger effort to change Denmark’s bureaucratic culture and to open government.

Commitment 13:

Access to information: Did not change

The online data distributor portal can increase access to data, but cannot guarantee it. Nor does the data distributor provide access to data that is not already publicly available - it does not have a public-facing citizen interface, and therefore it does not offer access to information in an easy way. Currently, it is probably easier to find information via a freedom of information search or find it elsewhere on government websites than on the portal, which must thus be seen primarily as a technical tool that does not open government.

Carried forward?

Commitment #12 was fully implemented. Stakeholders stressed in the IRM midterm report that the PSI Act should be implemented in accordance with other laws governing information dispersal including copyright, privacy, data protection, etc. They also pointed out that implementation should involve a fair administrative burden, balancing for instance the release of specific information against the workload increase to the relevant official.

It is unknown whether Commitment #13 will be carried forward into the third action plan, but if it is, the IRM researcher recommends adding public data registers to the data distributor online portal so that further government held information is available to the public.

Commitments

  1. Open Data for Citizens and Media

    DK0050, 2017, E-Government

  2. Data Registers on a Shared Public Distribution Platform

    DK0051, 2017, E-Government

  3. Information Portal for Day-Care Facilities

    DK0052, 2017, E-Government

  4. Open Data and Smart City Forum

    DK0053, 2017, Capacity Building

  5. Open Data DK

    DK0054, 2017, Capacity Building

  6. Overview of Own Cases and Benefits

    DK0055, 2017, E-Government

  7. Nationwide Deployment of Telemedicine

    DK0056, 2017, E-Government

  8. My Log

    DK0057, 2017, E-Government

  9. Civil Society National Strategy

    DK0058, 2017, Marginalized Communities

  10. Report a Rule

    DK0059, 2017, E-Government

  11. OGP Forum

    DK0060, 2017, OGP

  12. Denmark’S Country Program for Uganda

    DK0061, 2017, Aid

  13. The 18Th International Anti-Corruption Conference

    DK0062, 2017, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  14. IATI (International Aid Transparency Initiative)

    DK0063, 2017, Aid

  15. Service Check of Local Government Consultations

    DK0034, 2014, Public Participation

  16. Call on All Municipalities to Facilitate Advance Voting

    DK0035, 2014, Marginalized Communities

  17. Letter of Invitation to First-Time Voters Urging Them to Vote

    DK0036, 2014, Marginalized Communities

  18. User Friendliness Requirements Regarding Digital Self-Service Solutions

    DK0037, 2014, Capacity Building

  19. Plan for Inclusion During the Transition to Digital Communication

    DK0038, 2014, Capacity Building

  20. Common Public Sector Digital Communication Campaign

    DK0039, 2014, Capacity Building

  21. Principles for Collaboration on the Modernisation of the Public Sector as Well as the Establishment of a Centre for Public Innovation

    DK0040, 2014, Capacity Building

  22. “Free Municipality” Pilot Projects

    DK0041, 2014, Subnational

  23. Recommendations from Growth Teams

    DK0042, 2014, Private Sector

  24. Strategy for Digital Welfare

    DK0043, 2014, E-Government

  25. Implementation of a New Charter for Interaction Between Volunteer Denmark/Associations Denmark and the Public Sector

    DK0044, 2014, Civic Space

  26. “Open Data Innovation Strategy” (ODIS)

    DK0045, 2014, Capacity Building

  27. Data Distributor for the Distribution of Basic Data

    DK0046, 2014, Open Data

  28. Open Government Camp 2014

    DK0047, 2014, Capacity Building

  29. Open Government Assistance to Myanmar

    DK0048, 2014, Aid

  30. Opening Key Public Datasets

    DK0049, 2014, Capacity Building

  31. Online Open Government Partnership Community

    DK0001, 2012, E-Government

  32. Online OGP Handbook for Public Authorities and Institutions

    DK0002, 2012, E-Government

  33. Starred commitment Management Labs and New Forms of Co-Operation

    DK0003, 2012, Public Participation

  34. Consultation and Transparency of Development Aid Programmes: Design Aid Programmes

    DK0004, 2012, Aid

  35. Innovate with Aarhus

    DK0005, 2012, Capacity Building

  36. Citizen Self-Services: Increasing the Use of User Ratings in the Citizen’s Port Borger.Dk

    DK0006, 2012, E-Government

  37. Open Government Camp

    DK0007, 2012, OGP

  38. Renewed Effort for Open Government Data

    DK0008, 2012, E-Government

  39. Regional Initiative on Open Data

    DK0009, 2012, Open Data

  40. Reuse of Open Source Software in the Public Sector

    DK0010, 2012, E-Government

  41. Citizen Self-Services: Binding Guidelines for Self-Service Solutions

    DK0011, 2012, Capacity Building

  42. Citizen Self-Services: Guidance and Information on Accessibility to Digital Solutions

    DK0012, 2012, E-Government

  43. Citizen Self-Services: Peer-To-Peer Learning Programmes to Help Citizens Use Digital Self-Service

    DK0013, 2012, Capacity Building

  44. Citizen Self-Services: Location-Based Content and Re-Use of Content in Borger.Dk

    DK0014, 2012, E-Government

  45. Less Reporting Through Increased Re-Use of Key Data

    DK0015, 2012, E-Government

  46. Mypage” for Businesses

    DK0016, 2012, E-Government

  47. Companies to Be “Born Digitally”

    DK0017, 2012, E-Government

  48. Creating a Mediation and Complaints Institution for Responsible Business Behaviour

    DK0018, 2012, Human Rights

  49. International Human Rights Conference

    DK0019, 2012, Human Rights

  50. Promote Social Responsibility in the Fashion Business

    DK0020, 2012, Private Sector

  51. Reporting on Human Rights and the Climate

    DK0021, 2012, Human Rights

  52. Country by Country Reporting in the Extractive and Forestry Industries

    DK0022, 2012, Extractive Industries

  53. Legislative Principles for the Digital Age

    DK0023, 2012, Legislature

  54. Consolidated Key Data

    DK0024, 2012, E-Government

  55. App Store for Digital Learning Resources

    DK0025, 2012, E-Government

  56. Starred commitment Preparing a Digital Reform of the Public Welfare Areas

    DK0026, 2012, E-Government

  57. Consultation and Transparency of Development Aid Programmes: Transparency in Aid

    DK0027, 2012, Aid

  58. Tracking Progress of Universities’ Transition to Digital-Only Administrative Communication

    DK0028, 2012, Education

  59. Disclosure of Status Reporting From the National IT Project Council

    DK0029, 2012, E-Government

  60. Overview of Public ICT Architecture

    DK0030, 2012, E-Government

  61. Publication of Educational Materials on the Government’s ICT Project Model

    DK0031, 2012, Capacity Building

  62. Smart Aarhus and Smart Region: Smart Aarhus

    DK0032, 2012, E-Government

  63. Smart Aarhus and Smart Region: Smart Region

    DK0033, 2012, E-Government