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Denmark

Open data for citizens and media (DK0050)

Overview

At-a-Glance

Action Plan: Denmark Action Plan 2017-2019

Action Plan Cycle: 2017

Status: Active

Institutions

Lead Institution: The Danish National Archives

Support Institution(s): NA

Policy Areas

E-Government, OGP, Open Data, Records Management

IRM Review

IRM Report: Denmark Design Report 2017–2019

Starred: No

Early Results: Pending IRM Review

Design i

Verifiable: No

Relevant to OGP Values: Access to Information Technology

Potential Impact:

Implementation i

Completion:

Description

What is the public problem that the commitment will address?: The Danish National Archives has a vast collection of documents and data of historical interest. It is necessary for citizens and media to know about and be able to use this resource, which has unique potential in terms of providing insight into the public administration.; What is the commitment?: The Danish National Archives will in dialogue with OGP stakeholders (potential users and specialists) select 10 data sets (archive versions) within specific social themes (labour market, environment, traffic, energy supply, health, etc.). These data sets will be made searchable and ready for download by means of a publicly accessible data catalogue. On its website, http://www.sa.dk, the Danish National Archives will present itself as a contributor to the national OGP-effort and create an ‘inspiration page’ to support the citizens’ and media’s active use of open, public data within the selected themes. The Danish National Archives will also offer its users a guide on the practical use of data. The Danish National Archives will mark the launch of the data and inspiration page with a short video presenting the OGP objectives and demonstrating open data in active use, based on available data and the inspiration page.; How will the commitment Contribute to solve the public problem?: With this commitment, the Danish National Archives will contribute to making more data searchable and accessible online and ensure that data is not only made available to the citizens and media but is also used, since active use is instrumental to creating the intended openness of the public administration.; Why is this commitment relevant to OGP values?: The commitment will contribute to making more historically relevant information available online and will thus be relevant to OGP values on openness and transparency.

IRM Midterm Status Summary

Commitment 1: More open data for citizens and media

Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan:

"The Danish National Archives will, in dialogue with OGP stakeholders (potential users and competent persons) select 10 data sets (archive versions) within certain social themes (labour market, environment, traffic, energy supply, health, etc.) This data will be made searchable and ready for download, by means of a publicly available data catalogue.

On its website http://www.sa.dk, the Danish National Archives will present itself as a contributor to the national OGP initiative and create an "inspiration page" to support the active use of open public data by citizens and media within the selected themes. The Danish National Archives will also be offering instruction to users in relation to the specific use of data. The Danish National Archives will mark the launch of the data and inspiration page with a short video that will present the OGP objective and will demonstrate open data in active use, based on accessible data and the inspiration site."

Milestones:

1.1 Selection of ten data sets in dialogue with stakeholders

1.2 Clarification of needs in relation to IT support for searches and accessibility in a freely available data catalogue

1.3 Publication of data in a freely available data catalogue

1.4 Presentation of OGP initiative on the Danish National Archives website, including setting up a page as inspiration for the use of data

1.5 Production of presentation video of the Danish National Archives OGP initiative

Start Date: 1 August 2017

End Date: 1 June 2019

Editorial note: For the full text of this commitment, see "The Danish OGP National Action Plan 2017–2019," Danish Agency for Digitisation, https://en.digst.dk/policy-and-strategy/open-government/open-government-partnership-ogp-action-plan/, p. 8.

Context and Objectives

The National Archives possesses a wealth of data on various social issues (e.g., labour market, environment, traffic, energy supply, health). This information previously has been inaccessible to the public and media due to issues of personal security and confidentiality, and accessibility laws. The commitment aims to improve citizens' and the media's access to a specific collection of documents and data of historical significance and to peak their curiosity towards this information. Towards this goal, the National Archives proposed to select 10 datasets within specific themes, in coordination with OGP stakeholders. It also planned to clarify the information technology needs for easy data catalogue searches. Finally, the National Archives intended to publish data and present the initiative on its website, including a video to support a user-friendly experience.

The commitment emphasises open and transparent data collection and therefore supports the OGP value of access to information. With the ambition of producing a data catalogue for the website, a video, and an inspiration site to boost the public's use of the open data catalogue, the commitment also supports the OGP values of inclusion, technology, and innovation.

The National Archives considered the initiative's inclusion in the action plan a strategically important way to shape the agenda on open government. It is particularly important for an institution rarely at the forefront of the national debate. According to the National Archives, this initiative stands as an example of self-motivation, as Denmark's OGP action plan encouraged more work on open government within the administration. The National Archives representative suggested to the IRM researcher that a revision of the National Archives Act would help reduce the amount of time (20 years) required before certain documents become publicly available. The representative also stated that the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has limited the amount of data the Archives can make available to the public.[Note : Anne Sofie Fink Kjeldgaard (National Archives), interview by IRM researcher, 30 October 2018; and "Bekendtgørelse af Arkivloven," Retsinformation, https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2016/1201. ]

The IRM researcher considers this commitment verifiable in that most of the milestones are concrete (e.g., selection of 10 datasets, publication of presentation video). Milestone 1.2 on "clarification of needs in relation to IT support" seems less specific compared to the others. Successful implementation will depend on the amount of data that is released and how useful the presentation video is to the general public.

Regarding potential impact, this commitment will have a moderate effect. It may open government to citizens and media and allow for historically significant information to be more accessible than previously. The National Archives chose the10 datasets in dialogue with OGP stakeholders (potential users and specialists) within specific themes (e.g., labour market, environment, energy). Through the online availability of these datasets, the Archives seeks to increase public access to national history, not ensure direct policy implications. The commitment's use of technology and innovation in connection with government data could have a positive impact on data access. However, the Archives would need to engage in dissemination efforts for the general public to become aware of the datasets' existence.

Next steps

The IRM researcher recommends that the commitment be prioritised and continued in the next action plan. Specifically, the IRM research recommends that:

· A dissemination and communication campaign be prepared to make the general public aware of how to access historical data through the National Archives' inspiration webpage and presentation video;

· A video course be developed, in line with the presentation video, to be shared with universities across Denmark, thereby engaging students who have an interest in open government in OGP;

· A user survey be produced, drawing out potential data catalogue users (from the public or media) and examining how the choice of datasets works and if information is easily accessible;

· The number of datasets be expanded if stakeholders agree that the publication of the first 10 has been successful and useful; and

· A commitment be established in the next action plan regarding the GDPR and its effect on open government in Denmark; the commitment can also address current Danish accessibility laws that require 20 years to pass before certain sensitive documents can be released.

Denmark's 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