Publicly Accessible Databases (IL0032)

What is the public problem that the commitment will address?
With the objectives of encouraging the assimilation of innovation in the public sector and in public services, of promoting a policy of Open Government, and of encouraging the use, reprocessing and development of government information by the public and for public benefit, the Israeli government is committed to making all government databases publicly accessible, provided that their publication does not contain identifiable information, and provided that there is no obstacle to their publication by law or due to additional relevant considerations, and while taking into account privacy protection of personal information, information security, etc.
Today, a great deal of government information is being publicized, but in different formats and on diverse websites. Other government information has not yet been publicized. In order to promote transparency and accountability to the public, the commitment changes the default – all of the government databases need to be open, apart from instances when there is a legal obstacle to doing so. The government undertakes to publish the databases on a central website (data.gov.il), in formats enabling free downloading and processing, under an open usage license. What is the commitment?
- Mapping of all government databases
- Making all databases publicly accessible by 2022
- Annual plans for making databases publicly accessible
- Annual report of the implementation of making databases publicly accessible
- Processes of consulting with the public
- Formulating a policy about public entities making databases public accessible
- Creating a performance indicator for implementation of the resolution.
How will the commitment he public contribute to solve tproblem?
The government resolution requires all government ministries to make their databases publicly accessible. To this end, the ministries are mapping all of their databases so that it will be possible to analyze their importance to the public. The public is being given an opportunity to express its position about the order of priorities relative to making databases publicly accessible, and the ministries are obligated to consider the public’s opinion when building action plans for making them publicly accessible. The action plans enable the Government ICT Authority and the Steering Committee for Implementing the Resolution to monitor the progress in implementing the resolution. The Government ICT Authority and the Steering Committee for Implementing the Resolution will allocate budgets to ministries to help implement the resolution, and a policy will be defined in relation to public entities (government companies, local authorities, etc.) to which the government resolution does not apply. The performance indicator for implementation of the resolution will report to the public about the ministries’ progress in implementing the resolution and will encourage expansion of activities to make information publicly accessible.
Why is this commitment relevant to OGP values?
Making databases publicly accessible increases transparency and enables data-based accountability. Processes of civic participation are included in this commitment.
Additional information
- Implementation budget: about NIS 16 million for 2018 – 2019
- Link to a government-wide strategy: Government Resolution No. 1933 of 30.8.2017 regarding improvement of the transfer of government information and making government databases publicly accessible, and Government Resolution No. 4515 of 01.04.2012 regarding Israel’s joining the OGP and the appointment of the Israeli Open Government Forum.
Milestone Activity with a verifiable deliverable: Mapping all the databases in government ministries and support units*
1/1/2017*
31/12/2017*
Submitting a multi-year plan for making all databases publicly accessible by 2022* (at least 80% of government ministries and units have submitted multi-year work plans for making all databases publicly accessible)
1/1/2017*
31/12/2017*
Publishing work plans for public comments
1/1/2018
31/2/2018
Adjusting work plans according to the public comments
31/1/2018
31/5/2017
Allocating resources to government ministries to encourage accessibility*
Annual*
31/12/2018
31/12/2019
Publishing an annual report about those databases that were made publicly
Annual*
31/3/2018
31/3/2019
accessible during the past year on data.gov.il and a report on usage of the databases*
Creating a performance indicator for implementing the resolution, including reference to standards for open information and to the quality of the databases
30/09/2017
31/03/2018
Creating a mechanism enabling citizens to provide feedback on the databases and to request new databases with an SLA
01/01/2018
30/06/2018
Defining an anonymization /privacy protection policy when making databases publicly accessible
30/09/2017
30/06/2018 Preparing a background document for formulating a policy about public entities making databases publicly accessible
31/03/2018
30/06/2018 Formulating a policy document on the subject of public entities making databases publicly accessible
30/6/2019

10. Making databases publicly accessible

Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan: [30]

With the objectives of encouraging the assimilation of innovation in the public sector and in public services, of promoting a policy of Open Government, and of encouraging the use, reprocessing and development of government information by the public and for public benefit, the Israeli government is committed to making all government databases publicly accessible, provided that their publication does not contain identifiable information, and provided that there is no obstacle to their publication by law or due to additional relevant considerations, and while taking into account privacy protection of personal information, information security, etc. Today, a great deal of government information is being publicized, but in different formats and on diverse websites. Other government information has not yet been publicized. In order to promote transparency and accountability to the public, the commitment changes the default – all of the government databases need to be open, apart from instances when there is a legal obstacle to doing so. The government undertakes to publish the databases on a central website (data.gov.il), in formats enabling free downloading and processing, under an open usage license.

The commitment includes the following steps:

• Mapping of all government databases
• Making all databases publicly accessible by 2022
• Annual plans for making databases publicly accessible 39
• Annual report of the implementation of making databases publicly accessible
• Processes of consulting with the public
• Formulating a policy about public entities making databases public accessible
• Creating a performance indicator for implementation of the resolution.

Milestones

10.1 Mapping all the databases in government ministries and support units*

10.2 Submitting a multiyear plan for making all databases publicly accessible by 2022* (at least 80% of government ministries and units have submitted multi-year work plans for making all databases publicly accessible)

10.3 Publishing work plans for public comments

10.4 Adjusting work plans according to the public comments

10.5 Allocating resources to government ministries to encourage accessibility*

10.6 Publishing an annual report about those databases that were made publicly accessible during the past year on data.gov.il and a report on usage of the databases*

10.7 Creating a performance indicator for implementing the resolution, including reference to standards for open information and to the quality of the databases

10.8 Creating a mechanism enabling citizens to provide feedback on the databases and to request new databases with an SLA

10.9 Defining an anonymization/privacy protection policy when making databases publicly accessible

10.10 Preparing a background document for formulating a policy about public entities making databases publicly accessible

10.11 Formulating a policy document on the subject of public entities making databases publicly accessible

* As per Government Resolution No. 1933 of 30.8.2016.

Start Date: January 2017

End date: June 2019

Context and Objectives

Data.gov websites have been a hallmark of the information and transparency revolution in several countries. Israel launched data.gov.il in May 2012, but the use of the website and the volume of databases presented in it remained limited. This was partly due to lack of enthusiasm among the ministries to open up their databases and also due to technical problems. [31] In August 2016, the government adopted a more ambitious resolution committing to open up all government databases that do not raise privacy, national security, or similar concerns. [32] This program also included for the first time a commitment to allocate budgeting for ministries to help them carry out this effort.

This commitment primarily aims to implement this 2016 resolution. Most of its milestones (mapping, planning, allocating resources, creating indicators, defining policies, etc.) are preparatory steps that are required (according to the commitment framers) to implement the government resolution. In the course of preparing to publicize the databases, public participation components are included, such as receiving public comments and adjusting the program accordingly (milestones 10.3 and 10.4) and creating tools for citizen feedback (milestone 10.8).

The goal of this commitment is easily verifiable by examining the databases that will be presented to the public. Some of the milestones are less verifiable (such as “adjusting work plans” or “creating a mechanism to . . .” However, this is not a major limitation, as some of these milestones do not present major stages in this project’s implementation.

It should be noted that this commitment, as written, does not commit the government to a certain format that would facilitate easier and more widespread use of these databases. As mentioned above, it focuses on the activities surrounding the core of a data website. Nevertheless, it does address two major obstacles to full and proactive disclosure of large amounts of information—allocating budget to create a sophisticated, easily searchable, and navigable site along with providing the means to deal with privacy concerns. If it will indeed create solutions in these two fields, to allow large-scale publications to follow, it could have a moderate impact on improving access to information.

Next steps

Moving forward, the IRM researchers recommend setting more specific objectives, such as providing the number of databases to be released each year until the goal of full disclosure is achieved and the databases’ formats. It is also recommended that the government consider creating tools to help citizens understand different databases and how to utilize them.