Re-Use of Public Sector Information (PSI) (NO0040)

The Norwegian public administration is working hard to release the potential of PSI. All
subordinate agencies are required by common instructions provided by the
government to make suitable and existing accessible data publicly available.

1. All state enterprises are required to make public data available so that it can be
used by others, i.e. published electronically in a user-friendly format.
2. The government has recently published a call for tender for a case-based, socio-economic analysis of the availability of public geospatial data in Norway. The aim
of the analysis is to identify alternative ways of facilitating the publication of
spatial data in comparison with the current situation. The analysis should
determine which option provides the best overall economic solution. The study
should be ready by Q2 2014.

5. Re-use of public sector information (PSI)

Commitment Text:

[…]

COMMITMENT DESCRIPTION
1. All state enterprises are required to make public data available so that it can be used by others, i.e. published electronically in a user-friendly format.

2. The government has recently published a call for tender for a case-based, socio-economic analysis of the availability of public geospatial data in Norway. The aim of the analysis is to identify alternative ways of facilitating the publication of spatial data in comparison with the current situation. The analysis should determine which option provides the best overall economic solution. The study should be ready by Q2 2014.

Responsible institution: Ministry of Government Administration, Reform and Church Affairs

Supporting institution(s): None

Start date: Ongoing           End date:  Ongoing (July 2014 for public release of analysis)

Editorial note: The text of the commitments was abridged for formatting reasons. For the full text of the commitment, please see http://bit.ly/1QlVIja.

Policy Aim

According to the Norwegian government’s self-assessment of action plan implementation, the first component of this commitment is to increase access to public information from several social sectors, thereby increasing effective public administration, facilitating innovation, and improving public accountability. According to the same self-assessment, the second component, which entails contracting a scoping study on alternative mechanisms to publish geo-spatial data, is aimed at understanding the socio-economic benefits that might be achieved by publishing that data free of charge. This objective is founded on the presumption that geodata is widely re-used by third-party application developers and service providers. The results of the study would presumably provide the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation (KMD) with justification for pursuing the publication of geodata free of charge.

Status

Mid-term: Substantial
Regarding the first milestone, the government held a hearing on the implementation of the European Commission Directive on the Re-use of Public Sector Data and was reviewing submissions to that consultation. It had also initiated an evaluation process of the Norwegian Public Data Licensing System. In fulfillment of the second milestone, the analysis of the availability of public geospatial data in Norway was received and was under consideration.

End-of-term: Substantial
The commitment’s first milestone (“All state enterprises are required to make public data available”) is difficult to evaluate given that “state enterprises,” “data,” and “make public” are not defined. Moreover, despite the fact that there has been a significant increase in the publication of public sector data on open licenses in recent years (the national open data portal hosts data sets from 82 public agencies^{[Note 31: ”Data.norge.no,” Agency for Public Management and eGovernment, accessed September 13, 2016, http://data.norge.no/organisasjoner. ]}), there is no regulatory mechanism compelling all public actors to make all data available, as implied by this commitment. The commitment’s second component (to contract a scoping study) has been completed. A report suggesting the economic advantages of the free release of map data is available on the government’s website.^{[Note 32: ”Gratis kartdata lønner seg,” Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation, accessed September 4, 2016, https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktuelt/Gratis-kartdata-lonner-seg/id754369/.]}

Did it open government?

Access to information: Did not change

The activities undertaken under the two components have not improved the quality or quantity of information disclosed by the government. The IRM researcher was unable to identify significant changes to Norway’s regulatory framework for data production by public entities. Any legal instrument compelling agencies to publically release data would be introduced through upcoming amendments to the Freedom of Information Act (see commitment 15). It is noteworthy that institutional culture remains largely opposed to such a mechanism, and the focal point for this commitment described a parliamentary debate in which many ministry representatives expressed concern that such a mechanism will introduce undue burdens on public agencies. In June 2016, the Norwegian Civil Ombudsman criticized a Norwegian municipal government for refusing to release public sector data in spreadsheet form, on the grounds that it could be manipulated.^{[Note 33: ”Fylkesmannens saksbehandlingstid ved behandling av klage i innsynssak,” Sivilombudsmannen (July 1, 2016), accessed September 12, 2016, https://www.sivilombudsmannen.no/uttalelser/fylkesmannens-saksbehandlingstid-ved-behandling-av-klage-i-innsynssak-article4429-114.html. ]} Such instances suggest that, in the absence of a law compelling agencies to release information, institutional culture in many public agencies is a significant obstacle to the achievement of this commitment’s first component. Regarding the second component, the IRM researcher did not identify any changes to Norwegian policy on the publication of geospatial data, as was suggested might follow from the contracting of the geodata study.

Carried forward?

This commitment has not been carried forward in the Norwegian government’s third national action plan, which is available on the OGP website.^{[Note 34: ”Norway’s third action plan Open Government Partnership (OGP),” Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation, accessed September 4, 2016, http://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2001/01/Norway_2016-17_NAP.pdf.]}