New NASCIO report looks at open data progress

States and Open Data: From Museum to Market Place – What’s next?

NASCIO takes a look at what has occurred across the states since NASCIO’s Call to Action on open data was released in 2009. Actually, the results are pretty outstanding. Open data initiatives are advancing at all levels of government in the United States and globally. States and local governments have partnered with industry to create innovative capabilities in delivering data to consumers. Those consumers include citizens and business, but also government. This latest report examines progress in open data and presents recommendations for continuing to move forward. The report is available at www.nascio.org/publications.

“Government data is in demand and a principle consumer of that data is government itself. Open data is many things and contributes to many goals within state government. One of the most significant outcomes we’re seeing is the sharing of data across state agencies and across jurisdictions. That can enable cross agency and cross jurisdiction coordination and orchestration which in turn leads to more effective delivery of state government services,” said Carolyn Parnell, co-chair of the NASCIO Enterprise Architecture & Governance Committee and chief information officer for the state of Minnesota. “In Minnesota, we see great potential in proactive management of data and open data. That conviction has led our strategy for designing effective open data governance.”

“We’re continually looking at outcomes. Most important are outcomes for citizens and the positive impact we can make on their lives,” said Tony Encinias, co-chair for the NASCIO Enterprise Architecture & Governance Committee and chief information officer for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “Among the many outcomes possible with open data is connecting with our citizens. Providing them with channels for engaging with government, having influence on what government does and how it does it.”