Edmonton’s Open Government a model for Alberta
- Image by mjb84 via Flickr
Scott McKeen of the Edmonton Journal wrote:
“City Hall has embraced open data. Great. But I’m confused”
McKeen goes on further to describe himself as a “second-class citizen.” In theory, because he doesn’t entirely understand or use technology in the way early-adopters within the City of Edmonton’s tech community do or will now that the city’s data catalogue has been partially released.
Although it’s true that some of this data has been publicly available online in some cases for years. The difference now, is that it’s in machine readable format now and not a PDF or application that doesn’t allow for independent coders to work with it. As McKeen explains this will inspire a new level of innovation in the Greater Edmonton Region. Our iPhone transit application Route 411 is a prime example of the kind of innovation that can take place when a city such as Edmonton, Vancouver or Toronto releases transit data.
Many may not be aware of the fact that I’m well into writing my first book on Government 2.0 and the “open data movement” that’s happening around the world as we speak. During this experience of exploration within government, I’ve managed to have some very interesting discussions and exchanges with thought leaders in Canada and the US. There’s a distinct overlap of social media, and this is where Web 2.0 applications are really shining and driving innovation. The return on investment for Open Data is a higher quality of life for citizens and a considerable savings in tax dollars.
Freedom to Create, Spirit to Achieve
Rather than make this about the book, I thought I’d provide another short list of applications or projects that are available as a result of government releasing data. A process which I’ve said many times on Twitter that our own Government of Alberta needs to work towards immediately. We need to be forward thinking in Alberta and of course, it takes more than simply stating, Freedom to Create, Spirit to Achieve. If one believes the propaganda behind the current Alberta brand, then it’s high time we act on it. I’m not referring to our oil industry, royalty reviews or the environment. Rather, our strong Alberta tech community putting words into action and leveraging our strengths, which are considerable and should be given “more credit.”
SIDEBAR: Not looking to sound overly critical, but why are we spending tax dollars to “rebrand” a department that has connections and rapport around the world at a time when what we really need is an “open government directive” and policy with teeth? Just think about the simplest of tasks for the over 700 people in this department that now have to take the effort to explain to people across Alberta and around the world, “no it’s still us, but change our name and update your address book.” Further, in the interest of transparency, every government worker should have a complete LinkedIn profile so that they can be easily reached. How’s that for making you feel uncomfortable?
This is constructive criticism from the heart – it’s also motivation, inspiration and evangelism for this great province and its’ people inside and outside government to embrace what’s already here and has been since 2007.
Below are just a few open data examples and sources from around the world on how government can work as a platform for citizens to leverage:
There are countless more applications and websites being launched, it seems daily, as more and more governments open their data to the public. I encourage bloggers across Alberta and beyond to create your own list and share it with the world. Increased accountability, transparency, participation and collaboration are the results. Those detractors from this movement are typically worried about privacy and security issues or they simply don’t get it. Privacy and security are important and yet, not barriers to be used as excuses for inaction.
For those government jurisdictions considering the open government movement here’s a list of guiding principles to get you started.
Open Government Data Principles
Government data shall be considered open if it is made public in a way that complies with the principles below:
- 1. Complete
- All public data is made available. Public data is data that is not subject to valid privacy, security or privilege limitations.
- 2. Primary
- Data is as collected at the source, with the highest possible level of granularity, not in aggregate or modified forms.
- 3. Timely
- Data is made available as quickly as necessary to preserve the value of the data.
- 4. Accessible
- Data is available to the widest range of users for the widest range of purposes.
- 5. Machine processable
- Data is reasonably structured to allow automated processing.
- 6. Non-discriminatory
- Data is available to anyone, with no requirement of registration.
- 7. Non-proprietary
- Data is available in a format over which no entity has exclusive control.
- 8. License-free
- Data is not subject to any copyright, patent, trademark or trade secret regulation. Reasonable privacy, security and privilege restrictions may be allowed.
Compliance must be reviewable.
Clearly, Open Data is here!
The Open Data movement is something that all levels of government, in all regions within the industrialized world and beyond should immediately be looking to address. This isn’t a matter of “if” it’s going to happen, it’s already here. Being discussed for nearly 3 years now, more action is required. Yesterday on Twitter, Kathy Telfer according to her LinkedIn profile a Director in the Government of Alberta but her Twitter account says she’s a communications consultant for the Government of Alberta. (Who by the way is working on a great project called InspiringEducation). That said, Kathy was extolling the virtues of “patience” as it relates to the Government of Alberta and the current adoption rate of social media. With all due respect to the belief that citizens need to be patient, strategic and prudent, which I agree with to a point. What the majority do not know is that the impending release of the “latest version” of social media guidelines and policies for the Government of Alberta has been more than a year in the making. I suggest we need to “speed up government,” while increasing transparency. Patience in government is often a crutch that reinforces the slow-moving status-quo. Imagine what we could accomplish if we looked to speed up even 25% of our efforts? I believe that our governments have incredibly smart people working for them who want to work with more urgency but don’t have the support to do so.
Our leaders need to provide these people with a directive to move which supports internal early-adopters and evangelists who are chomping at the bit. The Government of Alberta in particular needs a Chief Information Officer to bring into policy discussions, the perspective of an Open Data culture. Further, we need to realize that while Premier Stelmach may be in Dubai speaking about our oilsands, the environment and our efforts around that issue. We, in the Alberta tech community, another one of Alberta’s key industries, require more than a $100 Million dollar tech fund that has strings attached to it. While that’s wonderful, we need speed, we need policies and programs that reflect today’s fast paced open and collaborative ecosystem, not yesterday’s proprietary silos. We need the government’s culture to change and support us on the fringes, outside of academia. We need a government that understands that by the time a researcher has filled out the funding application to further “differentiate Alberta’s research institutions,” someone could have written the code for a new Twitter or GoogleWave like application and they need support at the speed at which they work. This isn’t what’s best for government process, it’s what’s best for its’ citizens. Don’t just start attending DemoCamp in Edmonton or Calgary, start funding companies and developers at DemoCamp. Business plan contests are great, and there are other methods we should be employing. This shouldn’t take this long to get our ducks in a row and at the risk of not being politically correct we don’t always have to include every single slow-moving agency, organization or institution, academic or otherwise, before the first project gets support.
We need Government 2.0 leadership to go with our Web 2.0 ideas.
Patience? We’ve been patient, we continue to be patient and yet, there’s evidence throughout our political landscape which suggests that patience is running thin…
The oil industry in this province may be content to refrain from communicating openly about the issues, Alberta’s tech industry will not take the same approach and folks…we know how to self-organize, amplify messaging and engage to apply pressure in a myriad of ways.
Work with us, we’ll collaborate with you and help you work even more efficiently. Transparency and open data means we can help you accomplish this and countless other tasks right here at home. You don’t need to buy Microsoft, SAP and IBM solely anymore. Your Alberta tech community will make you look good, you just need to support us by enabling our creativity through the “open government movement” and in my humble opinion, “sooner rather than later…”
All it takes to get things started is a memo from the right person.
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