Newsletter: 4th Quarter 2015
What is Big Data? What is Open Data?
Governments typically collect voluminous data of high velocity and of wide variety. This is big data. Governments make available big data in a useful or meaningful form for public consumption. This is open data.
The GIAT (a coalition for Governance, Integrity, Accountability, and Transparency) organised the “Open Government Partnership” seminar recently on 18 August 2015.
Datuk Paul Low and the British High Commissioner graced the occasion. The Open Government Partnership (OGP) has a membership of 69 countries. Malaysia has yet to become a member.
A key objective of OGP is to increase and improve the value and quality of open data for citizen engagement and public service delivery.
GIAT intends to engage the Malaysian Government on the progress of OGP in sharing data with the public. GIAT proposes that it should be in open data formats. It should apply to the budgets of all government agencies at federal, state and local level. Asset declaration of public officials should be made publicly available. They go a long way to improve accountability and fiscal transparency.
Notwithstanding the Government, individuals and companies do collect a wealth of data. Similarly, this data can be pooled and utilised for mutual benefit. The potential is there.
For more, IDEAS (Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs) has written a summary for the various speakers.
Read
http://ideas.org.my/events/open-government-partnership-seminar-and-exhibition-a-summary-report/
http://www.opengovpartnership.org