On the self-organisation of open government data ecosystems

Abstract: Open Government Data initiatives and programs have sprung up across the world in recent years at different levels of government. Often times these initiatives have been brought about due to governmental commitments, such as when joining the open government partnership, other times it may be due to governmental mandates, such as is the case with the INSPIRE directive in the EU, or they may materialize in response to a perceived lack of transparency within a given context. Though there has been an increased amount of data being made available and open, there is an increased need for understanding not only how this data is used, but in how its use is organized. This paper aims to contribute to both of these needs. More specifically, this paper aims to, firstly, link the concepts of meta-governance and open government data, and, secondly, highlight the relationship between self-organization and open government data driven innovation. To explore this in more detail, this paper presents the example of three different distinct cases of self-organized open government data driven innovation. As a result of this exploration, it is proposed that via a process of meta-governance, systems are created that encourage the self-organization of open government data driven innovation, particularly in response to some sort of triggering event.  

Keegan McBride will be a postdoctoral researcher at the Hertie School’s Centre for Digital Governance. Keegan completed his MSc in e-Governance Technologies and Services and his PhD in Technology Governance at Tallinn University of Technology. His primary research interests are related to open government data and its use for the co-creation of public services. Outside of this primary research interest, Keegan has published on topics such as small state digitalization, artificial intelligence in public administration, big data analytics, and digital government more broadly. Keegan previously served as the Manager of the GovAiLab at Tallinn University of Technology, the chief technical developer of Estonia’s open government data portal, and worked as a consultant for the OECD’s Office for Public Sector Innovation (OPSI) on the technical aspects of AI in the public sector.