Continued development and enhancement of the government data information platform (VIP) (DE0034)

What is the public problem that the commitment will address? The Open Data Act (Section 12a eGovernment Act, EGovG) provides an important legal basis for the active provision of open data by the authorities of the federal administration. However, as things stand there is no central reference work to give an overview of what data is held by public institutions, in what offices and in what form. Making data holdings, and especially those of the federal authorities, more usable first and foremost requires a good knowledge of what data is available where. The absence of such a point of reference makes it more difficult to record and analyse systematically datasets that are provided in different ways, not to mention their suitability as open data. It is also an obstacle to the necessary systematic exchange on open data across authorities and sectors. Furthermore, the situa-tion gets in the way of systematic disclosure as described in Section 12a EGovE.

What is the commitment? By developing a government data information platform, known by its German acronym VIP, the system of data registers in Germany is to be captured as fully and granularly as pos-sible in the form of a catalogue of metadata. To this end, data holdings will be presented exclusively using their metadata and other characteristics used in registry management, such as access restrictions. The VIP does not contain any individual data, neither does it have any access to that data. The publicly available information on the datasets in question is prepared by the VIP, then further sources are added and the information made easily searchable for the user. The quality of the data is verified in consultation with the specialist offices in each case. In the future, it should be possible to display the open data suitability of government data holdings. This will be ascertained on the basis of a forthcoming strategy for expanding VIP entries to include an open data test facility using standard criteria such as content-related and technical factors. The VIP already contains information on aspects such as the quality of data holdings and any existing access restrictions. Further consul-tations with interested actors might also be held on this basis, for example with the Data Transparency Unit (DTS) that is also planned for the Federal Statistical Office. These might help to promote data skills and literacy at those offices which hold data, as well as among data users in the academic, scientific and political spheres. The Open Data Competence Centre at the Federal Office of Administration (CCOD BVA) might also help here.

How does the commitment contribute to overcoming the challenge?The VIP provides information on what data is held at which government office. It structures the available information and thus permits a focused dialogue with the offices holding data registers without jeopardising data privacy or business confidentiality. In a further stage of its expansion, if information on data quality and the right contacts were included, the VIP could be used as a platform for exchange on the suitability for open data of government data holdings. (To this end it should also be possible for those within the government to comment on data holdings.) As it grows, in consultation with bodies such as the Open Data Competence Centre, the Data Transparency Unit, the GovData portal and other stakeholders, the VIP should encourage greater objectivity and knowledge-sharing, and provide a basis for formulating data needs. The VIP also strengthens the position of citizens and their data protection, because it gives them an overview of what information public-sector bodies are holding about them, where this data comes from, and what it is being used for. The VIP thus makes the system of data registers more transparent, enables duplicate datasets to be identified, and results in a more economic use of data overall.

Why is this commitment relevant to OGP values?The VIP creates transparency for all interested parties about the data holdings systematically maintained in public administration in Germany. Cataloguing government data increases confidence that the public sector is using personal data sparingly and securely.

Additional information Close cooperation with the Open Data Competence Centre (CCOD) at the Federal Office of Administration (BVA) and the planned Data Transparency Unit at the Federal Statistical Office (DTS StBA) will ensure that full use is made of the VIP’s potential.This commitment thus also serves SDG 16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions).

Milestones Start Date Implementation by Consultation with the expert and user communities to determine requirements for an expanded VIP Q4 2021 Q1 2022 Draft of a concept to complement the open data available on the VIP, in cooperation with the CCOD and DTS Q1 2022 Q2 2022 Preparation and evaluation of VIP entries on the basis of the above concept, and implementation of the necessary technical modifications in a further phase of expansion: addition of open data-related information and evaluations Q2 2022 Q4 2022

Action Plan Review

Commitment 6.5: Continued development and enhancement of the government data information platform (VIP)