Making Files FAIR-Accessible (NL0054)

Brief Description of the Commitment

In this project, we take action to address the issue of non-FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) published Woo files (Wet open overheid - Open Government Act fles).1 We will raise awareness among administrative bodies about this problem and support them in implementing a cultural shift with the help of convenient software and nudging techniques. Through an award, we aim to generate attention for both the problem and effective solutions.

Problem Definition

1. What problem does the commitment aim to address? • Although it is encouraging that an increasing number of decisions regarding information requests (hereafter: Wet Open Overheid – Woo requests) are being made public and the processing time for such requests is decreasing, it appears that the reuse of these files and documents is problematic in practice. • This is mainly because the disclosed information is often merged into one enormous file, making it impossible to search using functions such as Control F. Moreover, simple metadata, such as the date of the request and the decision, is often not made available.

2. What are the causes of the problem? • The assumption is that in most cases, the lack of compliance is not due to unwillingness but rather a lack of digital technical skills and ingrained work processes that underlie this issue. We have spoken with numerous ‘Woo coordinators’, all of whom demonstrate a strong desire to publish responses to Woo requests, which involve significant time and financial investments, in a proper and accurate manner. This project proposal aims to support these coordinators in their efforts. • The implementation of the Open Government Act (Woo) faces various challenging obstacles. The mentioned publication issue is an example of a relatively straightforward problem that can be solved with the right combination of awareness, technical support, and encouragement. It is like “low-hanging fruit” that we aim to address with this project proposal.

Commitment Description

1. What has been done so far to solve the problem? • The Open Government Information Platform (Platform Open Overheidsinformatie or PLOOI) ‘open.overheid.nl’ is being developed as a reference index: the Woo Index. There have also been initiatives to make Woo requests accessible in a FAIR manner at lower administrative bodies, such as the municipalities of Hoeksche Waard and Amsterdam. However, despite these efforts, the described problem still persists on many of these platforms, where the quality and accessibility of documents need to be improved.

2. What solution are you proposing? • The proposed solution consists of three different instruments: 1. Raising awareness: We will create awareness through the Woo Coordinators’ Meeting of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) and the Association of Provincial Authorities (IPO), as well as through professional literature such as BinnenlandsBestuur and the journal Overheidsdocumentatie (Od). The aim is to demonstrate how simple it actually is to publish according to Article 2.4.3 of the Open Government Act (Woo). 2. Technical assistance: Ofen, the solutions to the problem are surprisingly simple, such as adjusting the settings of redaction software. For example, the default setting of Zylab does not remove words or merge documents together. This creates a clear overview with neatly redacted PDFs that can be searched using Control+F. · Through VNG CommonGround, we offer software that automatically extracts all metadata from a decision. The Woo legal expert can then perform a review and make any necessary adjustments or improvements. · We adopt the “PC student at home” model, where computer science students visit administrative bodies to ensure the technology is properly set up. 3. Nudging through good examples: We will assist administrative bodies in improving their publication process and ensure that this improvement is visible through a website showcasing best practices. These best practices for publication methods can then be integrated through recommendations for the Woo Index and Woogle, thus ensuring the information is well-preserved for the future. · Through the FAIR Woo Publication Award, we recognize and highlight administrative bodies, generating extra attention for the publication of reusable information.

3. What results do we want to achieve by implementing this commitment? • Article 2.4.3 of the Open Government Act (Woo) receives the attention it deserves. • A significant number of administrative bodies at various levels are actively engaged in publishing their Woo files in a FAIR manner, making them reusable for everyone. • Accessible technical support is provided in the form of free software, FAQs, and comparisons (similar to Consumer Reports) of various redaction software aimed at ensuring FAIRness. This is integrated into the Common Ground and open web concept within the VNG community. • A Fair Woo Publication Award is presented.

Commitment Analysis

1. How will the commitment promote transparency? Thanks to this project, access to the released documents under the Open Government Act (Woo) will be significantly improved, including better accessibility for visually impaired individuals, for whom many documents are currently difficult to access. Furthermore, the documents will be more easily findable as OCR (Optical Character Recognition) errors are avoided. Preserving the almost original form of documents is an essential requirement for transparency, and this project ensures compliance with that.

2. How will the commitment help foster accountability? This project places the responsibility on administrative bodies to make the Woo files accessible in a FAIR manner, as mandated by law in Article 2.4.3 of the Open Government Act (Woo).

3. How will the commitment improve citizen participation in defining, implementing, and monitoring solutions? When the desired behavioral and cultural change takes place, it will become easier for citizens to access, verify, and search through documents.

Commitment Planning (Milestones | Expected Outputs | Expected Completion Date)

Step 0: Overview | Creating a database of all administrative bodies covered by the Open Government Act (Woo) and their contact information. | Q2 2023

Step 1: Raising awareness | There are already several good examples that we use to demonstrate how to publish FAIR Woo files. | Q2, Q3 2023

Step 2: Assisting and engaging administrative bodies | We will proactively approach administrative bodies from all levels and assist them in transitioning to FAIR publication practices. | Q2, Q3, Q4 2023

Stap 3: Award ceremony | We will generate additional attention for the problem by organizing an award ceremony. This ceremony will recognize and highlight administrative bodies that have successfully implemented FAIR publication practices | Q4 2023