Enhancing public data openness and promoting reuse of public data (TN0053)

Description of the commitment: Open public data is a new tool to stimulate economic development and create employment opportunities. It also reinforces transparency and accountability, fighting against corruption, developing of public services, and improving their quality. In this regard, Tunisia has developed and implemented several initiatives and projects that promote the opening of public data and the establishment of a "data culture at the service of the citizen and the administration”. These initiatives covered the different aspects of the open data area, including the institutional, organizational, legal and technical aspects. However, establishing an integrated climate to promote the reuse of open public data necessitates more efforts to build on the achievements and complete the implementation of the various procedures and projects related to open data area, in compliance with the provisions of Government Order no. 3 of January 6, 2021 on Open Public Data. Thus, this commitment aims to implement a number of measures to promote the opening of public data and improve its reuse through the following steps: - Developing a new version of the national open data portal that takes into account the technical specifications laid down in Government Decree no. 2021-3 of January 6, 2021 on open public data - Carrying out an inventory of priority public data in a range of sectors that can be released in an open format in accordance with the approved methodologies and specifications, as required by Government Decree no. 3 of 2021 on open public data; as well as encouraging public structures to engage in the open data program with a focus on: * a range of sectors such as health, social affairs, education, justice, interior affairs, * geospatial data to develop the uses of the geomatics in the field.

Problem/Background: - Necessity of the compliance of the technical platforms used in the open data release with the international specifications and standards adopted in the field, as well as its compatibility with trends and technological developments in the field. - The administration faces several challenges with regard to the inventory of data and documents and the identification of those that can be published in an open format, given the lack of standardized mechanisms and standards for administrative data management, which adversely impacts automatic data inventorying by public bodies. There exists also a need to comply with the Government Decree on open public data.

Identification of commitment objectives/expected results: - Establish a new version of the National Open Public Data Portal in accordance with the internationally recognized standards and specifications, as well as with the expectations and needs of public bodies and users, - Make an inventory of priority public data in a range of sectors that can be released in an open format according to approved methodologies and specifications. - Reinforce the open public data reuse by introducing and raising awareness of the public on it, organizing hackathons, open days, and workshops that bring together public data providers and users to enhance its reuse and to create services and applications based on it.

How will the commitment contribute to solve the public problem: - Reinforce the culture of open public data within the administration and affirm the principles of openness, transparency and cooperation, - Foster economic development and create employment opportunities through a sustained reuse of open public data in order to develop innovative public data uses and achieve the expected added value from such data release.

Relevance with OGP values: - Transparency and accountability: uphold the principles of transparency and accountability by opening up public data and promoting its reuse. - Public participation: Prepare public data that can be shared in an open format, thus facilitating their dissemination and the development of new mechanisms to strengthen public participation in the elaboration of public policies, the monitoring of their implementation and their evaluation. - Promote innovation and develop public services: Strengthen mechanisms for reusing open public data to develop new services and applications and create new added value.

Source of funding /Relation with other programs and policies: Funding source: - The World Bank in the framework of the "Musanada" program - Cooperation program with South Korea - Cooperation with the French Development Agency within the framework of the "PAGOF" program.

Stages and implementation timeline: Developing a new version of the national open data portal - Drafting the specification and selection of the studies office December 2021; Appointing a steering committee and a technical committee to follow up the project December 2021; Design and development of the portal December 2022; Testing and put online of the portal June 2023; Carrying out an inventory of priority public data in a range of - Identifying priority sectors and announcing the launch of the project December 2021; Completing the preliminary inventory: presenting the inventory methodology, and launching the inventory activities at the level of the sectors involved December 2022; Assessment and follow-up of public structures in the open data inventory process June 2023; Validation of the final inventory document and publication of some datasets included in it December 2023

Action Plan Review

5. Enhancing the public data opening and promoting its reuse

Results Report

Commitment 5. Enhancing the public data opening and promoting its reuse

Commitment 5 aimed to improve the openness of public data and promote its reuse. Commitment objectives included the development of a new version of the national open data portal. This would have involved the preparation of a specification document, selection of a consulting firm for development, and establishment of a steering and technical committee for project oversight. It also aimed to create an inventory of priority public data across various sectors, starting with identifying priority sectors, organizing workshops, and engaging in preliminary inventory activities. ^[14]

The launch of a new version of the national open data portal in early March 2023 significantly enhanced the accessibility and usability of public data. The portal now features 2,484 open datasets from 179 data producers which covers 23 different themes of open data. While the number of data reutilizations stood at 6 and there had been 5 requests for open data, these figures indicate a growing interest and engagement with the available data. Additionally, the portal attracted 233 registered users, reflecting a budding community of individuals and entities interested in utilizing open government data. ^[15]

According to the E-Government Unit, a public data inventory management system was made available to government agencies in June 2022. By the end of 2023, the unit reported that over 40 public entities registered on the system were in the process of identifying and inventorying data, with public entities having identified around 296 datasets. [16] Training sessions were provided for ministries to inventory data and use the system. A partner organization representative noted that the inventory of priority public data for 14 ministries demonstrates progress in creating a comprehensive and accessible data repository, signifying a move towards greater transparency and efficiency in public information management. ^[17]

The E-Government Unit in partnership with the Ministries of Health, Social Affairs, and Education organized an Open Gov Data Hack event in 2023. As in previous years, it aimed to foster a dynamic environment for the creative use of open public data. It brought together developers, data scientists, startups, and data activists to explore innovative opportunities and develop digital applications showcasing the potential of open data exploitation. ^[18]

The commitment laid important groundwork in open data accessibility in Tunisia. However, the journey continues towards realizing its full potential in terms of data depth, quality, and practical utility. While it shows promise, it also highlights the need for continued efforts to foster a more data-literate and engaged user base, and for the data itself to be leveraged more effectively for public benefit.