Open Kent

An award winning approach that empowers people to make better use of local information

Background to Open Kent• Concept won national award by IDeA, SOCITM & LGC • Successfully trialled for CLG Informing Citizens Project

• Development funded by Kent Connects until Autumn 2011 as part of a 1 year trial

• Being taken forward with local partners to ensure a strategic approach to publishing open data across Kent

Transparency Open Data Big Society

“Create a new ‘right to data’ so that government-held

datasets can be requested and used by the public

“Ensure all data published by public bodies is published in an open and standardised

format”

“Enable businesses & non-profit organisations

to build innovative applications and websites“

Open Kent

Open Access Open Data Open Innovation

Provide platform & training toolkit for public & staff

to access, use and visualise information

Publish public information in an open and

standardised format

Provide environment for businesses & non-profits to

build innovative applications and websites

Open Kent offers an integrated approach across Kent

• 1. Sponsored by Kent Connects - Kent and Medway's Lead Technology Partnership

• 2. Enables users to access, visualise, map and compare local information from a single access point

• 3. Facilitates partners to share & compare their data in a secure way, to inform “place-based” decision making

Users can manage, share & visualise informationDownload VisualiseUpload

“Whilst there is a particular focus on data relating to public spending and procurement, the requirements for open data extend to virtually all areas of the public sector in both a central and local government context.” LGA Group Transparency Programme (2010)

To develop useful applications

Enables local digital sector to develop applications with the data

Help yourself

Help each other

Do it together

New insights

• People combine different sources of local information

• Staff monitor how people’s needs interact

• Pick up on unmet needs and feedback on how to improve access to services

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New customers

• Bring people together with specialist skills

• Provide them with open data they can make use of

• Support them to amplify and create new “micro” public services

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New suppliers

• People can interpret & create information easier

• Connect public services and “hard to reach”

• Work together to support people to help themselves

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New resources

• Enable people to use our assets & resources

• Help people understand where can help each other

• Sweat public assets for and with the community to transform services

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What are the benefits?For the public For the public sector

Get information they want Rationalise data collection

Find it in one place – who ever owns it

Reduce cost of multiple databases

Format it how they want it Increase efficiencies

Visualise and share Improve user satisfaction

Add value to the data Create a shared intelligence platform

Support access to information Support community engagement

Next wave of open data requirements

• Breaking down central government spend at local area level

• Councillor allowances and expenses• Council minutes and papers • Council job vacancies • Frontline service data including rubbish and recycling

rates, council tax collection rates and details of major planned projects

• Licensing applications and decisions • Planning applications and decisions • Food hygiene reports for food outlets

http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/transparency/

Areas of discussion

• At what stage are you at opening data?• How are you opening up the data?• How do you see Open Kent fitting into your

transparency/open data agenda?• Next steps