Creating Value through

Public Sector Information (PSI) Re-use

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Eurocham Workshop 30 Nov 2011

Waltraut Ritter

Hong Kong Foresight Centre

This handout is meant as reference material to workshop participants. If you wish to quote the material in another context, plesase contact the author. Thank you.

What is PSI?

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Information Commons Public Domain

PSI definition (OECD)

Public sector information is broadly defined as “information, including information products and services, generated, created, collected, processed, preserved, maintained, processed, preserved, maintained, disseminated, or funded by or for the Government or public institution”

OECD recommendation C(2008)36

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Public Sector PSI Re-usersThe Actors

Supply side Demand side

PSI re-use framework

Their roleTo facilitate the opportunity To grasp the opportunity and to innovate

A large number of public bodies

Many are large

A large number of employees

But

They are quantifiable

And many are similar

A very large number of PSI re-users

Fall into 4 groups

Commercial active

Commercial future activity

Not commercial active

Not commercial future activity

The size of the future blocks not known.

What do we

Know about

Each side?

www.epsiplatform.eu

Realising the Value of PSI

Governments and public bodies are information

creators, controllers, distributors, information archivists and record keepers.

Since mid-90s shift in government policies

relating to information generated from within or on behalf of the public sector.

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PSI in the Knowledge Society

New thinking about information in the digital age:

� PSI can create value if used: PSI re-use

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� PSI can create value if used: PSI re-use legislation

� All information assets are potential resources

� Reproduction costs close to zero

PSI in the “old days”

- PSI was made available on request or on need-to-know basis

- Access to PSI was restricted

- The government “owned” the information - The government “owned” the information (copyright)

- Focus on e-Government (transactional information exchanges)

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PSI Objectives

Principles for enhanced access and more effective use for public and private sectors

Increase total returns on public investments and economic and social benefits through:

- More efficient distribution- More efficient distribution

- Enhanced innovation

- Development of new uses

- Market-based competition

International policy principles contribute to global exchange

and use of public information8

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NYC Open Data

“This catalog supplies hundreds of sets of public

data produced by City agencies and other City organizations. The data sets are now available as APIs and in a variety of machine-readable APIs and in a variety of machine-readable formats, making it easier than ever to consume City data and better serve New York City’s residents, visitors, developer community and all!”

(QUOTE from website , italic highlight by author)

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London Data Store

“The London Datastore has been created by the Greater London Authority (GLA) as an innovation towards freeing London’s data. We want citizens to be able access the data that the GLA and other public sector

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access the data that the GLA and other public sector organisations hold, and to use that data however they see fit – free of charge. The GLA is committed to influencing and cajoling other public sector organisationsinto releasing their data here too.”

(QUOTE from website, bold highlight by author)

Economic Value

USA 750 bn EUR (7.7 % of GDP)

Europe 68 bn EUR (0.8 % of GDP)Europe 68 bn EUR (0.8 % of GDP)

Hong Kong ? ?

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Source: Uhlir (2008)

OECD Recommendation: Policy Principles

� Openness

� Access and transparent

reuse conditions

� Asset lists

� Copyright

� Pricing

� Competition

� Redress mechanisms � Asset lists

� Quality

� Integrity

� New technologies and

long-term preservation

� Redress mechanisms

� Public private partnerships

� Internat’l access / use

� Best practices

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Source: Vickery/OECD

Benefits of PSI Access and Re-use

Direct and Indirect Economic Benefits

• Information industries develop new markets

• Other industries enhance efficiencies

• Individuals empowered as economic actors• Individuals empowered as economic actors

• Public sector performance improved

• More innovative research communities

Social Benefits

• Improve transparency

• Enhance education and research

• Support personal decision-making capabilities

Apps for Hong Kong?Apps for Hong Kong?

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Information problem:

Traffic information on public buses is not real-

time and doesn’t give the user the information he/she needs to make an informed decision.

Bus companies need to be GPS enabled –however, TD does not include this basic requirement in the franchise agreement.

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1823 Service

“In this platform we are trying to present

public information in a more easily understood format and to make it easier for you to submit information or pictures that help us to submit information or pictures that help us understand your concerns. Please explore the platform and share with us your ideas about how we can develop this site and improve public services for you.”

(QUOTE from website, bold highlight by author)

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Different perspectives:

Government developing services for citizens

based on public, but not publicly accessible, data.

versus

Government and citizen’s co-creating information services and applications using same data.

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Neighbourhood information

Combing knowledge of citizens living in the neighbourhood with knowledge held the neighbourhood with knowledge held by public agencies could create value to the current application, making it more current, interactive and useful.

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Example: EPD water data

“They summarise the river water data collected by EPD's long-term monitoring programme during the year. The following Annual River Water Quality Reports in Annual River Water Quality Reports in portable document format (PDF) are available for direct viewing or download.”

(QUOTE from website, bold highlight by author)

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GRS: Public or closed domain?

A lot of public data is not readily accessible or not intended for creative “re-use”.

Access and copyright restrictions are an obstacle to creative value from public information commons.

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Creating Value from HK’s data

� What are the current public information assets in Hong Kong? (inventory?)

� How can we create value from these assets?� How can we create value from these assets?

� How can we increase awareness about PSI opportunities across all agencies as well as in the business sector and for the general public?

� Can we create an open data multi-stakeholder community?

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Adapting information laws to the digital Age

- Personal data protection laws

- Access to information laws

- Archives and Records policies

- Copyright/Creative Commons laws

- Public information management policies

- Cost assessment acts

PSI and Open data are part of an information policy

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Open Data in Hong Kong

Data.One – the Add Value Machine to build Hong Kong’s Knowledge Economy

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Contact:

The Hong Kong Foresight Centre is a public policy “do-tank”

engaging in multi-stakeholder dialogues to develop prototypes for the future of Hong Kong.

Public Sector Information Re-use/Open government data has been Public Sector Information Re-use/Open government data has been one of our fields of engagement since 2009.

Waltraut Ritter

Programme manager, Open Government

Hong Kong Foresight Centre

www.hkforesight.org

w.ritter (at) hkforesight.org

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