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Our Work
DPIDG has been conducting research on Open Government Data (OGD) since 2010. OGD is relevant to DPIDG’s work as it is an online government service (e-government) and an important initiative that strengthen participatory governance. OGD allows citizens to monitor data streams and thereby improves the accountability and transparency of government. OGD also allows citizens to be aware of important issues and to be part of the decision-making process to address policy issues (e-participation). DPIDG's work on open government is divided in four pillars: policies and regulatory framework; organizational framework; channels & modalities; and case studies.
OGDCE Guidelines
The Guidelines on Open Government Data for Citizen Engagement is a practical and easy-to-understand guideline for policy makers and technologists. It can be used to understand, design, implement and sustain open government data initiatives. The document is tailored to the needs and constraints of developing countries, but it can be used by anyone interested in opening up data. Itcontains the core principles of openness, best practices and case studies, checklists, step-by-step guidelines and practical policy recommendations.
The document is an evolving tool. If you would like to make comments to our current version, click below on "working version". To view the latest released edition of the Guidelines, click on "2nd edition". We also provide the Japanese version of the 1st Edition for your reference.
Open Government Data for Sustainable Development
Strengthening of Capacities of Developing Countries to Provide Access to Information for Sustainable Development through Open Government Data Opening up government data is fundamentally about more efficient use of public resources and improving service delivery for citizens. The effects of open data utilization are potentially far reaching for sustainable development with a positive impact on innovation, transparency, accountability, participatory governance and economic growth. Open Government Data (OGD) can help countries improve development programmes and track progress, prevent corruption and improve aid effectiveness. The benefits of open data and improved access to public information gain greater visibility and relevance today in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The development account project on “Strengthening of Capacities of Developing Countries to Provide Access to Information for Sustainable Development through Open Government Data (OGD)”, was approved in the summer of 2014, and is being implemented by DESA through its Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG). It focuses on four developing countries: Bangladesh, Nepal, Panama and Uruguay. The project aims to support the needs for increased awareness of OGD requirements among government officials and other stakeholders while addressing capacities needed for developing action plans for implementing OGD initiatives. DPIDG is working in close collaboration with relevant government agencies in host countries, as well as the UN regional commissions in Latin America and Caribbean (ECLAC), Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and UNDP country offices.
Through eight national and two regional level capacity building events, DPIDG aims at assisting target countries with the development of policy frameworks and understanding demands of technical infrastructure required for implementing OGD initiatives, particularly in thematic areas relevant to the achievement of the sustainable development goals. It will strive to strengthen the open data community in each target country and stimulate south-south knowledge transfer on OGD by bringing together OGD-beginners with more OGD-advanced countries during regional workshops. The workshops are targeting high and mid-level government authorities, relevant public servants, as well as the broader OGD ecosystem and key stakeholders in each country. They offer opportunities for questions and answers after experts’ presentations to allow for a broader understanding on specific OGD topics.
Go to OGD project activities to view recently held and upcoming national capacity development sensitization workshops.