This document discusses using crowdsourcing to improve the accuracy of open data in Kenya. It presents two location datasets from Kenya - health facilities and primary schools - and validates a sample of their locations using satellite imagery. The results show room for improving accuracy. The document proposes a web-based tool that would allow citizens to validate and correct location data by editing locations and uploading photos on a map. It envisions honoring top contributors and tracking global progress over time to turn data validation into a collaborative game. The goal is to leverage crowdsourcing to improve open data validity and re-use in an open source platform.

1. The Open Data 'Bazaar'
Crowdsourcing Solutions to Improve Data
Accuracy and Re-use in Kenya
Qiyang Xu
qxu1@worldbank.org

2. Kenya Open Data
Initiative

3. Government Citizens
Data collector Launches Companies
Open Data Civil Society, etc
Inaccuracy for the Accuracy?
efficacy of open
data initiatives?
Leverage crowdsourcing
to improve the validity?
‘Crowds’
Three Questions about
Open Data

4. Location Datasets
 Kenya Primary School 2007
 Health Facilities Kenya
 Both available on Kenya Open Data site (opendata.go.ke, 2012)
Geospatial Information Datasets
 Global Administrative Unit Layers (GAUL)
 DigitalGlobe Global Basemap
 Google Earth
Datasets

5.  Health Facilities
 Total: 8232
 For validation: 4867
 Actual valid: 4644
 4,203 in Digital Globe
 441 in Google Earth
 Primary Schools
 Total: 31229
 For validation: 110
(random sampling)
 Actual valid: 108
Results

6. Basemaps Track
selection changes
School
Information
School
locations

7. Connect available data to ‘crowds’ for more powerful feedbacks
Color of Locater Description
Green Original location given in the dataset
Purple New location added to the dataset Track changes
Red Proposed correction to the original location
Yellow Current location selected to be moved

9. Let’s play……
 Honor Board with highlighted
contributors:
 Last registered
 Most active
 Best contributor……
 Measure global progress over time
 Clear goals, easy to achieve
 Editing locations and user interactions

10. Future……
 Multi-language interface
 Community built on Points of
Knowledge
 Users communication
 Allow picture-uploading and GPS
position collection using mobile device
 ……

11.  All datasets are fully open
 Open source solution preferred
 Collaborative development
process

12. Unleashing the ‘wisdom of crowds’
Innovation in Governance, World Bank Institute