This is a presentation in OKFestival, Helsinki 20.9.2012.

1. Facilitating National Open Data Ecosystem -
Case: Finland
OKFestival 2012, Helsinki
#OKFest in Twitter
20.9.2012
Kari A. Hintikka
University of Jyväskylä

2. Shortly about the speaker
• nethunt (a) Twitter
• Making PhD in University of Jyväskylä, Unit of Sociology
– Netcrowds: self-organizative and collective minds on the Internet
• 1st prize in the Concept -category in Apps4Finland (2011)
• One of the writers of Public data -guide book (2011) with Antti
Poikola and Petri Kola
– English version: http://julkinendata.fi
• The head of jury of 1st Apps4Finland -competition (2009)
• Researcher in SOMUS group 2009-2010
• A member of Tutkimusparvi - open science swarm 2008-2010

3. Index of the presentation
• Shortly about the speaker
• Concepts of ’ecosystem’ and ’facilitation’
• Glimpse to Finnish Open Data Ecosystem
• Paul Baran (1962): types of networks (or ecosystems)
• A brief history of facilitating Open Data Ecosystem in Finland
• Some possible explanations to the successful and living ecosystem
without the formal leadership of steering committees in Finland

4. The concept of an ’ecosystem’
• An ’ecosystem’ is a wholeness around some topic or issue, where various
actors offer (data) without mutual reciprocity, in a way which benefits all
parties involved (Poikola & Kola & Hintikka 2011)
• Ecosystem consists large diversity of actors, in Finland including
– Grass-root level single developers and citizen activities
– Diversity of open data providers, like National Land Survey of Finland (NLS)
– Ministries and other regulators, like Traffic and Communication; Employment and
the Economy
– National and regional networkers and integrators, like Helsinki Region Infoshare
(HRI)
– Politicians, like ministers and MPs
– Big companies, like IBM
– Small business developers, like HILA Oy, Veropuu Oy
– Big and small traditional (and new) media, like Helsingin Sanomat, YLE and
Jyväskylän ylioppilaslehti
– Universities and other research and educational organizations
– Associations, like Finland’s Internet Democracy Association abd Tieke

5. A portion of Finnish Open Data Ecosystem by issues
Antti Poikola, Teemo Tebest, Juuso Koponen © 2011

6. A portion of Finnish Open Data Ecosystem by persons and
interests
Antti Poikola, Juuso Koponen, Teemo Tebest © 2011

7. The concept of a (Internet) fasilitator
• ”A facilitator is someone who helps a group of people understand
their common objectives and assists them to plan to achieve them
without taking a particular position in the discussion.” (Wikipedia)
• Internet facilitation (or ’nannying’) means to help (and coordinate)
large open crowds and networks (and ecosystem) to collectively
– Innovate
– Solve problems
– Co-operate
– Collaborate and
– Achieve (sometimes self-agreed) goals

8. Paul Baran (1962): types of networks (or ecosystems)
• (this paper of Baran was actually the concept of the Internet)
Commercial mobile Model of Finland Typical grass-root
’ecosystem’, like Apple in Open Data movement network

9. A brief history and examples of facilitating
Open Data Ecosystem in Finland
• Chargeability of government produced data in Finland was based on the Act on Criteria
for Charges Payable (1992)
– Pay-per-cost principle so. approximate payment of copying data with copying machine and
sending papers with mail or telefax
• Since 2009 have been started several activities for example among ministries
and grass-root networks without any central leadership in charge
– In 2009 there was no formal leader or organization of ecosystem or governmental board, like
national ’Program’ or ’Strategy’ of open data (e.g. decentralized network)
– Still, after three years, there is no national formal body steering the activities
• An yearly joint-effort Apps4Finland -competition (2009-)
• Finnish Open Data Ecosystem -group in facebook (2009-)
– The hub or back channel for the ecosystem (over 700 members in August 2012)
• Regional facilitation, like in Helsinki area (HRI 2009-), Jyväskylä, Tampere etc
• Data repositories by Suomi.fi (State Treasury) and others
• A guide book for national public sector (2010/2011)
• Masinated grass-root campaign to defend National Land Survey of Finland
against Ministry of Treasure (2012)

10. Some possible explanations to the living ecosystem without
the formal leadership in Finland
• Strong tradition for national collaboration and crowdsourcing (’talkoot’)
– Open data is felt national goal undependent of organizations and individuals
– Also, Finland is small country compared to many others, easy to co-operate
• Open hub or back channel for the ecosystem: low organizational barriers
– In Finland: Finnish Open Data Ecosystem -group in facebook (2009)
– From ministries to single developer: everyone interested can get same info at the same
time, comment others, announce interesting stuff and get (basically) easily networked
straight away without organizational barriers
– Everyone (in facebook) can join
• Some ministries have had quite ’open’ approach for a long time
– 1st national Information Society strategy in 1994/1995 in Finland
– The (partial) culture of ’openness’ and collaboration of the state of Finland
• on the other hand, there are still barriers, like Ministry of Treasure
• Spinning aka open facilitation by several individuals and organizations
– Diversity of activities, ”something for everyone”, stakeholders ’owning’ projects
– As much various initiatives as possible (like Googles way to start and kill new services)

11. • Thanks!
• Contact me and the Finnish Open Data Ecosystem :)
• kari . hintikka (a) gmail . com
• nethunt@Twitter
• Finnish Open Data Ecosystem facebook-group:
– https://www.facebook.com/groups/fi.okfn/
• Open Democracy Finland facebook-group:
– https://www.facebook.com/groups/OpenDemocracyFinland/